Collar of Things to Come

There are few things as beloved among shirt aficionados as the collarless shirt. The classically attired gent feels unusually inspired and cleverly correct in knowing he can swap out his collar after a long day. Or he may just lose it altogether, preferring to pocket the thing for later reattachment. Vintage examples of the collarless shirt are prized possessions in many a collection, but 1920s Arrows and Van Heusens don’t lend themselves to daily wear.


We at Matt Deckard Apparel are proud and pleased to announce a collarless shirt that will become your favorite for special occasions or as your daily go-to. Its construction is unmatched in the industry. Every seam is finely stitched. The fit is generous without being a balloon. The cuffs narrow enough along the wrist to keep from sliding down onto the hand.
Of course, shirts have always had collars, were you a working man, and your collar was therefore likely blue. Detachable collars fell out of favor in the early 1930s – should you be seen in one, you were either dreadfully old-fashioned or a bloated plutocrat. Nowadays, the glint of a gold collar button merely signifies that you’re cool; not that we have anything against dreadfully old-fashioned bloated plutocrats. (Some of our best friends are dreadfully old-fashioned bloated plutocrats.)
If you’ve never worn a detachable collar shirt, you will find that it changes how you dress. That extra step taken at your wardrobe does in fact put you on a higher plane. Those of you who wear detachable collar shirts, we’re preaching to the converted: but do try one of ours. The attention to detail has come from endless time spent with stacks of interbellum shirts, only we go the extra length to make them a hair better than the best shirtmakers of 1927. Is that chutzpah? Moxie?
That we aim to be the world’s finest custom shirtmaker is no secret. Honestly, big whoop, ‘tis the claim every custom shirtmaker makes. But more importantly, we want our shirts to be the most interesting and most-beloved-by-their-wearers in the world. And this shirt is our new standard in that regard.
We know that the Matt Deckard Apparel client is a particular and judicious character. This shirt was created with him in mind. This shirt was created with you in mind.





www.mattdeckard.com

Presenting: Tidbits on Clark Gable's Tailored Wears

You can see how balance and drape of the masculine look of the 1930s was perfected in the suits Clark Gable wore. In 2012, we live in a time where pants and vests fight for where a man’s waist should be, but in the eyes of Eddie Schmidt in the 1930s (Clark Gable's Tailor), there was no wondering, he knew exactly where and how to outfit a man. You can just see in his creations that anatomy takes precedence, from the break of the shoulder to the nape of the neck, to the point at which his trouser waistbands match up with his lowest vest buttons, you can see the comfort that comes from that proper fit in every movement. For example on Clark Gable, In movies such as It Happened one Night and Dancing Lady, suits that Gable has to wear are not only more extravagant and accentuated in design than their counterparts from a decade earlier (1920s suits that were more about fit than they were altering a man's proportions), but you can see with the right tailoring how Gable is at ease, acting casual even when dressed to the nines in clothes that aren't just about fit, but about drape as well. His suits were in harmony with his persona, and I blame his tailor. We can go into the tales of how Clark Gable Demanded that Eddie make all his wears for all his pictures, even Gone with the wind (there was quite a battle over getting Eddie to work on that one), but I’d rather take a look at why I think Eddie Schmidt was a true master at what he did. 

By the way, not buttoning the bottom button on a vest is a decision, not a rule. If the vest cuts away so the button wont reach, then the tailor made the decision for you.

Now to the vests

One striking difference between what you see on Gable and what you see on most modern suits is how short the vest is and how high the trousers are. Of course in the 1920s you'd see low waisted trousers quite often and you'd have longer vests to compensate, but by the 1930s fashion sent mens waistbands higher (it's rumored that The Motion Picture Production Code had come into play and trouser waistbands were getting higher in order to hide the possibility of seeing a navel but I have yet to find reference to navels in the code or its addendums).  The vest is very trim and actually gives Clarks chest a bit of lift, a peacock effect. Something that is best achieved with a good cloth of about 16 oz in weight or more. Anything less tends to look too wrinkled and will pull too much at the buttons if tailored so fitted. It also helps that Clark is in prime shape.

Look at the cut, like a scimitar slash from a skilled hand. When buttoned, the cut of the vest looks beautifully trim, gently curving over his hips and hiding his trouser waistband, it's as though it's molded to his body. Armhole high enough so that the vest holds its place while not cutting into the armpit. 

Now to the jackets

The waist is pinched… quite pinched. This trim look was kind of the trademark of the 30s man. The 20s were about fitted trousers and sack coats that carried over from the post frock coat era, and the 30s were about sharp-shouldered bold chested masculinity and draping trousers. The shoulders became broader, the waists became snugger, and the jacket skirts flared away to point out the fulcrum of the body where the trouser waist and the jacket and vest all met at one point. 

One button to center it all!

Now to the trousers

While jackets were about controlling the fit and accentuating the waist, Eddie went with an all out drape that fell straight while standing tall, but swathed and rippled while a man was in movement. Quite dramatic. And again... high waisted and meeting with the center point of the jacket. Balanced! The trousers narrowed a little toward the bottom as to not swallow the show, but did not peg to a point where one would look like he was standing on an apple.

