Words fail me!
THIS IS THE STUFF !!!
Wonderful images, Horace, thank you very much.
That Chester Laurie suit will haunt me!
Nothing "Fogey" about this TNSIL style -
Ivy as it should be!

Miles

Love the Botany 500 ads.  Botany 500 (by Daroff) was the top line at my grandfather/father’s store in the 1950s.  I clearly remember getting a Botany 500 from the store’s stock as my first adult sized suit; a 38 regular when I was 12 (before that it was all sport coats and slacks).  It was a hard finished charcoal olive twill, probably about 12 oz., three button, center vent, plain front trousers.  That would have been late 1958 or early 1959, and there was some debate as to whether I should have such an “expensive” suit when I was growing very quickly.  The combination I best remember wearing with the suit was a light green hairline stripe tab collar shirt, a rep tie in even stripes of dark and light olive, and a white cotton handkerchief in a TV fold.  Try as I might, I can’t remember the shoes.  I still have and use several wishbone suit hangers bearing the Botany 500 label with the long gone store’s name embossed on it.

As long as we're traveling down Memory Lane, does anyone from the New Jersey area remember one of the all-time wonderful clothing stores, MacHugh's, in Ridgewood?  A haven of Ivy League style.  I get warm all over just thinking of the store, which, sadly, has been replaced by a bank.

Marc

Marc Grayson wrote:

As long as we're traveling down Memory Lane, does anyone from the New Jersey area remember one of the all-time wonderful clothing stores, MacHugh's, in Ridgewood?  A haven of Ivy League style.  I get warm all over just thinking of the store, which, sadly, has been replaced by a bank.

Marc

Grayson,

I know Ridgewood's changed a hell of a lot in the last 40 years.  I didn't know MacHugh's, but the store's on Corbin's stockist list under the Trad Trouser thread.

Horace wrote:

Marc Grayson wrote:

As long as we're traveling down Memory Lane, does anyone from the New Jersey area remember one of the all-time wonderful clothing stores, MacHugh's, in Ridgewood?  A haven of Ivy League style.  I get warm all over just thinking of the store, which, sadly, has been replaced by a bank.

Marc

Grayson,

I know Ridgewood's changed a hell of a lot in the last 40 years.  I didn't know MacHugh's, but the store's on Corbin's stockist list under the Trad Trouser thread.

Ridgewood had historically been the quintessential WASP town, which I don't mean pejoratively, and MacHugh's was very much reflective of the local populace.  The past several years have seen more cultural and ethnic changes, and a more contemporary sartorial lifestyle.   MacHugh's was always a serene and stylish place to escape to.

You gots to love it.  1973 rolls around and Cable Car Clothiers out of San Francisco is still selling the old-school kit:




Back to 1965:

Here's a nice shoulder from Deansgate, a company that made (relatively) inexpensive, yet serviceable suits.  I recall the poplin and seersucker, but heard somewhere that they made some of the lower end Brooks stuff to specifications.




Here's something from Norm Hilton, maker of great natural shoulder suits until relatively recentl times:




And one more for you guys who like the light weight fabrics:

Superlative posts, Horace!

Yours in gratitude,

Miles

I love the look of Levis, green tweed, and brown loafers sans socks.

Here's some Paul Stuart, c. '78:



This picture might give you a bit of an indication of the Paul Stuart reputation, as I recall it at least.  A bit more "dandified" in the FNB sense (If I take the liberty of such an assertion).  Still in the Ivy tradition, I suppose.  But a bit flash from those stodgy old (and young) coddgers over at Brooks.

Last edited by Horace (2006-05-17 13:01:07)

Chris_H wrote:

I like the lapels on the Altman jacket. These days I have 3" lapels on my jackets. Is it possible to vary the width of the lapels on the Southwick MTN range. Some of the jackets in the Andover Shop catalogue look to have narrowish lapels.

Yes, it's possible to specify lapels for Southwick suits.  I haven't measured the lapels on my Andover jackets but will check them out.

edit:  on my off-the-pegs that are probably made by Southwick and Corbin, the lapels appear to be a tad less than 3 1/2 inches.  (But I am not sure if I am measuring correctly?  Parallel to the bottom of jacket, across widest point of notch?).  By contrast my old Brooks tweed is about 3 1/4.
Will measure the MTM's when I can.

Last edited by Horace (2006-05-18 04:42:22)

Another one.  I'm sorry I didn't find other early examples of Gordon of Philly stuff.  Here's something circa 1970.

According to a friend in the business, there were more than 30 shirtmaking factories in Philly at one time.  (Shirtmaven can confirm or disprove, I'm sure).

There were also quite a few suitmaking companies, like H. Freeman, et al.  The head tailor (quite old now) at one of the older Brooks told me that his family owned a part of one at some time.  I've noticed that a lot of times, these old timers like talking old times.  Who doesn't, in some way?  They are also surprised that the average joe is interested in such admittedly esoteric matters.



This ad is a rather explicit nod to the TNSIL, perhaps because of the times that were a changin' and whatnot.  Kind of a nice nod to continuity.

Last edited by Horace (2006-05-18 04:54:31)

Here's one from Southwick '82 -- taking a stand for the Trad, in a way.  I like the 2 button Southwick scene here on the left.  Obviously the clothes aren't featured as much as some sort of implied "lifestyle".  But the 2 button here is not unlike the Brooks two button.  And somewhat like some of the offers found at Andover and other Southwick stockists today.  I suppose some of the SF boys might think the gorge a little low.  But I think if you were trousers the proper length, and get the right size for your height, that it's a rather swell jacket.

Last edited by Horace (2006-05-18 05:02:40)