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| Langston Hughes' Legendary Harlem Renaissance Style |
Whenever I am at the flea market or other such venue I am
always amazed at the great number and variety of men who wear vintage. Many men have been wearing vintage for years,
they got their start as kids hanging out with an older family member starting
small but working their way to substantial collections of vintage treasures by
manhood. Some men started later in life
or just began to cultivate an interest and understanding of men’s fine vintage
apparel. No matter what their background
they all come together at the flea market often donning the prize pieces of
their collection, searching for even more amazing specimens of fine vintage
gentleman’s attire… I find there is no
specific recipe for identifying men who wear or might wear vintage but there
are some common threads, (please don’t mind the pun), that they share. Most gentlemen who wear vintage share a love
for classic line, fine fabric, gems and metals and of course the uniqueness of
a one of a kind functional object d’art…
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| 1960's Cufflinks |
I once overheard a man mention that if he truly liked a
particular piece of clothing he would always buy two, one to wear now and one
for special occasions. Once a fashion
season ends its bountiful cache of treasures is forever no longer
available. Wearing vintage clothing allows
fashionable gentlemen to defy time by shopping today 40, 50 or even 100 years
ago. Buying fine vintage clothing is
tantamount to a time anomaly it places us in two very real places in time
simultaneously… When I was a teenager I bought dozens of vintage 20’s, 30’s,
40’s and 50’s smoking jackets and tuxedos, the extraordinary level of
craftsmanship largely varied as garments once all handmade became nearly 100%
machine made. The fabric consisting of
fabulous silk damasks, cut velvets, sharkskin’s and satins, twills and piques
are very simply not made anymore, the fabric and quality of these vintage
pieces are worlds away from anything being produced today. Gentlemen who prefer vintage are looking for
a certain feel and presence, an attitude and style that principally begins with
the definition of a pure and classic line or silhouette…
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| Distinctive Homburg Hat |
One of the many disappointments of modern clothing is the
lack of detail. Tailors and fabric
manufacturers 50 years ago and earlier had plenty of time to think out some of
the most amazing construction, weave and texture details. I almost never see such luxurious items as
mohair sweaters and decadently rich speckled tweeds. The special nuances of embroidery, grosgrain
and other trim used to elevate men’s formal wear to unprecedented heights is
thoroughly unknown by modern tailors and designers. Like great classic architecture, modern
designers will tell you that it the cost of reproducing vintage garments would
be prohibitive, all the more reason to collect vintage. The weight and durability of vintage fabrics
is another of their undeniable hallmarks to which no modern facsimiles can
compare… the patina of mellowed fabric,
the richness and detail of jewelry and accessories, the quality of gems and
precious metals bought together as objects d’art are the unique features that
bring gentlemen back to their vintage pieces time and time again. There are sometimes competent reproductions
and reinterpretations of vintage men’s apparel and accessories to be had and I
avidly purchase them incorporating them into my wardrobe to fill in for antique
pieces which simply cannot be found.
More than any other thing, the rarity of fine vintage men’s
clothing makes them cherished additions to a gentleman’s wardrobe. It is not just the potential they possess to
be unique conversation pieces but there is an inner satisfaction one has when
wearing them knowing that they have survived all these years intact. Men’s garments are very perishable under
normal conditions because any number of variables can come together to destroy
them over time. Many fine men’s garments
are mindlessly discarded forever simply because they are old and presumed no
longer fashionable. Every man who
collects and wears vintage wares knows this is far from the truth, these rare, one
of a kind items are precious elements
with which a gentleman of distinction and taste can express his sense of
personal style. For the average men
clothing is merely a uniform intended to protect him from the elements and
identify him. For the gentleman stylist,
the dapper, proper gentleman of superior style, his clothing is the ultimate
form of self-expression that can be tangibly communicated. A gentleman’s style gives him distinction
among other men, it is his signature.
BY DAVID VOLLIN
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