What Men REALLY Wore in the 1940s

[@rachelgarber1423]

I’m a 78 year old woman and I love your channel, I wish more men dressed and acted like you Preston and Kyle. One of the best memories of my late father-in-law was him talking about his first job interview with Bonwit Teller back in the 40s. All the men waiting with him were dressed very casually while he wore a suit and tie. He got the job because he showed respect for the interview.

[@OrrosGG]

There are also people in the teenage years with your views.. 🎩⚜️

[@generalisimo3178]

I'm 30 years of age, I have worn suits since I was in 14. My career requires me to wear uniforms but on my own time I only wear classic menswear.

[@mr.atomic2970]

​@generalisimo3178 Same Here im an Conductor But also Love to wear good old suits.

[@christopherfoley2819]

My Dad told me that when he mustered out in early 1947, that in March of 1947 was the first time he had a full choice of fabrics from a tailor.

[@AJP_17]

I am a middle schooler and am in love with this kind of fashion, I’ve always been intrigued with history and especially the 20th century. Im not a fan of people in my class making pajamas a normal piece of their clothing. Not the best look to be wearing your PJ’s at school.

[@KougarManx468]

Wait a sec , y'all wear pajamas at school ? I've never seen such a thing in all of my 18 years . I'm also intrigued about the styles of the 1920-40's due to how rich they look .

[@McSnacks930]

You can accomplish the “rich look” by just trailering your clothes

[@macreal65]

I love the fashion of that era, even casual wear was far better than what we see today. The suits, jackets, shirts and trousers was so masterfully designed. The suits I see men wearing today are so I'll fitted and always a size to small. You couldn't pay me to wear one of those slim-fit suits. I really hate them.

[@朱帅-t9m]

I can't agree more!I hate those slim-fit suits extremely which have no aesthetic feeling at all!!!

[@irinacapsa6412]

I hate seeing today men wearing slim tight suit - I mean they think it's more masculine or sexy ? Look at Marlon Brando 's style😍 or Robert de Niro's

[@ookapelirekkars6156]

Or a coat with jeans and tennis shoes

[@randomuser8746]

40's-50's are the best decade for fashion IMO.

[@Christopher.Colberg]

I agree

[@marshallemmet1366]

Forties "Winter Wear" is simply wonderful! I will definitely take a page from the forties for colder weather.

[@cgimovieman]

My usual clothing, both because of budget and because I live in a very hot state in Florida, is typically something I’m sure you’d scoff and say I’m not even trying. Shorts, t-shirts, and ball cap. That sort of thing. But underneath that, I really have an affinity for fashion and love getting dressed up and going to formal occasions. My dad and my two grandfathers however, were not really fashion connoisseurs. So I never really learned much about the things you talk about on The Gentleman’s Gazette. This is why I really enjoy your channel. I’ve had a less than successful career in recent years and have been unable to afford many things, but I love to learn, and keep all of these things from your videos stored in the back of my mind for the day that I’ll finally be able to spread my wings again and pursue these things.

[@susanbrown2909]

Let’s hope you do...

[@IPusers]

Follow your heart man, be yourself and people will scoff at first but they eventually get used to it.

[@baraodascolinas979]

You can try to match colours and patterns with your shorts, shirts and footwear. Try different hats, like a straw hat, Panama hat, etc. Glasses too, sunglasses or normal glasses can be a world by themselves. Since you are in a subtropical climate, try to see what’s in fashion on Latin America instead .

[@Konsaliki]

It would be so cool if Raphael could digitize some issues from his archive of menswear magazines from the first part of the 20th century. I'd even pay for a digital "reader's digest" best of. These magazines (especially the german ones) are quite hard to find these days, if you don't want to break the bank.

[@M0erck]

I wanted some pictures to hang on the walls in my new house and I really liked some of the Laurence Fellows illustrations displayed here on Gentleman's Gazette, unfortunately I could not find anywhere to buy them. I did find a whole collection on a website. But all of the pictures on the internet is in general of way too low resolution for larger pictures, so I ended up using AI/neural networks to upscale the pictures to a much higher resolution and the result is quite good, a lot better than I could have hoped for! Now I just need to find a local printshop to print them in a large format.

