Vintage Edward Green: The Collection (Part I)

Anyone who's made a habit of dropping by An Uptown Dandy has probably figured out by now that I love vintage shoes. Vintage brown shoes, to be exact. Edward Green shoes can be interesting to collect for several reasons. In many cases, Edward Green used to provide shoes for a wide range of companies, from Cole Haan to Barneys to B. Altman to Nordstrom. Much of the fun is often in discerning whether what you've come across is a hidden gem in need of a little TLC (i.e. stripping away layers of old polish, a good cleaning, some leather conditioner, etc.) 

Another group photo, sans flash.

Lately, I've been fortunate to come across some interesting vintage Edward Green shoes in remarkable condition, ranging from lightly scuffed uppers to barely-worn soles. One of the things that becomes clear is that, while Edward Green has made significant improvements in areas such as the leather finishing process- you would be hard-pressed to find a pair of Edward Greens pre-dating 1990 with the kind of patina that you see on some of the company's more recent offerings - an older shoe doesn't necessarily mean an inferior one. 

The same photo as the one directly above, with the flash in use.

Another added advantage is that, in come cases, the shoes were made in the mid-eighties on a now-defunct last, or a last that was made for that particular retailer/distributor. Generally, those lasts will still be available via Edward Green's Made To Order program, but will be unavailable on newer Ready-To-Wear models.

My original plan was to get the new acquisitions together in one setting for some group shots. Unfortunately, the round table in the picture above was too small to accommodate the entire collection, so what we see here is a sub-set of vintage Edward Green shoes, with probably each pair (save for the butterfly loafers) pre-dating 1986. The pairs in this particular collection were originally ordered from Edward Green by one if its retail partners, including Cole Haan, Nordstrom, Brooks Brothers, Paul Stuart, and New & Lingwood.

I'll be individually spotlighting some of my additions in the weeks and months ahead. I hope you enjoy.

Vintage Edward Green: The Windsor Redux

The Windsor, delivered in a hunter green Edward Green box, a darker hue than the normal ready-to-wear box.

          As I mentioned previously here, I decided to put Edward Green's re-crafting program to the test by restoring a pair of Windsors that I had recently come across. I had seen enough of their work to know that the soles and heels would look pristine after the re-craft. I was particularly interested, however, to see what, if anything, could be done to clean up and revive the leather uppers. For the most part, the leather was in great condition considering the shoes were over 25 years old, with no significant creases, tears, or rips, and my thinking was that if anyone could do anything to clean the staining that had set in, it would be the craftsmen who had originally constructed the shoe in 1985.

          The shoes were shipped to Edward Green's Jermyn Street shop - per the sales representative's directions, I included instructions detailing how I wanted the shoes to be "treated."

          Specifically, I asked for the HAF sole treatment, wherein a double sole is welted to the shoe; however, at the waist, the double sole narrows to a single sole. On some shoes, Edward Green also darkens the waist of the sole to black, so you have a contrast with the brown/tan wood color on the sole. In this case, because of the light "Acorn" color of the uppers, I thought a dark brown waist would offer a nice contrast while remaining true to the basic tan complexion of the shoe.

The Edward Green box label -

model name, size and last information, and leather color (client name at top right).

          For the same reasons, I also asked that natural sole edges be provided - this gives the edge of the sole a lighter tone than the traditional black/dark brown edge that you see. Generally, Edward Green shoes are given this treatment when the leathers are in lighter shades, such as Edwardian Antique or Burnt Pine. However, I've seen enough lighter shoes with darker edges that I thought I'd mention it just to be sure because I thought it would be a nice touch.  Other than that, I asked for flush or sunken metal toe taps to be installed - the only item that was an additional mark-up beyond the base price of the recraft.

          Things got off to a slow start - a few weeks after the shoes were sent over, I received an email indicating that the shoes could not be re-crafted because the 201 last was no longer available. I thought it was strange that Edward Green would have instructed me to send my shoes all the way to the UK if they didn't actually have the necessary equipment to perform the task, so I forwarded the correspondence to Hilary Freeman at Edward Green to ask if there was really nothing else to be done. She quickly replied that the last could in fact be recreated, and so after an initial bout of disappointment, I was pleased to learn that the recrafting process could now commence.

