[Dixielandjazz] A garter belt, a vest, a straw hat and a cane (well, maybe no cane)

[confit at isp.com]

Thus spoke Steve..."What is the origin of the whole garter belt/straw
hat/red suspenders/red vest mentality in OKOM?"

I'm sure there are those who can elucidate more than I, but I seem to
think it was a '50s-'60s mentality that created that look as a way to
visually define the era of music being played (turn of the 20th century,
i.e., ragtime).

The straw boater was a popular part of men's dress from the late 1800s up
until the 1930s, when it was eventually replaced by the Panama hat. And
men did wear vests and sleeve garters, mostly in the pre-1930s era times.
So it is not necessarily a stylistically incorrect mode of dress. However,
gentlemen would have had the vest as part of a suit, with matching pants,
etc., and no gentleman would be wearing his straw hat inside, or, for that
matter, during winter time. Strictly summertime wear. But I guess in those
situations a band would wear a bowler hat (and there were bands in the
'50s, '60s that wore those, too). You don't see them very often anymore,
unfortunately. Nor REAL straw hats, either. A Styrofoam hat just doesn't
make it.

I somehow would prefer a real straw hat, shirt and tie to those horrible
polo-shirted outfits that some misguided individuals think look
appropriate as a trad band uniform. I know on many trips to New Orleans
the bands I saw were smartly attired in black pants, white shirts and
ties. Not only did they look professional the dress shirts compensated for
the avoirdupois that is plainly obvious with the polo-shirted bands. And
don't get me started on the bands that wear PINK shirts. Ugh...

Peace,
Chris Buch


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