FCS 490R Fashion History. Study: Speakeasies and Gangster Fashion

 Study: Speakeasies and Gangster Fashion


Speakeasy Smuggling Fashion



During Prohibition, Americans were desperate to find a way to get their alcohol. Many methods for smuggling drinks internationally were adopted. One was the cow shoe – an attachment to the soles of men’s shoes worn when bringing alcohol across the border from Canada. When walking with this shoe attachment, smugglers could leave tracks looking only like cow hoofprints. If an officer came looking for the source of the smuggling, they would only see cow tracks and might not think to trace the prints to their source, since they weren’t looking for cows so much as they were looking for the people breaking the law.


Additionally, women found a major role in smuggling alcohol into the country. Because of the lack of a woman’s status in society during this time, many states had laws prohibiting police from searching women, who were seen as a delicate sex in need of protection. This desire to preserve the dignity of women made it easier for them to smuggle alcohol on their person, under their fur coats and drop-waist dresses.

https://www.messynessychic.com/2016/06/07/all-the-sneaky-tricks-of-prohibition-bootleggers/

 

Al Capone and Gangster Fashion



 

The media has a specific image associated with gangsters, mobsters, mafia men, and other organized criminal groups. This image is largely influenced by the life and fame of Al Capone. During Prohibition, Al Capone rose to the position of leading Chicago’s largest crime syndicate at only 26 years of age. While other mob bosses before and after Capone took the path of underground secrecy in the way they chose to run their organization, Al Capone was already publicly well-known at the time he took this position. Rather than attempt to disappear from the public eye, Al Capone decided to use the media and other venues of public visibility to his benefit. As a result, he and his men became infamous symbols of what gangsters should look like in film and media.

Some of the fashion which is associated with mobsters as a result of Al Capone’s legacy and fame include:

Pinstripe Suits

Al Capone often wore three-piece pinstripe suits, opting to be seen as an elegant gentleman. These were often Italian imported and made from fine, desirable fabrics such as silk. His suits cost an average of $500, which today translates to roughly $6500.

Overcoats

He often wore heavy woolen double-breasted overcoats.

Fedora Hats and Boater Hats

Al Capone opted to wear fedoras and boater hats with his suits. They often provided a light contrast in color from his dark suits.

Oxford Shoes

He often wore black or brown oxford shoes, complimentary to the color of his suit on any given day.

Wide Ties

Capone’s ties were usually made of silk and contemporary pattern, jacquard weaves and stripes. He favored ties which were about 3.5 inches wide and tied in an asymmetrical four in hand knot.

Glamourous Accessories

Al Capone was known to wear diamonds on his belt buckles and rings on his fingers.

Cigar

Capone would be seen often smoking cigars, and this was incorporated into his overall look.

Tommy Gun

The weapon of choice for Al Capone and those who worked under him, the Tommy Gun is still to this day considered iconic of mobsters and gangsters.

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/al-capone-gentleman-style/

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