James Brown III: LIFE Magazine’s Face Of Ivy, 1954

This article from Christopher Sharp was originally posted by Christian Chensvold on September 12, 2014.  The name James M. Brown III may not be familiar to you, but every trad web surfer knows his face, the face of an undergraduate of 60 years ago. Brown is pictured above in a shot from LIFE Magazine’s 1954 …


Fit For A Gentleman: Brooks Brothers and Roger Federer

By Matthew Longcore Each summer, the incoming inductees at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island are welcomed into the esteemed club with the presentation of their official custom-made Brooks Brothers blazers. This year’s blazer presentation will take place during the Fit for Fame event on Friday, August 28. The event will …


American Bespoke In The Heartland

Classic American tailoring is often discussed in the past tense. At Tailored Society in Carmel, Indiana, it is practiced in the present — at a master level. Co-founders Wade Forman and Zachary Reeder both entered menswear at sixteen and went on to earn certification through the Custom Tailors & Designers Association, which was founded in …


The Natural Shoulder

By James Moore Ivy Style contributor James Moore is the English Department Chair and Director of Squash Programs at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. Jim is a graduate of Cornell University where he was a member of the squash team, the glee club, and the Delta Chi fraternity. In this article, Jim suggests that …


The Andover Shop Hosts Author James Ellroy

By Rhys Moore Rhys Moore is the CEO of St Johns Fragrance Company. Rhys attended a cocktail party hosted by The Andover Shop. The guest of honor, novelist James Ellroy – The New York Times bestselling author and aficionado of Ivy Style clothing – entertained guests with his wit and humor. Rhys shares his recollections …


Ivy Style talks with Jack Carlson of J. Press

Matthew Longcore: Welcome back. We had our first interview for Ivy Style back in November 2025. With so much happening at J. Press, I am glad that we have the opportunity to continue our conversation. Let’s begin with Take Ivy. As many Ivy Style readers know, the book featuring photographs of Ivy League students was …


Heritage Brands South of the Mason-Dixon

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 …


The Revival of Davey’s

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 …


Reflections on the Classics at the Dangremond Lecture

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 …


What’s In A Name? Heritage Brands

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 …


Gilded Age Fashion interview with author Elizabeth L. Block, PhD

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 …


America 250 Giveaway

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 …


A Treasure Trove In Lancaster

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, …


Protestant Deformation: Neurotic WASPs, 1990

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 …


Trinity’s Preppy Culture Defined

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 …


Madras Giveaway

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 …


Ivy Style Father’s Day Gift Guide

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 …


Cable Car Clothiers

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 …


Ponderings of Prep

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 …