History of Men's Accessories

A Short Guide for Men About Town

Nicholas Storey

• Publisher: Pen & Sword
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9781848849921
• Topic: Diseño
• Subtopic: Diseño de moda

"The ideal book for anyone interested in men's fashion from the past to the present day" from the author of History of Men's Etiquette (Antiques Diary). This idiosyncratic book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through high-end grooming and care, from open razors, strops and Belgian Waterstone; silver-tipped badger shaving brushes and shaving soaps; through colognes and scents and even D. R. Harris's Pick-Me-Up. It then moves onto dressing accessories, such as slippers, watches, cufflinks and shirt studs, and tie pins, even how to assess precious stones as well as a fascinating account, from primary sources, of the evolution of the dinner jacket-Tuxedo. Moreover, if you want to know not just how to mix drinks but something of their history, as well as the history of beer, cider and mead; sweets of all kinds, chocolate, tea and coffee; pairing food and drink; and then every essential fact about tobacco, pipes, Havana cigars, cigarettes and snuff, it's all here. But it does not stop there. The journey continues on to a consideration of some of London's fascinating venues, including pubs, clubs, restaurants, hotels and bars; some nice points of conduct and the author's reflections on such things as feminine wiles (what women really look for) and even how to stop a fight. There is a chapter on selecting and buying gifts for the lady in your life, a dictionary of Anglo-American sartorial terms and it ends, as it begins, with thoughts of England as home. The author has submitted the book in draft to the scrutiny of leading world experts on the various topics and so, as well as being entertaining, it is backed by authority.

CHAPTER 1

Grooming and Care

Give me a look, give me a face
That makes simplicity a grace …

From ‘Simplex Munditiis’ by Ben Jonson

In relation to each day’s grooming, the maxim ‘live each day as though it were your last’ has a good application. If you start by treating each day (and the preparation for it) as equally important as every other day, you begin each day as well as you possibly can.

Some Introductory Notes On Grooming Accessories

DR Harris is an old and famous chemist near the top of St James’s Street, London. One of their most enduring products is their morning tonic, which may be bought in tablet form or consumed by the glass on the premises (a most satisfying experience, guaranteed to blast the cobwebs away and put the spring back in one’s step). They also stock and re-bristle hairbrushes, stock combs and toothbrushes as well as various brands of soap, shaving soap and toothpastes. The best brushes, especially hair brushes, are hardwood or faux-ivory backed in a military pattern, that is to say with deep, oval, concave backs and white bristle. However, I understand that they have been having difficulty in obtaining these larger brushes recently.

Taylor of Old Bond Street (‘Taylor’s’) is actually now in Jermyn Street and, besides being barbers, also stock all the usual requisites: especially fine are their own-brand shaving soaps and creams (a particular favourite of mine is the almond-scented variety) and shaving brushes as well as (sea) sponges (the soft skeletons of simple sea creatures Spongia and Hippospongia); loofahs (which are the fibrous skeletons of a gourd of the family Cucurbitaceae); pumice stone (which is solidified volcanic lava); bath salts (including Epsom salts, sodium chloride, phosphates, magnesium sulphate and scents and essences) as well as bath and nail brushes. Floris bath oils cannot be beaten; a fact not overlooked by Ian Fleming’s Dr No, as there was Floris lime bath oil in the ‘mink-lined prison’.

Hair

Long after men generally ceased to go to the barber each day for a shave they continued to have their hair trimmed once a fortnight at one of the better establishments, most eminently Taylor’s, Truefitt & Hill, Geo F Trumper (‘Trumper’s’), the Waldorf Hotel, Claridge’s, or one of the many City of London establishments. Everyone knows the look of the modern classic haircut, which has remained constant since the beginning of the twentieth century. The best secret of a good haircut is that it doesn’t look as though it has just been done. Sideburns should be no more than about one square inch, unless a full set of beard is worn. Mutton chops and Piccadilly weepers, those immensely long whiskers often worn with a handlebar moustache (and always with a shaven chin), have gone the way of opera cloaks and all flesh, but in Victorian times men especially prided themselves on these enormous whiskers, the longer and more luxuriant the better.

Taylor’s supplies a mild daily shampoo, but shampooing hair with stronger preparations should not be undertaken more than a couple of times a week and many of the shops already mentioned have large ranges: Taylor’s Luxury Shampoo with Rosemary is especially fine. For itchy scalps, wood tar shampoos, such as Polytar shampoo, are very effective. Of course there is the ‘prince of shampoos’, Pinaud Elixir Shampoo with Quinine, as used by James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. This is still just about available.

Taylor’s still have the military-backed brushes mentioned above. There are also fine brushes, of all kinds, produced by Kent (established in 1777).

Combs come in a variety of materials from horn to plastic and a range of fineness of teeth. Many shops stock good combs, as do famous barbers such as Truefitt & Hill and Trumper’s. There are also shoe horns, carved out of real horn, in various lengths.

