Vintage Spotlight: Men's Fashion

*Mandy's note: Not all of these photos are evenly lined up. Blogger doesn't always cooperate with me. Sorry. lol*

Over the years that I have been interested in vintage lifestyles and fashion, I realized that I have found beaucoup amounts of nearly everything...except men's fashion. There aren't too many men who still dress in the way of old, but I know they're out there. One thing that bothers me though is that there are not many prominent resources for them to employ should they make a later-in-life style change or want to try something different with their wardrobes. Admittedly, most men find a tried-and-true method with their clothing--if they can afford it, if it fits, if it looks good and meshes with their style, they're wearing it. After finding that niche many men don't leave it but on the off-chance that they do or if you were lucky enough to snag a man with the same retro style as yours, I have been scouring the Internet for a few weeks to pull some links together. It was a surprise to me that despite my obsession with and love for womens' vintage fashions, I was not quite as enamored with the mens' fashion choices. It was really hard finding a few I liked!

The next nine photos are from The Modern Historic; I found out about this site because it was featured on Fab's Vintage Mondays a few weeks ago. The Fab shop mainly showed off the jackets and clothing items for men but the Etsy shop features furniture and women's clothing as well so ladies if you're doing some shopping for your dude, there's something there for you too. :-)

Ban Lon Red, $32

Penguin Polo, $48

Metallic Thread Western, $48

These shirts are less vintage-oriented, so if you've got a dude who isn't quite keen on the style you can buy him these shirts and he'll just assume they're regular polos. It's a little sneaky but if your dude looks good and feels good in it, no harm no foul if you ask me. lol This next trio of photos definitely have more of a throwback, Hugh Hefner-worthy feel and are definitely for the man already wearing vintage clothing.

'50s Cordoroy Smoking Jacket, $158

'50s Dragon Smoking Jacket, $136

'70s Gold Satin Smoking Jacket, $118

This next trio really oozes masculine vintage glamour, even more than the smoking jackets. Men's suits and tuxedos had a way of being both elegant and masculine in a manner that I don't see in today's tuxedos. I love looking at photos of men in suits from the Old Hollywood years; they looked the epitome of class and taste. Take a look at a few of these jackets.

'60s Pinstripe Sport Coat, $134

Black Dinner Jacket, $118

'50s Red Sharkskin Jacket, $158

When I look at these jackets and coats it makes me think of a time in which the man always put as much care into his appearance for work as the woman did. There was a way that men back then were able to make even colored suits (which in many circles are considered to be out of style today) look classy and appealing. Not saying men don't care about how they look now but let's face it, society as a whole has gotten more casual. The lazybones in me is okay with this, but underneath it all I kind of miss the elegance of yesteryear. Now for accessories. The first two ties below could still pass today for modern wear, but I had to include the one on the right because it is so deserving of its name. Paisley prints always remind me of the 1970s and the Brady Bunch. LOL

Feeling Vintage Tie, $7.67

Classic Vintage Tie, $7.67

For You! Tie, $7.67

I wanted to include a few workplace items that weren't suits or fancy attire, because I know many men these days dress in business casual for work and don't need the stuffy suits as much. Some good sweaters, ties or suspenders would be nice with slacks and dress shoes or even converses and jeans, depending on the job. I think the two sweaters below would all go nicely with a collared shirt underneath, something in a complementary color, and either jeans or slacks would pull the outfit together.

Boy Next Door, $32.35

What If..., $32.35

'70s Mens' Knit Sweater Shirt, $26

I like the way that certain hats can really bring out a guy's personality, partially because of the way he chooses to wear the dometopper. Some guys wear fedoras with outfits like the ones I just described above, others have a neat look to them with a paperboy cap, others have a modern-day appeal with the snapbacks and trucker hats, others prefer beanies and others still prefer no dometopper at all. I like seeing the variety of vintage hats also because I like seeing how guys today make them look and how they mix it with modern tastes.

'60s Mens Cap, $33.67

Charpentier hat, $36.22

'40s Straw Stetson fedora

Color me crazy, but I love suspenders. Not the Urkel-esque variety, but I love suspenders on a guy when they fit his style and personality. I'm going to explain another of my fashion quirks. For everyday wear, I guess you could say I dress kind of boring. Not too many loud prints or colors, just simple colors that are coordinated well and quietly. I adore prints--LOVE animal prints, polka dots and houndstooth. But I would much rather blend in and be invisible than stand out. That's based on one (of my many) personal problems that maybe I'll explain someday, and maybe I won't. Anywhoodle, because of that, I choose to be loud through my accessories. When I put on an outfit, I wonder, "What kind of jewelry/belt/purse/shoes/flower can I put on with this to make this more interesting?" And this is where suspenders come into play. I love weird, crazy and funny decorated suspenders, because it's a small detail that brings attention rather than a large piece that you can't miss. It's all in the details with me. 

Vintage Button suspenders

Vintage Santa suspenders

And finally, instead of using a full tie you can put a little personality into an outfit with a bowtie. I have a friend who has become infamous for his large collection of bowties. I think they're quirky and can put a little spunk into an otherwise boring outfit. Not saying my friend's outfits are boring, of course. But again, for me its about details and little pieces of loud. These next three bowties come courtesy of General Knot & Co., and I love the selection and variety from the style of bowtie to the prints used to create them. 

