From the Square America Snapshot Archive…

More great men’s styles and 1920s flapper dresses from Seattle costume shop Vintage Costumers:

The Chap is a retro gentlemen’s magazine, and if the name doesn’t given you an idea of their style, then their manifesto will:

1. THOU SHALT ALWAYS WEAR TWEED. No other fabric says so defiantly: I am a man of panache, savoir-faire and devil-may-care, and I will not be served Continental lager beer under any circumstances.

2 THOU SHALT NEVER NOT SMOKE. Health and Safety “executives” and jobsworth medical practitioners keep trying to convince us that smoking is bad for the lungs/heart/skin/eyebrows, but we all know that smoking a bent apple billiard full of rich Cavendish tobacco raises one’s general sense of well-being to levels unimaginable by the aforementioned spoilsports.

3 THOU SHALT ALWAYS BE COURTEOUS TO THE LADIES. A gentleman is never truly seated on an omnibus or railway carriage: he is merely keeping the seat warm for when a lady might need it. Those who take offence at being offered a seat are not really Ladies.

4 THOU SHALT NEVER, EVER, WEAR PANTALOONS DE NIMES. When you have progressed beyond fondling girls in the back seats of cinemas, you can stop wearing jeans. Wear fabrics appropriate to your age, and, who knows, you might even get a quick fumble in your box at the opera.

5 THOU SHALT ALWAYS DOFF ONE’S HAT. Alright, so you own a couple of trilbies. Good for you - but it’s hardly going to change the world. Once you start actually lifting them off your head when greeting, departing or simply saluting passers-by, then the revolution will really begin.

6 THOU SHALT NEVER FASTEN THE LOWEST BUTTON ON THY WESKIT. Look, we don’t make the rules, we simply try to keep them going. This one dates back to Edward VII, sufficient reason in itself to observe it.

7 THOU SHALT ALWAYS SPEAK PROPERLY. It’s quite simple really. Instead of saying “Yo, wassup?”, say “How do you do?”

8 THOU SHALT NEVER WEAR PLIMSOLLS WHEN NOT DOING SPORT. Nor even when doing sport. Which you shouldn’t be doing anyway. Except cricket.

9 THOU SHALT ALWAYS WORSHIP AT THE TROUSER PRESS. At the end of each day, your trousers should be placed in one of Mr. Corby’s magical contraptions, and by the next morning your creases will be so sharp that they will start a riot on the high street.

10 THOU SHALT ALWAYS CULTIVATE INTERESTING FACIAL HAIR. By interesting we mean moustaches, not beards.

Hahaha, wonderful! The shop on the website is also full of wonderful ‘old boys’ things:

Vecona vintage brings you the look of the 20’s and 40’s with the comfort you need for dancing. Their clothes are hand made and specially designed for dancers. The fabrics are stretchable and they don’t wrinkle when you put in your luggage. And they are machine washable too.

Here are some pictures that i picked up from the website and some more from my friends Ali and Katja.

You can visit the website vecona-vintage.com for mor informations on those little puppies.

For a little inspiration, here’s a few recent photos of men’s fashion on the streets, with a retro vibe, from The Sartorialist.

Apologies for not posting much this week, I’ve been working on a little side project that y’all are going to love! Stay tuned, but in the meantime, a little retro eye candy, David Beckham’s most recent Emporio Armani underwear campaign. With the slicked hair and his tattoos, it reminds me of the retro sailor campaign for Jean Paul Gaultier parfum. Maybe I’ll try to dig some of those images up as well…

The Blue Devils were a Kansas city jazz band in the 1920s and 30s, and above we have a photograph from 1932 of the saxophone section (Theo Ross and Buster Smith) welcoming their newest member, Lester Young, in the middle. For jazz fans, other big names that were in the band included Hot Lips Page, Bill ‘Count’ Basie and Jimmy Rushing. If you don’t know who any of those guys are, no problem - just look at how fine those 1930s suits are! Freshly pressed three-piece linen suits, and look at the details! Jazz orchestras knew how to dress. Perfectly matching down to the ties, the shoes, even the pocket handkerchiefs. And look closely, Lester is even holding a pipe.

Photo from ‘Jazz: A History of America’s Music’ by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns.

As promised, here are some of the pieces from the new Spring 2009 collection of the Benjamin Bixby label, belonging to Outkast’s Andre Benjamin (a.k.a. Andre 3000). Much less preppy than the first collection, but still with a tailored retro edge that we love.

This man is fashionable and that’s all there is too it. Here are some of my favorite pictures of him.

Since Idlewild, Outkast’s Andre 3000 has been on the SwingFashionista radar. In 2008, Andre Benjamin, a.k.a. Andre 3000 launched his own fashion line Benjamin Bixby with this Fall 08/09 collection. The label is available at Harrods in London and Barneys New York.  In his own words:

“Benjamin Bixby is my muse. My collection is based on a fictional character. The Bixby range came from me seeing old pictures and documentaries of American college-football players in 1935. On the field they played this rough game, yet off the field they’d be dressed really nicely – I thought that was a cool pairing. I thought they were making a statement.”

