I am temporarily failed by the English language. This advert that I found in the June 1973 issue of "Oui" (purchased for that Ken Russell article that made me SO ENVIOUS of the Flying Maciste Brothers for reading) is just so filled with wrongness that I'm going to have to take a moment to compose myself before continuing.
Witness this full-page spread for LEW MAGRAM--SHIRTMAKER TO THE STARS:
THE DENIM BUSINESS SUIT. Not to be confused with the Redneck Tuxedo, the Denim Business Suit will allegedly take one from work week to weekend. I guess in the days when one could smoke in the office and smack insubordinate lady-workers on the bum without the threat of a termination and lawsuit, it was probably all right to wear an all-denim suit with a disturbing bib-tie and checkered hypno-shirt.
THE DAMASCUS KAFTAN. Available in HIS and HERS! Also has an adorable pointy hood. Brave enough to wear horizontal stripes? Then surely taking the step over the line to psychedelic wizard-dom is but a small one.
THE SOHO BODYSUIT. This can only be described as the satanic spawn between a Dr. Thaddeus Venture "speedsuit" and a circa-1986 Frederick's of Hollywood teddy. In short: unsafe at any speed.
A quick perusal of the Lew Magram online catalog leads me to believe that, while the Magram Look remains as scatter-brained and bizarre as ever, males of the species are now safe from the unholy hand of the SHIRTMAKER TO THE STARS. More's the pity, eh?
13 comments:
The UnsafeAtAnySpeed Zone chortles:
My early 60s Quantain Party Slides bow down...er...to THE Soho Bodysuit!
THE DAMASCUS KAFTAN: "I put on my robe and wizard hat..."
I've often opined that the 70s were the best decade for horror, and these ads should conclusively prove the case. Sure, there was TCM and the bulk of Naschy and Coffin Joe's output, but even they pale in the cold horrific light of the SOHO BODYSUIT.
It's Clorox-eyedrops for me. Thanks? ;)
OMG, I only just realized that the copy on SBS says it's available in "bold Blue, Red, and Brown Gingham Checks"!
THE HORROR! THE HORROR!
"And now we dance."
THE DAMASCUS KAFTAN: Only really one step down from wearing a Snuggie to work.
MEN'S BODYSUIT!!!
I...really want to know the context of that. Worn with slacks? Worn around the house? With undies? Without?
It's going to haunt me for days.
Now I really want to see a grown man wearing this: http://tinyurl.com/lkupgy
Gah! OK, I don't! I don't!
@joanarkham: Clearly the Soho Body Suit can *only* be worn with white ballet tights. ;)
Just a thought: if one WAS going to wear the Soho Body Suit with slacks, one would definitely need to make sure it had a thong back. You know, to eliminate visible panty line.
Vicar, you can go ahead and share those Clorox-eyedrops with the class now.
Debra--LOVING the monkey-bubble!
The Soho Body Suit looks like something Robin, the Boy Wonder, would wear.
I was most impressed with the Mesh Bikini Briefs. Made of imported Norwegian see-thru fishnet. Not that cheap knockoff Swedish fishnet, but the real deal, straight from Norway.
Oui, Oui! Wasn't that a time?!
If you look closely, I do believe that the checked hypno-shirt, and the SoHo Body Suit are . . . one and the SAME!!!
Pretty sure the theory behind the body suit was to keep your shirt from pulling out of your slacks, giving you that airy, muffin-top look.
I wouldn't want to reach for anything on a high shelf, though . . .
The band I was in at the time ordered shirts from Lew around 1974. Completely loud and floral. See the pix...
http://www.polyglotinc.com/TopHatsSitting.jpg
http://www.polyglotinc.com/TopHatsPlaying2.jpg
Post a Comment