{"id":4303,"date":"2014-01-02T14:17:51","date_gmt":"2014-01-02T11:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.keikari.com\/english\/?p=4303"},"modified":"2014-01-03T15:34:33","modified_gmt":"2014-01-03T12:34:33","slug":"interview-with-will-moul-from-mr-lapel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.keikari.com\/english\/interview-with-will-moul-from-mr-lapel\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Will Moul from Mr Lapel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018<\/b>I’m 28 years old and an assistant dairy and frozen manager at a grocery store. I studied aeronautical science for one year at LeTourneau University, earning my private pilot’s license, and studied history at Northwestern Iowa College for the remaining three years, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in that field. Cassie and I married a year and a half ago. \u00a0We currently don’t have any children other than our fur baby, Sir Kingsley. Vintage style actually played a role in Cassie and I coming together. \u00a0We met at her place of work where, she admits, my vintage style drew her attention to me from the rest of the crowd. Before she even knew my name I was the “cool hat guy”. Cassie herself is a stylish woman who owns a classy\u00a0wedding and boudoir photography business<\/a>. \u00a0She appreciates my style and that of her clients. \u00a0Cassie supports my exploration of vintage style and has photographed me in vintage duds in the past.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com\"<\/a>1940s tweed suit<\/p>\n

My family was very supportive. \u00a0My parents are collectors so our house was always full of antiques, vintage furniture, and historical pieces when I was a kid. \u00a0It helped drive my interest in all things old. \u00a0We would go out to antique shows and shops looking for the next neat thing and I have many fond memories of that. \u00a0So not only were my parents supportive, they were the ones who introduced me to the world of vintage. I love to shoot firearms, whether vintage or new; collecting militaria, mainly American from the Second World War; hiking, fishing, and camping; reading; and playing airsoft. \u00a0And history in general.<\/p>\n

When I was young my parents would always make me dress my best, especially for church. \u00a0That had a huge influence in the way I dress today. \u00a0Also, family history is a factor. \u00a0My great- great-grandfather owned a chain of four haberdasheries called J.C. Petersen & Co. in central Iowa and as a kid I always heard about him and his stores. \u00a0It’s been a fun side hobby finding vintage pieces from his shops and knowing that my predecessor and his sons had sold those pieces. \u00a0So maybe a love of quality clothing runs in the family.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com2\"<\/a>Mid-60s tweed jacket with flannel trousers<\/p>\n

Where I live vintage is pretty abundant and therefore cheap. \u00a0I’m able to buy a high quality vintage sports coat for pennies on the dollar compared to a lesser quality modern equivalent. \u00a0Not to mention I don’t find modern menswear to be all that high quality, especially when compared to vintage. \u00a0Fabrics are thin, cheap, and don’t drape well. \u00a0Most RTW suits are fused and not very well made. \u00a0Modern aesthetics don’t appeal to me either.<\/p>\n

When starting off in vintage, much of my knowledge came from other collectors in the field. \u00a0While I know a lot about vintage style, there are other people in the field who know even more and are willing to share that knowledge. \u00a0The internet has expended our ability to share info and has played an important part in my search for vintage knowledge. \u00a0The website\u00a0The Fedora Lounge<\/a>\u00a0was priceless when I first began.<\/p>\n

Experience is perhaps the most important factor in obtaining knowledge. \u00a0Being able to hold a hat from the 1930s, a ’50s tie, or wear a vintage belted back suit will teach you more than reading a description about those items. \u00a0Because of this experience I’m now able to spot vintage pieces from across the room without even holding or examining them closely.\u00a0 I’m now able, like those experts who helped me, to enjoy sharing the knowledge I’ve gained with other beginners. \u00a0We all start out in the same place, we might as well pass knowledge on to the next generation.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com3\"<\/a>A late 1920s suit recently sold on Etsy<\/p>\n

My dress reflects what I consider to be the best of the best of vintage style. \u00a0By that I mean timeless: it looks great no matter what decade it’s worn. \u00a0I don’t like my clothing to look like costume pieces and if I’m not careful it can easily look that way. \u00a0There’s nothing wrong with wearing bold or in-your-face pieces of vintage, I love doing that, but the key is to wear them with restraint. \u00a0And it also helps to wear it with confidence; if you’re going to wear vintage,\u00a0you need to wear\u00a0it<\/i>\u00a0and not let it wear you. \u00a0That can be difficult to do which is why confidence is so important. \u00a0Hence why, if something isn’t my style, doesn’t fit well or flatter my build, it goes away, quickly.<\/p>\n

I don’t really have any favorite makers or tailors, I’m not a slave to a brand name or a flavor. \u00a0I look for quality, of which there was plenty back in the day. \u00a0I do like a brand called FashionPark, their suits seemed to have been a notch higher than most RTW vintage pieces I find. \u00a0I got married in a FashionPark suit. \u00a0Unfortunately, like so many good brands, FashionPark seems to have disappeared in the 1960s or ’70s.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com4\"<\/a>A late 1930s drape jacket<\/p>\n

I enjoy all of the decades from the 1920s – 1960s, but the late 1920s through the early 1940s is my favorite period. \u00a0I prefer this period because the clothing, especially the suits, were all very flattering for the male figure, even for larger men. \u00a0It was the dawn of the drape suit, with shapely shoulders, bold chest, and nipped waist. \u00a0A very athletic look that we so often see on our favorite actors of yesteryear: Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart. \u00a0The proportions were just right. \u00a0And then in the mid-1940s the style ‘evolved’, things got exaggerated and the proportions changed for the worse in my opinion.<\/p>\n

