1940's Suit!

[Zap85]

Hey B&B,

So I just inherited a beautiful blue/grey tweed 1940's 3 piece suit! It fits me like a glove, but it is...obviously...cut differently than a modern suit. The pants sit very high, and they are fairly wide in the leg. Is there any way I can get away with wearing this? I'm a young man...26 years old. Or will it look like a costume? Should I get the pant legs slimmed, or would that be ruining the vintage quality? Here is a pic (not of me exact suit) but of an almost identical cut/fit. I want to wear it, but I don't want to look silly! Thoughts?

[Doc4]

Skinnier suits are easy enough to come by, but a true heritage piece in pristine condition is a rare find indeed. I'd say wear it as-is ... you WILL feel silly wearing it at first (that's normal when starting with any 3-piece the first time) but that will wear off.

When you say "inherited" ... is this from a relative of yours? If so, it may have sentimental value as well ... keep it for special occasions ... and don't have it "modernised" to a thinner fit ... keep the vintage!! You will appreciate this all the more in 10 or 20 years' time!!

[Go West Young Man]

You can't just wear a suit like that, you need to adopt a whole 'vintage' persona/lifestyle or you'll look pretentious.

[gaseousclay]

You can't just wear a suit like that, you need to adopt a whole 'vintage' persona/lifestyle or you'll look pretentious.

agreed. you'll also look like you're going to a Mad Men costume party.

[Slash McCoy]

Wear it as is. But be sure to get a hat that matches. A medium fedora with just a hint of slant and a more subdued pinch in the crown than the one in the pic, would be my suggestion. Stand straight and walk like you belong wherever you are. If you take yourself seriously and show confidence, others will take you (and your suit) seriously, too.

[Dave41079]

Wear it as is. But be sure to get a hat that matches. A medium fedora with just a hint of slant and a more subdued pinch in the crown than the one in the pic, would be my suggestion. Stand straight and walk like you belong wherever you are. If you take yourself seriously and show confidence, others will take you (and your suit) seriously, too.

This. I have a rather large handlebar mustache, and typically wear palamino style hats as well...but I own it. I get compliments all the time, from some people I never would have guessed would compliment anyone. Things to be especially careful of while wearing that...your watch, shoes, and socks. I say go for it, and we need pictures!

[Jim]

Wear the suit, don't let the suit wear you/

[Dusty1]

You can always have it tailored to your likeing. It would be a vintage suit with a modern twist, very nice.

[Krona Kruiser]

Wear the suit, don't let the suit wear you/

Best advice given by my Dad.

[scottish steve]

Only you will know how silly you feel wearing it. Don't be afraid to alter it if you simply won't use it unaltered. I wear vintage Harris Tweed all the time when I'm back home and there's no problem with it. This suit looks in no way contentious and I really like the jacket. Turn-ups are a non-no for me personally, but it's entirely your decision. I have a pair of handmade Swedish clogs which I would wear everywhere if it weren't for the noise they make. In fact I hardly ever wear them and only usually do on busy days when I know there will be enough people about to mask the racket they make. I'm not joking. I personally feel clogs are very masculine but most of my friends feel they are firmly in the "women only" section. This has affected me. I'd rather sigh every now and then when I catch sight of them in my shoe cupboard than intentionally make myself ill at ease through sheer bloody mindedness.
What I'd do is wear only the jacket for now and see how you go. I feel far fewer allowances will be made for the trousers.

[malocchio]

you will not find such quality nowadays,don't touch the suit,it is an heirloom....the guys are right,get a period hat and a nice clean shave and haircut,some great aftershave and then walk easy and enjoy the admiration of beautiful women,both young and old .

[ouch]

Nice!

How's the hand?

[The Knize]

I really like the suit. (I sure would not get rid of the cuffs! Most suits I own have cuffs!)

<Will it look like a costume?>

You are asking exactly the right question. And that if why I would not go for the hat or the 'stache, at least at first. No dis to anyone. I like hats and have a goat and a 'stache myself. I am thinking the OP may want to ease into this one.

You say it is three piece. So the vest should cover the top of the relatively high-rise trousers? Or does the vest end high up by modern standards, too?

The suit coat actually looks perfectly fine to me by modern standards. Perhaps the cloth is thicker than most modern suits, but that does not seem to make it not modern to me. I am guessing that the coat does not have a vent in the sides or the back, which, as I recall, was more typical of the 30s and 40s. Still, some modern suits do not have vents.

I am not at all fond of wearing suit coats apart from the trousers as a sports coat, but you maybe able to get away with that here and it might be a test of whether you are comfortable with this clothing. I am not at all saying you should not be.

The trousers do seem wide in the thigh than would be typical these days. I do not know what all a good tailor can do to adjust them, but keep everything in proportion and balance. I would also think that you could always alter them back to the original if you wanted to. A saving grace is that they taper going down into the cuffs. Some of those older suit styles featured some mighty wide trouser bottoms! You could always try wearing them and get a feel for whether the legs are just too big and floppy or whatever. They may not be.

I tried to find, but could not, a good photo just now of David Rawlings, Gillian Welch's husband and musical partner, who I am confident in the past wore authentic older suits on stage, more likely the 1930s than the 1940s, and of a lesser quality than what you have. It may be that these days he is really wearing something new intended to look pretty much from that era, because some of the photos I found had vents in the jacket. You may be able to find better photos than I did. But was a very "hip" looking way to dress. It looked good and David Rawlings was not very old himself at the time. You could argue that it was costume for the kind of music he was playing. But you could also argue that it was a very cool thing to pick up on and wear vintage clothes that was really a modern sensibility, and not dandyish or anything.

[Zap85]

Nice!

How's the hand?

The hand is healing well. Got the stitches out a few days ago. Thanks for asking! Shaving with my DE, still waiting till my hand gets a bit stronger to try the SR again.

[Zap85]

The trousers do seem wide in the thigh than would be typical these days. I do not know what all a good tailor can do to adjust them, but keep everything in proportion and balance.

The trousers are my main concern. The jacket actually fits so well that it doesn't feel silly at all. The pants, however, are VERY wide and floppy...almost clownish. Maybe a really good tailor could still keep everything in proportion, but slim the pants down slightly...I might be good to go.

[saf]

Slim them down It's obvious you don't feel comfortable in it and thats what matter most.

[joel]

Wear it as is and wear it with confidence. It's all how you carry yourself. I have some really sharp pink dress shoes as well as a pair of light purple shoes and I get nothing but compliments, even on the East coast. Frankly though, I just don't care what anyone else thinks.

The bottom line is, if you're wearing clothes that fit you well, are in good shape, wrinkle/pill free, have nice shoes on, are well shaven and smell good - you're already in the top .05%. If the suit is a little too funky for you're comfort level due to your age, add an element or two that will make it more current, but maintain the suits originality, like a brightly colored kerchief or a brightly colored (or uniquely patterned) long sleeve shirt. Perhaps even some really neat socks that'll show from time to time capturing the attention away from the width of the pant leg.

In any event, it seems like a crime to modify the suit and make it more current.... It entirely negates the appeal and panache of a vintage suit.

[scottish steve]

Please post pics of yourself out in the park or something.

[Zap85]

Please post pics of yourself out in the park or something.

I would, but it's VERY thick, heavy tweed, and summer weather is starting. I may have to wait till it gets a bit chilly again.

[Clovis Man]

I noticed this picture is the left half of a nice comparison picture -- you ought to post the whole thing!