More Iconic American Vintage Style Pics

Short post tonight, since I'm a bit weary after 4 hours of swing dancing classes.  As promised, I want to continue to give you visual examples of IAV style. Let's go straight to the pics.

This is typical outfit for me that incorporates a few of my favorite elements.  As always, we start with great shoes.  Your shoes set the tone for the entire outfit, so buy the best quality you can afford and maintain them meticulously.  My cap toes are Allen-Edmonds, which are made here in the USA and have a welted sole you can replace.  They also offer a reburishing program.

My trousers are a soft, wool herringbone in our Barrow Hollywood style. These are easy drape cuts and I wear them with suspenders, so the high-waist can show.  All of our trousers have button-flys to avoid unsightly bulging when one sits.

With the cool fall weather coming in, I've thrown an easy shawl collared sweater on  instead of a jacket. This is the casual kind of elegance, I refer to as il Nuovo Formale (The New Elegance). Approachable, romantic and appropriate for the man about town.





Under the sweater I'm wearing our Keswick Wing Collar in a custom fit. I love how this collar looks with a long tie, or bow tie.  This particular tie is our Tonal Stripe Iconic Tie and features a herringbone tonal background with whiskey bottles, newsboy caps and Tommy gun motifs. I added some vintage ray-bans which you can probably find on e-bay for about $100.  Remember, cost-per-wear! I've had mine for 3 years already and they are very well-made.  The green tint lenses are super cool and the frames are tortoise shell.  Finally,  our vintage newsboy seals the deal. This one is tan herringbone, but we offer lots of choices, so do check them out. That's the look du jour. Oh, if you're trying to put together a look of your own and have questions feel free to leave me a comment and I'll do my best to send you down the right path.



Swing-Out Style (Strictly for Solid Senders)

Ok, Ok, enough of the alliteration, but I want to start posting a few examples of Iconic American Vintage style every week.  Somewhere between getting our son, Nathaniel, ready for school and doing the million other things she does to take care of us, my wife's is passed the digi cam and I ask her to snap a few pics for me.  If she's had her coffee, all is right with the world, but if she hasn't then she's shooting blind. Oh, and I'm so not a model. I have two poses, Sears catalog, and Macy's sales flier. I thought if Juliette laid on the floor and shot the picture looking upward, I could go from 5'9" to 6'1". Well, it worked for Godzilla didn't it? I guess what I'm saying stay focused on the style!



So today I'm doing a Swing-Out Style, Collegiate-Inspired look. The shoes are two-tone, alligator-embossed, saddle shoes (though you can't see the contrast part in this pic). The Hollywood-waisted (no waistband) Barrow trousers are hung on vintage suspenders and drape lovely. See how they barely touch the leg and note the lack of creases, which adds to the slouchy feel (also means no ironing!). The shirt is our Depression (slim) fit and features our Kent button-down collar.  The tie is our Repeal Club Rep Stripe, with rich bands of burgundy and navy plus a sporty, RC crest at the bottom.  The jacket is our pleated, patch-pocket, Period Perfect Navy Blazer.  This grab-and-go jacket, can easily be worn 2 to 3 days a week and finishes any vintage-inspired outfit. The back is double-vented,  has a half-belt, and some great pleating details, so your style is strong on the send-out and return. And of course, the cap is our vintage newsboy. This one is a lovely, English wool herringbone.  I like to drape mine to one side for a little extra flair.  Ties, caps and tees are currently available through our E-bay pop-up shop.
http://stores.ebay.com/Prohibition-Clothing-Company?_trksid=p4340.l2563
 The tailoring website in underway, so stay tuned.



So that's today's look. I've been studying Swing and Lindy Hop at Dance Manhattan (http://www.dancemanhattan.com/) for about a year now, and an outfit like this certainly helps you look like a solid sender. Now if I could just smooth out my Texas Tommy.........

PBS Prohibition Documentary by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick aired tonight

I hope you're all tuning in to the PBS Prohibition documentary presented by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick.  It's edutainment at it's best and has human stories, gangster elements, women's rights, racism, corporate interests, religion and politics. Everything that touches on the question of American values and what it means to be American came into play in forging the passing of the 18th amendment.  I thought it was interesting to see that the revenue generated by the taxation of alcohol was so substantial that until the 16th Amendment (Income Tax) was passed, prohibition was basically not feasible from an economic point of view.  There are so many interesting angles and parallels between the contemporary struggles that we are facing as a nation, that this should be required viewing (Wall Street anyone?).