But the 1920s and 1930s was such a time for experimentation in men’s style and the bedrock upon which today’s fashion is built. \u00a0Look at the major fashions of today and they can, through one way or another, be traced back to the Golden Era. \u00a0Belted backs, Oxford Bags, drape suits, crazy Deco ties, classic fedoras – all decades since have looked back to the Golden Era for inspiration. \u00a0The mid-1960s looked back at the 1920s, the early 1970s had a similar spirit as the late ’20s-early ’30s (while mutilating some of the styles), the 1980s revived portions of the 1950s. \u00a0And today we take from all of those periods and tweak to our liking. \u00a0Modern style truly is a cycle that started during the Golden Era.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com5\"<\/a>1970s Hi-Power handgun, an engagement gift from Cassie<\/p>\n

I\u2019m inspired by a well-proportioned drape suit, the sound of a World War Two fighter, a beautiful sunset while grilling or fishing on the lake, the mirror blued finish of my 1970s Hi-Power handgun, my wife, and my relationship with Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

My style definition is dressing elegantly and having the natural sense to dress well. Many men today, especially in the fashion centers around the world, wear fashionable clothing that is meant to shock or stun the viewer. \u00a0And most importantly, modern fashions do not flatter the natural shape the male figure but rather feminizes it. \u00a0I’ll probably take a lot of flak for that. \u00a0My view of style is that of the elegant man: he’s masculine yet understands the finer points of dressing elegantly. \u00a0Elegance is what separates the stylish man from the fashionable man or just the everyday man. \u00a0Masculinity doesn’t have to be super trendy and hip or gruff, macho, and obscene. \u00a0It can be respectful, reserved, and sexy all at the same time.<\/p>\n

Something that is stylish looks great no matter what decade it is. \u00a0Human perception of\u00a0proportions and the Golden Ratio<\/a>\u00a0doesn’t change over time and the male figure has basically remained the same over the years. \u00a0Therefore, a piece of menswear that is considered stylish and classic yesteryear should still be stylish today. \u00a0A classic suit, hat, or pair of shoes will always be stylish because they will always look right if worn well.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com6\"<\/a>The herringbone pattern of a 1940s donegal tweed suit<\/p>\n

The Houndstooth Kid Haberdashery was founded two years ago in December, 2011. \u00a0I’d been selling on another more obscure site for several years before deciding to move to a wider audience. \u00a0There’s quite a selection for sale, everything from the 1920s through to the 1960s at a myriad of price ranges. \u00a0From casual and western to workwear and formal dress, it has all kinds of variety. \u00a0I like to sell quality vintage items, no junk, and at prices that are fair to both parties.<\/p>\n

Just as I’m an experienced vintage collector, I’m also an experienced and trusted seller. \u00a0In the past I’ve done business with Sony Picture Studios and multiple big name performance theaters along with dozens of other collectors around the would. \u00a0Shop selection is very good and my prices tend to be more affordable than other sellers. \u00a0I was able to confirm this when I visited New York City earlier this year, where vintage has been gobbled up by collectors and sellers alike, making prices too high for many to afford. \u00a0However, where I live vintage is still very much available and, thanks to a lack of collectors, relatively cheap. \u00a0That lets me pass the low prices onto the buyer, even when the piece is a so-called ‘holy grail’.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com7\"<\/a>Married in\u00a0a 1930s belted back jacket, 1950s ‘Hollywood’ trousers, and\u00a0a crazy 1930s tie<\/p>\n

Not to mention I treat every buyer or potential buyer fairly and help them in any way I can. \u00a0I want every collector to have a great experience with my shop and to help build their collection from scratch, just like I had to.<\/p>\n

My tips:<\/p>\n

Study the so-called-rules of style, learn how to use them, and then learn how to bend and break them well. \u00a0Look to the stylish men of the Golden Era for inspiration and try new things.<\/p>\n

When you put together a new kit examine it long and hard in the mirror. \u00a0If it looks right then wear it in public with confidence but if it doesn’t look right to you either fix it or ditch it. \u00a0Sometimes what you might think is the oddest combination of pieces will actually look great in the mirror.<\/p>\n

\"Interview_with_Will_Moul_from_Mr_Lapel_at_Keikari_dot_com8\"<\/a>Wedding suit, a 1941-dated Fashion Park 3-piece<\/p>\n

Everyone makes mistakes. \u00a0The key to this is to learn from your mistakes. \u00a0Cary Grant didn’t always get it right and neither will you. \u00a0But whatever you do, always be confident in your choice. \u00a0When trying new things you may unwittingly leave the house looking like a Christmas fruit cake, garnering all kinds of stares and derision. \u00a0However, when this happens, you need to at least be a confident Christmas fruit cake, for there is nothing so pathetic as a downtrodden, slump-shouldered Christmas fruit cake. \u00a0Then learn from your mistake.\u2018<\/p>\n

Photos: Eric Yerke and Cassie Moul<\/p>\n

http:\/\/mrlapel.blogspot.com<\/a><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.etsy.com\/shop\/Houndstoothkid<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018I’m 28 years old and an assistant dairy and frozen manager at a grocery store. I studied aeronautical science for …
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