I agree, the 1930s WAS the height of male fashion

Posted by Abner from user-2ive8e1.dialup.mindspring.com on April 26, 1999 at 11:44:20:

In Reply to: Re: Dressing up like Indy posted by MAJ Paul on April 26, 1999 at 01:34:20:

: : Kinda reminds me of this little incident in the Garden Hotel in Munchen (that's Munich to you). Sharing a room with a friend, we had invited these ballerinas who happened to be staying at our hotel to our room, just to chat. Interaction between cultures. First night, Darryl (my friend) points out the hat I wear (the girls saw it before when it was in my hand while we were walking down the hallway.) they laugh at his jokes, but so do I, and nothing is said about. Next night, same thing, only this time some of our crew join the party. One of them happened to be a lady friend of mine who supported my fedora idea. Someone picks up the hat, and the girls are saying "it's that Indiana Jones hat!"

: : With a sly grin, said lady friend states "he has a little 'obsession' with Indiana Jones" in tones that implied she thought I was an idiot for wearing the hat. That really burned my Mk VII gas bag....especially the fact that she was wearing a Roots Canada hat that really did not fit her. I'm for supporting Canada as much as the next hockey fan, but not when it makes you look like a cancer patient on dope.

: : My point is the ballerinas were impressed and intrigued by the hat coupled with a jacket that was not a carbon copy of Indy's-- I even got two adresses out of the deal, and whole new smattering of German phrases most guys would kill to know. What is it with North Americans? Have we no sense of class since 1953?

: : (one little sidenote. Wore the hat and the jacket right through the 12 hr flights back, didn't bother to shave for 36 hours previous. I'm just wondering what the customs agent in Toronto thought when a tired looking guy with a rugged jacket, fedora, backpack swung lazily on one shoulder, and about an inch of stubble swaggered up to the desk looking as if he'd just fought of a group of angry facists?)

: : ~The Raider

: Comments well taken. Actually, from some comments made to me by tailors, the height of American male fashion was the 1930's. After WW2, it all went down hill from there and was really killed by the fact that President Kennedy didn't like to wear Fedora's. Add that together with the hippie movement, 1970's polyester, 1980's punk, and stir thoroughly, and you basically get the T-shirt and jeans look of today. -MP

Yes, that look died in the late 50s/early 60s. I blame James Dean for the jeans and T-shirt thing and Kennedy and the Beatles for the lack of hats (and subsequently wanting to show off the long hair). Face it, today people just dress like crap.

Nothing beats a 3-piece suit and a Fedora. At least this recent "swing" craze has revived some interest in the old clothes, although it's in more of an outlandish, zoot-suit sort of way.

One thing though - If you visit Europe, people are somewhat better dressed. In the summer, it seems that nobody wears shorts. (Except for American tourists)

Abner

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: : : Kinda reminds me of this little incident in the Garden Hotel in Munchen (that's Munich to you).  Sharing a room with a friend, we had invited these ballerinas who happened to be staying at our hotel to our room, just to chat.  Interaction between cultures.  First night, Darryl (my friend) points out the hat I wear (the girls saw it before when it was in my hand while we were walking down the hallway.)  they laugh at his jokes, but so do I, and nothing is said about.  Next night, same thing, only this time some of our crew join the party.  One of them happened to be a lady friend of mine who supported my fedora idea.  Someone picks up the hat, and the girls are saying "it's that Indiana Jones hat!"

: : : With a sly grin, said lady friend states "he has a little 'obsession' with Indiana Jones" in tones that implied she thought I was an idiot for wearing the hat.  That really burned my Mk VII gas bag....especially the fact that she was wearing a Roots Canada hat that really did not fit her.  I'm for supporting Canada as much as the next hockey fan, but not when it makes you look like a cancer patient on dope.

: : : My point is the ballerinas were impressed and intrigued by the hat coupled with a jacket that was not a carbon copy of Indy's-- I even got two adresses out of the deal, and whole new smattering of German phrases most guys would kill to know.  What is it with North Americans?  Have we no sense of class since 1953?

: : : (one little sidenote.  Wore the hat and the jacket right through the 12 hr flights back, didn't bother to shave for 36 hours previous.  I'm just wondering what the customs agent in Toronto thought when a tired looking guy with a rugged jacket, fedora, backpack swung lazily on one shoulder, and about an inch of stubble swaggered up to the desk looking as if he'd just fought of a group of angry facists?)

: : : ~The Raider

: : Comments well taken.  Actually, from some comments made to me by tailors, the height of American male fashion was the 1930's.  After WW2, it all went down hill from there and was really killed by the fact that President Kennedy didn't like to wear Fedora's.  Add that together with the hippie movement, 1970's polyester, 1980's punk, and stir thoroughly, and you basically get the T-shirt and jeans look of today. -MP

: Yes, that look died in the late 50s/early 60s.  I blame James Dean for the jeans and T-shirt thing and Kennedy and the Beatles for the lack of hats (and subsequently wanting to show off the long hair).  Face it, today people just dress like crap.

: Nothing beats a 3-piece suit and a Fedora.  At least this recent "swing" craze has revived some interest in the old clothes, although it's in more of an outlandish, zoot-suit sort of way.

: One thing though - If you visit Europe, people are somewhat better dressed.  In the summer, it seems that nobody wears shorts.  (Except for American tourists)

: Abner

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