Daniele wrote:

Horace wrote:

From Eddie Jacobs, c. late 1960.  I knew they had a shop in Baltimore, but didn't know they had one in Philadelphia too.

"the French blazer".  The copy was pretty bad when I captured the image.  Sorry if the text ain't too legible.

What do you guys, incl. Miles and D.. think of it?  A possibility?  For the club, a nuit?

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/1156/e … ov2660.jpg

Unfortunately I can't zoom the image, so I can't read the description and why they define it French, but I like the cut and the stripes.
I've got a similar vintage striped jacket, Italian, maybe 1964-65; stripes are on the brown-ish and green-ish tones and fabric is kinda tweedy. Striped blazers are usually associated with sprts/daywear but with the right accessories can definitely be dressed up, and play a good figure on a night out to some nice clubs.
Up thumb from me then!:-)

Yo, D:

The original copy appears "blurry" too -- let me see if a magnifying glass won't decode the thing.

Miles Away wrote:

I'm sure I've seen a pic somewhere of Art Blakey in a very similar jacket, only his was cut much shorter. I'll try to find it to check.
I'd call it a very 'Continental' look, but Italian more than French (But that is only a view from the U.K.).
Nice though, & I think it has it's place - Well found!
Probably it's not tweedy enough for me, but on anyone else it could look great.
Another thumb up.
M.

Miles, maybe the photo of A. Blakey wearing the striped blazer is in J. Simons website's 'Style icons' page ?
http://j.simons.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

Miles Away wrote:

Daniele wrote:

Miles Away wrote:

I'm sure I've seen a pic somewhere of Art Blakey in a very similar jacket, only his was cut much shorter. I'll try to find it to check.
I'd call it a very 'Continental' look, but Italian more than French (But that is only a view from the U.K.).
Nice though, & I think it has it's place - Well found!
Probably it's not tweedy enough for me, but on anyone else it could look great.
Another thumb up.
M.

Miles, maybe the photo of A. Blakey wearing the striped blazer is in J. Simons website's 'Style icons' page ?
http://j.simons.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

Well spotted! THAT is the jacket. There are other publicity shots of him in it too. I'm not sure if it was a Ad. for the Messengers or for Blakey's Gretsch drum kit. I suspect the latter. Who knows?
Wonder if the others in the band had the jacket too? For a while they did that kind of thing...

I like this jacket:

http://j.simons.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

What type is it?

Is that a slack, or is a slack something else entirely?  Where' sthe word from?  A UK thing?

I don't know anyhting about BD Baggies (though I'd heard the name before).  I'd guess that, given the strength of the Pound (and the EUro isn't too bad either), that the best deal would probably be the Brooks shirt, on sale (in 3's) and shipped over to England.

I wonder if J. Simons could get a line on a bolt of old-school D J Anderson oxford cloth?

Horace wrote:

Miles Away wrote:

Daniele wrote:

Miles, maybe the photo of A. Blakey wearing the striped blazer is in J. Simons website's 'Style icons' page ?
http://j.simons.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

Well spotted! THAT is the jacket. There are other publicity shots of him in it too. I'm not sure if it was a Ad. for the Messengers or for Blakey's Gretsch drum kit. I suspect the latter. Who knows?
Wonder if the others in the band had the jacket too? For a while they did that kind of thing...

I like this jacket:

http://j.simons.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

What type is it?

Is that a slack, or is a slack something else entirely?  Where' sthe word from?  A UK thing?

I don't know anyhting about BD Baggies (though I'd heard the name before).  I'd guess that, given the strength of the Pound (and the EUro isn't too bad either), that the best deal would probably be the Brooks shirt, on sale (in 3's) and shipped over to England.

I wonder if J. Simons could get a line on a bolt of old-school D J Anderson oxford cloth?

Horace,
what jacket are you referring to? a strange thing of JS website is that links recall always the mainpage..

As for the BD Baggies (aka the shirt in the canvas bag that doesnt need to be ironed -according to ads) I have one, a short sleeve 3 button down quite slim ('University cut' as they define it). Not bad, decent material. Very very casual.

I like this cardigan with a thin dark tie.  Maybe the look is almost costume now.  c. 1960:



Fine-wale corduroy suit, from Deansgate, c. 1957:



Flannel blazer, from Paul Stuart, c. 1957:



The New Look of Corduroy.  Some seriously floodin' trousers avec black weejuns, c. 1957

Horace wrote:

I like this cardigan with a thin dark tie.  Maybe the look is almost costume now.  c. 1960:

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/4470 … 2it.th.jpg

My late Jazz-loving Uncle George (I won't call him 'sainted' because he hated crap like that) lived in this look for as long as I can remember. I fully intend graduating to it too someday. It's a nice look. Relaxed and self-confident. It seems to show off a nice attitude to me - Confort, style & ease.
M.