[@MEKKANNOID]

@@M0erck Would you mind sharing what software you used for that?

[@krunoslavkovacec1842]

@@M0erck I think you can buy vintage fashion illustrations online. Printed and ready to frame.

[@M0erck]

@@krunoslavkovacec1842 That's true, but I could not find any where the illustrator was Laurence Fellows, unfortunately.

[@piccalillipit9211]

If you go onto - and believe it or not I have to disguise this as it keeps deleting the comment P-i-n-t e-r-e-s-t and searching for "historical fashion plates mens 1920's" or similar, it will bring you an endless supply of them.

[@adriansaavedra7923]

I have a few genuine 1940’s suits as I’m an avid vintage enthusiast. By far, they are my favorite pieces of my wardrobe.

[@carltrotter7622]

Just wait for: "What Men REALLY Wore in the 1970s", It'll just be Rafael walking from left to right saying 'Nope!'.

[@blakemcnamara9105]

He'll probably look at examples of men wearing classic ensembles in that decade albeit with wider lapels, ties, and long hair.

[@krunoslavkovacec1842]

But for real, I realy want to see what kind of outfit is he gonna think of for the 70s.

[@TheSaneHatter]

I actually DO want to see that video: the 70's are my very early childhood (born 1975), and I'd like to see an honest look at my earliest memories.

[@raith-san]

I actually love these types of historical videos. Well documented and educational and I can tell a lot of research has been done.

[@Greg29]

I love 1940's style, so classic.

[@johannahayhtio8608]

I'm a 52 year old woman who loves your channel, classic menswear is so cool and I love Zoot suits 😍

[@byronhunter6893]

The three (possibly four, in good time) unique perspectives of GG is one of the things that keeps me coming back & continually improving my style.

[@dbo5451]

As a man born in 1980, I have always been enamored with the elegant dressware of men from the 1940's and earlier. The time, passion and effort to look their best, is something, I truly believe is sorely lacking in todays mens fashion. I wish we could go back to a time, We're Men actually took effort in putting their look together. For reasons I cannot understand today, my kids generation refuse to get dressed going to school. Rather they want to go to school wearing shorts or jogging pants. There is no desire, need or want to look good anymore. Very sad state we are in, where rustic, "dirty" takes place of, Chic and elegant

[@EricBrownBey]

18 feel the same. Wear more suits and we can change this decade.

[@joakoriva854]

Hasta padres dicen que si el hijo quiere vestirse de traje para la escuela le dirían para que se burlarían de ti bla bla estamos en una época en donde lo casual y lo más informal como la moda de pibe chorro o turro con la gorrita y campera deportiva Adidas es la moda de los jóvenes y hombres

[@vorametchinanggulpiwat7332]

Could you do casual style as well what they wore in the beach or what they wear play sports and when they just at home

[@TheFullofbullshit]

StreetXsprezza has a great article on what they wore while skiing

[@montybynum]

That’s such a good point!

[@montanamountainmen6104]

Both my grandfathers were discharged from the service in September of 1945. They wore their uniforms for a month afterwards due to clothing shortages.

[@eb1066sn]

Loving these decade videos! All the way to the modern day please! Can't wait for the scathing critiques of some of the subsequent decades! Raphael, you have been the cornerstone of my education in menswear. Here's to the institution you've birthed!

[@enniobarone7628]

I do really love these videos about what men really wore in different decades.

[@LiamS1947]

It would be nice if Raphael made physical copies of his ebooks, especially around the holidays, with a matte cover, it would be a perfect Christmas gift

[@andresborjas502]

Great video! Very informative! Can't wait to see Gentleman's Gazette video on the Zoot Suits!

[@sunhuizart3821]

I can't wait for "What Men REALLY Wore in the 2020s" aka pajamas and a facemask xD

[@rafaelcastillo3834]

Cargo shorts and Crocs...

[@MichaelTrxn]

In Australia, it would be tracksuits, Nike TN’s and a Gucci hat

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Communism never died. It just went underground into American culture. Look what it accomplished in 75 years. Now it's time to stand up and boot it from America.

