Do kids still use the term “dope” to describe something cool? Evidently they do, and they’ll even use it to describe stodgy ol’ Brooks Brothers. If you’ve puzzled over who exactly is the target customer for Brooks’ more youthful offerings, I think we’ve found the answer. This week a Cornell-bound teen wrote a piece for his …
Last summer saw the launch of a new US-made shirt company out of Massachusetts called Concord Button Downs. The line began with plaids, but has since focused on oxford cloth in both solids and stripes, including pink. “Our shirts attempt to replicate the OCBDs many men wore in the ’50s and ’60s,” says founder Daniel …
In the shadow of a hulking cruise ship, Warehouse No. 1 sits nondescriptly on the West Indian Company dock on the island of St. Thomas. Ignored by most vacationers in search of duty-free bargains, it’s nevertheless a magnet for those accidental tourists lured by the mysterious scent that wafts from the building, or who misunderstand …
Ivy Style was recently given an exclusive peek at a new startup shirt brand from the UK intent on making bleeding madras shirts the old-fashioned way. In Yankee dollars, Leith Clothing‘s shirts come out to about $140, plus about $20 in shipping, so they’re not the most viable option, save for those with money to …
Following hard upon the debut of Red Fleece is today’s Brooks mailer, which plugs a new, possibly temporary, product category called “Retro Style.” The category consists of standard Brooks items, but it’s interesting to see which items Brooks chose to group together, as well as its invocation of the word “retro,” which will sound cool …
A few months ago shoemaker Sebago finally got in on the made in America trend with a new penny loafer produced in Maine — exactly where a PR spokesperson was unable to tell me. The loafer is part of a new collection called Handsewn In Maine that is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and …
Today Brooks Brothers sent out an email unveiling Red Fleece, the new name for what was formerly called the University collection. Brooks now has golden, black and red fleeces similar to blue, black and purple labels. Now before you purists and fogeys cry foul, recall that Brooks has produced special collections catering to young men …
Now blasting off for $49 courtesy of the evil corporation that ripped off KJP. I usually don’t go for critters, and actually just got my first critter tie (cross-eyed owls, gold on navy). This would be fun to wear on the Fourth of July and cause double-takes. If it were a Chipp tie, of course, …
On Tuesday Jon Caramanica of the New York Times wrote a piece on J. Press’ York Street store. Here’s our play-by-play. Caramanica starts by suggesting that the Ivy/prep revival of the past several years “became not just a look, but a form of commentary.” On what he doesn’t say. Next, orthodox trads who can’t stand …
Last fall we declared the camp moccasin the shoe of the season. No idea if we were right, but making the call was fun. This season our trendwatch antennae have received enough signals for us to call spring 2013 the season of the boat shoe. Brooks Brothers has unveiled the epic patch-madras shoes above, which …
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 …
Yesterday I visited the Bass showroom and got a look at the new US-made Weejun due out this fall. Bass made some last year for the Weejun’s 75th anniversary, but these are new shoes that will be part of the standard Bass lineup. The shoes are made in Maine, and while the sales rep was …
O’Connell’s may be located on Main Street in Buffalo, NY, but it’s certainly not “Main Street” in its wares. The company has been offering the real deal since 1959, and is still family owned. The website Department of Style recently paid O’Connell’s a visit and produced a short but fun video. Check it out. — …
There was a time when you could only get critter-embroidered clothing from a small number of clothiers, such as Chipp. The bespoke blazer above, with embroidered golf clubs, was made in 1971 and is currently for sale on Etsy for $500. But today, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, critter litter is …
Uptown met Downtown Tuesday night at the grand opening party for J. Press’ York Street store in the West Village, where Yalie and Madison Avenue J. Press stalwart David Wilder joined this Dartmouth man and Ivy Style cheerleader in a chorus of “The Whiffenpoof Song.” Sadly no one commented on “the magic of their singing.” …
Today Nick Hilton sent out an email message with this 1965 image. The car may look dated, but certainly not the clothes. A couple of years ago son Nick resurrected his father’s name for a line of Ivy-cut jackets, and glad to see he’s still doing them. The spring trunk show kicks off this weekend …
My colleague Sven over at Gentleman’s Gazette put up a great post this week on the quilted jacket. I’ve got one from Brooks Brothers, and it’s by far the biggest workhorse in my wardrobe. For probably five months of the year it’s worn virtually every day. I wear it for all outdoor excursions around …
During the Ivy heyday, when the natural-shoulder style sold by Brooks Brothers and J. Press became known by the popular term “The Ivy League Look,” Main Street clothiers often used the term “Ivy” in their marketing copy, even naming products the “Ivy League” model, as in our recent Stetson hat post. But that all seems quaint …