After lifting the lid from the shoe box, you find two shoes in dust bags.

At this point, the suspense hanging in the air is palpable!

          The process generally takes anywhere from 2-3 months to complete; in this case, another month was added to the estimated completion date because the last needed to be created. A 3-4 month wait is certainly something that anyone interested in the recrafting service should factor in when considering the service. However, in my opinion, after receiving the finished product I can only say it was well worth the wait.

[A quick side note: In addition to the wait time, which helps to bolster the feeling of anticipation for the arrival day, I have to say that waiting on a recraft is a little different than waiting on a new pair of shoes. When you order a new pair, you pretty much know what you're getting - the shoes will be pristine and to your specifications and if they're not, you're certainly within your rights to complain, request a new pair, etc. With a recraft, you know that expert craftsmen will be tending to the shoes, but there is an x factor involved: if the shoes are damaged or destroyed during recrafting, that is a risk the owner has to consider when deciding whether to send shoes back to the factory. Also, in the end, you just don't know how the shoes will be fixed, mended, treated, etc.]

          Needless to say, I was quite pleased with the results. The first thing that struck me, as a brogue man, was how the broguing appears to have been thoroughly cleaned out; previously, the perforations were filled in with grime and what I would assume was residue from years of polishing creams and wax. The broguing is even more pronounced now.

          A side view of the Windsor.

From this angle, you can see the HAF sole whereby the double sole narrows at the waist to a single sole. I like the effect: it gives the profile of the shoe a bit more substance. As you can see, the "triangle" designs along the side of the upper and the "crossed golf clubs" at the back quarter really stand out now.

The "triangle" perforation designs.

Below that, an up-close view of the welt and double sole with the natural sole edge treatment.

The "crossed clubs" design at the back quarter. Below that, an up-close view of the natural "stacked" wood heel treatment. You can also see more detail of the single sole waist.

More detail of the "crossed clubs" design at the back quarter

and the natural "stacked" wood heel treatment.

          When looking at the recrafted shoes, the second thing that struck me was the cleanness of the leather as well as its color - while Edward Green apparently could not remove all of the staining to the leather, they seemed to have removed a good amount of it. Also, to my eye, it seems that the leather color was  darkened from what I recall being a brighter, almost Edwardian antique color, to the more subdued Acorn color. Whether this was a side-effect of whatever treatment was applied to the stains, or whether it was actually done with the purpose of basically camouflaging or hiding the staining under the darker color, I couldn't say. Whatever the case may be, the effect is impressive - the leather looks cleaner and not as "bright," which, in this case, I like.

A frontal view of toe box with the "crossed clubs" medallion - 

looking cleaner and considerably more detailed than previously.

A close-up of the "crossed-clubs" medallion. Absolutely lovely.

Sole treatment: A dark brown waist rounds out the details.

The flush/sunken metal toe taps have rounded screws.

[It might be worth noting that, on a previous recraft of the EG Twickingham by B. Nelson, the flush toe taps had flat screws. While I haven't worn these yet, it seems logical that the rounded screw heads here will sustain and inflict more damage than the flat head screws. I'm not sure if one would feel a difference while walking, just something to consider if you're planning on walking on wood floors in the near future.]

          In the end, I was quite pleased with the results of Edward Green's recraft of the Windsor. While the price is certainly nothing to sneeze at, I think the primary factor for potential customers to consider is the turnaround time. 3-4 months is certainly a long time. In the end, while there are definitely quicker and less expensive options to consider when contemplating a recrafting of one's shoes, Edward Green's expertise should be considered second to none. As I've hopefully made clear here, you can expect to be pleased with the results. The Uptown Dandy certainly is.

The Good Old Days: The Paul Stuart Warehouse Sale

Once upon a time in the laugh-a-minute 2000s, high end men's retail shops were raking in so much money that a few of these retailers decided that it made fiscal sense to rent a huge warehouse site and sell off overstock at fire sale prices. One always comes away from such events with a story or two to tell, but even after all these years, the Paul Stuart warehouse sales still hold a special place in my heart. This is almost certainly because, to this day, I have never entered a warehouse or sample sale with such a jaw-dropping display of high end men's shoes at such low prices.

