1930’s Men’s Fashion; Suits you, Sir! (From Worcester News)

1930’s Men’s Fashion; Suits you, Sir!

10:06am Monday 7th June 2010 in Retail Therapy By Lydia Johnson, Fashion and beauty writer

THE great depression of the 1930’s left nobody unscathed. Although stereotypes suggest that women are generally more interested in fashion, men also shared this interest and too wanted to look their absolute best, no matter what hard times they had to face.

Men’s fashion of the 1930’s was serious and sternly formal. Even clothes deemed as ‘casual wear’ were polished and proper, with sportswear consisting of linen riding jackets and matching houndstooth socks and polo shirts. It was obvious everywhere you went that the suit was the preferred garment of the thirties.

As the decade opened, it was clear that bigger was better. Suits were designed to make the torso appear larger and broader, with wadding and shoulder padding helping to create this muscular look. Suits were also becoming more elegant as time went on. This elegance demanded jackets with long lapels and between two and eight buttons, while long, fitted trousers added the final touch of sophistication. The most popular colours were charcoal, slate, grey and navy, whilst midnight blue didn’t become popular until the Prince of Wales requested a dinner jacket in the shade. Not only this, but striped suits were the male must-have of the time. Think of the suit as the iPod of this generation.

However, with the signing of the New Deal in 1935 by American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the promise of prosperity began to return again. This new wave of hope called for a total redesigning of the business suit. Dutch tailor Frederick Scholte was responsible for creating the ‘London Cut’. This style of suit, with it’s high pockets and buttons, shoulder pads and high pointed lapels, signified that any man who wore it was reputably high in status.

The famous ‘Palm Beach’ suit was also designed during the thirties. This suit was made from either linen, cotton seersucker or silk shantung, and proved very popular, becoming the business man’s summer suit for hot days.

It is hard not to mention the influence of the gangsters on men’s fashion in the 1930’s. Since ordinary working class people often looked up to gangsters such as Al Capone, it comes as no big surprise that men may also take some fashion tips off them too. Despite the fact that they were criminals, gangsters always wore business suits, looking handsome and professional. It’s no wonder they were such a huge inspiration to the men of the 1930’s. We’ve all seen ‘The Godfather’, right?