That is Cheever Country, in the flesh.

You see the jacket, I see a whole lost civilisation. That's the difference between your Ivy style and Trad.

OK - I like the shoulderline. Name the bits you like?

That family photo is that wholesome its unwholesome.

Spycatcher see's a lost civilization in that photograph, whereas, it is a stylised photograph with an ad man's message. Its a work of PR.

Its funny how the Trads and WASP's move into the realm of eugenics, the lost pure white family infiltrated by the modern world and the corrosion of decent white christian values. Myopic nostalgia, rose tinted behind a pair of gilded gold spectacles, whilst history is another reality.

Take your lessons from history books Spycatcher not cheap copy or commercial photographs.

Morals are eternal, and often practised by common men under difficult circumstances of all creeds. 

My romantic vision of the '50's is that everyone was digging the cool West coast school of jazz.  The producer, Les Koenig owned two record labels, Contemporary specialising in modern jazz and The Good Time Jazz Record Company that produced and distributed the old New Orleans and Chicago style jazz, a music style that is termed "Trad" now and is half remembered and certainly not critically acclaimed.  And yet, the Trad jazz label actually sold more than Contemporary, the Mickey Mouse Club favourites, The Fire House Five Plus Tow were selling more records than Chet Baker.

What this tells us, the past is indeed a different country, they do things differently there, and our re/deconstructions in this post-modern world may not have any grip on reality as it was in that age that is already coming up on that horizon of living memory.

Oy!

Richard - I think you've also said in the past that the typical Ivy League look was that longer line jacket? (Was that you?)

I'm seeing the longer line in the 50's more & more the more I look, '53 - '58 especially. What year was the snap above?

The high roll three is perfectly Traditional...  Just because it might be in fashion now doesn't stop it being Traditional, unless, of course, you are hell bent on 'making a statement'. 

- John Gall has a great pic of Paul Newman wearing one from '58 - It used to grace the JS site: Long line 3 button sack, flatfronts, knit tie, BD.

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Matching Dirty Saddle Bucks on the boys in the pic?  Shetlands also, I'd say - But not Saddle Shouldered Shets.

Quite a long break on Pa's trou. too...

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Another consideration is that 3/2s would often be buttoned as threes - Not out of ignorance, but out of personal choice, and PC was a big part of the real style back in the day. Looking at Pa's jacket it could be a 3/2 buttoned to three - Is it 'pulling' slightly on that top button, or is that my old red eyes playing tricks on me?

Note the rise on the shorts too.


Best -

Last edited by Russell_Street (2009-11-23 02:36:26)

True that. I think he was more on about all the English country details that the US used to stick on city suits.