• Home
  • About Black Watch

Black Watch

BOLD – IRREVERANT – PREPPY

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Natty & Trad | A Formal Introduction to Plaid
Harvard Grads 1971 | A Plum Job »

Natty & Trad | A Properly Plaid Party

March 16, 2009 by JP

*

“At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.” –William Somerset Maugham

*

~*~

*

formal plaid menswear dinner jacket

*

formal plaid menswear dinner jacket party

*

plaid menswear formal

*

plaid menswear jacket formal

*

plaid dinner jacket menswear

*

plaid dinner jacket formalwear

*

formal menswear plaid tartan dinner jacket party

*

plaid menswear formal jacket

*

formal dinner jacket menswear party

**

formal menswear dinner jacket party

*

From Plaid Week–

The year is 1957; Eisenhower is inaugurated for a second term as President; Jimmy Hoffa was arrested by the FBI; the Brooklyn Dodgers move to Los Angeles; Toyota export their first cars to the United States and Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Fats Domino are topping the charts.

In 1957 a group of Hepcats, Hipsters, and Barn Burners started throwing exclusive parties at the Chateau Marmont, dubbed The Great Plaid Parties. Besides knowing the right people one had to be wearing plaid to be allowed in. As word spread these parties quickly became a hot spot for Hollywood’s social elite. It is rumored that Lana Turner was once denied admission for not wearing plaid.

Life reporter John Graham, was the only reporter ever allowed behind the velvet rope. In the October 1957 of Life he published a piece that both revealed the secret happenings of these soirees and ended them. What happened at these parties had long been the subject of much speculation. Louie Armstrong and Sammy Davis Jr. would often share the stage as James Dean (prior to his tragic death in 1955), Katharine Hepburn, Robert Stack, Ingrid Bergman, and Anthony Perkins took to the dance floor. The Great Plaid Parties were where Henry Fonda and Afdera Franchetti first met.

In 1957, plaid may have been accepted among the Hip it was a different story in Middle America where it was still thought of it as the fabric of a counter culture movement; outlaw fashion. Until Graham’s piece the identities of the attendees had been secret protecting them from the scrutiny that awaited. In October the backlash began; many studios threatened to terminate the contracts of their stars unless the Great Plaid Parties were disbanded. Today all that remains are a few photographs and the memories of those few who were there.

*

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Twitter

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in accessories, American, apparel, design, fashion, history, Icons, LIFE archive, lifestyle, pop culture, Preppy, style, tartan, vintage | Tagged 1950s, 1957, Chateau Marmont, fashion, Hollywood, menswear, party, plaid, tartan | 2 Comments

2 Responses

  1. on March 20, 2009 at 4:16 am Natsumi

    Those plaid jackets are so fantastic. I love your blog!


  2. on January 25, 2010 at 5:49 am Plaid Week – home to plaid and much more » Blog Archive » The Great Plaid Parties

    […] via: Black Watch Filed under: Uncategorized Comment […]



Comments are closed.

  • Subscribe

    Subscribe to Black Watch by Email
  • Follow via Twiiter

    • Can’t take my eyes off those sick seaweed flames on that scoot. instagram.com/p/CKG6kd4llTg/… 15 hours ago
    • Worse things have happened... @ United States of America instagram.com/p/CKCgpnZlEG7/… 2 days ago
    • Just posted a photo instagram.com/p/CKAcZ0jFypE/… 3 days ago
    • Lee Remick, 1960. @ Hollywood instagram.com/p/CJ_QUWYF3eE/… 3 days ago
    • “Everybody always wants to know, ‘How long does it take to do your hair?’ How should I know? I’m never there.” ~Dol… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 4 days ago
  • March 2009
    M T W T F S S
     1
    2345678
    9101112131415
    16171819202122
    23242526272829
    3031  
    « Feb   Apr »
  • Archives

    • May 2011
    • March 2011
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
  • Top Posts

