Mens' Fashion. An oxymoron in Oz.

[Paddo Colt 61]

As chilly winds sweep city streets the sight of blokes in shorts and a T-shirt provokes a sense of wonder. Are they brain damaged? FIFO workers from Mawson? Icebergs? Though not uncommon in Sydney winters, the T-shirt and shorts are, pretty much, ubiquitous in Sydney Summers and it seems that, in the minds of many men, that that combo is the extent of their sense of wardrobe. Often I see attractive, often beautiful young women out on a Friday/Saturday night, resplendent in a new outfit that they've probably spent weeks looking for, on the arm of a bloke who looks like he's just got back from the beach. Doesn't self respect count for anything? And I hesitate to say "these days" because the outfit has been standard issue for a generation at least.

When a teenager in Paddo in the early sixties the jeans and T-shirts look was never seen. Mostly because Levis were unknown in Australia. There was a local brand, Amco, but for the cognoscenti who knew about Levis, the local version was unacceptable. Being so close to the city and the harbour, the War and American servicemen had a huge effect on Paddo youth and Levis were a part of that close contact. In the years following, the wartime Levis gradually wore out and kids implored older brothers or acquaintances who worked on the wharves to acquire Levis from merchant seamen. Hard won, the jeans could not then be worn with T-shirts, mostly because none were available, certainly not in the variety we see today. The James Dean Levi/white T- shirt was a good look and was employed often but noone overdid it.

It was the Bodgie/Rocker era of pegged pants, rippled soled shoes, garishly patterned "Canadian" Jackets and variations on Elvis' hairstyle. The pink and black combo was popular also. By contrast Paddo mens' fashion was unique. In 1958 the American "Ivy League" fashion range came to Paddo largely, I think, from the wharves again. The classic look was a tasteful plain buttoned down shirt buttoned to the top, trousers without pleats but with a buckle at the back and to top it off, highly spit polished shoes and a brolly. The "College" cut hairstyle was also de rigeur - short, parted and brushed across the forehead, The style was, as I've said, unique to Paddo which was a tough working class area back then and I never saw it anywhere else. Not a hint of poverty in it, to be "well dressed" or "a good dresser"was looked up to.

[zac]

i'm going to have to widen my view of you

[Andrew Walker]

When I was a young fella I would always try and dress well. I found it usually impressed the girls. Now as I get older I like my bordies singlets t shirts and track suit pants. Every now and then I dress nicely and I am always told I should do so more as I look like the essence of sophistication. With this in mind I probably should dress a little better but I prefer comfort to sophistication these days. I must though confess whenever I dress up in a suit I do feel really important

[eddie]

For my sons wedding I wore black jeans, a white button up shirt and a purple tie. It's been the only time in the last 2 or 3 years that I've worn shoes.

[Paddo Colt 61]

I do confess to having "found" the Trackies myself and the temptation is always there to sport them all day, day after day. I guess that what I'm really talking about is evolution, not in a good direction as I see it but certainly no going back. Green hair, Tatts (what are those pretty girls who ink their legs and arms so copiously, thinking? They're gonna get old), vaping, female voice frying and American speech cadences in females, all manner of society damaging drugs and shorts and T-shirts on frigid days are with us to stay until the Zeitgeist inexorably moves on. In the 50s my grandfather met us a Bondi for a Sunday picnic in a dark serge 3 piece suit replete with watch chain.

I watched an interview with a former teammate on Paddo Colts media during which the old days were recalled. Meeting at the U.S. (The United Services Hotel) on a Friday/Saturday night got a mention and the young interviewer incredulously remarked - "...and some guys wore suits", apparently a dress choice unknown today as Eddie affirms above. I also recently went to a woman's funeral at which the son and MC wore jeans and a West Tigers jersey no doubt as a memento but are there standards on such occasions? Evolution again.

"No Country for Old Men" deals with that theme of social evolution in a dark way. The Sheriff character remarks on unremitting change to colleague noting that kids with green hair had never been seen in Texas and that graves dug in a California backyard had gone unremarked until a welfare receiving "victim" had run bloodied naked into the street (we had something similar in Snowtown). Socially, we never know which direction it's going to take but there is certainly a human reluctance to run with it and to resist it as we see with the Sea Eagle God botherers this week.

[Johnny Brass]

I've found something I agree with you Paddo, Australian fashion sense is terrible but it suits the laidback lifestyle.

[redwhiteblue]

I blame myself..I no longer have my shop and went back to banking and finance..job stability and all.....I worked at Gowings for years, ran the shirt department and then did a short stint at one of the labels and then had my own shop with menswear as many of you know as some of you kindly supported my little business. Now I can't tell you blokes what shirt goes with what tie before I let you all loose..

[redwhiteblue]

I do confess to having "found" the Trackies myself and the temptation is always there to sport them all day, day after day. I guess that what I'm really talking about is evolution, not in a good direction as I see it but certainly no going back. Green hair, Tatts (what are those pretty girls who ink their legs and arms so copiously, thinking? They're gonna get old), vaping, female voice frying and American speech cadences in females, all manner of society damaging drugs and shorts and T-shirts on frigid days are with us to stay until the Zeitgeist inexorably moves on. In the 50s my grandfather met us a Bondi for a Sunday picnic in a dark serge 3 piece suit replete with watch chain.

I watched an interview with a former teammate on Paddo Colts media during which the old days were recalled. Meeting at the U.S. (The United Services Hotel) on a Friday/Saturday night got a mention and the young interviewer incredulously remarked - "...and some guys wore suits", apparently a dress choice unknown today as Eddie affirms above. I also recently went to a woman's funeral at which the son and MC wore jeans and a West Tigers jersey no doubt as a memento but are there standards on such occasions? Evolution again.

"No Country for Old Men" deals with that theme of social evolution in a dark way. The Sheriff character remarks on unremitting change to colleague noting that kids with green hair had never been seen in Texas and that graves dug in a California backyard had gone unremarked until a welfare receiving "victim" had run bloodied naked into the street (we had something similar in Snowtown). Socially, we never know which direction it's going to take but there is certainly a human reluctance to run with it and to resist it as we see with the Sea Eagle God botherers this week.

I've been putting together my weekly list of songs for the songs from your era thread and this morning I came across a clip of Paul Kelly performing at the Enmore Theatre with The Stormwater Boys. Paddo, the first thing that struck me, apart from the fine voices of course, was they are all wearing suits..it just makes the performance even more elegant as it was for a sad song often sung at funerals. There is also a great concert at Royal Albert Hall with Leonard Cohen also elegantly dressed for the occasion and you could tell he was sweating bullets but he wanted to dress for his audience. Charlie Watts was the same..that said, if any man turned up at my door step to take me out for a cup of tea, as long as his heart and mind are kind, I'm. not going to judge him on clothes..as long as he's wearing some..that would be nice..not a fan of exhibitionists sending selfies of shirts off..it's undignified after a certain age..

[redwhiteblue]

I also remember going to the Sydney Opera House on a Saturday afternoon with friends who had come down from Port Macquarie so we could go and see the Sydney Ballet Company perform to the music of Nick Cave. We dressed properly for the occasion even though it was the afternoon and my friend's boyfriend said why are they wearing jeans? I did the same when going to see the SSO with the Whitlams on a Sunday morning at 11am and the SSO with Peter Cetera at the State Theatre on a Saturday afternoon. Maybe it's a female thing, but it's nice to dress when there is an orchestra playing..men dress for the races so why not other occasions?

[Andrew Walker]

I recently went to a funeral and noticed the declining standards of dress for such an occasion. I saw jeans t shirts runners and was horrified at the decadent and declining standards.

Myself I wore my designer taylor made suit that I always promised I would buy myself and I finally purchased late last year ( amazing the lengths people will go to and the rules people will break when you show them the colour of your money, we were all unvaxxed being treated like royalty because we had plenty of cash to spend ) It would be remiss of me not too add the difference in such clothing compared to the tat I would generally purchase over the years from the likes of Gowings Lowes or some of the small business establishments I supported over the years. You do get what you pay for.

I now have to make sure I keep in the good shape I am in as a middle aged man, as a good fitting taylor made suit is only good fitting if you remain in shape. So that means plenty of training and exercise and even a few shirtless selfies whom if I send to others must be mindful of whom they are sent to as I wouldn’t want to send them to anyone who has a prudish attitude. We do learn in life and I’ve learnt in my experience the the type who look down on such a thing are usually long term like over three or 4 years middle aged childless bachelors or spinsters. I’ve found prudish attitudes are not discriminatory and both men and women hold such antiquated traits.

Finally I recommend to all go out and buy yourself a high end quality Taylor made suit. They look good on you they, feel good on you, people whom you know or even don’t know comment on how good they look After the funeral the other week when we were all dressed to the nines in our designer label Taylor made clobber We could all see how differently the young female bar staff treated us

[Paddo Colt 61]

Women don't seem to mind how their boyfriends dress. Must be that the urge to pro creation surpasses all else with young females because I have noted that many older women buy their husband's clothes. As Van Morrison sings in "Wild Nights" - "And the girls go by dressed up for each other...".

Up in Paddo back in the day it was all "tailor made". Otto Stern was the name of the local tailor and Saturday morning was busy with guys being measured up for a new pair of "terraces" (Terrace of Houses). It was like every kid in the suburb was interested in the look.

I would have seen the last of the "Push" era as an adolescent in Paddington in the 50s and 60s. The "Pushes" were youth street gangs and were problematic from the 1880s. Saturday nights in the city especially around the QVB were risky places to be because of the congregation of hooligans and the gangs were also territorial - Redfern, Surry Hills, Glebe, Wooloomooloo etc.

