Where can I find "vintage suits"?

[Monteprinz]

Hello, I’m a complete newbie recargind classic lenswear so that question might sound stupid.

I was wondering if there were retailers that were selling “vintage” suits? By vintage I mean suits resembling those from the 60s and 80s, i.e. straight cut (unlike the modern jacket that I find too fitted and close to the body), fairly wide shoulders, and fairly loose pants. I was thinking of thrift stores but I was wondering if any retailers offered such cuts. Otherwise there is always the tailor option but that would cost me more.
Here are some examples of what I mean:

Thank you.

 

[BPL Esq]

Brooks Bros Madison and Regent fits depending on your measurements, O'Connell's, J. Press, older stuff in good condition from thrift stores or eBay (can find Oxxford and other good stuff here if you are patient), and so on.

 

[notdos]

You’re looking for a “Sack” suit.

Phillip

 

[Monteprinz]

Brooks Bros Madison and Regent fits depending on your measurements, O'Connell's, J. Press, older stuff in good condition from thrift stores or eBay (can find Oxxford and other good stuff here if you are patient), and so on.

Thanks! After looking it up I think eBay might be my best friend.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Thanks! After looking it up I think eBay might be my best friend.

Almost certainly. That, or vintage stores if you happen to live in a big city.

It's worth pointing out that Alain Delon is wearing something more 'continental' here, not a true sack cut. The jacket still has darts and a slightly suppressed waist, and the trousers are tapered to around 8 inches at the bottom, which is the most flattering size for his height (both he and I - in his younger years - share the same measurements and height, so I know the proportions well).



The narrower lapels help accentuate the shoulder width, although you want to avoid anything too extreme from this era.

 

[Monteprinz]

Almost certainly. That, or vintage stores if you happen to live in a big city.

It's worth pointing out that Alain Delon is wearing something more 'continental' here, not a true sack cut. The jacket still has darts and a slightly suppressed waist, and the trousers are tapered to around 8 inches at the bottom, which is the most flattering size for his height (both he and I - in his younger years - share the same measurements and height, so I know the proportions well).

View attachment 1621848

The narrower lapels help accentuate the shoulder width, although you want to avoid anything too extreme from this era.

thanks for the infromative reply!
I live in Paris but couldn’t find any vintage stores. I will try some thrift shops and then enay if I can’t find anything.
I have similar measurements too and after watching Purple Noon I couldn’t help but fall in love with this era’s style, and particularly the way the suits were cut back then.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

thanks for the infromative reply!
I live in Paris but couldn’t find any vintage stores. I will try some thrift shops and then enay if I can’t find anything.
I have similar measurements too and after watching Purple Noon I couldn’t help but fall in love with this era’s style, and particularly the way the suits were cut back then.

There should be quite a few vintage options in Paris, though men's clothing can be sparse and much smaller selections compared to women's. You have to drop by a few and see what they have. Some resources:

Highsnobiety

Highsnobiety is a publication that celebrates the latest in style and the pioneers defining culture today.

www.highsnobiety.com

The Best Vintage And Thrift Shops In Paris

Vintage lover or thrift store fashionista? Discover Paris' high- and low-end second-hand treasure troves across its many shopping districts.

theculturetrip.com

11 Best Second-Hand and Vintage Clothes Shops in Paris

Turn up a second-hand steal at one of the best vintage shops in Paris for both men’s and women’s clothes.

www.timeout.com

Sidenote: I always found Alain much more sophisticated a dresser than many other actors from this era, but maybe that's just the French side talking. Here's another picture where you can see a bit more about the fit of these suits without the arms in the way:



As you can see: light suppression, no excess length, strong shoulders with some padding, and only a slight roping at the shoulder seam.

 

[Monteprinz]

I know some of those but I need to explore a bit deeper, thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Keith Taylor]

I live in Paris but couldn’t find any vintage stores.

I always found Le Marais very good for vintage clothes shops, and a quick Google search suggests there may be several new stores since I was last there a few years back. A nice neighbourhood for an aimless wander, too.

 

[pasadena man]

Nice to see Delon get some props here on CM. I think he is undervalued as a style icon. He certainly provided one of the great, and great late, portrayals of both trench coats, and of fedoras, all in one movie: Le Samourai in 1967.

Alain Delon in Le Samouraï » BAMF Style

Vitals Alain Delon as Jef Costello, slick, taciturn, and meticulous contract killer Paris, April 1967 Film: The Samurai (French title: Le Samouraï) Release Date: October 25, 1967 Director: Jean-Pierre Melville WARNING! Spoilers ahead! Background On Alain Delon’s 84th birthday, let’s explore Le...

bamfstyle.com

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Nice to see Delon get some props here on CM. I think he is undervalued as a style icon. He certainly provided one of the great, and great late, portrayals of both trench coats, and of fedoras, all in one movie: Le Samourai in 1967.

