I always thought it was, pencil moustaches like the man in 'Dad's Army' or the Arthur English charicature in the photo - but these do not look too bad for petty criminals/used car dealers:-
http://www.nickelinthemachine.com/
Tucking your tie into the top of your pants?
Spivvatura?
Would be a whole lot of tie for Arthur English to tuck in though.
No shit.
Better keep that website under wraps, or the next thread at Ask Andy will be titled, "Do you think this tie is too long?"
Thanks, Kingstonian!
It's a good blog. I love the 1909 illustration!
'' Five pounds was a lot of money in 1949 (worth over £150 today) and at that time any five pound note withdrawn from a bank would have had its number noted by the clerk along with the name of the withdrawer.''
...and they say we live in a high surveillance society today.
Bish - Re: Le Bon -
Isn't that (lack of tie and ghastly scarf aside) more spurious 'retired-galloping-major' style rather than spiv as such? I mean tidy the hair and put on a crisp collar and a proper tie and you have Major Pollack straight out of 'Separate Tables'. Admittedly, Le Bon looks greasy enough to be a spiv but the tache takes it away from spiv simpliciter.
Indeed an analysis of 'types' (including lumpen i-gents), in this respect, might make a very interesting study.
Le Bon looks inebriated - a bit Oliver Reed.
Agree moustache is not spiv pencil moustache - bit Fedora Lounge maybe. Retro Wyatt Earp?