Never, Always, Sometimes: Ten Simple Rules of the Southern Collegiate Style
By James H. Grant
As far as I know, there were no codified standards which governed how we should dress when I went off to college in the 1960’s. There was no handbook, no Hoyle’s Guide, and no Marquess of Queensberry Rules. We were pretty much on our own. Nevertheless, with the advice of friends, fraternity brothers and a few helpful clothing store managers, we learned how to dress in what we called the southern collegiate style.
Even still, the heyday of that style was a mere anomalous blip on the sartorial continuum of our times. It probably only survived for a decade – from the late 1950’s to about 1968. Some of the key elements of the style endured incognito. They enjoyed a renaissance a few years later, and indeed, continue to be popular today.
Here are some standards that were relevant to the southern traditional mode of dress that are probably just as valid today as they were sixty years ago.
Rule 1
If you attended a college or university in the southeastern United States in the 1960’s, and if you adhered to the southern collegiate style, your suit jackets, sport coats, and blazers were ALWAYS in the three-button sack style (no darts) with natural shoulders and center vent. (This style is difficult to find these days, but it is still available. You just have to look for the right shop.)
Rule 2
You NEVER purchased a three-piece suit without first trying on the vest to make sure your belt buckle and the bottom of your tie were completely covered. You just never wanted your belt buckle or the end of your tie to be seen under your vest. Period. If either of those two situations arose, your suit simply did not fit.
Rule 3
Your trousers ALWAYS had 1¾” cuffs. This rule applied to all pants, with the exception of military uniforms, work clothes, blue jeans, and athletic gear. All others – flannels, tropical worsteds, corduroys, gaberdines, khakis, seersuckers, poplins, and white ducks – required 1¾” cuffs. And just as importantly, your trousers NEVER had a break at the top of the shoe. Period.
Rule 4
It was OK if your tie hung a little askew. In fact, it was preferred. (We used to call it random.) The knot was NEVER perfectly symmetrical like the old-fashioned Windsor knot your Dad used. The preferred knot was the Four-in-Hand, which ALWAYS hung slightly to the left or right. That was in keeping with the casual nature of the style. And there was NEVER a gap at the top of the knot so the shirt or the button could be seen.
Rule 5
The tie was NEVER cluttered with a tie bar, tie clip, tie tack, or tie pin. Period.
Nota bene: If you used one of those superfluous adornments, you probably also had a cheap vinyl pocket-protector embossed “AAA Septic Tank Service – Free Estimates,” and it was probably stocked with four or five cheap ball-point pens. And your glasses would have been held together by adhesive tape.
Rule 6
Your tie NEVER terminated above or below your belt buckle. It ALWAYS just covered the buckle. Sometimes, you had to tie it two or three times to get it just right. If the tie terminated above the buckle, you would look like Oliver Hardy.
Rule 7
NEVER tuck your tie into your trousers. The only possible exception to this rule would be that it was SOMETIMES prudent to keep your tie from dangling out from under your V-neck sweater or vest. (See No. 2 above.)
Rule 8
If you chose to use a pocket square, it ALWAYS had to (a) complement the suit or sport coat you were wearing, and (b) it had to be appropriate to the occasion.
If you wanted to look like your father or grandfather, or if you were trying to achieve that 1950’s Don Draper look, you might opt for this.
But if you wanted to portray a little panache or creativity, you might have opted for this “devil-may-care” casual look. (To achieve this style, you just lay the pocket square on a flat surface, fold a square corner to its opposite corner, repeat that with the other two points, and cram the handkerchief into your breast pocket. It should ALWAYS look somewhat haphazard, NEVER neat or crisp.
Rule 9
NEVER wear a suit without a tie. Just don’t do it! It is not a good look. A plaid sport coat or blazer without a tie is perfectly acceptable, but not a suit. If you wear a suit without a tie, you will look like a politician or a corporate executive who is trying to be cool in front of his constituents or employees. “Hey, look at me. I’m just a regular guy like you.” No one will fall for that bogus, cockamamie ruse.
