Made To Measures

[Tomangoes]

Back in about 1975 there was a craze in Doncaster that you had to have your suit made to measure with multiple pleats, super fancy back pockets designs, rows of pockets on the jacket etc etc. All the older soul freaks had them so as young ens we had to copy. The cost was massive and it took about 6 weeks to pick up the suit. Jackson and Burtons were the main Tailors and on a Saturday afternoon there would be dozens of kids hanging around. Where and when did this craze start?

You only got respect if you had a different design/colour etc from everybody else. At todays rates it must have worked out at about a grand a suit. Great times.

Ed

[Jaco]

Don't know where it started but I got my first in 1971, probably at John Colliers (the window to watch!) in Rochdale and then later at Chads, a bespoke tailors also in Rochdale.

It was part of the craze that the suits had more and more extreme features in order to out-do others, more and more buttons, pockets, longer vents etc.

Definitely a Mod thing, whether or not you were into Northern.

Happy days!

[soulsalmon]

Don't know where it started but I got my first in 1971, probably at John Colliers (the window to watch!) in Rochdale and then later at Chads, a bespoke tailors also in Rochdale.

It was part of the craze that the suits had more and more extreme features in order to out-do others, more and more buttons, pockets, longer vents etc.

Definitely a Mod thing, whether or not you were into Northern.

Happy days!

seniors in rochdale,phil walsh used to work there and you got his staff discount

[asboannie]

My husbby, used to have his suit made to measure in the late 60's...with a 24 inch vent on the back of the jacket.

[Guest ShaneH]

i reckon this is for freebasing.

anyone disagree?

will leave it up here for a few hours

cheers

Shane

[Guest Brian J]

My brother, who is 2 years older than me had 3 made in 12 months around 1969.

2 with flared jackets and trousers 18" vents up the back 3" flaps and 16 buttons up the sleeves.

I got my first box jacket suit in 1970 aged 15 from Jackson's the Tailors in Wigan and another in 1971.

A Wrangler style leather jacket from Michael Clothing Company Bolton in 74..

A double breasted box suit (copied off David Bowies, from his album Pinups) in 1972.

Full length fur jacket made at Lafayette Fur Company in Manchester in 73.

My first baggies were made at Jackson's also in 1973.

I went on to have 2 more pair made and also various other suits and trousers.

[FrankM]

Burtons, Jacksons the Tailor, Claude Alexander (The Window to Watch), The Co-op etc all had factories in the midlands making up suits that were supposedly made to measure. Every working man had a suit certainly since Victorian times. I don't know who made the Thirty Bob Suit and when it was originally advertised. There were always crazes on suit designs, three piece, double breasted baggy skinny stove pipe flared trousers.

You went to a shop where you were measured, shown some fabric samples and a style book from which you picked lapel size , vent(s) , pockets: slanted, straight, patched.. How many ticket pocketsetc. The concept of a decent looking, properly fitting suit descended into farce towards the end of the sixties and ended up in big vents, wide lapels, high waisted trousers that would have put Simon Cowell to shame , three ticket pockets a side, half a dozen buttons on the cuffs.

I had mine made bespoke. I've still got two of them.

[Guest Brian J]

The concept of a decent looking, properly fitting suit descended into farce towards the end of the sixties and ended up in big vents, wide lapels, high waisted trousers that would have put Simon Cowell to shame , three ticket pockets a side, half a dozen buttons on the cuffs.

But isn't the whole concept of fashion a farce?

[BrianB]

1971 for me. I had a black blazer and a Prince of Wales check jacket made at Burtons,

With my black button down shirt, red v neck jumper, black parallels, black Royals or tassle loafers and black or red socks. Not forgetting the crombie and hanky with pin in the top pocket.

I still think we looked good in them days.

[Dayo]

Got my first one from Hepworths Tailors - remember them? A kind of electric blue with massive bags and 10 zillion buttons on the flapped back pockets. Can't recall the year, but the big tunes were Shing-a-ling, Grooving at the Go Go, Purple Haze etc, so I guess the Torch was still going.

First time I wore it out I was on the end of a kicking from the so called "Worcester Greabos". I think they were amused by the suit and would have let that go, but the platform heel clogs were just too much for them, and I was definitely marked down as a "puffy soul boy" and in need of correction.

Hint: if you ever find yourself sartorially challenged and confronted by half a dozen leather jacketed rough types, then a pair of clogs purchased from an ad in Record Mirror are not to be recommended. A speedy exit will almost certainly be required. Clogs are certainly not built for speed.

[45cellar]

Back in about 1975 there was a craze in Doncaster that you had to have your suit made to measure with multiple pleats, super fancy back pockets designs, rows of pockets on the jacket etc etc. All the older soul freaks had them so as young ens we had to copy. The cost was massive and it took about 6 weeks to pick up the suit. Jackson and Burtons were the main Tailors and on a Saturday afternoon there would be dozens of kids hanging around. Where and when did this craze start?

You only got respect if you had a different design/colour etc from everybody else. At todays rates it must have worked out at about a grand a suit. Great times.

Ed

Hi

I remember It well, Jessops, John Colier (Arndale Centre) - Happy Days

One of the mates was a bit older than us used to go mad with the Pockets and the amount of buttons on the sleeves. He used to go to the Attic etc.

Another mate Mick always had a suit on as I recall, I can't remember him wearing anything else, always a suit when we went out.

We used to wear our suits even sometimes when on the scooter. I remember getting 2 Ben Sherman shirts with pleats down the back, Still got them in the loft good as new. A couple of wrangler denim shirts with pearl buttons and an old style Levi Shirt.

I found a couple of shirts in the loft the other year one with a Samanthas patch still on the pocket,

sadly the only thing that came close to still fitting me would be the patch.

Edited November 7, 2006 by 45cellar

[Bjorn Nilsson]

Got my first one from Hepworths Tailors - remember them? A kind of electric blue with massive bags and 10 zillion buttons on the flapped back pockets. Can't recall the year, but the big tunes were Shing-a-ling, Grooving at the Go Go, Purple Haze etc, so I guess the Torch was still going.

First time I wore it out I was on the end of a kicking from the so called "Worcester Greabos". I think they were amused by the suit and would have let that go, but the platform heel clogs were just too much for them, and I was definitely marked down as a "puffy soul boy" and in need of correction.

Hint: if you ever find yourself sartorially challenged and confronted by half a dozen leather jacketed rough types, then a pair of clogs purchased from an ad in Record Mirror are not to be recommended. A speedy exit will almost certainly be required. Clogs are certainly not built for speed.

Tragical but funny story!

Has anyone got any good pictures of this kind of suit?