When Details Defined the Man

Between 1920 and 1960, a well-dressed man carried more accessories than most modern men own. This wasn't affectation or peacocking—it was simply how one dressed. A haberdashery sold not just shirts and ties, but the constellation of small items that completed a proper appearance: collar pins, tie bars, pocket squares, suspenders, hat bands, glove stretchers, and more.

This was the golden age of haberdashery, when details weren't optional refinements but essential elements of masculine presentation. Understanding this era helps us appreciate vintage menswear and explains why certain details, now considered fussy, were once standard.

The Foundation: Shirts and Collars

Detachable Collars (1920s-1930s)

Before the button-down collar became standard, most dress shirts featured:

Collarless Bodies: The shirt itself had no collar Separate Collars: Attached via buttons or studs Multiple Styles: Wing, club, spread, point

Why Detachable?

Collars showed dirt first
Could be laundered heavily (starched stiff)
One shirt body, multiple collars
Cost-effective (collars wore out faster)

The Decline: The button-down collar (introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1896) slowly gained acceptance, and by the 1930s, attached collars dominated. But detachable collars remained available into the 1950s for formal wear.

Collar Accessories

Collar Pins and Bars

Passed through collar points under the tie
Elevated the tie knot
Created elegant collar roll
Gold, silver, or mother-of-pearl
Necessary with soft roll collars

Collar Stays

Stiffened soft collars
Removable (better shirts)
Often mother-of-pearl or metal
Length varied by collar style

The Tie

Tie Widths Through the Decades

1920s: Narrow (2-2.5 inches) 1930s: Widened to 3 inches 1940s: Bold, wide (4-4.5 inches) 1950s: Narrowed to 2-3 inches 1960s: Varied wildly

Tie Accessories

Tie Bars (Tie Clips)

Kept tie flat and in place
Positioned between 3rd and 4th button
Gold, silver, or novelty designs
Some featured chains to buttonhole
Essential with vests (to show)

Tie Tacks (Tie Pins)

Pin through tie into shirt
More secure than bars
Often with chain to button
Considered more formal

Tie Chains

Decorative chain between collar points
Held tie in place
Popular in 1930s-40s
Often featured emblems or medallions

The Pocket Square

No accessory better demonstrates the era's attention to detail than the pocket square.

Not a Handkerchief

Though often confused, they served different purposes:

Handkerchief: Utilitarian, in pants pocket
Pocket Square: Decorative, in jacket breast pocket

Folds and Styles

The Presidential: Simple horizontal fold, minimal show The Puff: Casual, loose pouf The One-Point: Single peak, formal The Two/Three/Four-Point: Increasingly formal and complex

Materials

Linen: Most common, appropriate year-round
Silk: Formal occasions, evening wear
Cotton: Casual, summer
Wool: Winter, textured jackets

Color Coordination

1920s-30s: Matched the tie (often in sets) 1940s-50s: Complemented but didn't match 1960s: Bolder, more independent choices

Suspenders vs. Belts

The Suspender Era (1920s-1940s)

Before belts dominated, suspenders (braces) were standard:

Advantages:

Trousers hung from shoulders (better drape)
No belt bulk at waist
More comfortable (no compression)
High-waisted trousers required them

Types:

Button-on (proper, clip-ons were déclassé)
Y-back or X-back
Elastic or leather straps

Etiquette:

Never visible (always under jacket/vest)
Showing suspenders was considered undressed

The Belt Transition

Belts gradually replaced suspenders as:

Trouser waists dropped
Casual wear increased
Belt loops became standard
Hollywood popularized belt-and-no-vest looks

Hats and Hat Accessories

The Obligatory Hat (1920s-1960)

Until JFK's bare-headed inauguration, hats were mandatory outdoors:

Fedora: Most common, year-round Homburg: Formal, curved brim Trilby: Casual, short brim Boater: Summer, straw Panama: Summer, warm climates

Hat Accessories

Hat Bands

Grosgrain ribbon (most common)
Leather for casual hats
Could be replaced for variety

Hat Brushes

Counterclockwise strokes (with nap)
Essential maintenance
Kept felt clean and fresh

Hat Boxes

Proper storage prevented crushing
Often brand-specific
Travel necessity

Gloves

Seasonal Requirements

Winter: Leather or wool Summer: Lightweight kid or fabric Driving: Perforated leather