Anywho, just wanted to get some of my thoughts out there regarding why I love the looks of Eddie Schmidt's tailored good on Gable. Also just needed to see if my keyboard still worked, since I've been behind on a few articles and need to give my writing (as bad as it may seem) a bit of a workout.

Take care, and see you next entry!

Romance wears a spear point collar

I'm proud to introduce to you, the Paramount collar dress shirt! 

It took months of work to get these shirts to come out exactly as I wanted them...  shirts that look as though they came off a rack in the 1930s, back when romance came in a spear point collar. 

A shirt with the look and feel of a dead-stock vintage shirt that doesn't just end at the collar, the detail is seen in every aspect of of its design, from yoke to tails... no detail was missed.

Unfused but double stitched. I love collars that have a mind of their own and don't look like cardboard on your neck, the Old Hollywood look. I don't wear collar stays, but you might, so I put in a vintage style collar stay pocket that runs along the edge of the collar rather than down the center.

Classic long butterfly tails, just like in the 1930s

And for those that have had trouble finding a proper collarless shirt that takes stiff collars, this model comes with spaces for studs front and back and comes with a detachable spearpoint collar.

They are on sale for the holiday season, so check out www.mattdeckard.com for cloth choices.

Rescheduling of tweed

I'm going to move the Third Annual Los Angeles Tweed Pub Crawl to Saturday. Do to several scheduling conflicts and out of respect to a memorial that will take place friday for a well known and well respected member of our vintage scene. Please make note of the change and I hope to see you all at the Biltmore Saturday -- Matt Deckard

They Might Have Got Rid of the Details But It's Still in the Details

To be obvious, it’s the wristwatch… at least that’s what advertisers tend to show, but what happened to all the cool men’s jewelry? All those little details that showed who you were, be it a fastidious fop or an on the ball details man. The wristwatch is one detail, yes, yet it’s not the first thing people see. In fact, it’s hard to see unless you are going out of your way to show it off. So here are a few other options when it comes to the man who doesn’t have the time to pull back his shirt sleeve every time he reaches out to shake hands. THE COLLAR BAR      The collar bar was a common staple in a man’s dresser drawer - a piece of metal with a clip at either end. You would put your tie on, place the bar under the tie, clipping the ends to the collar points to give the tie a much needed lift. It could be gaudy and gold or subtle and silver, and it was a detail that accentuated personality along with wardrobe. They would look like swords, guns, anything, even a plain shiny bar, and when it was the right collar bar it didn’t look like you were wearing too much, it just looked like you were you. THE TIE BAR      The tie bar was that thing that kept your tie from flapping in the wind or falling out of your jacket. It clipped your tie to your shirt. When you are on your way to Budapest fighting off that spy on the roof of a train, the last thing you need is your tie getting in the way. Once standard issue and seen on men throughout the office, now they are an obscure object that some notice a little too much if paired with modern ties… perhaps it’s because today’s ties just don’t take well to tie bars. They were for a time when ties were narrower and the materials were not as thick. Back then, ties could get caught up in the wind, but today’s ties are so thick that they are akin to wearing a piece of cardboard down the front of your chest. THE WATCH CHAIN      The watch chain could be hung from the lapel button hole, falling into your chest pocket, connected to a belt loop with the chain leading to the pants pocket, or draped across your vest pockets in a myriad of manners. It was your connection to time and one of the staples in a man’s wardrobe that disappeared with the invention of the men’s wristwatch. Ads were all over magazines and jewelers carried any type of chain you could imagine, from ones that looked like steel cables to ones that looked like braided gold. Some men even went without the chain and opted for a simple shoestring. Nothing like having your wrist free and knowing your watch is securely fastened to some part of your suit. Train conductors had steel chains and bankers had gold. It was a status symbol more noticeable than any wristwatch could ever be. THE SIGNET RING      The signet ring keeps you in the know when you are trying to determine if you are talking to an ally or an enemy. Crests of companies, regiments, clubs, societies, families, and fraternities, they have long been used to weed out those that did not belong and leave imprints in wax to seal messages. A subtle defining item that says loud and proud ‘I am a Freemason,’ and it doesn’t wear out like the silk-screened logo on a t-shirt. Whether you are a Knight Templar or an Eagle Scout, that emblem on your ring can someday get you that airline seat upgrade for which you’ve always been hoping.      All of the above are little details that can easily be forsaken, though should never be dismissed. Mixing and matching fabrics is nice when putting on a jacket and tie, but truly going the extra inch and adding the details is what makes the well dressed stand out from the dressed. There are men hunting for just the right wristwatch and there is no shame in having the right wristwatch, but it’s one thing that has to be pulled out to be displayed and once put back under the cuff, it’s something you have to brag about in order to give it attention. The items above are out in the open and say nothing about you other than that you truly do have style and don’t need to continuously adjust your tie in order to show it off.  For good measure... a pic of me wearing a trusty vintage collar bar

The Third Annual Los Angeles Tweed Pub Crawl

Please, leave your bikes at home for this tweed event... you wont be needing them.

Friday November 9, 2012
Starting at 8:00pm

Wear your tweed. Whether it be a suit, a sport jacket, a cap, a scarf a skirt or a tie, put it on and let’s go out!

We’ll meet at the bar at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles and stroll to downtown’s finest purveyors of cocktails and ales. From 8pm ‘til we’re through.

Hope to see you there.