Happy Birthday To Richard Press

Richard Press turns 85 today, please join me in wishing him the happiest of birthdays.

I say his age because he said it first, on our podcast which you can hear here.

In 1937, the year of his birth, there was a lot in the air. Literally. Amelia Earhart disappeared, the Hindenburg did too, and Howard Hughes broke his own transcontinental flight speed record. Snow White and The Hobbit were both released. And the average cost of a new house was $4,100.00.

Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. We are still looking to the skies, perhaps now less for thrills and more for answers. Books are still being published (hey, you can buy Richard’s second volume here) and the average cost of a new house is still, a lot.

Richard is testament to the idea that there are consistencies in people, too. Authenticity was cool in 1937, and still is cool today (ask my kid). Integrity is still the measure of a person, and I am always moved when I interview or do shows with Richard how specific he is about his role with J. Press now. Lesser people would let you draw your own conclusions. Humility is still in vogue, and Richard has it in heaps. He is one of the leading figures in traditional American men’s fashion history, but when I tell him that he is expressionless. It is maybe the ONLY time he is expressionless. Family is still at the center of everything, and you just have to check out Richard’s FB page to see that illustrated. The value of a lifelong companion is still paramount, and well, Richard has that too.

The more time goes by, the more timelessness matters. We are fortunate to have Richard Press as Exhibit A of this, and look forward to his continued wisdom, style, and ethos.

Happy Birthday Richard Press!