Style Book for Men and Young Men. Chicago: Hart Schaffner
& Marx, 1914-1919. Softcover, staple bound, 5.25x7 inches. These booklets were distributed by M. Prager
and Company, Seattle. Color covers with
black and white illustrations inside.
Very good condition, one booklet has a detached section of four pages at
the center.
The covers evoke a lifestyle – rather than promoting any
specific clothing items for sale, they evoke a feeling of “smart style” for all
types of occasions, from golf and hunting to parties and formal occasions to a
day at the races. Specific suggestions
are made for the correct thing to wear for formal and informal events. The illustrations
were done by illustrators such as Edward Penfield, John Sheridan and Herbert
Paus. One is credited to Sheridan on the front cover.
The HS&M website dates the founding of the company to
1887, although the two Hart Brothers were known to have had a Chicago clothing
store prior to that. In the very
beginning they specialized in work clothes but over time graduated to upscale
men’s wear.
The Style Books were published twice a year. This collection includes six: