You probably already know that in the early twentieth century wealthy men began wearing cream colored flannel trousers with their navy suit jackets at resorts, a fashion that was the seed of both the blazer specifically and the odd jacket generally. And to this day the most classic trouser to wear with a blazer during the day is cream colored, like the best dressed former President in the photograph.
So far as I am aware, no-one ever recorded the evolution of those cream colored trousers into the khaki chinos worn as part of the California tuxedo, the tan cavalry twill that author Bernhard Roetzel described as part of the English uniform, or the ubiquitous gray flannels (that latter happened in the span of a single generation, perhaps driven by the cost of cleaning those off-whites in a world still heated by coal fires). But the style did evolve, and today the original color is remarkable.
The little examination possible of Mr. Kennedy's trousers finds them looking a bit too crisp for flannel and probably a wool twill or gabardine, either a more practical choice for warmer days anyway. He wears them with penny loafer styled slip-on shoes, and those, lightly brogued chestnut colored oxfords or spectators are a fine complement to the pairing of blue and cream.
Worthy of emulation.
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9 comments:
Absolutely so. The problem these days, as you have occasionally pointed out before, is finding cream suiting to make those trousers. Flannel or worsted (or better yet, Fresco!) cream is just damned hard to find.
The only thing not worthy of emulation is the way JFK buttoned the bottom button on his blazer...
Scott, that is another of his paddock style coats a la the Duke of Windsor. It is cut for both buttons to be buttoned.
Cavalry twills are often paired (think of Alan Whicker), with a blue reefer jacket, displaying regimental buttons, when it is called a 'polo jacket'.
I also don't care for the two buttoned coats with both buttons fastened. I suspect that JFK wore them either to appear more common or to conceal his back-brace.
Most of the photos I've seen of Windsor show him with only the bottom button fastened on his SB coats. He was consistent as he also wore his DB coats with only the bottom buttons fastened. I wonder if this wasn't calculated to make his torso appear a bit longer.
Are any of you aware of another famous person to wear a two butt SB coat with both buttons fastened?
Carl, I have posted photos of Kennedy wearing that style of coat years before he hurt his back. Search for paddock coats on ASW. And he definitely did not do it to be common.
Yep, Will, you're so right, as your photo of a VERY young Kennedy will attest. But it still looks wrong to my eye, and if something doesn't look well on JFK, what hope could the rest of us have?
I realize this is a bit out of bounds for this blog, but a contemporary take on this look is to wear white jeans with one's summer jackets.
Also, if one wants to avoid looking like an HMS Pinafore extra, a tan jacket looks great with white or cream colored trousers.
Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for a nice blog. Very classy.
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