We’re celebrating the Far East this week at Ivy Style. First the David Marx lecture video, then the interview with Ken Yamamoto of Tokyo-based Boston Tailor, and now another interview with a Japanese legend. This one comes to us via the website Gear Patrol, and the legend in question is Saddasue-san of Kamakura Shirts. In it, he talks about the rocky early days of Ivy in Japan during the era of the Miyuki-zoku youth tribe:
Q: How did the rise of Ivy style affect the business? Why was the button-down shirt banned in schools?
A: Japan was suffering from a shortage of goods, while the US was prosperous and abundant with things. The grownups had lost all confidence in life, but young people were full of admiration towards America and the Ivy Style captured those young people’s hearts. Due to the popularity of the Ivy Style, Van became number one in Japan for menswear. The button-down shirts became the outfit of choice for bad kids, and that’s why schools chose to ban them.
I assumed before opening the link that, based on the headline, this was going to be about Roger Stone.
Certainly an interesting read, and a fascinating cross-cultural perspective. I am now more than ever encouraged to try one of their OCBDs at some point in the near future.
On that note, it’s sincerely sad that so many U.S. businesses have forgotten that they need to provide quality, and meet the needs, wants, and aspirations of their customers first. Chasing trends pushed by haute fashion brands that push ectomorphs in prissy fly weight Fauntleroy suits or even worse stylistic aberrations, is meeting neither the aspirations, nor the needs of any segment of society worth dignifying. Ahem….Brooks Brothers.
I may have to check out soe of these shops when I go to Japan later this year.
Big fat X and shoulder divots. I think I’ll pass this time…
“Gear Patrol”?
No, thanks.
I think we had two groups in the 60′, 70’in Japan. Good IVY Kids wearing button down shirts were totally different from Miyuki-Zoku Tribe. Good IVY Kids had obeyed IVY rule, such as length of slacks, and Good IVY Kids were not hanging around at Ginza downtown area. I believe Good IVY kids had a character of Simple and Sturdy.
Maybe it’s just me but I just can’t get terribly excited about this whole Japanese Ivy business. Kamakura’s OCBDs look really well done, though.
@Trace Bearden
Kamakura OCBDs are indeed really well done. I own two of their “classic” line and two of their “sport” line. Very nice shirts. The “classic” are made of sturdier stuff but the “sport” have much nicer features.
I’m not sure that Kamakura still makes their famous *wide* bell-shaped collar roll on any of their shirts anymore, but the “sport” have a pleasant *narrow* bell-shaped roll to compliment their unlined collar and cuffs. See here for an example. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv2gr8Una7a
Great interview. I was touched by Mr. Sadasue’s genuine appreciation for American style shirts, as well as his insistence on traditional manufacturing and the creative process. He seems to have a real passion for the style, something Brooks Brothers apparently lost along the way.