Fashion

Levi Strauss and his Denim (Coronet Magazine, 1956)

The attached piece was written in the shadows of W.W. II – a time when Levi Strauss’ famous blue jean fabric was not simply being woven for the 12,000,000 souls in the U.S. military, but also the civilian war-workers who donned jean overalls and found them ideal for the heavy, industrial labor that they faced each day.


As if this wasn’t enough to keep the factories of Levi Strauss & Co. humming happily, the American teenagers also discovered blue jeans in the around the same time and have been devoted to them ever since. The author of this article could never have known that the social revolution that made the name Levi a household word all across the globe was only nine years away.



Read About the History of the T-Shirt


An article about 1940s denim can be read here…

Shoes for Sport and Leisure (Sears and Roebuck Catalog, 1919)

The miracle that was Volcanized Rubber allowed the well-dressed man to maintain his dashing profile even when called to compete in athletics. Two of the oldest surviving examples of a sport shoe that uses this particular style of rubber and has been in continuous production since the twenties and thirties are both made by Converse: one is the Jack Purcell tennis shoe and the other is the black canvas, high-top Chuck Taylor Basketball shoe.

From the Smartest Shops… (Vanity Fair Magazine, 1922)

This 1922 men’s fashion article is illustrated with seven images and riddled with wise words for all those seeking information regarding 1920s backless vests, patent leather dancing shoes, madras dress shirts and kid suede gloves for semi-dress wear.

Clothing for Fox Hunters and Wall Streeters (Vanity Fair Magazine, 1921)

A glance at the 1921 wardrobe enjoyed by those fashionable fellows who were part and parcel of that Wall Street clique who might today be called the one percent.

The reviewer also devoted some column space to classic fox hunting attire and Chesterfield overcoats,hunting tweeds,wing collars and men’s suit from the early Twenties.

College Essentials (Quick Magazine, 1952)

Here are a few short paragraphs accompanied by nine images concerning what the college girls of the early Fifties were wearing:

A girl can still get into college with a sweater and skirt, but for full credit she needs quantities of gadgets. For campus, girls stick to classic Brooks Brothers sweaters, pleated skirts, blue jeans – but go wild on accessories and underwear novelties…


The journalist then went to some effort listing many of the fashionable essentials: stamp bracelets, rhinestone handcuff bracelets, silk pleated turtleneck sweaters and harness-neck bib fronts – all to die for.

Hair Fashions of the Early 1950s (People Today, 1952)

Keep it short: that was the M.O. of the hairdressers of the Fifties (as you, no doubt, gathered from this 1949 article) – and this column, accompanied by eight photos, serves as proof. Much of this column pertains to the men who were active in 1952 hair dressing, and their deep thoughts pertaining to pny tails, perms and poodle-cuts.

Click here to read about the short hair craze of the late Forties.

‘Noses, Eyes, Chins” (Pathfinder Magazine, 1937)

Practicing throughout the Thirties and Forties, fashion photographer Arthur O’Neil took time out from his glamorous day to explain to an inquiring journalist what his requirements are when looking for a fashion model:

The prettiest girls, according to O’Neil, are between 16 and 28 and come mostly from the Middle West…

Men’s Suits in the Summer of 1941 (Collier’s Magazine, 1941)

If you’ve been wondering what the stylish Yankee beaus of yore used to wear during the Summer of 1941 when they plopped themselves down to read about the British occupation of Syria or the Nazi siege of Leningrad, then you can stop looking because we have the article right here – it is the summer fashion forecast from COLLIER’S MAGAZINE of May 24, 1941 – illustrated with no fewer than three color images:

The newest color for vacation clothes is parchment, one of the natural tan shades. Don’t be afraid that you’ll look like a member of the street-cleaning department in a white linen suit. Even the Duke of Windsor wears one. It is ideal for vacation wear, as the jacket may be worn with colored slacks, the trousers with other light weight jackets…. For week-end and vacation wear you can choose from tropical worsteds, Palm Beach cloth, tropical weight flannels, linen, seersucker and tropical weight tweeds.

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