Historical Figures: Style Discussion

doghouse

doghouse

King Of The Elite Idiots
Moderator
Supporter
Messages
12,453
Thruth Thruth bringing Garibaldi up got me thinking about figures in history I always thought cut a nice figure. Garabaldi was certainly a man who knew the general aesthetic value of the baja.

Giuseppe_Garibaldi_%281866%29.jpg



I've always thought the Duke of Wellington did a great job. I think the stand collar and linen cravat need to make a comeback, in formal wear at least. Aesthetically it's ideal for slimming and lengthening the neck. Don Cologne could go for one.

Sir_Arthur_Wellesley_1st_Duke_of_Wellington.png
 
5th Earl Carnarvon, a man who wears 200oz tweed in the Egyptian desert.

downtown_abbey_carnarvon_and_carter.jpg


Also has a wicked pimp hand.

img5thearlofcarnarvon_ds.jpg
 
Bolivar, the only good Venazooalien. Could really rock the epaulets

image.webp


Thor Heyerdahl
image.webp
 
Not a big epaulet fan, but I like the cut of old Bolivar's collar.
 
Anthony Drexel Biddle, US Ambassador. Considered one of world's best dressed in his day.

dexel+biddle.jpg
 
Surely no discussion of stylish historical figures is complete without a mention of the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII)?

2wegh9z.jpg


mw08680.jpg




Edward may not have been a great person, but he certainly looked good in a suit.
 
I was hoping to give him a miss. Along with Brummell, Cary Grant, et al...

But he certainly made his mark.
 
How about Fred Astaire?

He certainly cut a fine figure in his heyday:

Astaire-everett.jpg


Fred-Astaire-fred-astaire-30070203-1215-1600.jpg


[Note single-buckle suede monks in second picture.]
 
I hardly consider show-biz types like Grant and Astaire (style icons though they may have been) to be "historical figures," especially since their lives overlapped my own by about four decades.

I have my father's epaulets (similar to those shown), his bicorn hat and his ceremonial sword (all from the Dutch Navy). They are about the only mementoes I have of him. My mother was able salvage them when she, gravid with me, was able to flee the island of Java a couple of days before the Japanese invaded.
 
Jan Libourel said:
I hardly consider show-biz types like Grant and Astaire (style icons though they may have been) to be "historical figures," especially since their lives overlapped my own by about four decades.

I have my father's epaulets (similar to those shown), his bicorn hat and his ceremonial sword (all from the Dutch Navy). They are about the only mementoes I have of him. My mother was able salvage them when she, gravid with me, was able to flee the island of Java a couple of days before the Japanese invaded.
Click to expand...

I quite agree Jan, and sort of what I was thinking when starting the thread.

Very moving story about your father too!
 
I believe he was saying "look little man, this is my club, no shirt, no service"
 
Thruth said:
I believe he was saying "look little man, this is my club, no shirt, no service"
Click to expand...

I think it was more along long the lines of " You know when we leave here next week, that Nehru motherfucker is gonna fuck you over. Don't bother calling."
 
I am inclined to think that most of the 20th-century figures cited so far in this thread were simply well-dressed by the standards of the day--good, but not exactly "style icons" although I know that Biddle was characterized as such in his time.

I seem to recall that Holy Grigori had a number of silk shirts sewn for him by the Tsarina herself, also that Ghandi was in his younger days a very sharp, dapper dresser.
 
Jan Libourel said:
I am inclined to think that most of the 20th-century figures cited so far in this thread were simply well-dressed by the standards of the day--good, but not exactly "style icons" although I know that Biddle was characterized as such in his time.

I seem to recall that Holy Grigori had a number of silk shirts sewn for him by the Tsarina herself, also that Ghandi was in his younger days a very sharp, dapper dresser.
Click to expand...

True about Ghandi, he was almost dandified. I happen to have a pretty dim view of Ghandi compared to his popular mythology. He was kind of a dick.

I actually was not really going for "icons". I was more thinking about how people who were popular enough to be well documented through history that also happened to be well dressed. Sort of a timeline of aesthetic devices and why they were. I particularly am curious about shoulder and collar height and construction, neck wear, and the aesthetic effect derived from those. Also waist height and suppression, etc...
 
The only man that really comes to mind for me is John D. Rockefeller.
johndrockefeller293472439823234.jpg
jdr4.gif

and maybe William Randolph Hearst
Hearst.jpg
266c3fa36713eb02f1428bf18daaf338.jpg
norma-shearer-hearst-birthday-san-simeon-may-38_opt.jpg

william_randolph_hearst-391x640.jpg
 
Meh, a hair, but they knew the proper technique of cutting which so few can be bothered with today.
 
Until today's threak i honestly did not pay much attention to how good/bad the pattern matching was on my stuff. I've never been overly concerned. I've previously read the various posts.

When tailors say "not worth it" wrt front/back shoulders, that is good enough for me and I've never seen it as them being lazy.

Nor has anyone even said "hey, some of those lines don't match up"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top Bottom