  Oh, and there's great style too, partially because these were tough times and people had less, so things were worn more.  Part of having a great signature style is having a few really unique and well made items that you wear often enough to feel very relaxed in, and that people automatically associate with you.

Check the link here to see when it airs in your zip code:  http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/tv-schedules/ 

or watch it online at:  http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition/watch-video/#id=2082675582

Don't forget to double-up by catching Boardwalk Empire afterward.

Clientele Pictures from the Jazz Age Lawn Party, August 2011

Our newsboy cap and Gable Peak lapel Jacket on style icon J. Michael

Our newsboy cap on this dashing duo.

Our Driver Cap and Calloway Deco Pleat Jacket. Great grooming, a lovely dame, and an easy style.

Simply Charming in our vintage Newsboy Cap

The Modern Vintage style. Slim suspenders and a low rise trouser for a uniquely modern approach.  Our driver cap adds the finishing touch.



Love the beard, the glasses, the brightness and the seamless way our Driver cap blends in.


Thought I'd share a few pictures of some of our clientele from the Jazz Age Lawn Party in August.  One of the great things about making elements of style is the chance to interact and learn from people who patronize the brand.  These guys already have a sense of themselves and an easy confidence, so they elevate the product and just take it to another level. Can an inanimate object really be cool? I'm a skeptic.  I think the object is ultimately defined by the character of the wearer and for that I'm truly grateful and appreciative of the clients we get to work with.

As you pull together your own look for the fall, remember in terms of style, a hat is only second to good shoes. (But, we don't make those! I'll scoop you on who does shoes right, in a future blog). 


Besides, a hat draws attention to your face, which gives you a chance to make eye contact.  In my experience, a lot of lovely things begin with a glance. Plus, you can easily wear a cap three or four times per week. When you consider cost-per-wear (a concept I'll elaborate on in the future), they're a great value. Be sure check out our offerings by clicking into our: e-bay pop-up shop .  


If you want to come to Brookyn, e-mail me to make an appointment: cmiller AT prohibitionclothing DOT com. I'll be glad to work with you personally and there's always a little rye whiskey or St.Germaine to be had.  After all, we are the Prohibition Clothing Company.

Defining Iconic American Vintage Style

I've been spending a lot of time contemplating what is Iconic American Vintage Style?  It's something so natural and innate to me, but I want to define it more clearly for others.  Iconic to me, means reducing things down to the essentials and executing them in a timeless way that seems almost larger than life.  To be American is to be a part of the grand experiment.  It means the eclectic energy and storied history of amazing times like the Prohibition era.  It is belonging and being an outcast simultaneously. It is the frenzied search for identity in a place where almost anything is possible. Vintage makes me think of fine wine, of things made in this country and the pride that generates.  It is a nostalgic longing for a simpler time where good music, friends and an honest days work was enough. It is faint scent of perfume from a letter written to you by a lover, carefully saved over the years and the slight ache in your heart as you reread it.  It is Miles Davis, Kind of Blue and the melancholy sentiment that comes with acknowledging that the simpler times of the past are forever gone.


So, with all of these cherished moments in mind, I spread a soft piece of wool across the table and picked up my shears in an effort to find this same truth and simplicity in modern life.  Over the next weeks, I'll be posting some pictures to give you some sense of the results.  A little history, a bit of romance, the American experience and a sense of personal style.  I hope you find these clothes as evocative as I do.


-Corey

Introducing the return of Iconic American Vintage Style

As we round the corner into cooler weather, one can only begin to think fondly of Fall.  I remember the first day of school and the excitement of new clothes, seeing friends after a summer apart, and the anxious feeling of beginning a new journey.  And so I found this feeling familiar, as I embarked on the creation of a timeless way of dressing that is both masculine and lovely, classic and contemporary. Considered creation (and consumption) means being free from the bonds of change for it's own sake and the wake of waste that mentality brings.  These are the clothes of your father's father. Of strong and gentle men with an easy confidence and a love for simple living.  There is art and poetry in each of us. In the slight tilt of your newsboy cap and the crisp roll of your shirt sleeves. Or is the way your trousers drape, hung from your shoulders by grosgrain and leather? Maybe life and art don't imitate each other, but move together in a casual, intimate way like the ocean and the sand. Two old lovers and a bottle of Chianti in the back of a cozy, jazz club. So much communication and so little need to use words.  As the season changes and nature implores you with her fall palette of rust, browns, and warm greys, I wish you the beautiful anxiety of a grand undertaking. Whether it be a new lover, business or project of passion how lucky we are to fall in love again. Oh, and if you find yourself in need of a slouchy trouser or reliable cap to accompany you on your quest, do let us know.