Good look D. !
I really don't think that it is costume or retro even, not quite yet anyway in Europe.
Funny how from the UK 'Continental' conjurs up Italy to us, not France. Odd - Must be cultural.
M.

I've got a pair of vintage beige Levi's Sta-Prest in whipcord. Very practical.

The suit looks nice.

Would someone do a youngun a favor and explain what whipcord is like?

Or is it one of those if-you've-never-seen-and-felt-it-I-can't-explain sort of fabrics--like a wash and wear Dacron suit

Horace wrote:

Daniele wrote:

I've got a pair of vintage beige Levi's Sta-Prest in whipcord. Very practical.

D.,

I remember you mentioning some of your Levi's "Sta-Prest" trousers.  I don't recall these being available in America.  But perhaps they were.  Do you know when these were made?

I think that Levi's introduced permanent-pressed trousers (I guess that the trademark Sta-prest is kinda phonetical transcription of 'Stay-pressed'?)  in 1964. They were made in a cotton-poly blend, pressed and then 'cooked' in special ovens: heat fixed the fybers shape and made them virtally wrinlkle-free.
I've read that, to advertise them, levi's salesmen used to drive to their customers with a portable washing machine to show that sta prest's crease didn't disappear after washed and dried!
As for as I can guess from 60s ads, they were commercialized in the States and later exported to Europe: Sta Prest were the big thing for British working class subcultures only since 1968 circa.
For early Skinheads the most in demand color was white, but differents colors took over according to different areas and even different crews.
The process were applied to different models; initially were cut like proper slacks with trimmered legs, in-seam vertical pockets (or slanted) and uncuffed (these are the most sought after today). Later also jeans cut were produced. Mine, from the 70s, are like these latter.
The idea of trousers that din't need to be ironed proved to be successful for a while, so many other brands like Lee or smaller local makers began selling their own versions ('Perma-press', etc.)
The process was applied also to corduroy, whipcord, denim fabrics, etc.
During the mid 90s Levi's re-issued some sta-prest trousers, with white label instead of the black one with golden letters. I bought a pair also of this kind, in off white; still have, not bad.

Last edited by Daniele (2006-07-11 07:10:21)

Miles Away wrote:

So funny -
I was checking on details while you must have been posting this D.
Certainly imported Levis Sta-Prest featured in the 'Ivy Shop' & 'Squire' in 60's Ivy London. Sta-Prest were especially 'Squire' from what I can gather.
I've worn re-issued Sta-Prest & heard stories of the originals but never seen them. Certainly I've seen and worn my share of Sta-Prest look-a-likes in my time (When? '77 to '80?). I dropped them when I could get my hands on nice chinos.
They have their place & are a nice memory for me.
M.

I wonder if you can find Sta-Press in the US still?

Horace wrote:

Miles Away wrote:

So funny -
I was checking on details while you must have been posting this D.
Certainly imported Levis Sta-Prest featured in the 'Ivy Shop' & 'Squire' in 60's Ivy London. Sta-Prest were especially 'Squire' from what I can gather.
I've worn re-issued Sta-Prest & heard stories of the originals but never seen them. Certainly I've seen and worn my share of Sta-Prest look-a-likes in my time (When? '77 to '80?). I dropped them when I could get my hands on nice chinos.
They have their place & are a nice memory for me.
M.

I wonder if you can find Sta-Press in the US still?

Only really small-waisted NOS ... I bought a pair of the reissues in 2000 in LA, they are indestructible, but by the time I realized I should get another pair or two they were all gone .... Walker's on Boylston Street in Boston this used to be a great place for NOS Sta-Prest and other fab gear:

"Landmark store hanging up its boots - Rising rent forces out Western wear retailer Walker's, by Thomas Grillo, BG, D1.
After providing bikers, equestrians, and rock stars with Western wear for 70 years, Walker's Riding Apparel on Boylston Street will close its doors May 31.... The landmark store, whose regulars have included entertainers Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Aerosmith, Elvis Costello, Peter Wolf, and Boston's legendary Rex Trailer, has fallen victim to Boston's hot real estate market. The landlord, Emerson College, plans to raise the rent for the 2,500-sq-ft space from $5,000 to $9,083 per month, according to Walker's own Peter Gordon... as the opening of the mixed-use Millennium Place - with a Ritz-Carlton hotel, luxury condominiums and a 19-screen cinema - has driven up property values in the neighborhood."

(May 2002)