In recent years, Paul Stuart's Stuart's Choice line has been made in England by Grenson. The shoes were made to the Grenson's highest standard - the Masterpiece. The shoes were made with soles that were identical to those used by Edward Green, and were of the highest quality, at least on par with Crockett & Jones (if anything, Grenson's leathers did not seem to be of the same quality of an Edward Green or John Lobb, but, in fairness, the Masterpiece shoes sold at a fraction of the retail price of those other brands).

Loafer in tan suede with calf trim. Note the Edward Green-like sole with the black treatment at the waist.

If I recall correctly, the German-made double-barreled shoe trees were about $20.

I purchased my first pair of Masterpieces during one of Bennie's (of Atlanta) massive sales but we'll have to save that particular stroll down memory lane for another time. Suffice to say that the experience left me enamored of the Stuart's Choice shoes. Of course, one can't expect to just pick up Masterpieces for $250.00 anytime, so imagine my surprise when the news started going around that Paul Stuart was having a warehouse sale.

My surprise turned to ecstatic delirium on that morning when, after waiting in a winding line that slowly crept its way to the second floor, I made my way into the sale and saw table after table of the Stuart's Choice Masterpieces on sale in a variety of colors and models for about 1/4 of the $698 retail price.

Looking back, if there was a drawback to being unleashed upon that sartorial Garden of Eden, it was the ease to which one succumbed to the feeding frenzy. I believe that I left that first sale with 5 pairs of shoes, including a pair of black semi-brogue/captoes in a hard-to-find wider width for my father. I did come away with a pair of brown blucher wingtips for myself, in addition to some other less conservative styles.

Ah, the good old days.

What We're Perusing: Sotheby's Auction Books - The Duke & Duchess of Windsor Collections

          In September 1997, Sotheby's hosted the sale of the contents of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's former residence in Paris. The size of the collection was staggering - over three thousand lots were auctioned, making up a total of eighteen sessions spread over 9 days from September 11-19, 1997. The whole of the galleries at Sotheby's, New York was devoted to an exhibition of the collection, which up until that time had never been seen before in public.

          One could spend hours looking through the two large auction books produced by Sotheby's. Items for sale included paintings, drawings, prints, bronzes, furniture, ceramics, glass, carpets, textiles, silver and vertu, clocks, watches, coins, medals, books, private papers, and photographs. Of particular interest to me was the Duke's wardrobe of clothes and accessories. While looking at the photos, I was particularly struck by two things. The first is the variety of fabrics, textures, and colors on display in the Duke's cupboard/closet.

"The Duke's wardrobe cupboard arrayed with his signature lounge and

sporting check suits, patterned ties and orderly stacks of crisply starched shirts."

- The Private Collection, Session XVI, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997

The Duke's town clothes, overcoat, and sports clothes swatch boxes, circa 1960.

"Because the Duke spent so much time traveling between his various homes in New York, Paris, and his French country retreat, he used these swatch boxes to remind him of the locations of items from his extensive wardrobe. . . The swatch boxes show that, circa 1960, the Duke owned approximately fifteen evening suits and over fifty-five lounge suits."

- The Private Collection, Session XVI, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997

Lot 2872: Prince of Wales Tweed Sports Suit, London, 1923

" . . .comprising a jacket and stalking trousers of thick, tough oatmeal and maroon wool with bright blue banding woven in the Glenurqhart check, the singlebreasted jacket by Scholte, London . . .the unlabeled Forster & Sons stalking trousers altered from plus fours, probably in the mid 1930s when the zip fly was inserted . . ."

- The Private Collection, Session XVI, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997

          The second thing that struck me about the wardrobe is the quality of the Duke's British and American-made clothing - some pieces seem to have been made for the Duke in the 1920s and he was apparently still wearing these items into the 1970s (its also amazing that the Duke maintained the same physique for almost 50 years). The Duchess probably said it best when she stated, "For some time after our marriage I was puzzled by the fact that while he was the acknowledged leader of men's fashion, he rarely bought a new suit."

Lots 2824, 2825, 2827: Woven Cotton Handkerchiefs with the cypher of the Duke of Windsor, English, circa 1940s-1950s. Note the fabric in the bottom right - it seems to have been repaired on multiple occasions, perhaps lending some credence to the Duchess' comment.

