Harvard Dorm Rooms, 1899
This morning at Masculine Interiors I put up a gallery of 14 Harvard student rooms circa 1899. No idea if the inhabitants were the turn-of-the-century equivalent of bros. Head over here to see the full gallery. — CC
Are You A Twentysomething’s Romantic Nightmare? T&C On Preppy Boyfriends
Today Town & Country’s website posted a humorous piece aimed at female readers that dissects the no-less-than-six distinct types of preppy guy that a preppy girl is apt to date in her twenties. Apparently by 30 she’s either had enough or actually gotten hitched with one of them. You might find the piece’s sartorial and …
Brooks Brothers Fall 2015 Preview
I was unable to attend last week’s Brooks Brothers preview as I was battling a virus — a computer virus. So I’m falling back onto Women’s Wear Daily for the coverage. Writes the paper: At Brooks Brothers, Harris tweeds, soft tailoring that enables layering, an “into-the-woods” color palette and unorthodox pairings are some predominant messages …
Republican Young Fogeys Celebrate International Pipe Smoking Day
Today is International Pipe Smoking Day. You don’t need to be a young fogey or Republican to celebrate it, though it probably helps. Pictured above is a photo that originally appeared in LIFE Magazine in 1963. You can buy a print of it at AllPosters.com where it bears the title “Pipe Smokers Listening to Speech …
Brooks Civvies: The New Yorker, 1945
Perhaps the heyday of the Ivy League Look began not in the ’50s, but the moment after World War II’s detente. In this 1945 New Yorker cartoon, a soldier returns home from the war and is told by his mother to immediately get himself some mufti at Brooks Brothers to show that everything is all …
The Snow-Covered Campus
Inspired by our frigid Northeastern temperatures, I performed a Google search for snowy campuses and found some lovely images. Forget the crappy, icy, snowy mess outside your door and daydream over the beauty of snow-covered traditional architecture at institutions of higher learning. Above, UVA. Below, Brown: Wake Forest:
Fifteen Shades Of Grey
Today the film adaptation of the international sensation “Fifty Shades Of Grey” opens. I don’t know about you, but I like my neckties far too much to risk tearing the slip-stitch by using them as bondage tools. Recently I wrote about acquiring a number of items this season in olive, but the bulk of my …
The Rise Of Modern Prep: MRket Trade Show Recap
The concept of modern prep may really be nothing new. Use the term loosely enough and you could say it goes back to the 1920s, when the Ivy League Look first began to codify. A couple of weeks ago saw another edition of the big menswear tradeshow known as MRket, and this time there was …
Battle Of The Wits Contest: What Does The Ivy League Smell Like?
Recently I was investigating manly candles (mandles?) because that’s the sort of important thing you do when you start working the home accessories beat. I discovered an apparently now-discontinued line of scented candles that were sold at Neiman Marcus. Although the brand had the silly name of Many Indulgence, the different scents had fun names …
The Art Of Patricia van Essche
I think I’m not the only one here who has a fondness for the art of fashion illustration, from the legendary work of Laurence Fellows for Esquire and Apparel Arts to the Japanese artists who fill each issue of Free & Easy. This afternoon Town & Country magazine tweeted a post about artist Patricia van …
Smoke Screen: Campus Pipe Ads
There’s smoke on your computer screen, thanks to this selection of ads from the late ’40s and ’50s, mostly from the Daily Princetonian and Yale Daily News. Leave a comment if this post inspires any of you young men to take up the briar. Chens started at age 21. — CS & CC
Super Bowl Sunday Sartorial Showdown: ‘Pats & ‘Hawks Vs. Vince Lombardi
Packers legendary coach Vince Lombardi, in fedora, buttondown and striped tie, casts a cool gaze across the field…. … and sizes up his two opponents: He pauses to ponder their attire and helicopter-pilot headsets, then formulates his game plan: And four quarters later: Enjoy the game today. And here’s The Philadelphia Inquirer on the vast …
Why Not Take Olive Me
About a year and half ago I wrote a piece about olive and gray — the olive part didn’t exactly go over well with some readers. I forgot about the colors for a while, but when I did a more stringent than usual closet purge this fall, I rediscovered the color I’ve always been most …
Southern Exposure: Milton Julian, 1919-2015
I run into Alexander Julian every so often at menswear events. He’s always mentioning his family shop — Julian’s of Chapel Hill, NC — and how it helped popularize the Ivy League Look during the heyday. Well last week Alex lost his uncle Milton Julian, who was a partner in Julian’s before he set off …
The Ghost Of 346 Madison
Daniel C. Greenwood’s debut Millenial Fogey column on Brooks Brothers certainly stirred up discussion. It especially stirred up Chris Sharp, Ivy Style’s normally circumspect and disinterested assistant editor, known for his well researched historical pieces. He found himself inspired to lay his heart bare to the brand so dear to him that he recalls shopping …
The Millennial Fogey: Why Do We Get So Worked Up Over Brooks Brothers?
Daniel C. Greenwood (“DCG” in the comments section, and the singer in our Christmas recital video) herein debuts the first in a series of musings on the current retail landscape for trad clothing. He brings a fresh and young voice to Ivy Style, being under 30 yet with a great interest in this style’s long …
Brooks Brothers News Roundup
It’s time for a check-in with Brooks as there are several pieces of news: • Above is CEO Claudio del Vecchio speaking to Bloomberg News. • Shirt fits now use the same names as in other categories. • The company’s foray into the Australian market has had some bumps. • Last Friday Brooks tweeted an …
Preppy Undershirt: Polo Vs. Turtleneck
Last week I tweeted a one-liner about wearing a polo shirt under my oxford on a day when I wanted an extra layer. I thought it would make for an interesting post, particularly with a vote. I mean, how many of you actually do that? Then sure enough yesterday a member of our Facebook group …
The Bruce Boyer Alumni Profile
Today Lehigh University put up a lengthy profile on G. Bruce Boyer from a piece that ran in the school’s alumni magazine. I supplied some quotes about my avuncular colleague who’s certainly inspired me in my own writings on clothes. Check it out here. — CC