July 2011

JFK Buttoned Down

Today is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ birthday (she would have been 82), and obliquely in her honor we present a photo of her late husband captured wearing a buttondown collar, which he eschewed upon entering the national spotlight, saying they were “too Ivy League.” — CC


Menswear Market Week Recap

Not much of a recap, as last week I only went to two of the smaller shows. Designer Forum, which I’ve covered here several times before, suffered a breakaway faction that met in suites at the Park Lane Hotel. Here are a few of the things I saw at both shows, and stay tuned for


Ivy Trendwatch: Abercrombie’s Elements of Ivy Collection

The Ivy trend has officially reached the cash-grab phase: Abercrombie & Fitch — which once sold tweed sportcoats and other authentic Ivy-style items — has released a new collection for teenyboppers entitled “Elements of Ivy.” The web copy reads: “Distinguished from the rest and exceptional by every standard, Elements of Ivy is a collection of


New Tumblr: Rich White People

Digital style omnivore Derek Guy recently spotted a tumblr loosely entitled Rich White People, which consists of a potpourri of vintage photos, contemporary advertising images, movie stills, and snapshots of British royals. It’s all very pleasant on the eyes, and most germane to tradly types are the various vintage Ralph Lauren ads scattered pell-mell among


La Vie En Rose: In Praise of Pink Shirts for Gilt MANual

Most trads feel more comfortable in pink than they do in black, the verboten hue. But we’re a small portion of the population. For many guys, a pink shirt is something that requires a great deal of deliberation. I recently gave my father a pink shirt; he’s in his sixties and had never worn one.


Back In Action: Brooks Brothers Revives Third Collar Button

This spring/summer season I noticed a plethora of back buttons on the collars of sport shirts at 346 Madison Avenue. It’s one of those small details from the Ivy heyday that it’s easy to laugh off as a trivial furbelow, until you see how immediately noticeable it is. Like everything in menswear, the third collar