DAPPER PERIOD DRESSING

The House Of Dregs does not actually have a  TV but we do catch up on things we really want to watch via the Internet...and our most recent catch up was Peaky Blinders, when it comes to period dramas i tend to be more interested  in the styling of the set and characters than the actual story line and peaky blinders had the men's fashions from the 1920's down to a T as well as a fantastic story line.  Based on the story of a real life notorious gang from Birmingham who were basically a gang of very sharply dressed hooligans getting their name from sewing razor blades into the peaks of their tweed caps to reign terror on the streets.  They robbed people by hitting them on the nose with the peak of their caps with the razor blade making their eyes water causing temporary blindness....charming i know but well worth a watch.

So you want to dress like a peaky blinder ...then you have got to go visit the darker side of the colour palette,  this was early 20th century Birmingham  and the cotton mills where churning out good old tweeds and flannels which are perfect for your Autumn/winter wardrobe. Two distinctive dressers stand out  in the show and these are Thomas & Arthur Shelby... of course Thomas played by Cillian Murphy stands out more for obvious reasons...another reason for Sista Society to tune in.

So how do you put that look together.... well searching the vintage shops is the best place to start if you want to feel authentic, clothes were made from well cut cloth back then so vintage is definitely the way to go... though i doubt you will find pieces going that far back but lucky for us fashions have been  repeated throughout the years.  So starting at the bottom layer..if you are going to do it... do it properly, so you will be needing a Henley Undershirt.. a fantastic item to have in your winter collection for our deep dark winters.. in a nutshell it is a collarless pullover woollen vest type item worn as an under or over garment.   Then comes the grandad shirt which were worn with detachable collars, the reason being so that gentlemen could wash the collars more often than their shirts...remember wash day back then was a day day mission and a clean collar spoke a thousand words.  The stiff collars were starched, Thomas Shelby always fastened his with an elegant gold stud button which was a little bit of bling for the 1900's, general folk wore white buttons.  Collar shape of the day was a club (rounded) and was  sometimes worn with a Dickie which was a garment made to look like the front of a shirt so you could add a stripe or a colour without having to have a full shirt of it,again again the laundry factor comes into play.  Arthur Shelby on the other hand jazzed his outfit up with a bow tie...the only one of the characters whom did.  Next came the three piece suit made from the best cut cloth and always tailored with at least a three button fastening but more often 4 or 5 button ed up high and the lapels were also thin due to the high fastening.  The suits worn by the original peaky blinders were more bell bottomed going by the original photos but for the drama they had a straighter wide cut and the waists were high, 60's suits fit the bill, sharp in cut and style, the suits of the day seemed to have been influenced by the uniforms of WW1.  Fabrics were herring bone tweeds and flannels with subtle checks and pin and chalk stripes for special occasions.  Braces and boots to finish of the look with the boots being of the sturdy type...lace up half boots in quality leather preferably hob nails to give a little bit of working class tough style but in our comfort led lifestyles not always the best option, there should be no break between the ankle and the boot and no bunching up either..keep it sleek. The Piece De Resistance has to be of course the peaked flat cap...minus the blade.  Braces are an easy find and can really accentuate the look along with a pocket  square in your top pocket and a pocket watch tucked into your watch pocket in your waistcoat you will be ready to hit the streets with a new autumn look.

 8 piece peaked cap

1920's Dickie 

Gold Collar Stud

Detachable Shirt Collar

WHERE TO SOURCE YOUR OUTFIT

Well here at Dregs of Society Vintage it would have to be vintage all the way and lots of the pieces such as the collars, pins, dickies and boots can all be bought from good vintage shops, we currently have all of the above items in stock at our bricks and mortar shop at 191 Park View Whitley Bay or you can check out my on line store via the store link above.  We also stock a range of suits including tweeds and flannels.  

There are a lot of Gentlemen Styling shops popping up which are always a good source of such pieces. We have a fantastic local establishment called Als Musique Boutique that stocks all things for the dapper gentleman from dressing attire to Moustache wax...they even hold a tailors day so that you can take along your vintage suits to get altered or have a whole new suit tailored just for you now that is service for you and with Al it will always be with a smile. You will find them at 3a Cheltenham Terrace, Heaton or find them on facebook.  

Attica In Newcastle upon Tyne is also a favourite haunt for all things vintage...all authentic and original pieces This shop has been going for vfor 20 years so really know their stuff go check them out at www.atticavintage.co.uk

Or hunt online on ebay and etsy and you are sure to find the real thing.