And from hypebeast: “Undoubtedly one of the most unique and creative intellectuals in the music scene, Outkast’s Andre 3000 has always been known for his eclectic style whether with music or fashion. Allowing his clothing line to do the talking, Benjamin Bixby thrives, takes inspiration from 1930’s vintage athletic garments creating a refined classic Americana look. The line’s tailored resemblance reflects old-world craftsmanship with an emphasis on vintage, collegiate pieces.”

A new Spring 2009 collection is actually out, so I’ll post up some pics of that soon. In the meantime, here is Fall 08-09…

Leonardo Di Caprio (playing Howard Hughes), Jude Law (playing Errol Flynn), John C. Reilley and Alec Baldwin all get the vintage treatment in The Aviator. Slicked hair, red carpet-worthy tuxedos, 1940s suits and of course, plenty of leather aviator jackets.

Old-fashioned barber shops seem to be having a bit of a renaissance right now, getting recent mentions in The New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair and Esquire, just to name a few. The perfect antithesis to the androgyny of modern spa-salons, get a straight-blade shave and a no-frills haircut, with old-world customer service in a boys-only zone. But this is old news for swing boys, and anyway, the best barber shops around are still the ones that have actually been around for a long, long time.  Here are a few such establishments, and feel free to email us with details of your favourite old-timey barbershop in your local city!

F.S.C. Barber, New York City
Cool retro styling - even the  barbers are decked out in retro threads. Not too cheap but hey, have a haircut $75, straight razor shave $40, and someone has to try their Hangover Treatment $25 and report back to us! But don’t bother with an appointment, they don’t take ‘em.
fscbarber.com

Truefitt & Hill, London
Claim to be the world’s oldest barbershop! Grooming London gents since 1805, get a traditional hot towel wet shave for £35.00, or for £70.00 you can even take a traditional cut throat shaving class!
www.truefittandhill.co.uk

The Art of Shaving, locations across the USA
Ok, it’s a chain, but they’ve got the aesthetic right. Old-style leather chairs, dark wood surrounds, jazz in the background.  Haircut $40, straight-razor shave $35, Royal Shave (45 minute package, with steam towels and mask) $55.
www.theartofshaving.com

Rudy’s Barbershop, Seattle
Funky, retro-styled barber shops, incorporating local art and music. The vibe is barbershop meets coffeehouse meets tattoo parlor. Walk-in service, no reservations needed, cheap and casual.  In the words of AskMen.com: “Coolness of yesterday without trying too hard.” Seven locations across Seattle, but stores in LA and Portland too. Visit the original Seattle (Capitol Hill) shop on East Pine.
www.rudysbarbershop.com

Hyde Park Hair Salon, Chicago
Established in 1927, and the first integrated barbershop in Chicago. Haircuts $21, shaves $10, shave & a haircut for $27. Past clientele have included Muhammad Ali, Spike Lee and even President Obama.
www.hydeparkhairsalon.net

State Street Barbers, Boston & Chicago
Admittedly not old, but in a nostalgic style - in their words “An old fashioned barbershop with contemporary style and convenience.”  They offer a hot lather shave, complete with steaming towels and a classic straight razor shave. And the standard haircut comes complete with a shampoo, scalp massage, straight edge neck shave and shoulder massage. Not too shabby…
www.statestreetbarbers.com

Gornick & Drucker’s, Beverly Hills
Established in 1936, this barbershop has some serious Hollywood pedigree. This is where gangster Bugsy Siegel got his last shave & trim, hours before being shot dead. President Ronald Reagan was a loyal customer for 40 years, and the Rat Pack filmed the original Ocean’s Eleven there. Enjoy the original mahogany and leather barber chairs, get a shave, haircut, manicure - even get your shoes shined.
www.beverlyhillsbarbers.com

Al’s Barber Shop, Denver
Opened with the aim of creating the ultimate relaxing space for men and men alone, Al’s Barber Shop is all black counter tops, shiny stainless steel and large screen televisions. The retro styled barber chairs are their own own operable stations, so you get your hair washed and cut, a straight-blade shave, whatever your fancy, all in one seat without being ushered all over the shop. Haircuts from $30, and hairline clean-ups are only $5, just so Al and his staff get to see you more often.
www.myspace.com/alsbarber

House Cuts Barber Shop, Washington DC
A hidden gem, why not get your hair cut where the Congressmen have been going for 37 years? You’ll have to go through the metal detectors at the Rayburn House Office Building, and head to the basement, but there you’ll find Joe Quattrone’s storied barber shop, open to the public. He’s cut the hair of Al Gore, Dick Cheney, even trimmed Gerald Ford the day before he assumed the presidency. And cheap as chips: haircuts $14, shave $10, beard trim $5.

And with a moustache like that, stuff like this can happen:

Style For Men: How To Tie A Bow Tie

Check out Eye Bobs online glasses store, “helping the middle aged read menus in style.” Thanks to Hollister Hovey for the link.

Photos by the brilliant Bobby Bonsey, taken at Herrang Dance Camp July 2009 (Herrang, Sweden).

Above: Peter Loggins. Below: Lennart Westerlund, Shane McCarthy, Mimmi Gunnarsson, Fatima Teffahi.