Australian Dress Register

Part of a donation of three pinstriped wool business suits dating from 1950. Two are labelled Lowes Ltd, the third has either been copied from the Lowes suits or was made elsewhere and used as a pattern for the Lowes suits.These suits are excellent and complete examples of men's business suits from the 1950s. The menswear industry was and remains a fairly staid and traditional one with the basic shape of the business suit remaining unchanged for decades - as demonstrated by comparison with Ted Docker's Wool Suit (ID 388) from the 1930s. The emphasis has been on creating classic, functional clothing. The details of lapel size, pocket style, trouser width and number of buttons have been the major focus of any style changes. As the central garment in many men's wardrobes the suit's styling has been devised to evoke power and authority as well as confidence and stability hence the broad padded shoulders and narrow hip, the sensible no-nonsense styling, the heavy dark fabrics and the use of vertical pinstripes to elongate the male silhoette.

These suits also demonstrate how Lowe's Ltd. combined traditional tailoring with modern methods of mass production in the manufacture of clothing. In the first half of the 20th century Lowes provided the customer with a choice of suit styles which could then be tailored to measure, as this suit was produced specifically for Mr K. Smith. These suits also illustrate the close connection between manufactuing and retail in Australia during the first half of the 20th century; the product being made and sold by the same company; a rare phenomenon in the present retail environment.

These suits are also significant due to their documented provenance. A label on the inside of the jacket indicated that these suits were manufactured for Mr. K. Smith, was eventually discarded by him and came into the possession of Kendell Bamfield, who donated them to the Powerhouse Museum. Mr. Bamfield purchase of these suits in the 1990s from a second-hand clothing store also demonstrate the continuing popularity of second-hand clothing for its 'retro' status, despite the easy availability of new cheap clothing.

Author: Amy Butterfield, .

Business Suit, Men's designed and made by Lowe's Ltd. Australia, 1950. Consists of two pieces: one double-breasted jacket and a pair of tailored trousers. Both pieces are brown wool with a red and white pinstrip pattern, and the jacket is lined in brown rayon.

The jacket is fitted over the waist and the hips with square padded shoulders, turned-down collar and wide lapels, falling to mid-thigh. There are two rows of three button left and right, down the front of the jacket and a flower button hole on the left lapel. There are also three buttons on each cuff. There are four pockets: two flap pockets at the hips, and an angled welt pocket on the left chest and a welt pocket to the right on the inside of the jacket.

The shape of the trousers in straight and loose-fitting, with cuffs at the hem. The waist is pleated at the front, and has adjustable tabs at the sides which fasten with a metal buckle. There are two slash pockets on each hip. The centre-front fly fastens with five dark-brown plastic buttons and extended tab at the waist fastening with two dark-brown plastic buttons.