Colors

Brown: Day wear, casual
Black: Evening, formal
Grey: Versatile
Tan: Summer, light suits

Etiquette

Removed indoors (always)
Shaking hands: Remove right glove
Formal events: Kept on until seated

Cufflinks and Studs

When Shirts Required Them

French cuffs (double cuffs) were standard for business and formal wear:

Cufflinks

Chain links (most formal)
Toggle backs
Whale backs
Swivel bars

Studs

For formal shirts (replacing buttons)
Matched cufflink sets
Mother-of-pearl for white-tie
Onyx or gold for black-tie

Watches and Watch Accessories

The Pocket Watch Era (1920s-1940s)

Types:

Open-face (business)
Hunter case (protective cover)
Half-hunter (window in cover)

Chains:

Albert chain (formal, across vest)
Fob chain (casual, single strand)

Fobs:

Decorative ornaments on chain
Often fraternal or organizational

The Wristwatch Transition

By the 1950s, wristwatches dominated:

Smaller, dressier cases
Leather straps (brown or black)
Expansion bracelets (casual)
Matching belt and watch strap

Money Clips and Wallets

The Money Clip

More common than wallets until the 1950s:

Folded bills only (no cards needed)
Slim, elegant
Gold, silver, or engine-turned metal
Often engraved or monogrammed

Wallets

Grew in popularity as cards became necessary:

Billfolds (folded bills)
Card cases (separate item initially)
Combined wallet-card cases (1940s onward)
Leather (black or brown)

The Decline of Accessories

Several factors contributed to the simplification of men's accessories:

Cultural Shifts

1960s Casual Revolution

Youth culture rejected formality
"Peacock revolution" paradoxically simplified dailywear
Business casual emerged

Post-War Democracy

Leveling of class distinctions
Less emphasis on "proper" dress
Regional variations accepted

Practical Changes

Climate Control

Air conditioning made hats less necessary
Indoor/outdoor temperature differences lessened

Dry Cleaning

Easier care meant fewer spares needed
Collar preservation less critical

Synthetic Fabrics

Wrinkle-resistant materials
Pocket squares less necessary to cover stains

What We Lost

The decline of haberdashery eliminated more than just accessories—it represented:

Craft Knowledge: The art of tying a Windsor knot properly, folding a pocket square, coordinating collar pins with collars

Individualization: Personal expression through carefully chosen details rather than logos

Quality Focus: Investment in well-made small items meant to last decades

Ritual: The daily practice of dressing completely, attending to details

The Revival

Recent years have seen selective revival:

What's Returned:

Pocket squares (though often pre-folded)
Tie bars (though often purely decorative)
Suspenders (often visible, breaking old rules)

What Remains Rare:

Collar pins
Cufflinks (outside formal contexts)
Hats (except specialized communities)
Gloves (except weather-driven)

Collecting Vintage Haberdashery

What to Seek

Highly Collectible:

Art Deco period cufflinks and studs
Tiffany or Cartier accessories
Monogrammed pieces from luxury brands
Complete sets (cufflinks, studs, tie bar)

Undervalued:

Quality mid-century tie bars
Vintage collar pins
Leather gloves (good condition)
Watch fobs

Condition Considerations

Gold and silver maintain value
Plating condition matters
Original boxes add premium
Engraving affects value (positively if notable, negatively if random)

Wearing Vintage Accessories Today

The Minimalist Approach

Choose one or two details:

Pocket square + tie bar (classic)
Cufflinks (if wearing French cuffs)
Quality watch (always appropriate)

The Enthusiast Approach

Layer historically informed details:

Proper collar (if wearing collar pin)
Tie bar positioned correctly
Pocket square folded appropriately
Period-appropriate combinations

The Rule: Don't Overdo

More than two or three accessories risks costume rather than style. The key is restraint—choose quality over quantity, understanding over accumulation.

The Lesson

The golden age of haberdashery teaches us that style exists in details. Not in logos, not in brands, but in the thoughtful selection and combination of small, well-made objects that complete an ensemble.

These accessories represented a now-foreign concept: that dressing well required time, knowledge, and attention. That personal appearance was a craft worth mastering. That the small things mattered.

Perhaps we don't need collar pins and glove stretchers. But we might benefit from the philosophy that produced them—that how we present ourselves is worth our care and attention.

Next in our history series: The evolution of women's handbags from the Victorian era to the Space Age, tracing 100 years of form and function.