dating menswear

betteroffduds

betteroffduds

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Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me find some good links on dating vintage menswear, seems like most of the resources I am able to find refer to women's clothing. Even just basic tips like buttonholes, hems, etc, would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Your best bet for researching menswear would be to start a collection of vintage catalogs from different decades. They can be pricey but check around and you may find a good deal. Either way, they are worth it.
Also check ads for different kinds of menswear on the Internet.
 
Also, that's quite a broad request. You could start by searching right here in the forum - others have come before you with similar questions!

For example, HERE

It would be easier to answer if you are focusing on one piece of clothing, like shirts or slacks or ties. The VFG has tips as well, and many refer to menswear. HERE
 
Yes, thank you and sorry. I did see the links listed above but they didn't really answer my questions! The two garments I'm curious about: This plaid shirt which is probably not that old at all, just the label font threw me, and these blue wool... long underwear? ski pants?? I can't find much on Bleyle clothing except for them being the largest German manufacturer of German sailor suits for children. IMG_5078.JPG IMG_5079.JPG IMG_5080.JPG IMG_5081.JPG IMG_5082.JPG IMG_5083.JPG
 
I don't know much about vintage menswear either, but the name Bleyle rings a bell. I didn't know they were the larges manufacturer of boy's sailor suits either though. The German Wikipedia entry says so too though: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleyle. It also says they were one of the largest manufacturers of knitwear in Germany in the first half of the 20th century. After WWII, they branched out into all kinds of fashion and focused more on women's fashion. The writing on your pants' label certainly looks the same as in some of the old ads. It also says, that the quality of the wool they got from 1916 to the mid-1920s, after their stocks had been requisitioned by the German Army in 1914 for the war, that they did not sell the clothing they produced during that time with their name on it, so as not to destroy their reputation. Your pants do look older, so I guess they well be pre-WWII. I see they have pockets, so I would guess they were rather some kind of sports garment, than long underwear. Let's see what other members might say, who are more knowledgeable than me on this kind of garment.
 
I agree with Amanda: it's a really broad subject.

As you've noticed, it's much easier to learn about womenswear but a lot of the same components are relevant: fabric, construction, labels, style.

I don't know of any really good books on mens vintage but this book and others are good for style - and oh, boy, are there are some great photos of stylish men found within. As you know, style is only one piece of the puzzle and as styles are often revived, you need to look at a lot more elements: and you're talking about construction details. Harder to find good info on as many fashion books don't cover that stuff at all.

Recently I started a series of blog posts which are kind of like beginner issues; the first is fabric, you can see it here. The next one in the series will cover a lot of construction details.
 
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