Film Noir Buff Style Forum / Moldy Fig Ivy

4F Hepcat · 2011-10-09 02:10:23

Anybody else fancy this? Natural shoulderism in an alternative reality where King Oliver never died an impoverished pool room hall janitor and jazz innovation began and ended with Swing. You can have any colour of shirt you like, so long as its an OCBD in ecru. People smoke and drink whisky a lot, and white is inevitably tinged with tobacco hues. Fair islands sweaters and tank tops are universally cool. The saddle oxford is the coolest shoe of them all. The colour wheel is predominantly; beige, green, brown, ecru, blue-grey and everything is lightly seared and off colour.

Radio is dominated by crooners, Armstrong, Ellington, Benny Goodman and when one goes to a show, its invariably to dig the Nicholas Brothers or the stage antics of Cab Calloway. The clarinet is the hippest jazz instrument there is. The Fire House Five Plus Two dominant the college jazz campus and there is no need for Tradism, because trad never went away, it just eternally is.

I think Philip Larkin would like it, I consider Woody Allen is already living this dream or nightmare, depending on your point of view.

Oo Bop Sh'bam · 2011-10-09 03:29:50

Last edited by Oo Bop Sh'bam (2011-10-09 03:33:56)

4F Hepcat · 2011-10-09 04:59:03

The Sting is wonderful on many levels including the great ragtime jazz soundtrack of Scott Joplin. The shirts above look too flower power for my liking though.

The risk is always going too far into the saudade Fedora fantasy lounge mythical spat wearing age. That's what I admire about Woody Allen, he's been wearing the same get-up for twenty-odd years now, and it tells us he digs the clarinet and trad jazz. He operates in the zone I was trying to express: a revivalist jazz sensibility. He seems to me, to embody and embolden this aesthetic completely.

Oo Bop Sh'bam · 2011-10-09 05:05:04

Snip from a RL article.

''It certainly helped that the dashing Robert Redford, fresh from the dual successes of Butch Cassidy and The Sting, was draped head to toe in the finest bespoke three-piece suits of Ralph Lauren, while Mia Farrow’s glamorous costumes triggered a Jazz Age fashion trend that gripped the US and Europe''

I don't know who did the outfits for The Sting but there seems to be a huge lump of RL 70's influence. The colour combos are great, even though I see your point about the now what I'd consider Phil Tufnell shirts.

RL was of course kitting out Woody too, maybe this is the golden age of Woody, the Jazz Age 70's kick back. I think he looked best in Bananas, before the 70's. But I know what you're getting at, and what you mean. Certainly interesting if not exactly my thing.

Last edited by Oo Bop Sh'bam (2011-10-09 05:17:38)

4F Hepcat · 2011-10-09 05:18:05

It was Edith Head who did wardrobe on The Sting and gained an oscar for it.

Oo Bop Sh'bam · 2011-10-09 05:19:27

Simply put she is a bloody genius. I'll read up on her, thanks for the heads up.

Andy_B · 2011-10-11 06:43:43

4F Hepcat · 2011-10-11 10:46:58

A couple of years ago, Woody Allen and his band were in Brussels on tour over Christmas, for some reason I didn't get tickets and I've been kicking myself ever since. I haven't seen that video, I will have a look for it though. I've got his CD though, somewhere.....

He has an iconic look, and yet, its the plainest look of all. Now that is cool.

Oo Bop Sh'bam · 2011-10-24 09:55:12

My hipster senses are tingling, and I think the Jazz Age may be where things are headed for the 'in' crowd.

4F Hepcat · 2011-10-24 10:44:22

^All you need is some of the pre-war Mosaic boxsets and that will take you there, the problem is getting back.....

Oo Bop Sh'bam · 2011-10-24 10:46:29

I think we are going to see it creep into the Prep crowd via the RL influence.

Hard Bop Hank · 2011-10-25 01:42:22

The Sting is a nice Jazz Age nostalgia fest, and the costume dept did a pretty good job, but it's certainly a very 70s idea of that time...

Maybe even more than The Great Gatsby.

If you can draw some sartorial inspiration from this, it's fine, as long as it's just that, some inspiration, in a playful way and not a costume, but I'd be careful about moving towards Fedora lounge territory...

One For Bop · 2012-05-13 04:52:30

Last edited by One For Bop (2012-05-13 05:00:17)

Taylor McIntyre · 2012-05-14 01:56:26

Taylor McIntyre · 2012-05-14 01:59:52

Taylor McIntyre · 2012-05-14 02:07:43

... Calling Classic American style (AKA Brooks Bros) Ivy League & Preppy made the most money for the look without a doubt. The look was also known as 'The Madison Avenue Look' by some at one time - A name which never took off because it lacked the snob factor that the names IL & Prep have as selling points. 'The Natural Shoulder Look' was also used in advertising, but, again, lacking snob value it was never as big as IL & Prep.

AFS · 2022-06-15 05:40:37

I rather like this - indeed embrace it. It suits me down to the ground, that blending of Woody with Bill Evans with Cal Tjader (for instance).
I reject the notion that jazz post-circa 1945 is the only worthwhile set of sounds.

On an entirely different tack, we were watching 'Double Indemnity' at the weekend. Fred MacMurray in a button-down. Supposedly in 1937.

#1 2011-10-09 02:10:23

Moldy Fig Ivy

#2 2011-10-09 03:29:50

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#3 2011-10-09 04:59:03

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