Tuesday, October 16, 2012

From Buckles #1


Tho over a half century has elapsed it seems like yesterday.
"Sadie", "Lydia" and Anna May" with the newlyweds.
My uniform was made by DeMoulin Bros. in St. Louis, Mo.

Posted by Buckles at 10/16/2012 06:25:00 AM

4 comments:

cirbly said...

Funny you mention DeMoulin Bros. I taught high school bands for 30 years and always bought my band uniforms from them as my dad before me. Great quality.
Carl

16 October, 2012 10:17
Buckles said...

They sent me a form to fill out asking the usual information, height, arm length, waist, etc.
But when it came to right or left dressed?
I had to ask my dad.

16 October, 2012 12:06
Chic Silber said...


Interesting that they only had their

initials above the pocket & you had

trimmed pocket flaps & detail armband

Definitely showed rank & authority

16 October, 2012 15:56
Roger Smith said...

Parley Baer donated a full set of Mabel Stark's wardrobe to Peru. But...in one of my 2 wardrobe trunks, the kind that stands upright and opens like a book, I have Mabel Stark's uniform jacket and half-cape, the last of her costume items that did not go to museums. Inside this jacket is the label "DeMoulin Bros. Greenville, Illinois". Written in longhand, in indelible ink on that label, is "Mabel Stark--Size 32, Neck 13". Actress Mary Carrig portrays Mabel for the Conejo Valley (California) Historical Society, which of course involves Thousand Oaks. She invited me to speak there last April, and I took both the jacket-cape combo and Mabel's mink coat for Mary to try on. She exulted in modeling them and in getting photos taken. The moment overwhelmed her when she found even Mabel's sleeve length was a perfect fit, and the tears from this actress were genuine.

If you look at the old-style uniforms worn by many animal trainers of the '10s and '20s, you will notice they are variations of bandmaster styles. There were no end to colors, epaulets, braids, trouser stripes, and full and half capes made to any house design, or those sought by individual performers. DeMoulin is still a thriving concern. Until her last days, Mabel wore the full uniform for special photo ops, and the last of these resides with me now. She used to insist, "The best there is--DeMoulin Brothers! Greenville, Illinois!"

16 October, 2012 18:29

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