[@majestikmse8862]

@@exothermal.sprocket communism is when lockdown and mask

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@majestikmse8862 Perhaps those are the beginning stages of compliance training.

[@sonnycorleone3251]

I love the menswear of the 1930's and 40's with the fedora hats, single,3 piece and double-breasted suits and nice shoes including black and white spectator shoes. The late 1940's younger men stopped wearing hats in general while the middle-aged men and up continued to do so. Sadly, many people forgot how to dress anymore. Great channel for the well-dressed man.

[@IamPatrickStar]

I have to say I really love that saxophone intro

[@panosfasoul699]

Fun fact, a lot of the boots shown in the pictures and a lot of them sold on the shoe store picture are actually military issue US Service boots. They started to be replaced in 43 with the lower quality "rough outs". Service boots where of excellent quality for army issue at the time, and I say that having worn a lot of old military boots, and soldiers often kept and worn them as civilians when they returned.

[@amandastout1948]

Eagerly awaiting the Zoot Suit video! And y'all HAVE to cover the 1980s Power Suit!

[@momotheelder7124]

I am actually struck by how casual the styles from 1890 look at 1:07

[@Fush1234]

Yes please. I’d love to see more fashion videos of the decades

[@rafaelcastillo3834]

Yet another fascinating, well done and well researched video Thanks to you and those behind the scene, particularly Aaron White & Teresa C. Schneider.

[@krunoslavkovacec1842]

Hand painted ties from the 40s are awesome. Nice and unique.

[@Head2ToeTheatrical]

I wear suits many times per week. This was very educational. Thanks!

[@jon780249]

Really informative, well researched episode.

[@0017Bulldog]

I just love learning and comparing the decades. Please keep up on these generational comparisons.

[@PlyzmP]

I really enjoy this series!

[@Warrior_warlock]

With the fabric rationing I could have imagined the bow tie becoming more popular than the neck tie. I wonder what made the neck tie prevail.

[@brianblake9589]

I would love you to continue this historical look at menswear. I can't wait for you to do one on the 1960's and look at the style icon that was JFK.

[@LazyHubbStudios]

In my job, working for the funeral homes in my town, dressing sharply is a necessity. I wish more people would dress like this now a days. I specifically try to dress like the 40's and 50's. I love the look of dress clothes from that era. I cant stand the newer dress styles.

[@AndreMonz]

The leg opening on the today's outfit is incredebly well proportioned to Raphael's body. Thanks for the great content!

[@gentlemaninjapan1994]

There are websites where you can find fashion and department store catalogues out there and they really give you a great glimpse

[@guilhermelacerda8272]

Looking forward to watch the 50's video. Great job on this one!

[@douglasemerson9017]

Excellent video. I’ve always felt that the 1940’s was the the pinnacle of men’s fashion.

[@joao_1986]

I'd love to see this series go all the way to the 80's

[@montybynum]

And it doesn’t even have to be what people wore but the dress wear all the way to now honestly

[@blooeagle5118]

8:05 That is DEFINITELY a riff off of the Dress Blue Deltas/Service Charlies (Chucks) of the Marines. I have mine in my closet right now and it looks identical

[@417DrumBob]

Don't trip over your shoelaces! Nice video. I collected 1940s neckties for years and still have hundreds of them in the closet.

[@artawhirler]

I love this whole series! Thanks !

[@Molach101]

Whenever I see zoot suits I'm always reminded of that episode of Tom and Jerry, when Tom wore one

[@gordonayres2609]

Excellent overview. I wear a lot of these clothes. This is me to the left on a ship a few years back.

[@oliverkey1435]

I probably shouldn’t be pleased by the appearance of Dietrich von Saucken, but I always admired his monocle.

[@SenhorKoringa]

21:52 lady there lookin pretty funky with that skirt suit

[@Pfeifenraucher_der_Insel]

I like this videos about this different periods so much. Please more from other periods. The 40th are one of my favourite periods. Thanks so much for this very good work. Best regards from the 🌞🏝. Michael

[@waldi2302]

That's again a wonderful Video. I can recoment Aaron White's Channel as a addition to the Gentlemen's Gazette. I think if you have subscribed to both channels, you have alot of knowledge about mens wear from back than, brought to you in a wise somebody who knew only near to nothing like me can understand it verry easy. Thank you Gentlemen.