Rule 10
If you are ever in a quandary about some sartorial detail or what you should wear, NEVER ask your mother, wife or girlfriend for advice. But SOMETIMES, if they offer a suggestion, you just have to take one for the team and do what they say. “Discretion is the greater part of valor.”
As previously mentioned, these guidelines had a very limited shelf life. The southern collegiate style essentially coincided with the decade of the 1960’s and declined in popularity during what became known as the “Vietnam Era.” Nevertheless, it would be my guess that these simple rules are as relevant to the traditional mode of dress today as they were sixty years ago. You be the judge.
I think Southern Collegiate Style enjoyed a Renaissance in the early 1980s, at least in Virginia. I was in grad school at William & Mary in the early 1980s and I immediately noticed the three roll to two jacket style that many of my classmates preferred when going to job interviews. Of course, this also coincided with the rise of Ralph Lauren and the preppy style. But the more formal rules of the southern collegiate look predominated whenever a more formal look was called for.
My brother wore the exact same stuff in the mid-60’s at UT-Austin. When I arrived at UT in ‘77, the look was still around, but not as prevalent nor as strict about the rules.
We had some Texas variants, such as cowboy boots and Wrangler cowboy cut blue jeans. Scuffed up ropers were common.
Ralph’s stuff hit Austin around then and a worn out, tattered pony logo became a thing. I thought his OCBD’s were poorly made and over-priced. I wore Burt Pulitzers when I could afford them and Lands End when I couldn’t.
The rule with three piece suits should be that no belt should be worn ever; only braces.
Hasn’t this look survived at least somewhat in the Southern country club land and in towns like Charleston? No three-roll-two jackets I guess, but the overall aesthetic is similar. Seersucker and bow ties are still worn. Senator L. Graham dresses in the southern style and actually has a three-roll-two navy blazer with brass buttons.
This is excellent.
The older, committed devotees of Southern Collegiate Style (S.C.S.) kept several men’s (campus)stores and makers (manufacturers) alive, well and thriving throughout the 1970s and 80s, including Norman Hilton and Southwick.
Had either of these makers been forced to rely on other markets (including, with apologies to Muffy, New England), their demise would have happened much sooner. And much more swiftly.
Unfortunately S.C.S. was poisoned by Y.J.S. * during the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s, fostered with deadly speed and efficiency by the internet. Nowadays it’s impossible to differentiate most Hsmpden Sydney alums from the typical Boston College alum. Thanks to the Vineyardizatiom (and Nantucket’ing) of “preppy,” these days S.C.S. is unique —and rarely encountered. So much so that it comprises an act of sartorial rebellion.
The legendary S.C.S. bulwarks are gone with the wind, replaced by retailers who’ve embraced versions of “Updated Traditional” (think Paul Stuart). The fabrics are precious and flimsy and frequently shiny, the two-button jacket reigns, shirts are spread collar’d, and cashmere is given priority. Ugh.
* Yankee Jackass Style
S.E. Well-said. The style continued to flourish at H. Stockton (Atlanta), the Georgetown University Shop (D.C.), The Gentry Ltd. (Chattanooga) and a few others in the 70’s and 80’s. But it was a war of attrition. As the proprietors and patrons started retiring and dying off, the style faded, or the retailers adopted the new “updated” traditional. Today, the old Southern collegiate style is rarely seen except on a few old curmudgeons like me, and apparently, you. James H. Grant
I’ll add a few more: button-down collar’d oxfords, handsewn mocs (penny and tassel), tartan accessories (ties, mufflers, belts, etc.), and argyle sweaters and socks. The Shetland jackets and flannel suits were lighter in weight (Southwick maintained 8 oz. worsted flannel and 10 oz. Shetland tweed), and wool challis ties, both prints and stripes, were ubiquitous among Southern college faculty and students.
