Masculine whim

The Austin Reed man was a bit spoilt with nice graphics and advertising in the mid-twentieth century. Austin Reed is a brand that struggles a little with its place in the market these days. But those days, well. They used poster designer of choice Tom Purvis, illustrator of choice Fougasse, and a lot of other commercial artists whose illustrations without provenance just tease me to try and find out more.

This is a Christmas booklet from the late 1940s. They are my mostest favourite things these shop booklets. Presumably mailed out to ladies and gentlemen so that they would know what to buy their particular gentlemen. Reassured that at Austin Reed: ‘masculine whims and vanities are served at all seasons and in all circumstances.’

It is a grand cover design though. A little bit yet not quite Fougasse. Inside the booklet there are illustrations of slippers, socks, dressing gowns, pyjamas – and even a pipe – as worn on the cover. Everything except the stripy chair is for sale, for Christmas.

I posted about some socks from this booklet before. And about another Austin Reed booklet too. I do like to get my monies-worth from these bits of paper. I can’t promise this will be the last time, either. The ‘Whims and Fancies’ page from this one deserves a post all to itself.

I’ll finish this post and the year with a pair of slippers. Such a lovely, simple illustration of a very nice pair of slippers.