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Words by James Eden
Looking back at the celebrations when the Queen came to the throne in the 1950s, it’s intriguing to wonder how those crowds thronging the streets would have imagined the world 70 years later. The science fiction of the time, in films or in comics such as The Eagle or Hotspur, shows a future filled with flying cars, food capsules and silver jumpsuits.
Video phones and self-driving cars are with us, but what’s also apparent from looking at those cheering masses is that a well-dressed man from the 1950s would not look out of place today. Hats and hair cream may have practically vanished, but many other styles from that decade still inform fashion.
These seven Private White V.C. pieces – one for each decade of Queen Elizabeth’s reign – illustrate the enduring appeal of the 1950s, and how we take the best of the past and blend it with the innovations of the 21st century.
Long to Rain Over Us
When the Queen was crowned in June 1953, the British weather doused the festivities in torrential rain. Fortunately, the crowds were almost all wearing that staple of 1950s Britain, the raincoat. The weather hasn’t changed much since and a raincoat remains a requirement. Our version, The Ventile® Mac, maintains the timeless lines of the original, but the use of this revolutionary fabric ensures this one stays completely waterproof. We’ve also recently added a reversible raincoat, as tribute to one of the most eminent Mancunians (and mac wearers), the artist L. S. Lowry.
Michael Caine, GQ Archive Photos
To The Fore
First designed for golfers, the Harrington originated in a factory near Private White V.C.’s headquarters in Manchester. In the 1950s, the jacket was worn by Elvis Presley, James Dean and, later, Steve McQueen, and acquired a lustre that meant, back across the Atlantic, it became the height of style.
Our take on the Harrington brings it to a new level, while staying anchored to its origins. Firstly, by using Ventile® fabric, our Harrington works in all weathers, while the Raglan sleeve and stud adjustable hem give greater comfort and movement.
A Streetcar Named Attire
If the 1960s invented sex, the 1950s invented teenagers. With them came rebellion and a way of dressing that began to defy the previous generation. The T-shirt, for instance, was lifted by the likes of Marlon Brando and Dean (again) from its humble origins as army underwear to take a stand against collars and ties. Now, of course, the T-shirt is ubiquitous, but not all are created equal. The simplicity of our Private Tee belies both the quality of its cotton jersey fabric and the attention to detail given to its construction.
Marlon Brando, From Michael Ochs Archives
Summit of Style
On the eve of the coronation, news filtered through that Mount Everest had been conquered by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tensing Norgay. A fitting tribute to the new Queen, the ascent was redolent of the adventure of a previous age. The expedition’s equipment had a timeless style that is echoed in our Private White V.C. Storm Smock, a pop-over garment constructed from super-substance Ventile®, with drawstrings in the hood and waist and an oversized patch pocket on the front – part Sir Edmund, part Liam Gallagher.
Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay, Wikipedia
Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay, Wikipedia
Waxing Lyrical
Surrounded by corgis and horses, the Queen is often shown relaxing in that uniform of the English countryside, the wax jacket. While we do produce our own (The Wax Walker), it is our celebrated Twin Track that has its antecedents in the 1950s. Marking its own tenth anniversary, the Twin Track is based on an original design from the 1930s, but this wax jacket has a lineage to the trial and off-road bikers of post-war Britain on their Nortons and Royal Enfields, for whom horsepower had an entirely different meaning.
Get Your Motor Running
Keeping those iconic bikes on the road required a highly skilled mechanic, often elbow deep in grease. The practical jackets they wore have become workwear classics, and Private White V.C.’s version is the ultimate evolution of this garment. The clean lines, with shirt cuffs, zipped chest pockets and slanted side pockets are familiar, but are elevated by the quality of design and materials, such as the goat suede from which The Suede Mechanic Jacket is made – although you might not want to change the oil in it.
David Gandy At GOODWOOD, Telegraph Magazine 2016
David Gandy, Telegraph Magazine 2016
The Talented Mr. White
For 1950s Britain, still emerging from austerity and rationing, the sunshine and style of the south of France and Italy was a glimpse of another world, populated by tanned films stars dressed in a relaxed Continental style. A look that endures to this day in films like The Talented Mr Ripley or Call Me By Your Name, it’s the inspiration for our own cashmere-silk blend knitted Luxury Cruise Polo, available in French navy with white piping or an elegant dove grey.
Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) (Left)
THE SEVEN PWVC CROWNING GLORIES
Words by James Eden
Looking back at the celebrations when the Queen came to the throne in the 1950s, it’s intriguing to wonder how those crowds thronging the streets would have imagined the world 70 years later. The science fiction of the time, in films or in comics such as The Eagle or Hotspur, shows a future filled with flying cars, food capsules and silver jumpsuits.
Video phones and self-driving cars are with us, but what’s also apparent from looking at those cheering masses is that a well-dressed man from the 1950s would not look out of place today. Hats and hair cream may have practically vanished, but many other styles from that decade still inform fashion.
These seven Private White V.C. pieces – one for each decade of Queen Elizabeth’s reign – illustrate the enduring appeal of the 1950s, and how we take the best of the past and blend it with the innovations of the 21st century.
Michael Caine, GQ Archive Photos
Long to Rain Over Us
When the Queen was crowned in June 1953, the British weather doused the festivities in torrential rain. Fortunately, the crowds were almost all wearing that staple of 1950s Britain, the cotton raincoat. The weather hasn’t changed much since and a raincoat remains a requirement. Our version, The Ventile® Mac, maintains the timeless lines of the original, but the use of this revolutionary fabric ensures this one stays completely waterproof. We’ve also recently added a reversible raincoat, as tribute to one of the most eminent Mancunians (and mac wearers), the artist L. S. Lowry.
To The Fore
First designed for golfers, the Harrington originated in a factory near Private White V.C.’s headquarters in Manchester. In the 1950s, the jacket was worn by Elvis Presley, James Dean and, later, Steve McQueen, and acquired a lustre that meant, back across the Atlantic, it became the height of style.
Our take on the Harrington brings it to a new level, while staying anchored to its origins. Firstly, by using Ventile® fabric, our Harrington works in all weathers, while the Raglan sleeve and stud adjustable hem give greater comfort and movement.
A Streetcar Named Attire
If the 1960s invented sex, the 1950s invented teenagers. With them came rebellion and a way of dressing that began to defy the previous generation. The T-shirt, for instance, was lifted by the likes of Marlon Brando and Dean (again) from its humble origins as army underwear to take a stand against collars and ties. Now, of course, the T-shirt is ubiquitous, but not all are created equal. The simplicity of our Private Tee belies both the quality of its cotton jersey fabric and the attention to detail given to its construction.
Marlon Brando, From Michael Ochs Archives
Summit of Style
On the eve of the coronation, news filtered through that Mount Everest had been conquered by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tensing Norgay. A fitting tribute to the new Queen, the ascent was redolent of the adventure of a previous age. The expedition’s equipment had a timeless style that is echoed in our Private White V.C. Storm Smock, a pop-over garment constructed from super-substance Ventile®, with drawstrings in the hood and waist and an oversized patch pocket on the front – part Sir Edmund, part Liam Gallagher.
Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay, Wikipedia
Waxing Lyrical
Surrounded by corgis and horses, the Queen is often shown relaxing in that uniform of the English countryside, the wax jacket. While we do produce our own (The Wax Walker), it is our celebrated Twin Track that has its antecedents in the 1950s. Marking its own tenth anniversary, the Twin Track is based on an original design from the 1930s, but this wax jacket has a lineage to the trial and off-road bikers of post-war Britain on their Nortons and Royal Enfields, for whom horsepower had an entirely different meaning.
Get Your Motor Running
Keeping those iconic bikes on the road required a highly skilled mechanic, often elbow deep in grease. The practical jackets they wore have become workwear classics, and Private White V.C.’s version is the ultimate evolution of this garment.
David Gandy at GOODWOOD, Telegraph Magazine 2016
The clean lines, with shirt cuffs, zipped chest pockets and slanted side pockets are familiar, but are elevated by the quality of design and materials, such as the goat suede from which The Suede Mechanic Jacket is made – although you might not want to change the oil in it.
The Talented Mr. White
For 1950s Britain, still emerging from austerity and rationing, the sunshine and style of the south of France and Italy was a glimpse of another world, populated by tanned films stars dressed in a relaxed Continental style. A look that endures to this day in films like The Talented Mr Ripley or Call Me By Your Name, it’s the inspiration for our own cashmere-silk blend knitted Luxury Cruise Polo, available in French navy with white piping or an elegant dove grey.
Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) (Left)
THE SEVEN PWVC CROWNING GLORIES