Show Us Vintage GERMAN Suits

[herringbonekid]

for such a huge country i wonder why more vintage clothing hasn't filtered out onto the market ?

 

[Two Types]

The poverty and chaos of the 1930s, followed by a war that laid waste to vast areas, must account for some of it. And then the low standard of clothing for much of the post-war period, meaning that other clothes were completely worn out. Like an extreme version of the British experience.
When I first went to the Soviet Union (in 1982 - which now makes me feel old!) people were all dressed in abysmal, man made fibres, cut in dreary styles. However, older people were still wearing very old clothes, that were on the verge of being worn out. i can't imagine many survived.

I always imagined it must have been similar through much of eastern Europe. Although, as we know, East Germany was a treasure trove for old suits, as shown by those chaps who colelcted them then started selling them off last year (can't remember the company name).

If you want to see really cool eastern European styles, look the book 'Cry Hungary' - a collection of photos from the 1956 uprising. The young men wear some fantastic coats.

 

[herringbonekid]

Although, as we know, East Germany was a treasure trove for old suits, as shown by those chaps who colelcted them then started selling them off last year (can't remember the company name).

Cinetex ? i didn't realise those were mainly East German suits. :eusa_doh:

 

[Two Types]

I'm sure that they posted info to say that following reunification they scoured eastern Germany for suits. I'm sure Mario will be able to clarify.

I recall that in the late 1980s a friend of mine acquired a pre-war double-breasted leather coat from a friend in East Berlin. The coat was kept hidden in the basement of their home because the style was associated with the Germany's WWII-era leaderships, and they didn't want to casue trouble by wearing it in public. Hence, my mate coming back to London with it.

 

[Mario]

Cinetex ? i didn't realise those were mainly East German suits. :eusa_doh:

East Berlin and the surrounding areas of Brandenburg where their main hunting grounds after the wall came down. That doesn't necessarily mean that most of their stuff was actually made in East Germany. There once was a distinct difference between 'East Germany' (=DDR/GDR) and 'eastern Germany' while VEB's only came into existence after 1948 anyway (some time ago a German ebay seller actually tried to pass off the jacket he was selling as a genuine 1930's sportcoat - while it had a VEB tag clearly visible in one of the photos :eusa_doh:).

 

[Fastuni]

@Two Types

It's not a book but a tailors circular... I have to see whether I have further notes on this.

Regarding Soviet suits... here a chart showing Soviet style 1923-1948.
They don't look too different from Central European fashion... the 40's suits have however indeed a quite boxy cut.

Samarof, Cheremnykh: "Model and Design of Menswear" 1949

 

[Two Types]

Mario: out of interest, what is your opinion of the quality of East German clothing?

I have quite a few ties with the 'VEB' label and they do appear to be well-made. I think I have only seen one jacket with a VEB label - in a 1930s style, that appeared to be well made.

I'd be interested to know when, and if, quality seemed to fall.

 

[herringbonekid]

a friend of mine has a German suit with the most thickly padded, square (almost horizontal) shoulders i've seen. the 1938 Soviet illustration above reminded me of it.
i'll try and persuade him to take some photos.

 

[Mario]

Mario: out of interest, what is your opinion of the quality of East German clothing?

I have quite a few ties with the 'VEB' label and they do appear to be well-made. I think I have only seen one jacket with a VEB label - in a 1930s style, that appeared to be well made.

I'd be interested to know when, and if, quality seemed to fall.

You mean East Germany as in DDR/GDR? Well, I honestly don't know. Lucky me has grown up in (attention, cold war spelling!) Berlin (West). Of all the stuff I've seen at the Cinetex office none had a VEB (post-1948) label that I can remember.

 

[Fastuni]

As far as I can judge the quality of GDR stuff (clothing and other utility objects...) they weren't as bad as their common reputation.
Their products were made to be durable and last a long time.

I have seen/felt in person maybe four VEB suits/coats that were made in the early to mid 1950's.
The workmanship and quality of material is good - certainly not worse than West-German factory-produced stuff.

The decline in quality (and aesthetics) was at the same time as in the West... 1960/70's, parallel to the strongly soaring use of synthetic fabrics.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/haensel-echo-german-fashion/

SOme good scans from a german tailoring magazine. Of course there is also a black suit.

 

[Mario]

There is a suit with VEB tag on the German Ebay at the moment (60's):

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Herren-Somme...pt=Kleidung_Accessoires_1&hash=item19d2f43f78

 

[herringbonekid]

Soviet suits 1923 - 1948

i'd like to do one of these covering every year from 1900 - 2000 but of course the illustrations would
all need to be in the same style for it to work well.

 

[Two Types]

Fastuni:

Thanks for your observations about DDR suits. That matches my observations about ties with 'VEB' logos i.e. good in the 1950s but progressively worse after that.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

i'd like to do one of these covering every year from 1900 - 2000 but of course the illustrations would
all need to be in the same style for it to work well.

Draw it yourself
I am sure you can do it.

 

[Fastuni]

I second this motion. :eusa_clap

An animated "Rise and Fall of the Waistline".

 

[Mario]

Draw it yourself
I am sure you can do it.

Who if not HBK?

 

[nerkg]

Yea, that would be cool

 

[Chasseur]

1930s German three piece black with stripes that Floey found for me. Its a wonderful German suit but unfortunatley the jacket is too short for me. I'll probably be posting this in the classified soon.

Three button jacket:

Five button, four pocket waistcoat:

The trousers make me think of an older 1900-1920s style:

Nice pattern on the lining:

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Baron Kurtz found it first but yeah....it's a pity it was too short for you. Otherwise a really nice suit.