Men's Walking Sticks & Canes

     Tomorrow's Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue triggered my mind to consider all the dandies who will be brandishing vintage apparel.  Lewis and I attend services at St. Thomas Fifth Ave, so we'll witness some of the outfits.  We'll be dressed colorfully--since Easter is a joyful holiday that also celebrates Spring's rebirth of color--but not in vintage.  It brought to mind the resurgence of men's walking sticks (which sounds better than an "elderly" "cane").

While many think that men's sticks originated as "fashionista" items of the 1700s, 

they actually existed a century earlier (below is 1625).

But not before then... probably because mankind was barely surviving its own conquests/killing sprees. 

(those eras represented below)

So, lets blithely return to the 18th century, when sticks were en vogue.

     After the fall of the French monarchy, via its Revolution, all things "aristocratic" were extinguished... so as not to remind people of those abusive days.  Gone were the powdered wigs, lavish hairstyles, brocaded coats, and lace for men.

     However, walking canes successfully carried over into the 1800s.

1820s male attire gave "pliant canes" to young men (above) 

Men used them for hiking, gesturing, protection, or making a loud "stomp" on the floor to announce their arrival--or their applause.

Victorian men revelled in them: their sartorial tradition/mainstay

The turn-of-the-century Industrial Revolution carried them aboard steamships and railways (below)

Into the era of electricity, gents of the 1910s like Downton Abbey's earl (above) or JP Morgan (below) sauntered with canes.

They were so "necessary" for a complete outfit (like hats were), that males of all economic strata clutched them...

"Modern men" of the Roaring 1920s maintained their use.

Gentlemen of the 1930s carried them at their side (seen below and in many black/white old movies).

     Aside from film actors, famous detectives in literature accessorized with walking sticks: 

(opium using) Sherlock Holmes

Jeeves and Wooster

Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot 


and Thompson & Thompson from The Adventures of TinTin.

Brand icons like Mr. Peanut (Planters) and Mr. Monopoly sport walking sticks



They appear in the 1942 film Casablanca.

     But, after World War II, they must've been on the "checklist" of things to get rid of.  (Meanwhile--oddly--women's fashion returned to corsets of the Victorian era).  Since the 1940s, walking sticks have fallen to the wayside, used only for royal events or "morning dress" formal occasions.

Some transitioned into military swagger sticks

Or they're used annually by enthusiasts of vintage costume events

     Yet, I don't think you need spats (which I wear sometimes with my suits) or gloves to carry a walking stick.  They can be distinctive accessories in modern men's fashion.  There are many stylish ones:

For a gadget guy, they're very cool...

There are easy ways to store them, just like people use for bags...

They can be used for protection (both below):

Most impressively, thanks to today's open mix of styles, you can sport a stick without feeling like a fop.

Done the right way, they'll make a distinguished contribution to the fashion that people put their eyes on: like a flower in a lapel, a pocket handkerchief, jewelry, colorful socks, a hat with a brim, or a fragrance.  Moreover, they signify some confidence!