In my case it's someone who doesn't fit into vintage clothes because I have broad shoulders, neck and chest but smaller waist. Most vintage or deadstock seem to assume someone is relatively thin looking like Roger Sterling off Mad Men. Even though I try to look after myself the modern diet and lifestyle means in my case, that body shape isn't mine. I am comparatively short at 5' 6" but fairly big on the chest at 44' and 17" neck but with a much smaller waist, so I end up looking like Napoleon's bouncer. I need to wear work shirts with ties often, so the neck has to fit correctly, which on vintage shirts tends to mean the shirt for that neck billows like a tent on the chest or if the chest fits the neck doesn't. Modern shirts fit me better as many people have the 'modern' shape so they are made to fit my proportions more effectively, which is just covering up that at 43 I'm not the scrawny young person I once was.
If you do ever want to get anything vintage fitting like that, go for a Gant Hugger, Mark, or maybe a Sero, aren't they quite tapered in the body? I'd avoid BB, or anything else unless it says it's a slimfit. The slim-fit silhouette came in around 62' I think, with JFK's updated Brooks suit, and Gant shirts going for the sporty All-American look, don't think it's all Tradly Dadly tents if you do go vintage.
Yeah, I think vintage Gant Huggers may be a good option if you ever see one you like Mark.
I'm 5'5" with a 36/37" chest and a 29" waist and my dad is about 5'7" with about 40" chest and 32" waist (I imagine I'll go that way if I look after myself) so I have an idea of that short, on my way to stocky, body type. I can't imagine being a 44" chest though at my height. You must lift some serious weights brother.
Hi Liam
the number of times I'm asked what weights I do! It's just natural body shape and my father's Irish family were all the same (and it wasn't food in those days as they moved to England to escape the stark poverty), I rarely drink, walk everywhere and so on but I stay that same shape.
I do have some vintage items and keep an eye out, but I suspect the larger sizes were manufactured in less quantity at the time as they come up far less at ETSY, eBay and other sources. I am keeping a look out on Sero. I have one Gant Hugger but they don't tend to pop up often. I've had a few BB including in slim fit, which was fine on chest and neck but still hanging away on the stomach which I'm pleased to say is more than six inches less than my chest. Hopefully I don't look as strange as I sound from these posts. It doesn't help that I have a stare and face that 'demands to be punched' as I've been told many a time amongst various exhortations to fight.
Thanks for the tips to both of you. Much appreciated.
Last edited by MarkCoyle (2012-11-13 11:32:07)
You must have at least a 36W Mark?
I have a friend who is similar, he went off to be Best Man in Canada for his friends wedding, and asked me to measure him so they could get the suit ready for his arrival, his friend emailed back saying who ever measured you has done it wrong, these sizes are clearly of a primate.
He's 5ft 6, 17.5 neck, his jacket sleeve is 26.5'' his waist is 34 and his chest was something like 42.
He is Welsh.
Last edited by My Grandfather's Pants (2012-11-13 12:02:44)
Yes. Brawny Irish navvy manual worker stock. A primate collier build, I like it, an ape miner that's me. The odd thing is that I work in some interesting places, last week I was in Parliament advising and dressed carefully, but I suspect I still look like a thug really. As somebody said you can't buy or assume class status, style can be learned but you can only act at a class other than the one you are raised with.
Last edited by MarkCoyle (2012-11-13 12:26:26)
Last edited by Armchaired (2012-11-13 12:28:43)
Last edited by My Grandfather's Pants (2012-11-13 12:45:10)
Thanks but i would like to attend the Xmas black tie event with a semblance of dignity remaining.
Its going to be tough though, i have recently discovered that my weight gain since quitting smoking is almost two stone (kin hell)!
All roads lead to blocked arteries, you might as well be thin doing it!
Two from our friends at JSA Chiltern.
(url=)http://cgi.ebay.com/221153150690 (/url)
(url=)http://cgi.ebay.com/221153163472 (/url)
I wonder why they're ebaying these items rather than selling them in their vintage room? I could understand if it was something a bit special and would fetch more at auction.
Maybe they do both H, my friend who owns a record shop lists stuff online but has it in store too, and just takes it off if it sells. I suppose it makes sense having it reach a wider audience.
^ Nice. I'd grab that straight away if it was a tad bigger. The buttons would have to go though.
No I think you can close up until 12 hours before the end of auction, even with bids. But don't quote me, it's what I recall from when I wanted to buy my mates laptop and he had already listed it. In the end I had to bid on it because he couldn't close the auction, and I got it for a ton less than he asked. HA!
Last edited by My Grandfather's Pants (2012-11-14 04:32:18)
Lol
Love that suit but the buttons are awful, how was that ever considered appropriate?