After the Mount Rennie incident in the 90s a much stronger official response saw the beginning of the end for most of them. Mount Rennie was/is one of those large mounds that are a topographical feature in the SCG area and in the '90s the gang rape of a young woman there (it was pretty much bushland at the time) so provoked the populace that several of the Surry Hills Push were later hanged. They were young men, teens, "larrikins" so called.

In the "modern" time that I'm talking about the same kind of Push phenomenon existed in Paddo. It was not a standing "gang" but if there was a serious incident involving locals then it seemed that the male street youth of the suburb would mobilise. On occasions I saw the snooker room in Oxford street full of troops being addressed on the elaborate tactics for taking down the bouncers at some pub or other after a bloody night out the week before when a few of the boys had come off second best.

I mention all this because fashion, in particular the Ivy League look, was a uniform. As I say, everyone sported it. It was identity.

[redwhiteblue]

I like classic clothes on a man. Neat, clean and tidy doesn't necessarily mean expensive either. I've always assisted people in picking out clothes anyway even when I wasn't working in the industry because people seem to like and respect my taste, not because I foist it onto others. I don't like controlling people who tell others what to do but I'm always happy to offer an opinion or advice if asked. That said, if I were to accompany a gentleman to a wedding or to the races, I'd ask his opinion as to which dress he'd like to see me to wear and then I'd consider what I'm comfortable with. Working from home full time for 2 years now has not given me the opportunity to dress up anymore. I have some lovely ones which need a good day out somewhere.

[Andrew Walker]

Women don't seem to mind how their boyfriends dress. Must be that the urge to pro creation surpasses all else with young females because I have noted that many older women buy their husband's clothes. As Van Morrison sings in "Wild Nights" - "And the girls go by dressed up for each other...".

Up in Paddo back in the day it was all "tailor made". Otto Stern was the name of the local tailor and Saturday morning was busy with guys being measured up for a new pair of "terraces" (Terrace of Houses). It was like every kid in the suburb was interested in the look.

I would have seen the last of the "Push" era as an adolescent in Paddington in the 50s and 60s. The "Pushes" were youth street gangs and were problematic from the 1880s. Saturday nights in the city especially around the QVB were risky places to be because of the congregation of hooligans and the gangs were also territorial - Redfern, Surry Hills, Glebe, Wooloomooloo etc.

After the Mount Rennie incident in the 90s a much stronger official response saw the beginning of the end for most of them. Mount Rennie was/is one of those large mounds that are a topographical feature in the SCG area and in the '90s the gang rape of a young woman there (it was pretty much bushland at the time) so provoked the populace that several of the Surry Hills Push were later hanged. They were young men, teens, "larrikins" so called.

In the "modern" time that I'm talking about the same kind of Push phenomenon existed in Paddo. It was not a standing "gang" but if there was a serious incident involving locals then it seemed that the male street youth of the suburb would mobilise. On occasions I saw the snooker room in Oxford street full of troops being addressed on the elaborate tactics for taking down the bouncers at some pub or other after a bloody night out the week before when a few of the boys had come off second best.

I mention all this because fashion, in particular the Ivy League look, was a uniform. As I say, everyone sported it. It was identity.

You are an interesting character PC s an old schooler it would seem I do recall some time back saying you would be cool to have a beer with, Mind you these days we don’t meet people off the internet anymore as in my home we have encountered a few unstable ones over the years Yo do though seem a real old school man.

Many women in this day and age probably don’t mind how men dress . However they seem to notice and respect a man who dresses well. Also another poster mentioned that nice clothing does not need to be expensive this is true. What is also true is to the eye anyone with any fashion sense can see the difference in high quality clothing to the more cheaply made clothing.

Interesting you mention the push gangs a memory from a time gone by I wasn’t around in the eras you mention but I know in the early mid eighties and a little beyond there were still neighbourhood gangs in these areas I was a member of one. Dare I say we may have been a little smarter than those on the earlier days we gave the impression we hated one another but worked together or more so had certain business arrangements. I mention this as because I worked in a solid job I would go along with one of the boys who was pretty much our leader and do business with other gangs. We would always dress well to avoid any suspicion. I recall many a deal or transaction being done in The Tradesman’s Arms and a pub in Paddington that was near the SFS between Moore Park Rd and Oxford St. Can’t recall the name of it but it’s long since shut down and yes there were certainly times where a bouncer was sorted out due to an incident the week before.

Your story brought back good memories of old days gone by Paddington Darlinghurst Surry Hills Woolloomooloo Redfern and Kensington have certainly changed now from what they were Shen I was a young fella getting up to no good. I used to love the Paddington Markets there was such a buzz about the place the fashion shops on Oxford Street and those on the market would feed off one another Westfields in Bondi Junction has ruined that big time