1920's-1930's Suit Ideas?
Hello,
Hello, I am an 18 year old male that stands around 6 feet tall, and is about 165 lbs.
I am looking to get a suit that resembles those of the 1920′s-1930′s, as I am in love with these years. I want it to resemble those that the “Gangsters” used to wear.
I currently have a brown fedora, and will be getting a grey one, as well as a black one, but don’t know what style suit & colors would go best with the fedora, and my build for daily wear (I plan on wearing the suits daily, not just for formal events. Maybe I can start to bring back a trend of suits everywhere like the good days… one can dream, aye?)
I would prefer the idea of an Overcoat to be tossed around, as I plan on getting one to match whichever suits are mentiond.
Thank you much!
To a certain extent the idea of gangsters in suits and fedoras is a Hollywood product, not a true historical look. But if you want the 1930s aesthetic, I’d keep the following points in mind:
- Double-breasted or single-breasted with a waistcoat. Single-breasted suits certainly existed and were worn, but the fairly low-buttoning style you typically see today would have seemed sloppy by 1930s standards.
- By the same token, keep the jacket buttoned at all times if it’s double-breasted, and only unbutton it when seated if single-breasted. The casually unbuttoned, hands-in-pockets look would have been a faux pas.
- Try for more colors and patterns than the contemporary business style calls for. Browns and grays were very common in the 1930s, as were patterns like chalk striping and windowpane checks.
- It was common to mix colors and fabrics more than we do today in the 1930s. An unmatched vest under a suit would be appropriate, as would a hat that doesn’t match the suit. (Matching was fine, but not all men could afford a good felt hat in every necessary color, so unmatched was normal and accepted.)
- Speaking of hats, the gangster fedora is something of a Hollywood creation. Homburgs, wool flat caps, and even bowler/derby hats (which were a very working-class style at the time, and not formal at all) would all have been just as common, if not more so.
- A Chesterfield would be a good classic overcoat, but any longer style would be reasonably appropriate. Trenchcoats existed but were still mostly military wear, and more unusual on civilians than they are now.
Good luck!
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LikeDislikeIf you’re working on any kind of vintage style, I highly recommend looking through The Houndstooth Kid blog — he’s done a great job of vintage hunting and discussing classic styles.
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