Lot 2845: A group of English and American footwear, circa 1941-1955,

comprising, among others, a pair of Peal & Co. correspondent leather loafers.

The photo details the shoe cupboard in the Duke of Windsor's dressing room.

Lot 2858: Slubbed silk single breasted summer suit by Emilio Lupori, 1949.

"The Duke of Windsor arriving in his Riviera resort suit complete

with fashionable Panama hat, correspondent shoes, and pug, early 1950s."

 

          This is really just a small glimpse of some of the wonderful photographs and images displayed in the auction books (I'll try to post additional images from the books from time to time). For anyone interested in the history of men's style or history in general, this three-volume set is definitely worth the investment.

Vintage Edward Green: John Hlustik's Windsor

          In 1983, John Hlustik purchased the venerable English shoemakers Edward Green for one pound sterling and immediately set about revitalizing the British shoemaking industry. In addition to introducing new lasts that were considered almost sacrilegious at the time, such as the Great 88 - Lobb enthusiasts called it vulgarly Italian in nature - Hlustik introduced a variety of wonderful styles to the Edward Green catalogue.

          One of Hlustik's designs that is occasionally lifted from the archives, revived and reproduced is the Windsor model. Originally, the shoe was designed as a five metal-eyelet blucher with extensive broguing. Hlustik's design enticed the eye with a playful tweaking of the traditional wingtip blucher design. The Windsor, however, ended up looking like some kind of decadent cross between a captoe and a wingtip because the cap did not extend down to the welt but actually continued toward the back of the shoe as a wingtip would.

          That is really just the beginning of Hlustik's wonderful vision. For me, the beauty of the original design lies in the wonderful broguing patterns at the toe box, along the sides of the apron, and at the back quarters. I'm not entirely sure what the original medallion is, but to my eye, it appears to be crossed golf clubs or lacrosse sticks with an arrow laid across the top of the two clubs/sticks. Or perhaps I'm simply letting my imagination run wild . . . In any event, whatever the design may be, it appears again on the left and right side of the back quarters. If that isn't enough, Hlustik added three sets of triangular perforations along each side of the apron. You can see a (not too detailed) stock photo of the Windsor in the Derby section of an older Edward Green catalogue, probably from the mid-1980s, here.

          My understanding is that, during Edward Green's move from the company's former premises at the John Lobb factory to its current location, the tools for the Windsor's various perforation designs were lost/destroyed/misplaced. I'm not sure how difficult it is to replace the tools in question, but the story seems to be borne out by some of the more recent limited/special edition Windsor models produced by Edward Green. Those shoes adhere to the original hybrid captoe/wingtip blucher concept, but the exotic designs are missing. In some instances, the "crossed clubs" have been replaced with a more traditional medallion design. While this "cleaner" look will certainly appeal to some Edward Green enthusiats, I find that the more subdued effect essentially creates a very different shoe.

Edit: There seems to be some debate (or maybe I'm just being stubborn) as to the origins of this particular shoe. Several commenters have identified these as a pair of Vass shoes, although the original post on Style Forum identified the shoes as Edward Green for Ralph Lauren's Purple Label Windsor on the 888 last with HAF sole in chestnut - in any event, still a good example of the Windsor model sans medallion and broguing designs along the sides and back quarters (Photos taken from StyleForum).

A limited edition Windsor made by Edward Green especially for members of the London Lounge forum. This particular model includes a more traditional medallion design and also adds what appears to be a floral motif (Photo taken from London Lounge).

          A few months ago, I was lucky enough to come across an older pair of Windsors made during the Hlustik era. I say lucky because, quite simply, the design is just amazing to look at and it literally cannot be recreated (I'm assuming that Edward Green would have had the tools re-made by now if it had the desire or ability to do so). According to Edward Green's records, this particular pair was delivered to Nordstrom in October of 1985.

          While the leather uppers unfortunately had some staining from water/salt/something, there were no cracks or significant creasing. The soles and heels appeared to be original and were in good condition.

The original 5 metal eyelet Windsor, 1985. You can see the ornate medallion which appears to be crossed golf clubs, or crossed lacrosse clubs, or crossed bows with an arrow at the center of the design -

take your pick!

In this photo, you can see the medallion, with the matching design at the back right quarter of the right shoe. You can also see the set of three triangular perforations along the outside of the upper. Another set of three triangles runs along the left side of the shoe as well.

