There are several bits of news here in Tradsville, so let’s take care of them all at once.
First off is a new e-book by Sven from Gentleman’s Gazette. The book is on the style of the 1930s and includes a number of Apparel Arts and Esquire images you may not have seen before, several of which feature a university setting from the time when college men were considered among the best dressed in the country.
Head over here, where you can get a free PDF copy of the book if you sign up for GG’s newsletter.
Next up, yesterday saw the release of the first lookbook by Harry Stedman, a small retro Americana-inspired UK brand. The photos are a bit “Wild Ones”/James Dean/rockabilly/Main Street, but they’re top notch and it’s nice to see tassel moccasins in a cool setting:
Also from the UK is a new shirt line called Fitzgerald’s Clothiers that has brought out a green oxford-cloth buttondown as worn by Miles Davis:
The York Street marketing machine has kicked in, as yesterday J. Press tweeted that $145 York Street sweatpants were featured in Men’s Journal. The image below shows the sweats on the Press website, where they’re paired with a bow tie. I suppose there is a logical reason why this could happen, such as coming back from a noontime workout and getting called into an emergency meeting before having finished getting dressed:
In the Ivy League Look I found a genre of clothing that is fairly fixed, which perhaps appeals to my sense of order. But it’s also flexible enough to appeal to all the sides of my personality. It can be cool, elegant, sporty, conservative. I also strongly identify with the approach of being relatively dressed up with casual attire and relatively dressed down with formal attire.
I’ve never been a retro-eccentric vintage wearer, though I’ve always taken my inspiration from the past. These days I’m playing with this kind of “beatnik chic” idea, which basically comes down to wearing my Ivy gear with, say, a black corduroy cap, black cable-knit cashmere sweater, and black penny loafers. But ask me next year and I’ll likely be working a different vibe.
Wonder if Stedman and Fitzgeralds are planning on getting a distributor across the pond. Stiff competition for Fitzgerald’s though with Mercer and the japanese…
Thanks for the heads up about the PDF at Gentleman’s Gazette. The Fitzgerald shirts look pretty nice. I have seen some cool madras from them as well.Not sure if they will make it on the site or not.
Ah, Miles’ green OCBD. I’d forgotten about that color (along with a brick red during the same time frame). Much better than the insipid ecru Brooks et al. laid out for the terminally cautious. Maybe I’ll find a few yards in some dusty corner of the Garment District.
The unlined collar and cuffs on those shirts by both Fitzgerald’s and Stedman are so appealing to me, as is the third rear collar button, but sadly the fact that they use S/M/L sizing leaves me unable to give them a try. I’d need a size small collar and a size large sleeve. If only Brooks would take heed of all the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the “trad” internet community and offer some unlined collar and cuff, must-iron OCBDs!!
Until then I subsist on thrift store finds and the occasional current Brooks offering. Thinking of saving up a little cash and giving Mercer or Kamakura a try soon.
@Cambridge Chris. Fitzgerald’s Clothiers is in it’s infancy at the moment. We hope to be able to expand and offer a full range of collar sizes and sleeve lengths in the not too distant future.
York St. will be gone in less than two years if they keep this up.
Wonder if Stedman and Fitzgeralds are planning on getting a distributor across the pond. Stiff competition for Fitzgerald’s though with Mercer and the japanese…
@Dave
Earlier than that, if we’re lucky.
I’m less intrigued by trying Fitzgerald’s (though I love the name) shirts than I am by Kamakura…
Christian,
Thanks for the heads up about the PDF at Gentleman’s Gazette. The Fitzgerald shirts look pretty nice. I have seen some cool madras from them as well.Not sure if they will make it on the site or not.
Ah, Miles’ green OCBD. I’d forgotten about that color (along with a brick red during the same time frame). Much better than the insipid ecru Brooks et al. laid out for the terminally cautious. Maybe I’ll find a few yards in some dusty corner of the Garment District.
Thanks for the mention Christian, much appreciated.
what’s with the jazz crap?
The unlined collar and cuffs on those shirts by both Fitzgerald’s and Stedman are so appealing to me, as is the third rear collar button, but sadly the fact that they use S/M/L sizing leaves me unable to give them a try. I’d need a size small collar and a size large sleeve. If only Brooks would take heed of all the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the “trad” internet community and offer some unlined collar and cuff, must-iron OCBDs!!
Until then I subsist on thrift store finds and the occasional current Brooks offering. Thinking of saving up a little cash and giving Mercer or Kamakura a try soon.
@Cambridge Chris. Fitzgerald’s Clothiers is in it’s infancy at the moment. We hope to be able to expand and offer a full range of collar sizes and sleeve lengths in the not too distant future.
Those old enough to remember, remember Ralph’s sports shirts were even sized by neck and sleeve length in the 70s.
@Fitzgerald’s Clothiers: that’s great to hear! I’ll keep watch. The shirts do look great.
JC Penney’s Stafford Prep strikes again: short-sleeve oxford in Miles Davis green:
http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/button-front/stafford-prep-short-sleeve-oxford-shirt/prod.jump?ppId=pp5002320056&catId=cat1002310005&deptId=dept20000014&pageSize=96&dimCombo=null&dimComboVal=null
Speaking of green. What are the opinions on the most important green piece of clothing? We’re talking Augusta National here, boys.