Your looking back at a period of time when fashion changed its image much faster than it had, before the 60s were clothes even designed? Wouldn't it be fair to say they just evolved? So if your talking about the period 1955 to 1975 being a sweet spot your surely talking about only the elements of clothing that you liked from then?


You might have liked what America was doing but not Cardin, Quant, Haywood or Nutter. So many different styles in such a short space of time. Of course much of mid century design in clothing took its Q from earlier, the mid to late 50s British Edwardian suits, early-mid 60s the 20s, the late gangster 60s look from the 30s. America just twisted European clothes.

What always amazes me about people into retro dressing is a complete lack of being able to look at clothes for what they are, rather than looking at clothes that need to fit into an image. If it doesn't fit their period costume they can't wear the garment. Regardless of if the garment suits their age/build. Or not. Quite odd. Worst still, the type who dresses in a certain way to go out for an evening or weekend. Its all a bit fancy dress and it shows I'm afraid.

Pretty hard to go wrong with classic Edwardian (Non-neo) British lounge suit. Maybe slightly less nut hugging legs, but generally it's sound. Same with the 50's American sack.

Interesting you bring up the Japanese because they seem to not only offer classic American dress thats  up to date and looking fresh, I suspect in part simply because of the fabric used, but they also offer clothing very much in the modern Italian made way. What I don't really get though is why guys into a retro style never seem to progress to a higher standard. If your into clothes I'd have thought that sooner or later you'd realise that a hand sewn button hole on a shirt is better than a machined one, for example. It seems as if there are whole companies selling not very good stuff to niche markets that are full of people into certain details without paying any attention to substance. By that I mean quality of make or cloth and often, fit.
Then theres the "Its got a couple of moth holes in but its the real deal" type. I suppose its all down to the clothes fitting into a cult status above all else. Which is ok but a bit grating when they start talking about "idiots that follow fashion" or think they're well dressed when in truth they look like a twat.

Last edited by Goodyear welt (2015-04-10 04:25:45)

Better than a machined button hole (like the "quote" says). And as I say, its only an example. I could have used a jacket being canvased as opposed to fused, wearing a jacket with collar gap or a host of other examples.

You right though, but my point is that if someone is into clothing that is supposed to be smart, albeit in the niche of a certain retro style you'd think that over time that person would pick up the basic points of dressing "smart" and progress toward a better wardrobe. It is afterall, all about attention to detail and yet a lot of basic details are often over looked. Perhaps buttonholes were a bad example.

Its kinda forgivable when your a teenager but the older you get the more horrific you look. A 20 year old skinhead looks kinda street wise, a 50 year old one looks silly. The fact that the suit hasn't gotten any better in fit or progressed in style to suit his age/body isn't helping. Mods are in the same (sinking) boat. I think most middle aged skinheads and mods would think that a 40 year Teddy Boy looks horrific and yet although they might look at each other and think that, they can't seem to realise that THEY look just as bad, just in a different retro style.

"Its no good being a pig farmer for 30 years while claiming you were meant to be a ballet dancer, by then pigs will be your style".

Maybe the crux of this is men that didnt really care for dressing up prior to middle age spread just got by being in fairly decent physical condition...maybe theyve let themselves go and now just generally look like shit.. I imagine then the worst course of action would be trying to dress up only to look like an even bigger pile of shit. They typical will look like shit because they've probablynever really did have any natural appreciation for clothes...its probably the worst time in life to start..

Last edited by Bop (2015-04-12 02:17:18)

Put it off until you are fat 50-something

Good God, man, there's a lot going on there.

Good to see FXH back!

The mission has to be to grow old dignified and maintaining some semblance of the cool without looking like a throwback or someone reinventing themselves during a mid-life crisis. I've seen it, old gramps trading in his wife for a newer model in the hope of discovering the fountain of youth. But in order to feel 27, you have to be it.

I'm mid-40s now, had one health scare, appendix removed and next month, I will be having two new titanium discs inserted in my neck. But I don't mind my present predicament, I prefer being a middle aged crazy bald head, it beats being young, hungry and with no money, no matter how good looking you may be.

The premise of the original article is all wrong, who wouldn't want to be a successful 40 something in the mold of the rat pack?