[@AntiqueMenswear]

Thank you so much for your kind comment! I'll continue to make more in-depth historical videos 😁

[@waldi2302]

@@AntiqueMenswear not for that. I love your entusiasm for the history of mens wear and how you live it. I am a restaurator and collector of phones from the early days to the 1950s with this hobby came other things from back than in my life too. A small collection of paper money, stamps and coins. I love it to work with old materials and how genial much things are working without big technologie.

[@mr.v9500]

I'm a 19 year old guy and I love 20th century fashion

[@lordlexus3120]

I want to see the "True 1960s Menswear" video

[@jacobsinger97]

Its a delight watching your videos listening to you delish voice Sven! 😇

[@slimphotog]

19:26 Is there a Chuck Taylor video? When Gentleman's Gazette says it's OK to wear them to the office, I'm wearing a different pair of mine to work every day. :)

[@Anton_the_Vampire]

Interesting video. Can you answer a few questions please? What decade did denim become a common menswear item; in particular jeans & shirts? Also, how about patterned flannel shirts? (lumberjacks?) Finally, what were the men's wallet styles in the 1940s please?

[@jasonkelsey3441]

I requested this and you delivered. Thank-you :)

[@LugeniaWashington]

"What about the military look, I still love it! " Miss "Sunny Surplus"

[@chrissanchez9935]

Very informative, Sir. Thank You.

[@Wilmare]

It would be very cool to compare zoot suits and classic boxy cut to modern oversized classic menswear

[@brunonjezic6208]

I would love expanded series of this. This is great video !

[@VUJXNU]

1950s next please!

[@anthonys5568]

Thank you Sir for this great historical perspective!

[@Yoshi-Wise]

I'm really looking forward to the 1950s video as that's my favorite American decade.

[@shaynekatchmark810]

Now this is the one I've been waiting for

[@AleczandroArdizzone]

As an 18 year old individual who lives in the state of Utah im so proud that i recognized Thomas E Dewey at 14:57😂

[@pedrog9136]

I can't wait to see the zoot suit video i hope its soon

[@Ravenwood1936]

Yay! My favorite era of clothing!

[@vaclav_fejt]

5:21 - Hugo Sperrle with a monocle...now that is an imposing spectacle (pun intended). Even more evocative than Erich Ludendorff from the previous world war.

[@iainmcclure416]

My grandfather mostly wore battle dress in the 1940s.

[@danielrozier2410]

Show me a video on what people wore in the in the 50s

[@BeezerWashingbeard]

4:02 - Is Preston a time traveller?

[@謝宗祐-j2x]

Well, he's a time travel robot 🤖 😏

[@retronightmare7043]

I'd absolutely love to dress like this but I run into a few problems. One, I live in a very small town with less than 1,000 people and we don't have many stores to browse in. Two, I'm a woman and it's very hard to compare sizes. I love men's fashion and have always been more of a tom boy. I use to wear button ups and ties back in middle and high school. Now it's just a graphic tee and jeans.

[@Mandrake591]

The casual of yesteryear is the formal of today. I think that says a lot.

[@triciap6006]

Are you still going to make a video on Zoot Suits? I just looked maybe I missed it.

[@scottross8578]

Thanks for a great video. I find the history of fashion fascinating. I have a question about men and shorts. I remember my grandfather would rather be caught dead than wear a pair of shorts, but my father remembers wearing shorts, particularly as a young boy and teenager in the 1940s. When were shorts first introduced and when did the stigma about men and shorts start to decline? Did sports play a role in this? Perhaps it was the evolution in swimwear? Thanks!

[@derlachendevagabund7942]

We are in fact entering Cary Grant area😊

[@bheinatz1]

Love the tie, Raphael! Who made your jacket?

[@anthonylam3922]

Please do the 50s

[@herbertsmagon5777]

Do Leather Trenchcoats!

[@JoseAngelLopezGarces]

Excellent content!

[@susanbrown2909]

I like the Victorian era ..right up to 40s. Lovely colour tie your wearing there..nice shade .