I spy “rebellion” and “gone with the wind” in your prose, S.E. Very clever ; )
S.E. This article is just a brief recap of some of the unwritten rules of the southern collegiate style. For a more comprehensive overview of the style, see my original 2019 article for Ivy Style. Go to Ivy Style search, type “No Socks in Sight” and hit Enter. By the way, I never saw Argyle sweaters or socks in the 1960’s, but “Amen” to wool challis ties! They are difficult to find in good colors these days. Thanks. JHG
As a current Hampden-Sydney student, I will say that “YJS” is often a pleasant sight in comparison with the “redneck chique” that is increasingly pervasive among southern students. My former roommate grew up in west Texas and remarked that even there for most of his life one didn’t see cowboy boots unless they regularly rode or were into line dancing, but now they are regularly paired with khakis and blazer on dudes (or with dresses for women) who have never been on a horse in their lives. It can be pulled off but more often than not just looks out of place. Alternatively, YJS has in large part become SEC-ized and you will see southern students distinguish themselves from their northern counterparts with slightly more tasteful Peter Millar golf polos. Lamentably for the older generation these are often paired with things like Lululemon dri-fit shorts and flip flops.
I will say I’m not orthodox on SCS by any means and would consider myself more handbook-era preppy in my dress, but learning about the old rules is very interesting and I do my best to raise the standard in any way I can.
Thank you for a delightful post, Mr. Grant. The style was certainly still present at Washington & Lee in the 1980s, and was a favored look among lawyers and Hill types when I went to work in Washington later that decade. Brooks Brothers (RIP) and J. Press provided the clothing, along with college-town shops like Eljo’s in Charlottesville and Alvin-Dennis in Lexington, Virginia, both of which remain open for business. It is still the way I dress today, and can be spotted occasionally in Charlottesville and Charleston, although, alas, generally not on college students.
C.ville, are the rumors on social true that Eljo’s is no more? Truly sad indeed. But when members of Congress want to wear sneakers to work, and lawyers wear jeans unless they are in court, what hope is there. Best to you, fellow Virginian!
Good to hear from you, JDV. I hope you are doing well.
The owner of Eljo’s (Myles Thurston) is indeed retiring after 60 years of working there, first as a salesman and then as owner. He and his son Trent told me in December that they found a buyer who planned to keep the store open, but I don’t know the status at the moment. I need to stop in and see what is going on.
My uncle who once was president of PVCC liked clothes and sometimes left his good condition hand me downs at my parents’ house when he visited. I was starting my career in the late ‘80s and happy to get them. RLP and LLB, were favorites, along with Eljo’s. Those were much welcome. I miss them—and him.
My maternal uncle dressed thusly at Sewanee in the late 60s through early 70s (he still does). According to various photographs I’ve seen of her social engagements, some young men there still did in the early 2000s when his first daughter, my cousin, was a student there. In any case, a sound set of guidelines to dress by
Kind Friday Regards,
H-U
I’ll add a few:
– Button down(ed) collars. Period. Usually oxford cloth. Maybe, on the rare occasion, a tab or club (rounded)
– The rule of three: 3-inch blade width (neckties), 3-inch lapel width
– Lightweight Shetland and flannel. At least three S.C.S. retailers referenced the Shetland yarns of that era, used for jackets and sweaters: it was decidedly lighter weight (think 10 oz. for sport jacket cloth), rendering it comfortable/wearable through late spring. The flannel suits and pants were worsted and zephyr weight (think 8/9 oz.)
– wool challis: a preponderance of fall/winter neckwear, including neats and stripes, were 100% British wool(len) challis
– Handsewn mocs, both penny and tassel: yes, Weejuns (of course), but the top drawer stores were stocking Alden by the late 1960s. Including ELJO’s, Bill King, H. Stockton, and Max’s
– Argyle — sweaters and socks
– Tartans galore, including jackets, neckties, watchbands, belts, hats, and mufflers
–
Being from the North notwithstanding, I still adhere to all of these rules except No. 3: a 1-1/2″ cuff works best for me.
