The Ivy Friendship Essay

“Out of all the pearls I can buy in the world, I need my college best friend’s two dollar necklace.”  – Vaishali College is not the given it once was.  I am fashioning this divining rod for college as my daughter graduates her freshman year in high school.  And I am struggling.  She has the



Requiescat In Pace

If you have a Presidential Memorial Day quote you would like us all to see, please post it in the comments and I will find a photo to go with it and post it between now and Tuesday morning.  Tuesday is our review of Mountain & Sackett’s Spring/Summer ties, but until then have a safe


Accidentally Ivy Part Two – J. Peterman

This is J. Peterman.  I am not at all sure how Ivy this is.     The company was founded in 1987.   The company did not appear on Seinfeld until 1995, and if you ask USA Today it wasn’t until then that fame came. I would argue that fame happened long before or else why


Ivy Notes S1 E20

What’s that cover image?  It is the St. Leonard’s Women’s Lacross Team, 1890.   Why is it here?  Two reasons.  First, it is a cool image and lacrosse is Ivy.  Four Ivy League schools in the final eight for national title this year.  Second, got my butt beat doing a boxing training with a female trainer


If For Some Stupid Reason You Still Think Ballcaps Aren’t Ivy

I would like to think that if Roger Angell were a guitar player with a teen daughter, he would wear an earring.  He definitely combined worlds.  As a word-by-word best-in-class editor whose mother married E.B. White (and didn’t tell him), Angell could have written anything, and he chose to focus on a game.  Baseball. Roger




Ivy Notes S1 E18 Met Two Of My Bucket List People.

Thank you to J. Press for hosting a wonderful evening. A number of great things happened. First, I FINALLY got to meet Laura Arnold in person.   Mountain & Sackett, the company that is 3rd generation family owned and makes their silk-on-both-sides ties, has their spring collection out.  I am going to review it later


Ivy Notes S1 E17

  My friend Chapman is looking for vintage Tretorns, women’s, Size 10.  If you know of any, leave it in the comments?   I am working on a piece about the WHY of Ivy looking good and wanted to bounce three theories off of you first.  If you do some online research, you find, well,


If The Shoe Fits, You Got At Least Something Right

Was at the gym  Saturday morning.   Guy walks in with a shirt that looks like it came in a spray can.   I always carry a bag, the bag has a notebook in it.    Here’s what I came up with: Bro you are not an Avenger. In working with Dylan and Duncan (and Elena, which



Two Things An Ivy Mind Should Know About

Thank you, Matthew Reichlin over at the FB Group.  I know, you don’t like FB.  You should join just for this group.  In fact, if you click on the picture… That’s Maria Popova.  She has an interview policy I do not understand.  I understand asking for donations for your site, the thought has occurred.  But


J. Press Hosts (and serves) Madras.

J. Press will be there.  Because it is at J. Press. On Tuesday, May 10 at the store in D.C. (that’s 1801 L Street NW #2) from 6 – 8PM,  and on Thursday, May 12 at the store in NYC (that’s 51 E44th Street) J. Press is hosting an event, and you are invited. Rhys


Ivy Is Elegant. Are You?

Is lipstick on a pig Ivy? I refer you to some Ivy reference points.  Davis. McQueen.  Kennedy.  Poitier.  Bush.  Astaire.  O’Rourke.  You can wear what they wear.  You probably own some of what they wear (except maybe Bush’s latter day socks – which were the apex of elegance but easier to pull off once the