Category Archives: Off the Rack

123 Year old Levis

Posted on 2016-11-06 by Jonathan

These modern-looking jeans in a modern size (44 waist and 36 inseam) were purchased in 1893 by Solomon Warner, a dry goods store owner in Tucson, Arizona Territory. They are in near mint condition, having been worn only a few … Continue reading →

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Quick, tell me who is the current designer for Balmain… anyone? anyone?

Posted on 2015-11-05 by Jonathan

Its Olivier Rousteing, but I bet nobody in this crowd knows that. Rousteing’s off-the-rack collection for H&M looks like the love child of Yves St. Laurent and Gianni Versace… It’s nice, wearable clothing but there is nothing new or original about … Continue reading →

Posted in Off the Rack, Retailing | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Zero is the new 8, or is it…

Posted on 2015-10-29 by Jonathan

Anyone who collects or wears vintage clothes knows that commercial sizes have dramatically changed over the years. There was never a need to arbitrarily assign sizes to clothing until the ready-to-wear industry took off in the early 20th century. The earliest ready-to-wear … Continue reading →

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Fast Fashion Footwear – Jeffrey Campbell

Posted on 2015-05-05 by Jonathan

I try not to blog about contemporary brands because there are plenty of other blogs that already do that, but Jeffrey Campbell is a bit of a mystery and it took a while to piece together the backstory. Little information is divulged about … Continue reading →

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Off the Rack – Donnybrook

Posted on 2015-03-28 by Jonathan

Shortly after Rihanna was photographed wearing this coat a few weeks back, all  similar Donnybrook coats that were being offered for sale online disappeared – presumably bought up by admirers of Rihanna’s style. The last time I recall seeing such an instant rage for … Continue reading →

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Off The Rack – F.O.G.A. – Fashion Originator’s Guild of America 1932-1941

Posted on 2014-12-27 by Jonathan

In 1932, a coalition of garment and textile designers created the Fashion Originator’s Guild of America (F.O.G.A.). The point was to create a legal entity that could protect the members from design theft (a.k.a. knock-offs) – a problem rife in the … Continue reading →

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Off-the-rack Calvin Curtis

Posted on 2014-12-04 by Jonathan

In an article that appeared in the July 25, 1938 issue of Life magazine, 60% of men were reported as preferring belts over braces. The article also points out a trend, popularized by president Roosevelt, for fancy suspenders that began … Continue reading →

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Off the Rack – Adelaar Blouse Company

Posted on 2014-11-26 by Jonathan

I have been building research notes for years about companies that produced off-the-rack clothes but aren’t well known or have little written about them, so I am starting a new category today to transcribe some of the information I have gathered. Off-the-rack’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Off the Rack | Tagged | 8 Comments