Every 1930′s Man Wants to be Superman

In the 1930′s the athletic body seen in boxers and superman became the ideal men’s shape. Clothing reflected this new shape with extra broad shoulders, thin waists, and tapered legs.

Initially, inspiration for menswear came from British Guard Officer’s overcoats. Their shoulder line spread past the natural shoulder to line up with the bicep.  Shoulder pads helped keep the angular shoulder shape. The coat then angled down to the waist creating a V shape from neck to waist. Sleeves repeated the V shape by starting out very roomy at the shoulder and narrowing down to the wrist.

Even more V shapes appear on 1930s men’s topcoats and suit coats with the appearance of very wide  pointed lapels. Covering half the width of a man’s chest the lapels extended down to not the first, but the second set of a 4 button double breasted closure. The elongated lapels again emphasized the V shape.

Overcoats had one unique feature that suit jackets didn’t share. The pockets were large, square, positioned rather high on the coat and closed with a button. See the topcoat above and notice how big and baggy it appears.  It’s designed to beef up the man inside and make him appear larger and more masculine.

Tall Pants

Trousers also spread farther up the waist, about 3 inches or so above the naval and hung down in long column like shapes. Pant legs cuffed at the bottom for more causal wear and were straight hemmed for more professional attire. A strong pressed pleat down the center completed the look.

New Shirts and Sweaters

While the classic button down dress shirt remained  a staple in a 30′s mens wardrobe, a new casual shirt started to make headlines. The Polo shirt came into vogue and they haven’t left the fashion world since.

Bush shirts were another new invention although they had been around for many years. Indiana Jones explored tombs and caves in this style of shirt along with safari hunters and jungle adventurers. Bush shirts were white with

short sleeves and had 4 patch pockets on the front. A wide belt was worn around the shirt at the high waist. The most similar modern day Bush shirt is the Guayabera shirt- very popular in Latin American countries.

While sweaters were enjoyed most by the lower class, young men of the 1920′s the 1930′s saw sweaters as a refined fashion element. Knitted double breasted sweaters with v necks, no collar, and 4 button closures were the classic style. Housewives took to knitting their husbands a new sweater every winter- a perfect Christmas gift for the handsome 30′s man.

Classic Hats

Flat Caps, also knows as Ivy caps and newsboy caps among other names became popular in the 1920′s and remained popular through the 1930′s.Everyone from young boys to working class men and casually dresses upper class men wore Ivy caps.

Tweed and Herringbone patterns were the most common. Another popular more business like hat was the classic Fedora. Classic ageless style fedora’s came in all shapes of black, grey, tan and green’s usually to match your suit or at least not clash with it.

Shoes and Socks

1930′s mens shoes continued in the tradition of the 1920′s with classic toe cap oxford, two toned oxfords, and wingtips with brogue detail (tiny holes punched in the leather). Brown, brown/cream, black/white and others usually matched men’s suits. What was new to the 1930′s were causal shoes like moccasins, loafers, and rubber soled Keds! Men wore these at home, on casual summer days and at sporting events. Read more about 1930′s men shoe styles.

Silk socks in all sorts of colors and patterns emerged in the 1930′s. Patterns of check and stripes were the most common just like their suit counterparts. However socks never had to match the suit. It was perfectly normal to wear bright green and blue check socks under your business grey suit! The influence of casual fashion affected everyone in whatever ways it could.

 

Day and Afternoon Differences in 1930′s Mens Suits

Morning Dress for a 1930′s man consisted of a Harris Tweed Double Breasted Overcoat worn with a 3 piece single breasted suit with a mid sized stripe or small cheviot pattern to it. A colored tie, cuffed pants, tan leather gloves and a cane or umbrella accessorized the morning dress.

Another morning dress option included a black jacket (like a blazer), grey stripe pants and a dotted tie.

By the afternoon mens dress became a bit more business like:

Black double breasted overcoat, 3 piece double breasted suit in Navy, Brown or Grey, white silk shirt (or optional Bastile shirt), turndown collar, light grey sailor knot tie, straight hemmed pants, polished oxford shoes with a tongue and a bowler hat that complements the suit color.

If you were really going to go to a business meeting then a business suit  was in order:  6 button double breasted or 3 button single breasted suit in blue or dark grey, steel grey or speckled grey. Pants were straight hemmed. A matching vest to the suit was a nice formal touch.

For your very formal evening occasions a black double breasted 6 button dinner jacket with long broad pointed lapels and square shoulders was a classic style. The coat cut was high on the thigh with straight vent-less tails.  Trousers were long and column like- they fit well, not baggy at all. For even more formal occasions a thin fitting tuxedo tailcoat was all the rage. Fred Astaire wore one dancing across the silver stage and every man wanted to copy him.

Summer and Winter Suit Materials

Summer fabrics were much more unique the the plain winter choices.  Herringbone, chine, bird eye, vertical stripes and diagonal stripes were all common weaves. Glenn Plaid or Glen Urquart check was the most popular spring/summer pattern by far.

Stripe suits came in a variety of styles from 1-3 stripe sets with bold or faint lines, dot or fleck lines, thin chalk stripes, or shadowy chalk stripes. Choosing a stripe style was a matter of aesthetics. Thin stripes elongated a shorter man, while thicker stripes made a thin man appear less fragile. Everyone wanted the superman look and the right striped suit could help make that happen.

Summer beach suits (the palm beach look) feature single breasted jackets (dark or light) with notch lapels, and fabrics in seersucker, chantung silk, or linen. Tan gabardine was ideal for mid to late summer. This is a fun look usually characterize by yacht or cruise passengers in the Golden Age of Hollywood movies. Learn how to dress in 1930′s Summer style with clothing from your own closet.

Americans had a more casual take on summer fashion then their UK friends.  Summer suits were mismatched sets of navy, green, tan, cream, and buff jackets were worn over opposite colored trousers. Wasn’t the captain on Gilligan’s Island dressed like this?

Winter fabric patterns were much more dull then summer ones. A typical winter suit was brown with cheviot, stripe or herringbone pattern in subtle hues.

The 1930′s Gangster Style

1930s  Gansters/Mafia/Racketering gentlemen all had a unique and bold style to their fashion. Striped double breasted suits worn with monogrammed shirts were a must have staple. Accessories such as charm bracelets, a signet ring, and grey felt fedoras with wide ribbon bands in almond, green, dove, lilac, petrol blue, brown or dark grey identified just which mob you were a part of.

 

Want to dress like a 1930′s man? Vintage clothes can be hard to find but well chosen modern clothing can give you the same look and feel. Shop the 1930′s Mens Clothing page for 1930′s vintage inspired mens clothing.

Related posts:

1. 1920′s Fashion for Men: A Complete Suit Guide
2. 1930s Mens Summer Suit Guide
3. Mens 1940′s Fashion – Mens Suit Style Guide
4. 1940s Men’s Fashion
5. Boardwalk Empire: 1920′s Mens Suit Guide