I began embracing all of these conventions after first encountering regular use of neckties in Norfolk in the 1950s. All these years later and after many moves I still embrace them. My beloved Vanessa at Ace Tailors, here in Austin, has the touching but not breaking and the 1 3/4″ cuff down pat. All of these conventions make great sense, but I am pretty much done with three piece suits. It is too warm, and they are too hard to find. To my eye the most readily apparent sign that someone else embraces this is the slightly askew four-in-hand knot on a repp tie that is floating freely. Southern sprezzatura is a delight. Texas, sadly, is a state where suits are often worn with pooling trousers, starched white point collar shirts, darted jackets, and, gasp, way too many novelty ties.
Ditto on Ace Tailors in Austin. They’re indispensable if you, as I did, spring for an O’Connells suit online.
Mr. Irvine, how nice to see your post. Live in Colo. now but my best pre-married years were spent living in Norfolk’s Ghent neighborhood, ‘94-‘03. There’s no place like it and I miss it every day, though, life in general is far better now as a husband of 1 and dad of 2. Blessings to you down there in Austin.
It is so nice to hear from another who appreciates Norfolk. We lived there multiple times due to multiple sea duties, first in the Sussex Garden Apartments on Timothy Ave. and last on Magnolia Ave. My best friend lived at the end of Oak Grove Rd. on Crab Creek, but they had rented it out while stationed elsewhere and rented a huge old house in Ghent when they returned to Norfolk. Those huge homes in Ghent were amazing. Thanks for the blessings. I return them.
Dated a girl in the early 90s who grew up on Magnolia Ave. Lovely neighborhood.
Excellent post, Mr. Grant! I am always refreshed when we revisit dogma. The 10 Commandments of S.C.S.
Perhaps I may remain in communion though I, like Fred Johnson, wear cuffs 1 1/2”, and prefer trousers a little wider at the hem, with no break, and 1/2” longer at the rear crease, when possible (a variation on the “West Point cut”).
I really wish I had been aware of H. Stockton when I lived in Atlanta. I found them in the mall just a couple of weeks before moving. They had a place next door to BB, downtown on Peachtree, walking distance from GA State and the Rialto, next door to the 191 Club, if I remember correctly. That location was always closed unfortunately.
Concerning “tie-bars”, I never wear one, but I would if I were willing to spring for a Ben Silver.
No one would know because I would wear it just below button 2, like Charlottesville. 😉
By the way, what’s going on at Ben Silver?
Ben Silver, that brings back memories! We need a feature on Ben Silver here on Ivy Style.
Ben Silver is a great store in Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. and Mrs. Prenner have excellent taste and produce some of the finest catalogs you will ever see from a clothing retailer. I purchase just enough to keep getting the catalogs. I am an unemployed (retired) octogenarian who already owns enough clothing to last until my next venue. Admittedly, Ben Silver’s style is “updated” traditional, but the “look” is impeccable. The catalogs feature clean-cut southern guys and young ladies who look like regular attorneys, businessmen, sales reps, etc. — no goatees, no tattoos, no earrings (except on the ladies, of course) or other pop culture embellishments. The merchandise is well-coordinated — great sport coats and sweaters, Crockett & Jones shoes from England, fantastic selection of shirts, ties and accessories. And what other men’s store can you name that produces a 52-page catalog featuring nothing but classic, mostly tortoise shell, traditional eyewear? Ben Silver rocks!
It may be that the key word is “collegiate.” Growing up, this was the word I heard most frequently in reference to this particular style. “Professorial” too. After all these years, it still seems most at home in the corner of the library, the campus chapel, the offices of presidents and deans, and, of course, the classroom. Of all the “dressed up” looks/styles, this is the only one that’s demonstrably, unquestionably studious. Which is why I still favor it. The “cool” element is historically, inextricably connected with relaxed erudition.