The original sole, with "Made In England" stamped along the waist of the sole.

This particular pair of shoes was re-badged for Nordstrom.

The insole is stamped "Made in England Exclusively for Nordstrom."

Edward Green's sizing and last information: size 10.5B on the defunct 201 last.

          While the soles were in good condition considering the age of the shoes, I wanted to breathe some life into what I consider to be a fine example of the innovation and excitement John Hlustik brought to the English shoemaking industry almost 30 years ago. I wasn't entirely confident that anything could be done to address some of the leather staining, particularly on the right shoe; nevertheless, this seemed like a good opportunity to take advantage of Edward Green's recrafting service. 

          So with that, I shipped the shoes off to the company's factory in Northampton, England. I recently received word that the recrafting had been completed and now eagerly await the return of the Windsors.

The Night Mayor: James J. Walker

James J. Walker, Mayor of New York City, 1926-1932

          By 1926, the Big Town had been engulfed in bad booze and hot jazz for over 5 years. It truly was an era of wonderful nonsense, and Jimmy Walker was the perfect man to preside over the close of what Paul Sann called "the lawless decade."

         A graduate of Xavier High School, Walker was a Roaring '20's Irish dandy from Greenwich Village who took full advantage of all the city had to offer. Despite a 14-year legislative record in the New York State Assembly and State Senate (prior to his political career, he had achieved some prominence as a songwriter of such pop classics as "Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May"), Walker appeared quite disinterested in such a mundane activity as municipal governance. Nevertheless, he did manage to compile a few legislative victories during his tenure - in keeping with some of his favorite pasttimes, Walker wrote the bills that legalized boxing in New York and allowed theatres to remain open on Sundays. Along the way, he also championed the 5-cent fare, the 8-hour work day for women, workers compensation, and tenement laws.

          None of this prevented "Beau James" from sampling a wide range of the city's speakeasies on a nightly basis. Inevitably, Walker's term became synonymous with the proliferation of speakeasies in New York City during the so-called Prohibition Era. Should anyone care to dispute Walker's lack of exuberance as an agent of the law authorized to enforce the nation's dry laws,  walk that man or woman over to the '21' Club, where Gentleman Jimmy's private booth is still on public display in the club's wine cellar.

 Walker was known to go to the cellar of the '21' Club to have a cocktail in peace as federal agents were raiding the premises above for contraband. The Mayor's booth has been preserved, and can be viewed today.

          In fairness to the Mayor, no one should have been terribly surprised by his honor's predilection for the nightlife. On his very first day in office, he was 90 minutes late to his own swearing-in ceremony. The writers dubbed him "The Late Mayor." That moniker coincided rather neatly with his other nickname, "The Night Mayor," so-called because of his propensity to skip most mornings at City Hall after a night spent carousing. Time Magazine reported that Walker "seldom appears before noon, if at all." Whether he needed a break from the booze and the clubs or the affairs of his office, Mayor Walker managed to take seven vacations totalling 143 days in only his first two years in office. This included a trip to Italy to meet Il Duce, Benito Mussolini.

Beau James, looking quite dapper in the doublebreasted suit, spectators, and Panama.

          Nevertheless, for most of his tenure, Walker managed to keep his critics at bay with an army of glib one-liners and flippant wisecracks that kept the public amused and enamored. One of his favorite sayings was that "A reformer is a guy who rides through a sewer in a glass-bottomed boat." He also was fond of saying that he'd "rather be a lamppost in New York than Mayor of Chicago." When Fiorello LaGuardia ran against Walker in 1929 as the Republican challenger, he criticized the Mayor's decision earlier that year to raise his salary from $25000 to $40000. Walker simply responded, "That's cheap! Think what it would cost if I worked full time!" He coasted to re-election by half a million votes.

Mayor Walker, shown here in a rare afternoon appearance, throws out the first pitch at a ballgame. Beau James sports his hat in the "Hollywood Brim" style, a rakish effect favored by dandies, movie stars, and racketeers of the era.