Alain Delon in Le Samouraï » BAMF Style

Vitals Alain Delon as Jef Costello, slick, taciturn, and meticulous contract killer Paris, April 1967 Film: The Samurai (French title: Le Samouraï) Release Date: October 25, 1967 Director: Jean-Pierre Melville WARNING! Spoilers ahead! Background On Alain Delon’s 84th birthday, let’s explore Le...

bamfstyle.com

Additionally, and unlike some other icons of the time, he was just as well-dressed and tasteful in his private life. Very simple style, but worn with a lot of flair and French nonchalance.

Some other examples:

 

[pasadena man]

Additionally, and unlike some other icons of the time, he was just as well-dressed and tasteful in his private life. Very simple style, but worn with a lot of flair and French nonchalance.

Some other examples:

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View attachment 1621962
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View attachment 1621964

On a good day, he could stand up as a Gallic equivalent to Cary Grant. The difference in their stylistic impact is, in part, due to a couple of reasons IMO:
-Grant's career spanned much of the Golden Era of men's fashion. Delon's early wardrobe, on and off screen, was fantastic. Some of the styles of the 70's and 80's have not aged as well.
-Grant just worked much harder at his image. As he said: "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Hell, I'd like to be Cary Grant".

 

[Nobilis Animus]

On a good day, he could stand up as a Gallic equivalent to Cary Grant. The difference in their stylistic impact is, in part, due to a couple of reasons IMO:
-Grant's career spanned much of the Golden Era of men's fashion. Delon's early wardrobe, on and off screen, was fantastic. Some of the styles of the 70's and 80's have not aged as well.
-Grant just worked much harder at his image. As he said: "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Hell, I'd like to be Cary Grant".

Added to that, Alain refused to learn English during his younger years, which meant that he could only star in French films.

The thing I like about Alain's approach is that he really wore things well. He had his own attitude, and just didn't fuss about things as much - but still looked sharp, not like this 'spazzatutu' stuff today. I think that first photo with the cigarette is the perfect example of this. Just wearing tailoring like you live in it, not being precious, and sticking to one's own style. (note the reversed watch and button-collar; he almost always wore French tailoring too, it seems)

Cary Grant is very different. He was impeccable and cultivated that image constantly. And, as you said, his career spanned some of the best times for men's fashion, so he always looked classic and avoided the badly-aging trends easily.

 

[pasadena man]

Added to that, Alain refused to learn English during his younger years, which meant that he could only star in French films.

The thing I like about Alain's approach is that he really wore things well. He had his own attitude, and just didn't fuss about things as much - but still looked sharp, not like this 'spazzatutu' stuff today. I think that first photo with the cigarette is the perfect example of this. Just wearing tailoring like you live in it, not being precious, and sticking to one's own style. (note the reversed watch and button-collar; he almost always wore French tailoring too, it seems)

Cary Grant is very different. He was impeccable and cultivated that image constantly. And, as you said, his career spanned some of the best times for men's fashion, so he always looked classic and avoided the badly-aging trends easily.

Agree on both men’s’ style. As I think about it, I was implicitly shading Delon in my first post by noting how hard Grant worked at his image. Upon reflection though, for Delon to be overtly concerned with style might have seemed narcissistic, and gilding the lily, given his extraordinary physical beauty (a word I don’t use often about men, but in this case, I think the word applies).

In contrast, Grant did have to work hard: to be seen as an American actor, to develop an American(ish) accent, and to play characters of a social class far higher than the one he was born into. He was open about the fact that he had to work to “become” Cary Grant.

He did one, great, first person article about his style about 60 years ago. Upon rereading, it could serve as a mission statement for many on the CM side of SF today.

Cary Grant On Style

The name Cary Grant has become synonymous with "well-dressed man." In spite of a modest avowal that he does not understand why, he invariably heads any list of such gentlemen. Only once has Mr. Grant himself authored an article on the principles of good dress. We here reprint his timeless precepts.

www.gq.com

 

[Nobilis Animus]

Agree on both men’s’ style. As I think about it, I was implicitly shading Delon in my first post by noting how hard Grant worked at his image. Upon reflection though, for Delon to be overtly concerned with style might have seemed narcissistic, and gilding the lily, given his extraordinary physical beauty (a word I don’t use often about men, but in this case, I think the word applies).

In contrast, Grant did have to work hard: to be seen as an American actor, to develop an American(ish) accent, and to play characters of a social class far higher than the one he was born into. He was open about the fact that he had to work to “become” Cary Grant.

He did one, great, first person article about his style about 60 years ago. Upon rereading, it could serve as a mission statement for many on the CM side of SF today.

Cary Grant On Style

The name Cary Grant has become synonymous with "well-dressed man." In spite of a modest avowal that he does not understand why, he invariably heads any list of such gentlemen. Only once has Mr. Grant himself authored an article on the principles of good dress. We here reprint his timeless precepts.

www.gq.com

I remember that article. There's a lot of great and pertinent advice in there, especially on the subject of coats/sports jackets and the bit about the Harvard professor.

Come to think of it, it's quite funny that I admire Alain Delon's style more than that of other actors, given that he and I share the same proportions/features. Or maybe it's natural.

That's one thing I'd suggest to the OP and others getting into vintage stuff: try picking a decade with a cut that suits their figure and height. No sense in trying to stuff yourself into a style that doesn't work for you.