What To Do For A Halloween Post….

It’s Halloween 2019 and this is me wondering if I should post another satirical “trick” about campus culture or if nothing’s funny anymore.

And then I get the perfect idea for a Halloween post….

Me wearing a double-breasted waistcoat and watch chain!

Peter Lavelle, Ivy Style’s new Japanese reporter, certain thinks it’s funny. Here he is mocking my pretensions.

In all irreverent seriousness, these shots were taken Tuesday night at Kamakura Shirts on Madison Avenue in New York. The company was celebrating its seventh anniversary in the US. Congratulations to Kamakura on its great success, wonderfully catered party as always, and signature Japanese cordiality.

I blame my inconsistent jacket and waistcoat lapel widths on the fact that most of my clothes are boxed up for my escape from New York in a month. I’m wearing a silk-wool jacket and cashmere tie from Ralph Lauren, Kamakura oxford, and flannels and beat-up old wingtips for the rain from Brooks Brothers. The vest was made for me by Joe Hemrajani.

These fellas are everywhere, and were featured on the site recently in the post about Permanent Style’s Ivy symposium:

Peter was quite impressive with his ad hoc translating. We closed the place down (which is why it looks deserted in the photos), took the train home together, and talked deep into the night about how every day feels like Halloween. Not so much the costumes as the presence of phone-addicted zombies. And rampant sugar addiction.

When I arrived, the first person I saw was this kindred spirit also in DB waistcoat and watch chain. Tyrell is one of a growing number of Americans who’ve joined the Kamakura team, and took photos throughout the night.

His watch was working; mine wasn’t. Which reminds me of an old Groucho Marx joke: Looking at his timepiece while taking an unconscious guy’s pulse, Groucho quips, “Either this man is dead or my watch has stopped.”

Happy Halloween to all. —  CHRISTIAN CHENSVOLD