          Eventually, the one-liners got stale and Gentleman Jimmy couldn't provide any real answers to some of the tougher questions put to him by Judge Samuel Seabury, who was charged with investigating corruption in city government. Particularly, he couldn't explain how he made $26,535.51 in oil stock deals with taxi-cab mogul J. A. Sisto without putting up any of his own money. Nor could he explain why an agent for a bus company provided him with $10,000 for a European trip in 1927, with an extra $3,000 in cash as overdraft protection. Meek explanations were offered, but they were more damning than the silence. When Walker couldn't explain how he came by $246,000 from a joint stock account he owned with a Brooklyn financier and publisher named Paul Block, Block testified that when his 10-year old son pointed out to him that the city didn't pay its Mayor enough money, Block decided "to make some money for Jimmy."

          With testimony like this on the record, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt had little choice but to set up hearings to determine whether Walker should be removed from office. The Mayor, in one of his few politically astute moves, saw the writing on the wall, resigned on Sept. 1, 1932, and decamped for the Continent shortly thereafter.

          At one point during the hearings, Walker's attorneys succeeded in having a temporary stay granted by the court. In this news footage (see the news reel footage here) we see a momentarily victorious James J. Walker leaving the courtroom, captured in his impudent rakishness for all time: The Night Mayor, resplendent in his sartorial glory.

The Elegant Outfitters of St. James' Street: John Lobb Bespoke

          Esquire Magazine once described John Lobb's London shop at 9 St. James Street as "the most beautiful shop in the world." Far be it for me to argue with that statement, or the sentiment that each pair of Lobb's is a work of art unto itself. Indeed, Lobb is known for crafting what is considered by many to be the finest pair of bespoke shoes available today.

          While some customers choose exotic leathers or more outlandish designs when going the bespoke route, this pair was modeled after the traditional conservative full-brogue, or wingtip, design in black calf leather.

It might not be obvious from my amateur photos, but the details on this pair of shoes are impressive to behold. The bevelled waist is particularly noteworthy and I never get bored with broguing. 

The soles show obvious signs of wear, but the shoes are holding up quite well, a testament to the high level of craftmanship.

The coats of arms stamped on the in-sole of each shoe indicates that John Lobb holds royal warrants by appointment to Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales.

The shoe trees: While the firm's website currently lists leather shoes at GBP 2690.00, the hollow-hinged wax polished shoe trees are listed at a comparatively pedestrian GBP 522.00. That being said, they're still impressive to behold.

A Day At The Races II: Linen at the Belmont

As Independence Day approaches, I'm still debating whether to attend a day of horse racing at Belmont Park. An interesting proposition made all the more intriguing because the owner's box in question actually has a dress code (although my understanding is that the enforcement of said code is a bit lax): jacket and tie, although the jacket may be taken off once one has been seated inside the box.

So, although my schedule is still up in the air, it can't hurt to sift through my summer wardrobe to find a suitable outfit for a day at the track. The forecast for the 4th sounds like mid-eighty degree weather here. With that in mind, head-to-toe linen sounds about right, perhaps with a pair of spectators in canvas and leather thrown in for good measure . . .  

Take it from the top: patterned Borsalino eight-piece pie cap, 100% linen; tilt rakishly as appropriate. I don't normally wear my jacket this long - however, in this case, I dont mind as the length may help to mask all the little items that end up in the jacket pockets throughout the day. . .

Close-up: Holland & Holland jacket in a khaki/olive color, 100% linen; Luciano Barbera navy blue, brown, and creme neck tie, 100% silk; Ede & Ravenscroft dress shirt in blue gingham, 100% cotton.

There seems to be a lot of emphasis  lately on the pocket square, so I thought I'd switch things up by stuffing a pair of leather driving gloves into the chest pocket of the jacket. Motorities Driving Gloves by Alfred Dunhill, light brown with dark brown piping, 100% leather.

 

More accessories: Longines watch with strap in "honey wheat" calf leather;

Alfred Dunhill silver cufflinks.

Obligatory shoe spotlight:

Edward Green Malvern III, chestnut antique and canvas twill, UK 10E on the 202 last, paired with Brooks Brothers slacks in an off-white/creme color, 100% linen;

I'm not sure if the color of the twill works with the bright slacks, but it does seem to go well with the color of the jacket.  It may be worth trying this same outfit with a darker pair of slacks somewhere down the line.

All in all, I like it :-)

Happy 4th of July!