The other day I was browsing at Brooks and went to try on a brown herringbone vest. I needed to see how it would look when paired with a patterned tweed jacket, like one I have at home, so I went to the sportcoat rack and grabbed something at random. What it was I had …
You probably heard the news last night that actor and politician Fred Thompson has died. I went searching for photos, and while he wasn’t the tradliest of guys, I found this great one with buttondown and pipe. While most men cut their teeth on acting before turning to the role of politican, Thompson did the …
As I planned to spend this lazy Sunday strolling Fifth Avenue, I found myself feeling George Frazier-ish. That’s what I call it when I feel like wearing Ivy with a touch of elegant bon vivantism. I envisoned that well-known photo of Frazier with boutonniere, small-dot necktie, and arched fingers holding a cigarette. In case the name is unfamiliar, …
The Fogey’s Halloween Nightmare (With apologies to WS Gilbert) by Daniel C. Greenwood When you’re lying awake With a fogey’s headache And a glass of scotch whisky to comfort you, If you’re like me you’ll scream For it is Halloween, With scanty and horrid costumes in full view. My mind dwells on the fact That …
If you’ve been roped in to going to a Halloween party on Saturday and just can’t stand the thought of putting on a silly costume (especially if you don’t have an administrative body and telephone hotline to advise on whether your get-up may offend someone), then Ivy Style has got you covered with a costume …
In 2011 we showed you how to build a last-minute Halloween costume with items that might be right in your closet. The costume, called “Old Money WASP,” consisted of saddle shoes, crested blazer, ascot, pink sweater, striped watchband, and patchwork tartan trousers. This year we show you how to go to your Halloween party dressed …
Last week we ran a post with material from a 1936 issue of Esquire, when the Bass Weejun was in its first year of existence. Subsequent Esquire articles — which are now available from the new online Esquire archives for just $4.99 per month — touted the shoe as ideal for resorts, beaches, and other …
Tonight is the first game of the 2015 World Series, so I jumped into my Internet-enabled time machine to see what I could find. The shot above is considered one of the best World Series photos of all time, and centers on University of Pittsburgh students watching the Pirates take on the Yankees from the …
Recently dispatched to my inbox is a 2011 article called “Forever Prep” that ran in the magazine Virginia Living. Pegged on the release of Lisa Birnbach’s “True Prep,” it’s a lengthy piece that examines the Virginian branch of the WASPy, preppy tree. Author Caroline Kettlewell opines on how it was, how it is, and even throws …
It’s already time to dip into the Esquire archives again. This one was spotted by Marc Chevalier, walking menswear encyclopedia and member of Ivy Style’s Facebook group. The ad above dates to August 1936, less than one year after Esquire had helped introduce the Bass Weejun to the nation. Two months later, there was this …
I can’t remember exactly what J. Press’ Shaggy Dog sweaters cost when this site was founded in 2008, but it was a lot less than the $245 they’re charging today: Even pricier, Ralph Lauren has some brushed lambswool and cashmere crewnecks this season at $265. At least there’s a bubble-gum pink option: At those prices, …
Brooks Brothers’ media relations department has confirmed a rumor posted by a commenter here that the company plans to discontinue the Own Make collection. A spokesperson issued the following statement to Ivy Style: Own Make was a small range and an even smaller part of the business sold in a handful of retail stores. We …
Esquire recently made its entire archival history available online. For a mere $4.99 per month you can digitally browse every issue it ever published. I’m sure the folks at Hearst Media wouldn’t mind if we occasionally share the findings, as long as we give Esquire Classic a free plug. The image above is a two-page …
As we bring PC Week to a close, I’d like to address why I thought it worthwhile to broach this issue that is so contentious on college campuses. In wondering how to close things out, I found myself pondering the “correct” in political correctness. Can we pursue the “correct” without the “political”? PC by definition …
During the Ivy heyday, before the Free Speech Movement, discourse on college campuses was largely the opposite of today. Pro-establishment speech was politically correct, while anti-establishment speech was incorrect. Richard Press reminds us that while the tables have turned, there has always been speech that is discouraged. * * * Professor Herb West delivered his …
I had just left college when the movie “PCU” came out in 1994, and I was barely familiar with the term “politically correct.” I had probably first heard it from a guy I’d occasionally run into in the quad, who handed out fliers and held a clipboard. He was one of the few guys who, …
Today’s most tireless champions of political correctness are called “social justice warriors.” They are quick to spot hidden meanings of oppression and victimhood in everyday life. We started thinking what it would be like for a modern-day SJW to be shot — hold on, let us finish the sentence — back in time to a …
According to the season opener of “South Park,” which aired last month, political correctness is back with a vengeance. Its shelf life in the ’90s was about six years, says a character in the show, adding that we’ve got 5.9 more years to go before people start to chill out. In the meantime, you can …