Hair Preparations

After drying, Pinaud’s Bay Rum, Eau de Portugal or Eau de Quinine stimulate the scalp with a good combing and brushing. Some people have been known regularly to stand on their heads to stimulate the scalp and the potency drug Viagra was, apparently, a byproduct of hair renewal research.

Brilliantine is a hair pomade or pomatum invented by Edouard Pinaud in 1900, containing petroleum jelly, beeswax and scents. Yardley makes a version of this, scented with English lavender. Brilliantine is the stuff responsible for the glossy hair of early Hollywood matinée idols.

Macassar oil is another hair oil that used to be popular (and is still available), prompting the house-proud to invest in ‘antimacassar’ chair protectors. In fact the oil is a mixture of scented oil from the Ylang Ylang tree (Cananga odorata) and coconut oil, for which ‘macassar’ was an early trade name.

Grooming Kits

There are several makers of finely made small, boxed, steel grooming kits, including blunt-ended safety scissors, tweezers, nail files, nail clippers, razor, travelling shaving brush and penknife. Orange sticks are especially effective at removing dirt from fingernails. There is a fine example of a boxed kit by Taylor’s in plate 2.

Shaving

Razors

There used to be a time when anybody who was anybody would have had a cased, seven-day set of open razors. They are, amazingly, still available from makers such as Dovo and, apart from them, excellent open razors are still to be found, old and new, for example, those made by Acca Kappa, Dorko, (Fried.) Schick, Joseph Rodgers & Sons of Sheffield, Mappin & Webb (established in 1774), Merkur, Thomas Rudd, Truefitt & Hill, Wacker and Wilkinson. The company of Joseph Rodgers & Sons held a registered trademark from 1682 and was the holder of many royal warrants around the world, as well as supplying General Ulysses S Grant. It was, probably, the greatest cutler of all time and anything made by it, including seven-day sets of razors, table cutlery, pocket knives and corkscrews, is certainly worth having.

However, if you invest in vintage razors, make sure that they are not damaged and never use a damaged blade. You will find that the older razors sometimes have marvellous workmanship in the way of Damascus work on the blades (etching over layers of different steels) and rare materials in the handles, such as ivory, tortoiseshell and rare hardwoods. Although no one in their right mind would buy new ivory or tortoiseshell, I am sure that there is no real reason against owning pre-ban ivory or tortoiseshell, or old items made of currently protected woods, for that matter.

In the course of research for this book I have been repeatedly astonished not so much at how many skills are still plied, from bespoke gun-making to razor-making, but that they are still plied by so many, demonstrating that there is still a significant call for top-rated men’s goods.

A man’s beard can grow up to about 15 centimetres a year and the average man spends around 3,000 thousand hours of his life shaving. This is a custom known even amongst the ancients, such as the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, followed by the Greeks and Romans. At the earliest times, sharpened shells and flint were the most razor-like instruments for the purpose of shaving. Times moved on to metal straight razors, just like very sharp knives – the Roman novacila is an example. The Romans also used to pluck body hair.

In 1770, Jean-Jacques Perret wrote a treatise on the art of shaving, proposing safety razors along the way. By the early nineteenth century, the carefully clipped cleanliness of Beau Brummell and his coterie played a part in leading the refinement of Sheffield steel open razors. Solingen, in Germany, also developed a fine steel industry, which is still there. Both of these places are famous for the production of stainless steel or Inox, which is steel made with a high chromium content that resists staining and corrosion. Harry Brearley of Sheffield devised an early type in 1912 for use in gun barrels and the use spread, especially to surgical instruments, razors and cutlery. However, the resistant properties of chromium steels had been recognized from the early nineteenth century.

By 1847 William Henson had developed the first of the modern type of safety razor and, before the century ended, specialized shaving soaps had come into use. Kampfe Brothers took out a patent on a safety razor in the USA and in 1895 King Camp Gillette invented the modern safety blade. Firms such as Wilkinson Sword also took up manufacturing safety blades. This firm, originally a sword-maker (established by Henry Nock, the famous gunsmith, in 1772), later branched out into garden tools and even motorbikes. They recently ceased to make swords, but this side of the business was bought by a German company that continues the production, using Wilkinson patterns and even the sword forge for naval, military and ceremonial swords around the world presumably in some recognition of the famous advertising slogan: ‘Wilkinson Sword: the name on the world’s finest blades.’

Shaving skills

Given that there is at least one book on shaving skills and that nothing like shaving can wholly be learned from a book, I suggest that, if you wish to embark on open razor shaving, you take lessons from one of the great barbers mentioned in this chapter. Certainly, do not just have a stab at it uninformed and on your own. Moreover, essential kit to maintain an open razor includes a leather strop with a hanging hook at the top and a bar handle at the bottom (to give it tension, by stretching it). The strop is used to sharpen the razor before use and, sometimes, even mid-shave. You will also need to hone the razor on a whetstone from time to time. The most widely used stones are Belgian yellow Coticule waterstone or Belgian blue waterstone. The yellow is finer and more expensive. The density and smoothness of such materials is measured in units of ‘grit’ and the greater the grit number the finer the stone. The very best can go up to a grit rating of 12,000. A stone-holder is useful and a razor stand is too. As with the actual use of the razor, ask your barber to demonstrate stropping and honing and practise them.

