fashion history | a little bit of rest

Going Ivy with White Socks

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Ethan M. Wong

One of the many #menswear sins that people like to spout out is to never wear brown shoes with a black suit. It causes repulsion in some, conniptions in others, and a shunning glance to all. Even so, there is one sin that is far worse than even that: wearing white socks with dress shoes. In fact, I haven’t seen too much of it since the 1990s thanks to multiple #menswear bloggers and vloggers who aim to stamp out this inglorious affectation. However there’s something intriguing about pairing white socks with formal clothing that has been calling out to me. This practice started in the 1950s and 1960s, and while I take a lot of my cues from the 30s, it’s time we look somewhere else for inspiration.

Update 8/31/18: Okay so I reference this article a lot, but I do white socks for a lot more than just sartorial stuff. Go figure.

A Very General Guide to Vintage Sartorial Style

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Ethan M. Wong

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This post focuses on fashion from the 1920s-1960s. If you want to read a detailed article on how you can have vintage style by mixing modern and true vintages pieces, read it here.

The above image from a Russian catalog shows how cuts of suits changed from 1923-1943. It’s these subtle details that show that not all vintage looks are the same. Each decade had their own ideas on fit, proportion and styling.

Vintage isn’t a blanket term. You don’t just put on suspenders and a flat cap and say “I’m vintage”. Heck, not all vintage is the same. Just like there are differences in styles between the 2000s and 2010s, there are plenty of differences within each vintage decade.