A divine book about a divine style icon, not just for the photos of Cary Grant in all his splendor, but a wonderful read as well. What a way to express fashion and style:
I’m talking about style, not only in the sense of how he wore his Savile Row suits, but style as a revelation of character, as a way of facing the world, a means by which all of life’s riches are embraced and celebrated.
This is the Savile Row bespoke tailor that dressed the likes of Fred Astaire, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward, Sir Laurence Olivier and Duke Ellington. They recently celebrated their 100th anniversary, and over their century of dressing the British upper-class and the American movie star, have managed to maintain their classic elegance like good British chaps. If you happen to be in London, do visit… if you can gather enough pomp to walk through those doors.
Okay, I was just bitching a few days ago to Jo about how I didn’t like Karl Lagerfeld as a photographer all that much. But, well, I do like this I must admit. Diane Kruger by Karl Lagerfeld for German Vogue March 2010:
Sharp suits never go out of style. Here are some leading men that make suits look GOOD!
The 1940s Suit
On either side of the Atlantic, under the wartime clothing restrictions, the turn-ups or cuffs would not have been allowed. Nor would the flaps on the pockets. Still, it’s a superb example of how good a Donegal tweed can look.
Photograph courtesy of Corbis/Bettman.
Sean Connery
Let’s hear it for Anthony Sinclair, the London tailor who created the Bond look in the early days. Sinclair was the tailor of Terence Young, who directed the first, second, and fourth James Bond movies (Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Thunderball). Young decided that Sean Connery needed a bit of help to look cool.
Photograph courtesy of PhotoFest.
Three-Piece Checked Suits
Hector Powe was one of the smaller British “multiple tailors”—retailers with a national chain of shops—but it still offered stylish 3-piece suits in 1964. Personally I love the suit on the right.
Photograph courtesy of Woolmark Archive & London College of Fashion.
Don Figueroa
This Spanish aristocrat, Don Jaime de Mesia Figueroa, was photographed in about 1967 by Patrick, Lord Lichfield, a cousin of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It takes some style to carry off this eight-button double-breasted suit.
Photograph courtesy of Corbis/Patrick Lichfield/Conde Nast Archive.
It seems Ralph Lauren’s take on the recession involves some neat references to the 1930s Depression, and I’m not complaining.
Paperboy caps, worn denim baggies, ladies in pinstriped three-pieces and plus fours… ring-a-ding-ding!! There were also a few pretty florals, if you care to look.
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.
Set during the Great Depression, Public Enemies is the true story of FBI agent Melvin Purvis’s attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. The film is an adaptation of Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction book . Christian Bale plays FBI agent Purvis, Johnny Depp plays Dillinger, Marion Cotillard plays Dillinger’s girlfriend Billie Frechette, Channing Tatum plays Floyd and Giovanni Ribisi plays Alvin Karpis.
The film starts in 1933 and is essentially a gangster flick, so expect plenty of three-piece suits, fedoras, overcoats, double breasted jackets, leather gloves, and gangster chic. Looks to be a great flick for vintage car enthusiasts also, chase scenes, crashes and all.
As usual in Italy, the boys were just as well dressed as the girls at this year’s Swing Crash Festival, in Como. And let’s face it, men in vintage suits was one of the main reasons I got into swing. Got any more pics of swing boys rockin’ the vintage and looking fine? Send them through: shaz@swingfashionista.com Uuhh, for the blog, honest.
Above, Vincenzo Fesi & DJ Ivan. Here’s a few more from Swing Crash 2009, notables including Pontus Persson, Peter Loggins, Todd Yannacone, Guiseppe Olla & Juan Villafane:
