An old western hat in my collection, but how old? I’m not sure. Not at all sure of the maker. The sweatband seems to be a replacement from a dry cleaner. At some point it was glued (ugh) into the hat.
At 7″ open crown and 4″ brim, this is a BIG hat. I’m in the process of steaming and reshaping it to its original creases. I think it’s getting close, with just the remnants of a long established low telescope crown remaining.
Another remarkable piece from the Kurtz Archive that has now been passed to another British vintage archive.
This amazing overcoat dates to the ‘teens or 1920s, and is made of sheep hide lined with heavy wool. Very similar to WWI era jackets favoured by aviators of the Royal Flying Corps, though this one has no chest map pocket. On balance, probably designed and marketed as a motoring jacket. This one’s seen some life!
I love the patina. I really liked the “storm cuffs” and the arm liner material is gloriously typical of its age.
An amazing midnight blue silk velvet tuxedo with grosgrain lapels from the Kurtz Vintage Archive. No longer in the archive.
This was made in London’s West End for the British golfer Henry Cotton in early 1938, after his second Open Championship in 1937. The suit is made of spectacular heavy silk velvet, with robust grosgrain lapels. The trousers at some point were altered with a nylon zipper added in place of fly buttons. it would originally have had four buttons on the front, to fasten one, but the two upper buttons have sadly been removed.
Truly an astonishing piece.
You don’t find many as nice as this, and certainly not in their original boxes! It was made by Souvizon, Palas & Cie of Oloron-Ste Marie. This suit is made of the heaviest cloth I’ve ever felt used for a suit. It must be 24, 25 Oz or so. Overcoat fabric, really. Everything about this suit points towards the 1920s. Jacket has amazing displaced shoulder seams. Beautiful cinch-back trousers. Absolutely fantastic, and soon to move on to his new home with my good friend Ben.
Without a doubt, my favourite thing about pre-1960s vintage menswear is the huge variety of weaves from pretty boring to batshit crazy. While not in the upper end of the crazy, the diamond weave is amongst those strident weaves that have fallen from general favour. This late 1930s/early 40s jacket is made of very large diamond weave stuff in cream and brown “oatmeal” colours. Super size the images to get a clear view of the cloth … The fabric is super soft, almost feels like cashmere. Love the “tulip” breast pocket!
This early work jacket is made of extremely rugged and heavy deep blue wool fabric. Rough as guts, this stuff.The small lapels are both finishe with a buttonhole. I’ve seen this type of jacket marketed as being workwear for the Railways, often featuring British rail buttons. This one, however, has the kind of standard buttons you’d find on a cheap suit of the day. The remains of the paper label are very much of the size and type you’d find on pretty much all British workwear back in the day …
This jacket is made of the most amazing soft herringbone fabric in brown tones with white and orange stripes breaking up the herringbone. The jacket probably dates to the early 1930s. The shape of the lightly padded shoulders and only very slightly displaced shoulder seams are indicative. There are two small pretty unremarkable cutters labels – one inside the interior breast pocket, the other in one of the hip pockets. Seems like this was probably quite a cheap/utility type jacket. At some point it made its way into the BBC Bristol wardrobe. The buttons are beautiful!
This is another suit that I’m planning to sell. This amazing 3-piece sporty suit featuring a belt-back jacket was made by Alexander’s of Idaho and Oregon in the middle 1930s (1936 ACW Union label). The jacket is, in my opinion, the perfect American vintage jacket – 2 button, notch lapel with subtly “tulip” shaped patch pockets. Beautiful!
I love the glorious fabric of this 3-piece suit. Made in the 1940s (going by the style and features – does the faded label read June 1947??), I just wish it fit me! It’s far too long for me, sadly. It’s made of an amazing blue-green “almost Lovat” coloured herringbone tweed. Tailored by A. Ernster & Sons of Ulster Chambers and Regent Steet, London, with working cuffs and fully lined in fantastic viscose or silk twill with classic striped sleeve liners, this is a special piece. I’ll be listing this on eBay tonight.
What an amazing pair of shoes. My friend directed me to them in a London vintage shop, for the princely sum of £20. These A. S. Beck shoes are made in dark blue suede and feature this amazing “spade” sole, one of the prominent obsessions of collectors of vintage American shoes. I’m not entirely sure of the date, but I’m sure the shoe enthusiasts can tell me. I would guess them as being 1930s? A. S. Beck seems to have a pretty big shoe retailer/maker, if the pictures online of their stores back in the day are anything to go by.
Kurtz Vintage 