Samuel, I agree with you about the word “collegiate.” It is a word which evokes a certain classic timelessness. I have used the term frequently while writing my doctoral dissertation on Collegiate Gothic architecture. The dissertation is titled “Dreaming Spires: Collegiate Gothic Architecture on American Campuses.” I like to think that Ivy style is really about a clothing style rooted in collegiate settings, Gothic and otherwise.
Yes. Any/all who’ve embraced the look (including 50s/60s era jazz musicians) beyond the campus walls were assuredly drawn to the inherent “collegiateness.” An intentionally relaxed, rumpled vibe, and if/when a few nuances are disregarded/eschewed (narrow shoulders; zero padding; diminutive lapels; button down collar; rugged, hard-wearing cloth), the collegiate charm is, well, lost. It becomes something else.
Another wonderful written contribution from Mr. Grant. Yes indeed these rules if followed today will find a man well turned out and present an image of serious, but approachable. Such a man avoids the common athleisure and finance bro looks but avoids the formality of the, well for lack of better word, boardroom look.
S.E. – the Y.J.S. is brilliant and I will use with appropriate attribution.
Wonderful post on how things used to (and ought to) be. Went to Southern liberal arts Emory & Henry in Virginia in the early eighties. My frat brothers and I had mostly gone to blue blazers and khakis by then, but my first navy suit was in the closet, bought at S&K in Roanoke with a Bert Pulitzer dress shirt, although followed the 1 1/4” cuffs as espoused by Malloy’s book, given to me by my older brother. Still recall my red foulard necktie and wish I still owned it.
JDV — Sting ‘em, Wasps, sting ‘em!
in the early 1960s, “SCS” was also present at small colleges in the Midwest – all of the above unwritten rules were in effect during my tenure. Perhaps a difference is that a relatively low percentage of male students adhered to SCS. Chicago had Brittany Ltd., Brooks Brothers before expansion, plus Robertson’s in Lake Forest. In my downstate home town there was a Southwick retailer (I found it listed in a vintage Southwick ad featuring sport coats from $60 and suits from $75). I attended law school in the South and my midwestern wardrobe was right at home.
There seems to be some disinformation, perpetuated by retailers, that a sack jacket is for fat guys. I was in terrific shape when I had O’Connell’s measure me up for two sack suits. They did an excellent job. I turned out comfortably and confidently well dressed.
Not to turn this into politics, but “we” need to get back on our feet, and one way to help do that is to make men’s-wear great again, by importing high quality cloth and manufacturing here in the USA to our standard. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to do that. Repatriate Southwick. Offer Tailor Caid dual citizenship and set him up in NY to train apprentice tailors. Remember Hardwick in TN? Contract with Hardwick for military uniforms if they will agree to make-to-measure quality, SCS civies. PX/BX/NavEX. It can be done. I can help. Anybody listening?
It ain’t the purist’s Ivy but Bryceland’s tailoring is terrific. https://www.brycelandsco.com/pages/tailoringmade-to-measure
Tailor Caid (Yamamoto-san) is thriving in Tokyo.
https://www.tailorcaid.com/index.html
He visits The Armoury shops in NYC (UES & Tribeca) regularly.
https://www.thearmoury.com/custom-bespoke/trunk-shows/tailor-caid?srsltid=AfmBOopBa9dAa4xxThGMTZzVRDXcJKRmq5j-L-SmwLtU-0ddbDQ2sDy2
And what seems to be the malfunction at Atkinsons? They made gorgeous ties for O’Connell’s. What? If it sells we stop making it? This some sort of three dimensional marketing strategy, or what?
I attended university in Canada in the late 1960s and 1970s. Of the 10 points on the list, the only one which was very seldom worn in Canada was the three button sack suit. It was offered for a short time in the 1960s, I think, and not since. The other thing that was/is very common in the southern United States (and elsewhere in the US) is the OCBD shirt which for some is standard every day, even with suits. BD shirts are worn in Canada and occasionally in the United Kingdom now, but not to the extent as in the USA, either in the distant past or present.
