By James H. Grant Since I live in the Southeastern region of our country, I thought I would nominate some retailers I have known and patronized over the years as “Heritage Brands.” They are all exponents of the Ivy/Traditional/Collegiate style. Some have flourished for many years. Others enjoyed great success for a time but closed …
By Jacob Nuqui Ivy Style contributing writer Jacob Nuqui is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) where he studied Advertising and Marketing Communications. Currently he is an intern with Davey’s. Davey’s is an American heritage brand known their signature madras patchwork satchels, totes, and Bermuda bags. The revival of Davey’s is not …
By Matthew Longcore This month is an especially reflective time for Americans as we celebrate our 250 years of independence. So it was entirely fitting that this year’s David W. Dangremond Lecture hosted by the Preservation Society of Newport County in Newport, Rhode Island would feature the theme of Colonial and Colonial Revival arts and …
By Matthew Longcore What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. – William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet In celebration of our nation’s 250th anniversary, let’s take a look at the stories behind the names of American heritage brands. A memorable name is an important part …
By Isobel Harte Isobel Harte is an Ivy Style contributor who has written about pearls and cardigans. For all of us who are captivated by the clothing in period dramas such as Downton Abbey or The Gilded Age, art and culture historian Elizabeth L. Block, PhD, just published a book titled Gilded Age Fashion: More …
Ivy Style and the Preppy Handbook Fan Club have teamed up with our friends at Brooks Brothers, The Andover Shop, Castaway Nantucket, and Blue Door Vibes for an America 250 Giveaway. To enter the giveaway, visit the Ivy Style page on Instagram. The winner will receive a fantastic collection of items including: BROOKS BROTHERS Limited-Edition …
By Matthew Longcore Father’s Day is this weekend and I am visiting my dad in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster is a beautiful place. My dad calls it “God’s country” and with good reason. The bucolic region has miles of lush farmland. The downtown area is surprisingly hip, a center for arts and culture with fine restaurants, …
Christopher Sharp presents this swan song of ’80s prepdom from the January 1990 issue of M Magazine, a post that originally ran on Ivy Style in July of 2009. In keeping with the neurotic WASP theme, the scans were taken at a self-consciously nonchalant angle. * * * I’ve had this magazine for almost 20 …
by Matthew Longcore, Trinity class of ’94 This article originally appeared in the December 7, 2010 issue of The Trinity Tripod. It is official: Trinity is the preppiest college in New England. This proclamation was made by none other than Lisa Birnbach, author of the 1980 tongue-in-cheek bestseller The Official Preppy Handbook and co-author (with Chip …
Ivy Style and the Preppy Handbook Fan Club have teamed up with our friends at Brooks Brothers, Davey’s, Original Madras Company, and St Johns Fragrance Company for a Madras Giveaway. To enter the giveaway, visit the Ivy Style page on Instagram. The winner will receive a fantastic collection of items including: BROOKS BROTHERS No. 1 …
By Matthew Longcore Father’s Day is an important day on the Ivy Style calendar. Many of us learned about classic men’s style from our fathers. My dad is an Ivy League guy. He attended Brown University as an undergraduate and Cornell University for his MBA. I was born in Ithaca, New York when my dad …
In 1980, The Official Preppy Handbook included Cable Car Clothiers, a San Franciso haberdashery in its “Where To Shop” guide. The store is described as follows: “San Francisco’s British Goods Store since 1939.” Cable Car’s clothing selection and the store’s ads use of such terms as “handsome,” “classic,” and “superior fit” are dead giveaways that …
By Matthew Moskowski Ivy Style contributing writer Matthew Moskowski is a student at The Catholic University of America. Matthew is enthused with bringing prep to campus. He is studying business management and philosophy and is an active member of the campus community. Matthew serves as Vice President of the Student Body, Vice President of the …
Ivy Style editor Matthew Longcore had the opportunity to interview St Johns CEO Rhys Moore. Here is the transcript from the interview. Matthew: St Johns was founded in 1946, so this year marks the 80th Anniversary of the brand. Congratulations on this milestone! This definitely puts St Johns into heritage brand territory. Please share a …
This post, one of Ivy Style’s most heavily trafficked ever, was written by contributor Bill Stephenson in 2011. “This wonderful specialist was the J. Press of trad eyewear,” says David Wilder, who worked nearby at J. Press and is highly knowledgeable about eyewear. “The optical land of the P3 shape will never be the same, …
W. David Marx did this interview for Ivy Style back in 2013 while researching his groundbreaking book “Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style.” As part of the research he sat down with Toshiyuki Kurosu (pictured above second from left) at the Kamakura Shirts office in Tokyo. Kurosu is legendary in Japan as one of the very …
Last night I had the opportunity to attend the official release party for the Only NY × J. Press collaboration. The event took place at the J. Press Flagship Store in Manhattan, next to the Yale Club of New York City. The new collection features Made in USA items in navy and orange, including a …
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 …
By Alec Dent Ivy Style contributing writer Alec Dent is a reporter and editor for The Washington Post. Alec’s writing has also appeared in New York Magazine, Racquet, The Boston Globe, The Bulwark, The Daily Beast, Town & Country, and Vanity Fair. His interview with Jack Carlson titled “The New Pope of Prep” appeared in …