    • The Duke of Windsor's Sartorial Style
    • Vintage Esquire Spread | Proper Footwear for the Gent.
    • Howard Hughes | Wings of Desire
    • The Duke of Windsor's Sartorial Style | Formalwear
    • The Duke of Windsor's Sartorial Style | Country
    • Le Corbusier | The Father of "International Style" Design
    • Steve McQueen | What'll it be today... Jaguar XKSS or AC Cobra
    • Classic Clash Style | Rock 'n' Roll, Style & Soul
    • Rugby by Ralph Lauren.
    • The Duke of Windsor's Sartorial Style | Suitings
  • Steve McQueen Reviews 1966 GTs

  • Vintage Bo Diddley Plaid Rocker

  • A Properly Plaid Party Natty & Trad

  • Mad for Plaid | 1973

  • Mad for Color | GQ

  • Hats Off to Palm Beach Style

  • Clothes Make the Man Proper Menswear

  • Era of Menswear Illustrations | Apparel Arts & Esquire

  • Puttin’ on the Ritz Laurence Fellows

  • Vintage Paper Dolls

  • David, Prince of Wales

  • Duke of Windsor Sartorial Style~ Formal

  • Duke Of Windsor Sartorial Style~ Intro

  • Duke Of Windsor Sartorial Style ~ Day

  • Duke of Windsor Sartorial Style~ Sport

  • The Original Mr. “T” Esquire 1950

  • Short Attention Span Esquire 1956

  • Short Pattern of Excellence | 1953

  • Smokin’ Style | Hollywood Retrospective

  • Le Corbusier | Father of Intl. Design

  • James Coburn | 1970s Style Animal

  • Romancing the Plaid Jeffrey Banks

  • A Vested Interest in Plaid

  • A 1950 Plaid Cap Adventure

  • A Formal Introduction to Plaid

  • What a Gentleman Knows About Dressy with Style

  • Illustrated History of Overcoats, Pt. I

  • Illustrated History of Overcoats, Pt. II

  • Vintage Esquire Footwear

  • Raccoon-tuer | Legend of the Coonskin Coat

  • Vintage Golf Style | Bobby Jones

  • Mad Max Bubeck | Hell on Wheels

  • Live Fast, Die Free | Rollie Free’s Record

  • Barbour Legendary Motorcycle Gear

  • Love Affair with Speed Steve McQueen

  • Categories

    • accessories
    • American
    • apparel
    • Apparel Arts
    • architecture
    • Art
    • Auto
    • autos
    • books
    • British
    • design
    • designers
    • fashion
    • films
    • footwear
    • furniture
    • German
    • grooming
    • history
    • Icons
    • LIFE archive
    • lifestyle
    • motorcycle
    • music
    • pop culture
    • Preppy
    • sports
    • store
    • style
    • tartan
    • Uncategorized
    • vintage
  • 1920s 1930S 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s American apparel Apparel Arts Art Auto Belstaff bespoke best British car celebrity classic Daytona design Duke of Windsor English Esquire fashion film footwear formalwear GQ hand heritage history Hollywood icon illustration Illustrations ivy league jacket Jeffrey Banks legend LIFE London Los Angeles made magazine maker menswear motorcycle movie movies music NYC overcoat Palm Beach photo photography photos picture plaid Polo quality racing Ralph Lauren royal shearling Shelby Cobra shoe Slim Aarons speed record steve mcqueen store style suit tartan triumph vintage
  • Blogroll

    • 13th & Wolf
    • A Continuous Lean.
    • A Suitable Wardrobe
    • Best of TSY
    • English Cut
    • Heavy Tweed Jacket
    • Hollister Hovey
    • Ivy Style
    • Properly Askew
    • The Houndstooth Kid
    • The Moment
    • The Sartorialist via Men.Style.com
    • The Selvedge Yard
    • The Trad
  • My Other Blog

    • Best of TSY
    • The Selvedge Yard
  • Shopping

    • Bamford & Sons
    • Barbour
    • Barker Black
    • Belstaff
    • Cordings
    • Dunhill
    • Etro
    • F. M. Allen
    • Hackett
    • Holland and Holland
    • John Lobb
    • Lochcarron of Scotland
    • Paul Smith
    • Paul Stuart
    • Rugby
    • Stubbs and Wootton
    • Turnbull & Asser
  • Meta

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: