In The Ivy Look there is a photo of vintage 501s, complete with turn-ups.
To my untrained eye, the turn-ups don't look sewn in.
Both the 'Mod' look and 'Skinhead' look seem to strongly favour sewn-in turn-ups.
Is this not the case with the Ivy look?
My recollection is that there was an endless debate back in the day about whether or not a sewn in turn up (which most skins and hard mods did indeed favour) was somehow a bit too 'studied'. Don't forget we were all coming at this in England from the inescapable position that to look too studied is somehow too flash .
We cannot escape it here, it is in our very bones - Beau Brummell is famous for saying that "If John Bull turns round to look after you, you are not well-dressed; but either too stiff, too tight, or too fashionable." For me, and for the great Beau too I expect, it is a built-in contradiction we have to somehow manage.
I think the more laid back Ivy style would not be consistent with a sewn in turn up.
That's my two pennyworth anyway!
Last edited by Brideshead (2010-09-03 06:53:41)
I never sew in the turnups on my jeans - as Brideshead says, too studied. It's the sort of thing the Mod fashion police might go on about now - exactly the sort of reason Ivy appeals to me more and more. Whether or not that was the Ivy way back in the day, I don't know, but it feels right to me......
Looks better without anyway, and turnups catch a lot of bits and pieces (well mine do), they must be harder to dejunk if they're sewn up.
well, sewn in turnups would PREVENT junk from collecting inside the cuff!
i have my jeans both ways, some with sewn down turnups, others not. sewn down are smaller .5-.75" turn ups...not sewn down I keep at a larger 1-1.5" turnup, i find both have their uses aesthetically so are always paired with specific shoes/boots
it's in my personality to be a bit studied so that'll never change!
Good questions both, Troj. - Keep 'em coming.
Best -
Jim
ive never seen nor heard of a sewn in turnup in the US. besides, rarely, in the context of skins/ quasi-mods consciously trying to look english. i dont think sewing in a turnup would even occur to an american-its something you do because you bought your pants too big, or are trying to keep the bottoms dry. def. a skinhead thing. maybe rockabillies do it or something, i dunno.
Rockabillys never sewn down their cuffs, thats strictly a skinhead/mod thing
^ Yes, I can definitely vouch for that GS. I'm a long standing turn-up devotee but I stitched my first only a few months back. At the grand old age of 44 I thought that I could do with a change but then only for wearing with dessies - doesn't feel right for me with brogues for some reason. Maybe because I've not come to it from the Mod/Skin angle? The stitched turn-ups are still seen a lot on the older Skinheads around these parts - less so on the younger guys.
Staceyboy
Last edited by Staceyboy (2010-09-05 16:41:02)
I've seen a photo of the beach boys with sewn in turn ups? Must be mid-60s, I wonder what inspired that? (unless I remember incorrectly)
Anyone roll theirs?
I do, it's like a triple turn up. I don't like the look of more than an inch or so of lighter blue down there. I have shortish legs, perhaps that's why.
For someone like me with a 33" leg it's always been an issue because 501s only come in even leg lengths. 32" on me looks like they just shrunk in the wash whilst 34" quickly fray around the heel of my loafers. So, to turn up or not to turn up - that's the inevitable challenge. I buy 34" and either: roll back an inch but never sew; or I take a new pair to my tailor and have him shorten them - but strictly on instruction to finish them exactly as original - with the precise colour match of cotton hem stitching etc.
it must feel bizarre wearing a pair of weejuns or something one day, followed by those boots the next, GS!
Last edited by colin (2010-09-07 15:19:33)
There's a joke somewhere in all of this about a hard-of-hearing alterations tailor and root vegetables.