Tweet Louis B. Mayer and neckties

This may seem way off base, but since personalities are relevant to this section...

I recently purchased a late 30's/early 40s vintage necktie. The name of the store on the tag is "Roos Bros, California." Curiously enough, a tag by the manufacturer reads "Louis B. Mayer." Now, the far-fetched question, did Mr. Mayer have a clothing line or part of one named after him?

Louis B. Mayer is not one of my favorite people. I thought it amusing that the tie is dead-stock, unworn, with the original price tags of $2.50 and 95 cents still present.

Any other personalities from before WWII ever show up, not in marketing, but on the labels of clothing from the time?

In the late 20's Sears catalogs featured a line of Clara Bow Hats & i believe she models them in the pictures.

I've seen Mitzi Green Hair Combs with her picture on the box.

In the late 20's Sears catalogs featured a line of Clara Bow Hats & i believe she models them in the pictures.

Like this one, maybe?

Swanson had a clothing line of stuff she designed.

Mayer was in the clothing business before getting into theatre ownership. Maybe this tie is a relic from that period? Any idea when it might have been produced?

Jim

It seems much more likely that the tie belonged to Louis B. Mayer. His name would have meant nothing to the average garment purchaser of the time, but it was common practice for custom tailors to t=stitch the names of the buyers into their garments.

It seems much more likely that the tie belonged to Louis B. Mayer. His name would have meant nothing to the average garment purchaser of the time, but it was common practice for custom tailors to t=stitch the names of the buyers into their garments.

That would make sense from a tailor, but from Roos Bros. I'm not so sure. An upscale clothing store such as they were might do a name tag as you suggest but were more likely to initial, if my father's clothes were anything to go by. Roos Bros. were not in LA, but SF (we had one here starting in 1946, I don't know if a store ever made it to Los Angeles). I think it'd be better to see a picture/scan of the back of the tie with tags to determine what the tie really is. Perhaps it's as you say.

It could also be from an unrelated Louis B. Mayer

It could also be from an unrelated Louis B. Mayer

Surely he was one of a kind, even if his tie wasn't!

Jim

It seems much more likely that the tie belonged to Louis B. Mayer. His name would have meant nothing to the average garment purchaser of the time, but it was common practice for custom tailors to t=stitch the names of the buyers into their garments.

That would make sense from a tailor, but from Roos Bros. I'm not so sure. An upscale clothing store such as they were might do a name tag as you suggest but were more likely to initial, if my father's clothes were anything to go by. Roos Bros. were not in LA, but SF (we had one here starting in 1946, I don't know if a store ever made it to Los Angeles). I think it'd be better to see a picture/scan of the back of the tie with tags to determine what the tie really is. Perhaps it's as you say.

I agree, it would be useful to see the tag. But putting the names of the buyers inside suits was fairly common back in the day, which is why the clothing tags are always ripped off of the clothes of murder victions in noir lit and film--makes it harder to ID the body. Even in the 1970s the Los Angeles mens disvount clothing store, Zachary All, stiched in the purchaser's name. It is now, however, a mostly vanished custom.

Yes, I'm guessing it wouldn't be too unusual to put a name, though my dad's suits (some of them dated to the '30s) instead were monogrammed usually below the manufacturer's label. His hats had a monogram in the sweat band, as well. He had lots of ties and none had any personal labels IIRC. I still have some of those ties in a closet and will check. Shame none of his stuff was remotely close to fitting me, I wouldn't even have had to change the monogram.

On another track, perhaps Mr. Mayer was worried...

Hello all,

Sorry for the delayed response. I would have estimated the tie as being from the mid to late 'thirties, no later than the early 'forties, based on the width, lack of lining, and style. Blue and pink-ish stripes!

I have never uploaded a photo on this site, but will provide one soon of the rear blade of the tie, where the store and the "Louis B Mayer all silk" tag appear.

Entredeuxguerres - More like this, I think:


I think it would have been known if there ever existed a line of Louis B. Mayer ties - otherwise, I'd love to get me one to go along with my Mr. B collar, my Clara Bow hat and my Beatle boots.

Further suggested celeb clothing products:

- The Humphrey Bogart trenchcoat
- The Porter Hall belt and suspenders combo
- The Barbara Stanwyck anklet (with the name "Phyllis" engraved, of course)

I've seen an ad with Conrad Nagel modeling an overcoat, but I don't think it was a special line.

The Humphrey Bogart estate is suing Burberry for using an image of Bogart and Ingrid Bergman from CASABLANCA to sell coats, since the Bogart estate has likeness right approval here in California.

I heard years ago that Bacall was (rightly) suing a cigarette company for using Bogart's likeness, particularly (as she mentioned) given that he died of cancer.