When the Spanish Flu struck a century ago, J. Press was already in business. It survived that pandemic, the Great Depression, two World Wars, and everything else — including constant changes in how men dress. And so despite the coronavirus, the company is releasing its Fall/Winter 2020 brochure right on time. Expect it to hit mailboxes …
Pictured is my posterior in 2009 at the end of my last California summer before embarking for the East Coast. Updated photo coming soon. Enjoy your Labor Day. * * * I can think of no better way to mark the end of summer than with my own end. It’s wrapped in a pair of madras …
I am reminded me of an old article in which the author finds himself staring out the window of a New England country inn on an autumn day. His only companions are a bottle of old sauterne and the ghosts of his past. He calls sauternes “memory in a glass.” My epiphany is that seersucker has …
As the summer of 2020 winds to a close, we revisit these Japanese images from eight years ago with a little inspiration for what to wear this weekend. These are bow-tie slip-ons…. …. which might just result in a….
Summer is winding to a close, which means if you bought a pair of these shoes in 2011, it will soon be time to put them away. Ah the halcyon days of Neo-Prep excess! May that gaudy sun rise again one day.
It’s one thing to wear a blazer to staff meetings at work. But it’s quite another thing to wear a Bookster sportscoat done up in one-of-a-kind Hainsworth khaki whipcord based on the fabric used for British officers’ tunics in World War One. Yes, the fabric of this jacket is made of Hainsworth’s “True Heritage” 16-ounce merino …
With summer in the home stretch we revisit this post showing a glimpse of what O’Connell’s, one of the last surviving independent trad clothiers, sold back in the day. A 2012 edition of the Buffalo News carried a story on independent men’s clothiers, including O’Connell’s, which has opened in Buffalo in 1959 and still carries …
Yesterday J. Press announced a new made-to-order shirt program. You choose the fabric, fit and details and receive the shirt, which is made in the USA, in three to four weeks. Prices start at $135. Given the competitiveness of the dress shirt market — not to mention the current state of office attire — we …
While many menswear retailers are shuttering in the wake of the virus and its economic aftermath, a new “updated trad” shop, Junior’s, has opened. Based in Philadelphia, it was founded by Glenn Au, a veteran of O’Connell’s and H. Stockton. Contributing writer Eric Twardzik investigates. * * * Glenn Au may have named his new …
Yesterday a reader named “IT” left the following comment: The panic over “traditional clothing disappearing forever” because of the pandemic is starting to get on my nerves, honestly. Those who’ve always dressed poorly, still dress poorly, and those who’ve always dressed nicely, still dress nicely and can’t wait for social life to come back to …
We posted this back in 2012. Given recent speculations of COVID’s fatal blow to the way people dress (more on that soon), maybe a preppy costume revival isn’t such a bad thing. * * * A few weeks ago Esquire’s Matt Sullivan wrote a piece about his high school reunion. And not just any high …
Drake’s, the classic English menswear brand, pens itself as being under the guiding philosophy of “relaxed elegance”. Originally opening in 1977 in East London, Drake’s is still to this day arguably best known for its neckwear, and despite a clear Italian influence when it comes to their tailoring, houses an array of pieces that would …
… and those that don’t, lead to prep. So relax: There’s hope for the future. It’s just that the future includes critter pants. This chart from that other world known as 2012 brought out some lively discussion. Fashion cycles churn fast these days, so you never know….
This is a sponsored post from Gant. Founded in New Haven in 1949, Gant is one of the key players in the history of the Ivy League Look, having helped spread the style when it took off nationwide in the ’50s and ’60s. The brand still preserves its legacy, making oxford-cloth buttondowns with such heyday details …
Stumbled upon in a random Google search. On the left is a middle-aged trad dad; on the right is his high school-aged son. Their exchange goes something like this: Dad: Don’t wear down the heels of your loafers! Son: I don’t care. See you later. Dad: American students always give their shoes a good shine… …
The jacket above was made by Corbin for The English Shop of Princeton. It’s quite apropos for the Fourth of July, able to hold its own against even the most extravagant fireworks display. And although the jacket was made for a haberdashery called The English Shop, it’s pure Americana. So on this Independence Day weekend, let’s …
In a web post during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, GQ France wrote, “The classic rugby, in thick cotton, with a white collar and soft buttons, had an honorable place in menswear. Especially preppy menswear. It was a simple, comfortable, colorful item, easy for students in American universities to wear. It was also a good way …
For decades clotheshorses have signaled their custom suits to the cognoscenti by leaving one button on their sleeves undone. This subtle practice eventually served as fodder for budding literary dandy Tom Wolfe in his 1965 essay “The Secret Vice.” But today, thanks to the Internet, the style conscious are ceaselessly bombarded with photos of rakish …
Longtime friends and colleagues R. Hanauer are a second-generation family business that makes fine neckwear right here in the US — South Carolina, specifically. The team sends Father’s Day greetings, with second-gen Randall Jr. sporting a quarantine beard, and third-gen grandson already sporting a bow. May he spread necktie splendor throughout the 21st century. Show …