The other sartorial points on the list are conventions of good male attire that can be widely seen on those who still wear ties and tailored clothing.
Great read.
Fabulous article-these rules will never go out of style.In my world, J.Press , Ben Silver and for casual garb Ralph Lauren rule the day. A couple of years ago, I purchased a double breasted camel hair topcoat from J. Press which I wear for business and casual wear-it is a gem. Keep up the great writing- wonderful traditions never die!
When I think about staunchly diehard Ivy of the S.C.S. school, certain fabrics come to mind: Irish Poplin, wool challis, lightweight Shetland (suitable for a Richmond June), and those full yarn’d (yet very open weave) worsted wool panama fabrics in multiple shades of gray, tan/khaki/raupe, and navy. The latter rendered a cooling effect.
Seersucker and madras appeared later — neither of them, hilariously, especially breathable / porous. Cotton refuses to absorb moisture, traps body heat, and, even when open weave, insulates in the worst way.
Winnowing the lining down to just the shoulders is the key for me. The lining definitely blocks the breeze and seems, at least to me, as the culprit for heat retention. My linen/silk/wool sport jacket with minimal lining is unbelievably breathable.
Another fact of S.C.S. is good physical shape/condition. A couple of glances at old 1950s/60s-era Calyx’s (W&L yearbooks) reveal/confirm that men of that time/place/culture were physically fit. Muscular Christianity, mens sana in corporate sano, and such.
Most excellent article, Mr. Grant. Thank you!
Y.J.S. isn’t much better than the other going look(s), including suburban athleisure, college-educated handyman (the Carhartt effect), U,M.T. (“Upper Middle Trucker”), Lazy Hippie. The steady drift (continuous lean?) toward workwear — the imagined alliance (laughable, ridiculous )with “common folk.” A colleague swears that the longstanding hostility toward intellectuals/intellectualism is the wellspring of Ivy’s demise. Seems plausible. “You dress like a professor of Classics,” a neighbor scolds. I smile.
For historical reference, pictures of Heyday S.C.S.
https://archive.org/details/kaleidoscope1968hamp/page/78/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/kaleidoscope1968hamp/page/40/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/kaleidoscope1968hamp/page/44/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/kaleidoscope1968hamp/page/62/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/kaleidoscope1968hamp/page/142/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/kaleidoscope1968hamp/page/180/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/kaleidoscope1968hamp/page/82/mode/2up
Some misleading advice in here. It’s quite literally impossible to keep a tie knot up all day without pinning the collar or using a tab collar. Just is what it is, especially with a droopy four in hand knot since they pull downwards not upwards.
Ties clips stabilise a tie either after the arch, or just to the shirt in general. Ties are supposed to be orderly, period.
Ties can end above the waistband, they just need to end beneath the buttoning stance of a coat so they’re stabilised when the coat is fastened. That’s it.
I.I.W.I.I. – Thanks for your comments. (1) This article was not intended to be advice. It was just an anthropological account of what some Southern college and university boys wore in the early 1960’s. (2) I have used the four-in-hand knot on my tie from roughly 1961 until last Sunday. I have never had a problem keeping my tie “high and tight” all day. During my career, I just checked it out every time I went to the men’s room. Moreover, I was in the furniture industry and was in and out of furniture stores all the time. There are always plenty of mirrors in furniture showrooms. I would say that 95% of the time my four-in-hand knot looked great. The other 5% of the time, I just tightened it up a little bit. (2) I never wore a tie pin, tie clip or tie tack and did not know anyone who did – except my grandfather. (3) You are correct, ties can terminate above the waistband, but they should not if you choose to dress in the southern collegiate style. Once again, I was just attempting to give an overview of some unwritten rules southern gentlemen adhered to in the 1960’s.