The Initiation

Pictured is freshman William Song keeping the Ivy Look alive and well at Harvard.

He donned this festive outfit for what might be considered the rather serious matter of initiation into the Harvard Crimson Business Board.

Wearing a vintage Brooks Brothers blazer, Song says he stopped by The Andover Shop on the same day as the initiation. “Charlie, when I dropped in to chat with him, said the outfit was well put together. On the other hand, I got some disgruntled looks from those who weren’t savvy on madras pants.”

JFK served on the board while at Harvard, Song says, and in our next post we’ll look at some recently released video footage of JFK’s college days. — CC

33 Comments on "The Initiation"

  1. Mitchell S. | April 30, 2017 at 2:32 pm |

    Those pants look very “King of the Hoboes.”

  2. I’m sure young William will be king of something someday.

  3. Looking good William! Keep it up!

  4. That’s a great tie length and nice look overall, might I add. Sad to think that well dressed students are a minority.

  5. I wonder if he paid retail?

  6. He looks like the type of kid that would wear sockless tassels in 20 degree weather because its “trad”.

  7. “Sad to think that well dressed students are a minority.”

    Huh?

  8. Executed very well, indeed. Not a fan of patch madras pants, but he seems to make it work. Props to him.

  9. @ROI

    I believe he meant a numerical minority. Our young friend here is surely (sartorially) outnumbered, even at Harvard Business School.

  10. Ever see an outfit and get smacked by “why didn’t I think of that?” The blue blazer, conservative repo tie and madras pants are great. Song, care to share where you acquired the pants?

  11. Charlottesville | May 1, 2017 at 9:59 am |

    Another great look from an up-and-coming Ivy guy. So glad that Mr. Song is keeping it going for another generation.

  12. .weston.pecos. | May 1, 2017 at 1:14 pm |

    The pants look ridiculous and informal, not at all fitting to the situation. You may call them classic Ivy. I call that look sloppy. But wait, there’s more, and it get’s worse: In today’s world where young people are found wearing their pajama pant-style clothing all over the place, one who desires to wear madras pants must carefully consider their choices and desires. He may be wearing finely constructed, high-priced “men’s trousers” but they LOOK like he is wearing pajama pants, just like every other slob his age.

  13. Exactly! I’m sure every other slob his age said, “He’s wearing pajama pants, just like us!”

    Love the scare quotes around “men’s trousers.”

  14. Just to clarify, I meant that there is a lack of well dressed students. Thought I was being clear…

  15. Not sad to see that miniorites are wearing good clothes. That would be ridiculous.

  16. Chewco L.P. (Offshore) | May 1, 2017 at 2:00 pm |

    Solid outfit. I’ve been meaning to acquire a pair of monochromatic madras patchwork pants/shorts. I think O’Connells has a pair.

    Formal top + casual bottom is definitely a statement. Reminds me of this outfit: https://www.instagram.com/p/BRxB3HXhIg5/?taken-by=bindoong_

    Very striking. I see little flaws in either.

  17. Mark Henckel | May 1, 2017 at 2:08 pm |

    Very nicely done!!

  18. NaturalShoulder | May 1, 2017 at 2:14 pm |

    Substitute the patch madras for regular madras and it is a look I wore back in college and still sport occasionally nearly 30 years later. I understand that the patch madras may come across as underdressed given occasion, but I am willing to cut him some leeway given age. Keep up good work.

  19. What a handsome young fellow!

    I think GS’s off-color comment was but a Freudian slip.

  20. Mr. Press, I’ll admit that’s a funny jab you got me with, albeit untrue. However I’m reminded of a quote supposedly uttered by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin: “looking at the Earth from afar, you realize it is too small for conflict and just big enough for cooperation.” With that, I kindly ask that we bury this hatchet and stop sparring. I am sorry for having made an adversary out of you just because we don’t agree politically.

  21. Chewco L.P. (Offshore) | May 3, 2017 at 9:55 am |

    I don’t think Mr. Press took issue with your politics. I think he took issue with your syntax, which created a double entendre: one if read grammatically meant that you were sad to see that there were few well dressed students, and the other if read ungrammatically meant that you were sad to see Asians (minorities) dressed in ivy garb.

    I think we all got what you originally intended and were just poking fun at you.

  22. GS

    You should consider picking up a copy of The Sense of Style – the Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker.

  23. Chewco, he and I had an ongoing feud on a few threads which is what I was referring to. I found his remark funny either way and I don’t mind people poking fun at me. I think that ROI purposely misunderstood that sentence. Don’t see why someone would read it ungrammatically. Either way, I’ll work on my syntax!

    Mr. Korn, that’s for the tip I’ll check it out.

  24. His sleeves indicate to me that he’s wearing a short sleeve button down. Lets just hope it’s a hand-me-down that he’s out grown.

  25. Ezra Cornell | May 4, 2017 at 11:06 pm |

    Go for it, Mr. Song! Love the look. And props to Christian for bringing him to our attention.

  26. Henry Contestwinner | May 6, 2017 at 12:15 am |

    Thanks for giving GS a chance to re-examine his wording, ROI. People who want to be offended can find offense in anything, but I thought it was clear from context that GS did not mean the unpleasant reading of his words.

    Which is not to detract from King Richard’s zinger.

  27. All I said was, “Huh?”

  28. Well put, Henry.

  29. I know this is a late reply but thank you, Henry, you put it perfectly as usual.

    So what exactly did you mean, ROI? It sounded as though you were confused by my initial comment.

  30. Jack_Aubrey | May 9, 2017 at 4:23 pm |

    Blurry pic, but I am pretty sure that is my favorite tie of its kind – J.Press blue/navy/silver regimental

  31. Jack_Aubrey | May 9, 2017 at 4:25 pm |

    Sorry, that was supposed to read – navy/silver/burgundy

  32. Wow. There are some mean people frequenting these pages. Personally, I think this young guy’s look is a bit overdone for the occasion, but what the heck — he’s young, full of enthusiasm and wants to wear jackass pants, so why the hell not? As the old song goes, “You can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself…”

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