The backstory: Brooks Brothers is ironic. As a flagship merchant for what is perceived to be the upper class, it has been empty-billfolded for a while now. A few owners, then finally, a covid tipping point bankruptcy, followed by a $325 million acquisition by the Authentic Brands Group, and The Sparc Group, in a venture …
Take a look at the guy above: Mild-mannered schoolteacher, or James Bond, license to kill? Pictured here are screenshots from the 1961 saccharine-fest “Tammy Tell Me True,” a sequel to the equally tooth-rotting “Tammy,” whose title song was a hit for Pat Boone, which pretty much says it all. In the follow-up, Sandra Dee stars …
In yesterday’s Old Money post, I left a comment referencing the concept of the dandy as self-made aristocrat. Although in the digital style world “dandy” has the connotation of foppish peacocks at Pitti Uomo, in its original conception it was something quite different. The title character in Louis Auchincloss’ “The Rector of Justin,” a staple …
The first edition of the Old Money Book was published in 2013. Byron Tully, an American writer living in Paris, recently updated the book to reflect changes in the world since the coronavirus pandemic began. This is a carefully researched, thoughtful, and practical book. It is a must-have for anyone interested in Ivy or traditional …
Looks good on anyone.
Is there anything more exhilarating and terrifying than trying to launch a business? Perhaps a few things. But what about doing it as a young man full of ambition but no experience? And within the notoriously challenging apparel and footwear industry? But Justin Jeffers is not just a young man, but a “fine young gentleman,” …
This week discussion erupted — well, at least between a couple guys — regarding whether Ivy-preppy is a truly American style, or a global one because of its varied components and the people who wear it. Well back in 2012 during the last global Ivy trend, the French magazine Monsieur could declare the whole world was …
What is the future of dressing up? Has the pandemic, as many have suggested, killed off proper attire for good? Back in January I published a storybook of “apocalyptic menswear fiction” in which I assembled the entire history of men’s fashion in one place, lit a match and burned it to the ground. And just …
One of the many things I remember about my parents across their 55-year marriage is that they always followed politics. When I was little, I’d hear them mention off-handedly about friends or relatives, “Oh, they’re just Republicans.” And when I was older, after their political persuasions had moved right of center, “Oh, they’re just Democrats.” …
The last time there was a hit TV show called “Gossip Girl,” a certain patchwork scarf from J. Press had its 15 minutes as a fashion icon. Now a new version of the show — which centers around kids at an Upper East Side prep school — is being shot for release next year. Time …
Nine years ago Jeffrey Banks and Doria de La Chapelle presented me with a copy of their book, “Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style.” It was an honor as a couple of my Q&As for Ivy Style are cited in the credits, as is W. David Marx’s article on the Miyuki-zoku, plus work from early Ivy Style …
In 2015, PowerHouse Books, publishers of “Take Ivy,” released another book chronicling midcentury life on the East Coast. “Rebirth of the Cool: Discover the Art of Robert James Campbell” features mostly photos of jazz musicians, along with various shots of life in New York City by a photographer, as the title suggests, in the process …
Yesterday I awoke with one of those inexplicable feelings of esprit. The energies were flowing, the early autumn weather stimulating in its tension of changing seasons, and life felt good. Soon I realized that despite no particular place to go save where whim might take me, I found myself in a pleasantly drawn-out session of …
On Monday I posted an essay musing on whether we’ve lost the sense of cool, while also arguing that its spirit of detachment, poise and style has been with us at least since the time of Alcibiades. Then yesterday our eminent new professorial contributor took us on a stroll through the Ivy heyday, when Brooks …
It is remarkable how many references to Brooks Brothers appear in discussions of mid-century American poetry, most of them critical. As the discipline of creative writing grew, more poets found work in the academy. Critics of this new system and the poetry it produced liked to describe these poet-professors as dressed in Brooks Brothers, a …
Today Ivy Style extends warmest wishes for a happy International Men’s Day, with a little help from Harvard’s theatrical troupe The Hasty Pudding Club. The above image dates from the 1880s, when men were men.
Our last post ended with a shot of Norman Mailer arm-wrestling Muhammad Ali, or at least pretending to. So in light of that, and because coincidentally I got back into training yesterday, here’s a fresh look at the man born Cassius Clay, who is pictured in the blistering combination of checked jacket and white buttondown. …
Today we revisit one of the great icons of manly trad, who always gave the impression that, at any moment, he might take off his sack jacket, club tie and oxford and arm-wrestle Muhammad Ali.
One thing’s for certain: nothing’s funny anymore. Once upon a time, say back in the Middle Ages, monarchs and jesters held the mutual understanding that mocking the king in front of the court was fine, so long as there was a grain of truth to the jest. Today comedians say their audience has become a …