Looking back on this 2009 post by old friend Michael Mattis, which touches on the timeless themes of trad clothes and “no hard sell” because the stuff sells itself. * * * If some places never change, it’s because they never need to. They have reached a pitch, if not of perfection, then at least …
Like things buried in your closet that you didn’t know you had, I keep finding drafts of old posts that apparently never published or became deactivated for some reason. This one goes all the way back to 2012 and includes the following video clip from Japanese TV. And while you’re in a Kamakura mood, head …
Today we revisit this 2010 post by Tokyo-based W. David Marx, who went on to write the book “Ametora.” * * * Compared to Western fashion magazines, Japanese magazines often get very specific about how to achieve a certain look. Editors and stylists do not just play with themes, as with most fashion editorial, but …
Earlier this week the Wall Street Journal ran a piece that cause quite a bit of discussion in our Facebook group. For starters, there’s the headline: “Why admiring Cary Grant’s style ages you.” Apparently the concept of timeless style has turned out to be a false one. Alan Flusser coined the term “permanent fashion” to …
My grandfather smoked a pipe all his life, and halfway through my college years I thought, “When I’m 40, I should smoke a pipe.” Impatient by nature, the next day I went out a bought a drug-store special, some kandy-koated tobacco, and promptly roasted my tongue. But I stuck with it, and after college I worked …
Ivy Style revisits this piece we did on Thom Browne in 2008. * * * Lately it seemed like Browne had receded into the confines of his tailor-shop-cum-laboratory, content to make his line in peace. But now, thanks to the December issue of GQ, in which Browne is named Designer of the Year, the hullabaloo …
Andrew Meschter is an Ivy Style reader who has just released a book on gentlemanly deportment for young men entitled “As Iron Sharpens Iron: An Adventure In Building Gentlemanly Character.” It began three years ago when, as Meschter puts it, “Two prep-school headmasters asked me to write a book about gentlemanly character for young men …
Earlier in the week I wrote about how we’re all adapting to living in an age of contradiction, and on Friday two items came across my desk today that exemplify the strange case of 21st-century Brooks Brothers. The general public is always behind the times when it comes to fashion, so while Brooks has been …
You’ve probably noticed during the past two years of extreme polarization in American life that everyone can agree on one thing: the country is headed in the wrong direction. It’s just that each side of the debate — and increasingly within each side — has a completely different set of reasons. Part of navigating such an …
There’s much news to get caught up on, and we’ll start with a few dispatches from the world of late capitalism. Ralph Lauren released a quarterly report revealing that spring merchandise underperformed. No idea if this comes from the neo-prep department. Check out Put This On for some market analysis. Watered-down, Main Street post-prep brand …
When Marks & Spencer installed elevators in Brooks Brothers’ Madison Avenue flagship, they only went down. Widely acknowledged for monumental mismanaging Brooks, hastening a decline in quality and the isolation of lifelong customers, the UK apparel firm Marks & Spencer eventually sold Brooks Brothers in 2001 after 13 years and hundreds of millions in losses. This …
The Armoury has posted a video on YouTube of W. David Marx’s lecture from last week on Ivy in Japan through the lens of its magazines. Video quality is basic, but cheers to them for recording it, and the audio is fine.
In the spirit of the recent feature at Ralph Lauren Magazine, what’s the preppiest thing you own? For me, it’s probably a custom blazer from J. Press. That and Ivy-Style.com. You? — CC Image from Scot Meacham Wood.
According to The Daily Beast, there’s been a precipitous drop in undergraduate history majors: George Orwell famously forewarned in 1984, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” We shouldn’t be surprised then by some recent, disturbing trends in the study of history. According to a new analysis by …
Last night Alan Flusser gave a talk here in New York at the National Arts Club as part of its fashion lecture series. The talk was on tweed, and the event was packed. One of the points Flusser made was that Ralph Lauren — maker of (who else?) the “Ivy gang” chinos above — essentially saved …
Here’s an update on a post from four years back, in light of a loyal reader who recently emailed asking where to get boxer shorts with numerically sized waists. Can’t say I’d ever heard of that, but I checked in with Mercer & Sons. Sure enough, David Mercer assured me that with stretch in the waistband, …
No idea if Brooks plans to retro-innovate and reintroduce the styles and fabrics from the pre-’87 era, but it is taking a bold step forward with artificial intelligence. Multiple news sources reported today on a press conference Brooks gave yesterday, in which it claimed it will be the first to implement an end-to-end AI-powered platform. …
As mentioned in the San Francisco prep story recently posted, I’ve been writing for the SF society mag The Nob Hill Gazette, which I did some pieces for many years ago when I lived in the city. My latest is on a few proud peacocks in the Bay Area’s tech industry who defy the unofficial …
Last night J. Press hosted a tweed-themed event at its New York store. It was the first with Richard Press in his new role as columnist and what you might call brand ambassador. Richard shared tales of J. Press’ 50-year partnership with the Irish tweed mill Magee, along with Magee CEO Patrick Temple. The chat …