I first blogged about this Daily Telegraph article by Geoffrey Aquilina-Ross here back in 2012, although I didn't have the actual issue at the time, but had managed to piece some of it together from extracts which had been featured in a couple of 1960s style reference books, including one by the author. I finally got an original copy around three years ago and have been meaning to update the post properly ever since. It was Part 1 of a series on men's fashion by the magazine, I also have the second in the series which you can find via the links at the end of the post.
THE END OF THE SAGGY BAGGY ELEPHANT
Clothes by Mr.Fish, Douglas Hayward, Blades and other tailors, who see nothing sissy about finery for men, are influencing the ready-to-wear racks. Bulky drab has had it's day!
TERENCE STAMP, unshaven but certainly elegant, plays a Mexican bandit in the psychological western Blue, due this summer. Here he wears a suit that looks like his uniform in Far From the Madding Crowd. The jacket is tight-fitting, with a large collar, and although double-breasted looks trim and narrow. Black barathea, edged with braiding. 70 gns, to order. Arrogant touches are his black velour hat and silk scarf. Douglas Hayward, who made the suit, is wearing his single-breasted calvary twill suit, 60 gns to order. 95 Mount Street, W1.
PATRICK LICHFIELD, right, at Blades with Rupert Lycett Green, who owns it. A photographer and charity worker, Lord Lichfield needs clothes that are hard-wearing. His suit in black worsted is very slim-fitting, with a waisted jacket, double-breasted with a Regency collar and braid, 75 gns to order. At the neck of his deep-collared shirt is a bold sari silk scarf tied tie fashion. Rupert Lycett Green wears a light-weight worsted, cut classically with a waisted jacket and straight-cut trousers, 74 gns to order. All at Blades, 8 Burlington Gardens, W1.
PAINTER PATRICK PROCKTOR at hatters Herbert Johnson. His show at Redfern was a resounding success and his sets and costumes for Twelfth Night at The Royal Court made it a memorable production. To improve the popular image of the artist's standard of dress, he has an elegant slim grey suit with big full lapels, from Dulis at Croydon. He likes hats and always wears a romantic, wide-brimmed fedora. Here his red hat is stitched in velvet, and the plum hat with wide floppy brim is velour, both 6 gns from Herbert Johnson, Bond Street, W1.
DAVID HEMMINGS is in The Charge of the Light Brigade and plays a con man in Only When I Larf, coming in June. Here he wears the newest smoking coat, light-weight, in navy-blue velvet trimmed with black. The coat is long and very slim, the pockets are deep and button high, 45 gns. Pink silk crepe shirt, 12 gns, roll-neck as originally designed by Turnbull & Asser many years ago. All from them, 71 Jermyn Street, W1.
BARRY SAINSBURY, one of the grocery heirs, is always named among Britain's best-dressed men. He is a director of Mr Fish, where he buys most of his clothes; the rest he picks up in Paris or Rome. In the shirt cutting room at Mr Fish, with Christopher Lynch, a co-director and stylist of the shop, Barry Sainsbury wears an embroidered velvet brocade evening jacket; 65 gns to order. It is a slim, slightly waisted, double-breasted jacket that buttons low, with wide lapels. His roll-neck shirt in Viyella is one of a wide range of colours at 7 gns. Mr Fish, 17 Clifford Street, W1.
NEWEST LOOK at Mr Fish is a lean coat in antique brown leather that converts into a short jacket. It is very long, with a huge coachman collar, and all around the waist is a concealed zip *that when undone changes the coat into a jacket. 65 gns to order. With it, Barry Sainsbury wears an extra deep-collared white roll-neck sweater in triple cashmere, 17 gns. Mr Fish, 17 Clifford St, W1.
TOMMY STEELE will be seen as an Irish butler in The Happiest Millionaire at Easter, and later this year as Og, the leprechaun, in Finnian's Rainbow. Here with Douglas Hayward, he wears a corduroy suit and roll-neck sweater. The suit is casual, single-breasted, with wide lapels and a deep vent at the back. 60 gns. Douglas Hayward's shop, flannel-walled and marble-floored, is at 95 Mount Street, W1.
IMAGE CREDITS & LINKSAll images scanned by Sweet Jane from The Daily Telegraph Magazine, April 5th 1968. Original editorial by Geoffrey Aquilina-Ross, photographs by Hans Feurer. View my original post from 2012 here, You'll find part two of Geoffrey Aquilina-Ross's series on men's fashion for the magazine in 1968 here, Spend 45 minutes with Terence Stamp here, Discover more about the heritage of Hayward 95 Mount Street and the man behind it here, Art and Life: A short documentary film about the Dublin born artist Patrick Procktor here, and you'll find some further reading about The lost dandy here, Discover more about Blades & Rupert Lycett Green here, David Hemmings: Ready For His "Blow-Up"here and view the real Blow Up documentary here, Another example of some tailoring Peculiar to Mr fish in one of previous posts here, A recent article about the label here, plus some footage of the man himself and his 1969 collection here and finally, whatever happened to Christopher Lynch?