[@LarfleezeOrangestein]

Id really like to dress this way, however, there are many things making that difficult. 1. I find it impossible to avoid getting dirty 2. I find it hard to not become overheated In the warmer months 3. Lack of mobility. (I cannot do anything that requires bending stretching ect) 4. Keeping shoes looking good. How to solve these problems?

[@tj-co9go]

1. If you are referring to jackets and coats, choose beige, brown or black colors to make dirt less visible. If you are talking about suits, that's more challenging, since the washery is expensive and washing buy yourself is a hard and laborious process. Well, you could try to be careful and using a tablecloth while dining, and avoiding foods that make you dirty (sauces and soups especially) 2. Hmm, it's not a problem here (Helsinki is at 60N latitude), but if you do live in a warmer climate, leave out the outdoors jacket and the vest from your suit. And use lighter colors to prevent sun from warming up too much. 3. Work an office job or don't show up at work in thid clothing. And keep your sports clothes separate from your working and social clothing, you don't want your fancy 40s clothing get sweaty. For me, the proper materials is the key and cannot be understated. Good wool doesn't make you sweat, and has you at just the right temperature at all times. Good cotton or silk doesn't sweat you much. And don't run to the bus, walk at a steady and peaceful pace. 4. Brush your shoes regularly and buy some shoe polish and apply it. Yes, you WILL get them dirty each time you use them, but at least the dirt is not gathering up.

[@michaelmerck7576]

Same here,I could not do my day to day activities wearing a suit for getting it ripped or dirty and it's just too hot in the summer here in north georgia.i live near a college town and oddly enough very few people wear suits here ,even the head operatives mostly go with casual pants and an Oxford shirt with no neckties or the standard polo

[@tommymartinez9746]

seeing that one of the hosts wears prescriptions just as many of us, So I’m hoping perhaps a video might be in order for looking for older more timeless glasses

[@carbonado2432]

still waiting for the zoot suits video

[@john_marston1888]

I may get into tie painting

[@benderbendingrofriguez3300]

Looking forward for the Zoot Suit video.

[@LedosKell]

The M40 Field-Grey Wool Greatcoat

[@thebatman.]

Even if the morals of the era were lacking in some departments… I’ve always thought the general style/aesthetic of early 1900’s America was really unique and tasteful

[@glassix8593]

Their morals weren’t lacking. They were mostly even with our current morals.

[@dezbiggs6363]

What morals are you referring to if you don't mind me asking?

[@rogerr.8507]

@@dezbiggs6363 my guess is either the warcrimes or the interracial marriage views

[@thebatman.]

@@dezbiggs6363 The number of people asking is making me doubt myself a bit, but I was referring to segregation (which didn’t end until 1964) and racial injustice in general

[@larryd473]

@@thebatman. You'd be a lot happier with segregation. A nation state is the global norm for a reason.

[@anonymousperson6084]

Could you guys do a video on Norfolk and safari jackets?

[@edgaraquino2324]

I.D. bracelets were used a lot as well...could you discuss them?

[@alexandermoore5024]

9:42 your favorite hobbies like fish or an attractive Woman.. Well played 😃

[@PoorSeraphim7]

I'm interested in knowing what the average blue-collar man would wear on the job in the 1940s era. Not the suit, of course, but I'm guessing black or brown work shoes or boots, pleated pants, and double breasted button down shirt with or without tie (depending on the type of work). Say, from the factory worker to the gas station attendant. Wonderful channel. Thank you, sirs!

[@mikemacheese7174]

Do a video on how to properly smoke a non filter cigarette and how to light your lady friend's cigarette.

[@michaelmerck7576]

Not something for the modern era

[@blazel462]

I would love to see 50s at some point.

[@kamauwikeepa7308]

The fashion of that era had class suave and cool. Hats were the icing on the cake, men looked like men.

[@TheAlex1962]

Please continue

[@montybynum]

At some point can you guys do a 1900s and expand all the way through the 1800s and 1700s

[@truthreigns7]

Awesome. Thank you very much

[@jec1ny]

@ 8:45 that would be my idea of casual dress. A single breasted waistcoat vs double breasted and presumably no spats.