Deadstock Daisies & Vintage Bowtie, $68

1920s Vintage Polka Dot Bowtie, $68

Deadstock Sea Green & Royal
Diamond Point Bowtie, $68

I don't focus too much on jeans because I honestly can't tell how good/bad pants will look until they are tried on, so pretty much every pair that I saw in the online shops didn't look too appealing to me. Same with shoes; when I see them on the man then I can say whether or not they look okay but that's because they're already paired with the rest of the outfit. By themselves, however, I have a hard time figuring out if they'll look okay or not. 

Regardless, these are a few simple pieces from shirts to jackets, suits to accessories such as hats and suspenders, that can infuse a little vintage appeal into an otherwise modern outfit. Below are some sites that sell vintage mens' clothing and accessories.

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1. VintageParlorMens--This Etsy catalog mainly has bowties and suspenders, but if your guy is that kinda guy, go check out the shop and see if you can find something he'd like. 

2. Vintage Mens' Goods--There is a large array of menswear in this shop, from outerwear to even a pair of the loud '80s, early '90s pants--think Fresh Prince of Bel-Air pants that Will was usually wearing. LOL There's a little something of every kind in there; long sleeves, short. Plaid, solid. Polo/collared, plain. You get the point. Even if you're not going to buy, there should be enough material to provide a good idea of what mens' vintage consists of. 

3. Sugar Sugar--This online shop is actually for men's and women's fashion but the link included here is for the men's section. The website is in Dutch though so I hope your browser has the immediate translation plug-in installed. Sweaters, shirts, outerwear and ties are this catalog's specialty. 

4. Vintage Trends--This is a huge online shop for both men's and women's clothing and accessories. One thing that I liked about this shop was that the options for jeans were probably some of the most varied I had seen, going as far as to separate regular Levi's from the more recognized vintage Levi Redlines. These also appear to be authentic clothing items rather than reproductions, so the prices fit the garments offered. The prices also reflect the condition of the garment, and in most cases the quality has been quite well considering the age.

5. Rusty Zipper-- Rusty Zipper has a very diverse array of men's clothing to select from, even down to accessories like jewelry, hats and iron-ons. I saw a lot of items from the '60s through the '90s profiled in the shop and 250 full pages of menswear alone, so there is definitely no shortage of things to choose from, and the prices aren't too bad to boot.

6. Phix Clothing--Another large variety of retro and vintage menswear to choose from, with as much diversity in the accessories offered. The clothing has a clean, more modern feel to them and look comfy enough for your guy to wear with no problem. Some items are a little pricey (or maybe I'm just a little cheap) but they look to be well-made and worth their price.

7. Stuarts London--Stuarts London prides themselves on being "the retro and vintage menswear specialists" and like the other links above it, has a diverse selection of what appears to be great quality clothing. It's pricey and measured in pounds (so make sure your currency calculator is on hand), but again is worth it.

8. Beyond Retro--This site, like many of the others, has both menswear and chickwear, and gives me a hipster-vintage type of vibe. If you (or your guy) are a fan of the vintage rock band or retro-styled tees, this is a good place to find them. One thing I love about this site is that you can narrow down your search in various categories to find what you like. Again, have your currency calculator on hand if you're interested in prices.

9. Etsy Search--Instead of looking for one Etsy shop in particular which will probably take more time if you are unfamiliar with Etsy, this is what comes up when you search for all men's vintage clothing. You can then narrow down what you do and do not like. 

10. Monster Vintage--There are many menswear categories in this shop, including a few pricey rare vintage finds. The items are moderately priced, cover various decades and each section of items is a large one so you'll probably get lost in there if you're not paying attention to time. Sounds like a win to me.

I threw in an extra one!

11. American Vintage--This site is different from many of the others I featured on here for two main reasons. Firstly, instead of being "retro/vintage inspired" and newly made, I believe these items are authentic vintage items, which would explain their prices. Secondly, if you're confused on what decades some of your choices may fall into, this site has shirts categorized by specific decades, which may help you when selecting garments later.

*Helpful links:
If instead of going straight to the clothes you want to learn more about mens' vintage clothing, check these sites. They will either give you an informative crash course on the nuances of vintage menswear or provide a visual aid for you to draw inspiration or a skeleton from.

Retro Style Tips & Advice--This article is a good introduction to helping draw some inspiration from different vintage eras, and there are also some links at the bottom of the page to online catalogs that sell menswear.

Men's Vintage Clothing: How To Integrate Into Your Wardrobe--The title's pretty self-explanatory. Accompanied by visual aids, certain staples of vintage menswear are featured along with modern-day examples of how to best wear them. If you're a newbie to this style of clothing, this article is probably the best to start out with.

What I Found: Men's Vintage Fashion--If you're looking more for visual assistance or just to look at men's fashion in general, this Pinterest board has pieces from as early as the 1700's as well as pins that assist with teaching how to tie a full tie, pick a new hat style, etc. Very informative and helpful.

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Well, this concludes April's Vintage Spotlight. I hope you were able to find something for yourself (or your guy, if you're one of my chick readers lol) or if you were considering going vintage with your wardrobe that you have a sufficient how-to for your beginning steps.