Today I’d like to look back on one of my favorite menswear stories I was ever fortunate enough to tell: my 2012 profile on Charlie Davidson of The Andover Shop, written shortly after meeting the legend for the first time. * * * A League Of His Own By Christian Chensvold From The Rake, issue …
Recently I had drinks with members of Charlie Davidson’s family, and the subject of George Frazier and the duende game came up, which made said family member shake their head, as if it had come up one too many times at the dinner table. For those who don’t know what “duende” is, proceed to become …
When a celebrated person dies and a newspaper does a full-length feature, I’m not sure if it’s technically an obituary. So we’ll call The Boston Globe’s piece on Andover Shop founder Charlie Davidson a tribute. Here’s some background on the man that few of us knew: Born in Lawrence in 1926, Mr. Davidson was of …
There are men all over the place reminiscing and telling stories about Charlie Davidson. Everyone either knew him or knew of him. Charlie ran The Andover Shop in Cambridge for more than a half century, and saw to the sartorial needs of professors and politicians, students, jazz musicians, and mere male mortals who wanted to …
A person close to Andover Shop founder Charlie Davidson has informed me that he passed away this morning. On a very personal note, I am also heartbroken to learn that he was recently told that I was moving Newport, where he has spent much of his life, and that he said he hoped to see …
Revisiting this post from 2012 devoted to the legendary founder of The Andover Shop. * * * Yesterday menswear omnivore Derek Guy of Die Workwear! and Put This On started a tumblr devoted to the wit and wisdom of menswear legend Charlie Davidson, the octogenarian owner of The Andover Shop. “The Quotable Charlie Davidson,” a …
This 2012 piece for The Rake features quotes from The Andover Shop’s Charlie Davidson. * * * Passive Form: Don’t be fooled by those pulse-slowing tunes: self-destructive jazz prodigy Chet Baker — the most stylish man ever to not give a hoot about clothing — was a man of sheer, energetic brass By Christian Chensvold …
Today Charlie Davidson of The Andover Shop turns 90, and a young acolyte recounts how the legendary clothier continues to inspire. * * * When I was in high school I read Christian Chensvold’s article for The Rake on Charlie Davidson and The Andover Shop and knew I needed to visit the legendary haberdashery as …
Interview with Constantine Valhouli, author of Miles, Chet, Ralph & Charlie: An oral history of The Andover Shop Miles, Chet, Ralph & Charlie: An oral history of The Andover Shop chronicles how The Andover Shop, an iconic clothier in Harvard Square, became an unexpected literary and jazz salon in the 1950s. At its center stood its …
When I visited The Andover Shop in 2010, Charlie Davidson had a handy tip if you’re unsatisfied with the collar roll on your buttondown oxfords. It goes like this: 1) Unbutton the collar. 2) Push it upwards until it achieves an arched shape. 3) Stick the tip of a pencil through the buttonhole and make a …
Charlie Davidson of The Andover Shop turns 91 today and refuses to retire. Truly one of a kind. Happy Birthday, Charlie, from all of us here. — CC
Since I started working at The Andover Shop several months ago, every day has been a “party”,” in 90-year-old owner Charlie Davidson’s words. After noticing that forward pleats seem to be making a comeback, I figured I’d give them a try. Most of the customers at The Andover Shop opt for them when commissioning suits …
Charlie Davidson, the legendary 86-year-old proprietor of The Andover Shop, doesn’t often condescend to pose for the camera, but he acquiesced last week for my long-gestating profile in The Rake. Consider the shot above a sneak peek and expect the story sometime this summer. The headline, for those of you who don’t listen to music …
Matthew Longcore, the editor of Ivy Style, had the opportunity to interview Tucker Mscisz, the Chief Operating Officer of The Andover Shop. Here is the transcript from the interview. Matthew: Thank you for taking the time to talk with Ivy Style. Let’s start with a bit of history. The Andover Shop was founded in 1948 …
Interview Part 2 with Constantine Valhouli, author of Miles, Chet, Ralph & Charlie: An oral history of The Andover Shop Back in February, Ivy Style editor Matthew Longcore had the opportunity to interview Constantine Valhouli, author of a book about The Andover Shop. Here is Part 1. We reconnected recently to continue our conversation. This …
By Nick Hilton A freshman at Princeton in the fall of 1937, Norman Hilton was introduced to the style of “St. Grottlesex” boys, graduates of elite New England prep schools, icons of Ivy League style. He admired, even coveted, the elite air of these men evident in the confident, patrician look of their clothing. He …
You can buy the book here. Or you can win a copy here. From the website: “Miles, Chet, Ralph, & Charlie tells the story of the Andover Shop, and how our co-founder Charlie Davidson transformed a tiny store into an unlikely literary and cultural salon that brought together musicians like Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Bobby …
Editor’s Note: ALWAYS grateful to Daniel D. Covell for his remarkable contributions to the site, including this piece. The piece is geared toward a pregame release – The Game takes place Saturday, November 18. Gratitude also for the images Mr. Covell provided. An email from J. Press popped up in my inbox a few days …
Editor’s Note: We once again are treated to the brilliant writing of Daniel D. Covell, to whom we are always grateful for both his books and his submissions here. Paul Winston, whose family owned the well-regarded Ivy Style purveyor Chipp, said of John F. Kennedy, Jr., “Kennedy was a handsome and important man. That old …