Safety razors

There are fine safety razors, such as Gillette Mach 3, advertised as ‘The best a man can get’.

Dry shaving

I am sure that there is nothing to beat a proper wet shave with a good razor but there are dry electric shavers for sale that might be a convenient alternative on long-haul flights. Some good makes are Braun, Gillette, Philips and Remington, and they all have large ranges.

Shaving brushes

Badger bristle is the universally acknowledged best material and it comes in various grades, silver-tipped and white being at the top of the range. Horn handles are the best material at the current time. Plainly, also, the thicker the head of bristle the better the brush. The market leaders are Acca Kappa, Vulfix, Rooney, Semogue, Kent, Plisson High Mountain Badger and Simpsons. Taylor’s, Trumper’s and Truefitt & Hill also sell brushes from these manufacturers under their own branding. It is very important to remember not to press too hard on the soap or the face when lathering up and to rinse the brush thoroughly after use and not to dry it in a towel but to shake the water out and let it dry, preferably upside-down on a stand, in a dry and sunny spot. If you start rubbing the bristles with a cloth you will break them and damage the brush.

Shaving mugs

These very often come in sturdy glazed stoneware. You place the rounded tablet of shaving soap on the top and fill the mug with hot water, wetting the brush in the spout of the mug and then lathering up from the soap tablet.

The principal British purveyors are Crabtree & Evelyn, Trumper’s, Taylor’s, Truefitt & Hill and Penhaligon.

Shaving soaps and bowls

There is a good range of scented tablet shaving soaps available from the suppliers mentioned under mugs. The main scents are almond, rose, lime, lavender and sandalwood. For those who do not have or do not use a mug there are some shaving soaps that are supplied in handy hardwood bowls. Besides these, there is Boellis 1924 Panama shaving soap, which is a very good product.

Shaving creams

An alternative to tablets of shaving soap is shaving cream and, besides those sold by the shops already mentioned, an excellent type is produced by Santa Maria Novella, which also produces the Santa Maria Novella Crema Pre-Dopo Barba (pre-shave).

Alum sticks and powder

Potassium alum (a potassium sulphate of aluminium) is a naturally occurring mineral that is made into sticks, blocks or powder and is a strong astringent and coagulant to deal with slips and minor cuts when shaving. It is generally available in chemists.

Brushes

For shoe brushes, the shoe-makers sell good brushes, and for clothes brushes there are antique shops where some fine examples can be found. Stores such as John Lewis are suppliers of Kent brushes.

Mouth and Teeth

Dental care is not just for appearance’s sake: the state of the teeth can affect general health, not least because the organic matter that we consume gets trapped between them and, well, it rots, creating nesting sites for bacteria, which cause dental decay and halitosis (bad breath), not to mention ulcers, bleeding gums, general soreness, blunting of the palate and consequential digestive disorders.

Evidence of types of toothbrushes, dating from 3500 BC, has been found in ancient Babylonia and chewing sticks made of aromatic woods have been found, dating from ancient times, in China too. Walnut bark, whole and powdered, is still an acknowledged (and very effective) teeth-whitening agent and supplies can be readily found in Asian shops and supermarkets. The Chinese were amongst the first to have brushes bristled with boar bristle.

In 1780 William Addis made the first boar- and horsehair-bristled toothbrushes in England and these were set in bone heads and handles. In 1937 nylon bristles appeared and as early as 1939 the electric toothbrush was invented, although not mass-marketed until the 1960s.

There are many types of toothbrushes available on the market today. There are some of those available from certain traditional suppliers in central London, such as Harris, Floris and Taylor’s. The modern approach to dental care is to have a check-up every six months but sceptics might suggest that, apart from giving a general clean, some dentists are tempted to advise unnecessary treatment. I once told a dentist that I came to him because I was in pain and that it was my general policy to visit a dentist only on such occasions. He simply said that there was something to be recommended in such an approach. Since I take reasonable care of my teeth, I have, thankfully, not been back to a dentist since 1991. One might ask, what is reasonable care here? My own views are these: I try to brush my teeth after each meal and floss them once in a while; it is certainly necessary to brush the teeth morning and evening. Remember that it is not just your teeth that need the care, your tongue does t...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements and Permissions
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Grooming and Care
• Chapter 2 Colognes and Scents
• Chapter 3 Dressing Accessories
• Chapter 4 Some Fine Drinks and Sweets
• Chapter 5 Matching Food and Drink
• Chapter 6 Smoking and Snuff
• Chapter 7 A Selection of Venues
• Chapter 8 Some Interesting Points of Conduct and Some Reflections
• Chapter 9 Gifts for Her
• Chapter 10 An Anglo-American Dictionary of Sartorial Terms
• Chapter 11 Thoughts of Home from Rio de Janeiro
• Bibliography
• Index