It may be too soon to wear one, but in case this vintage ad inspires, you can start shopping now. The ad appeared in Cornell’s student newspaper in 1955, suggesting that even Ivy Leaguers wanted to make sure they got the authentic Ivy model.
Update: We have a winner, and it is Robert Staehling. Please email me, sir, at your convenience. * * * Back in April we ran an interview with Ken Yamamoto, the man behind Japan’s Boston Tailor. Yamamoto-san has kindly donated a superb piece of craftsmanship for one lucky winner who can wear a size 38 …
We interviewed Benton Nilson back in April. Now he takes on our regular series My Kinda Clothes, which is named for a delightful little phrase used by Charlie of The Andover Shop. If you’d like to write about your own personal style, use the email contact button above. * * * In my eyes, motif …
The following is a sponsored post from Haspel. * * * It may be the last semi-official day of summer, but as Haspel likes to say, it’s always seersucker season somewhere. It’s no surprise they’d say that, given that seersucker has been their business for over a century. So for those of you who have no …
Unless you are reading Ivy Style under the impression that you will learn something about the various species of the evergreen climbing plants that include Hedera helix and Parthenocissus quinquefolia, you probably do not need telling that, sartorially, the world is in a race to the bottom. Ivy Style readers and their fellow travelers are …
Immediately following our 2,000th post, Ivy Style reached another milestone: reader comment number 50,000. It was made by a regular — “Old School Tie” — and as a thank-you for his longtime participation, J. Press has kindly offered to present him with a flap-pocket OCBD. There’s an enormous number of options when it comes to …
This is part one of a two-part piece on collegiate style in the South during the heyday. It is recounted to us by contributor James H. Grant. * * * The distinction between the mode of dress known as Ivy League and the Southern Collegiate Style – if one actually exists – is somewhat murky. …
Ivy style has had something of a moment lately, and no Ivy moment could be complete without yet another online brand vying to recreate the OCBDs of old. On July 28th a new venture calling itself Wythe New York launched a Kickstarter campaign titled “The ‘Perfect’ Oxford Shirt,” hoping to raise $10,000 by August 25th. By …
I was going to say that Americans today are obsessed with authenticity. It’s probably more accurate to say “people” in place of “Americans,” our global network of friends growing so wide, and so homogenous along the way, that the cultural differences that separate our nation from the broader global economy seem ever smaller. For all …
We’ve got a handful of news items to get through. Where to start? How about with the 30th anniversary of “Dead Poets Society.” The Guardian has a tribute, writing: Like Weir’s other film based in and around an exclusive private school, the more enigmatic Picnic at Hanging Rock, education is viewed as a pivotal but …
Hot on the well worn, suede laceup heels of our interview with Jay Walter comes an interview not with the old guard, but the new. UK-based website Permanent Style has a Q&A with two buyers from the popular Japanese brand Beams. Who knew that “French Ivy” was popular in Japan? From the interview: Is American …
For some guys, it’s easier to find a beautiful woman than the right clothes.
Previously we’ve posted on the 1956 prep-school angst film “Tea and Sympathy.” Here’s an image from the Hart, Schaffner & Marx archives, undated but from roughly the same time. Call this one Tea and Approval. The older gent is obviously the girl’s father, and clearly approves of her suitor’s suit. And here’s an interesting tribute …
Nothing goes with madras quite like a vacation. On the other hand, many Ivy stylists are daring enough to wear madras to the office during the summer. Here’s an assortment of madras items — ties, shorts and sportcoats — worn by members of Ivy Style’s Facebook group. If they inspire you to add something new to …
This was Ivy Style’s first post to go viral back in November of 2009. It is written by Tokyo-based W. David Marx, who went on to develop his pioneering research into Japan’s fascination with American fashion in his book “Ametora.” * * * The first Japanese to adopt elements of the Ivy League Look were …
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 …
Is the stereotypical Ivy Style reader a grumpy Baby Boomer? Above is RP (that’s right, his initials are the same as “retired person”), whose post to our Facebook group was received with much amusement. In fact, fellow reader KS was inspired to post a tribute: It’s the kind of facial expression one makes upon seeing …
When I profiled Alan Flusser for The Rake back in 2011, he made a big impression on me with his remarks on the concept of “chic.” One of his points, no surprise, is that men who are into “gentlemanly” or “sartorial” dressing are very rarely into “chic.” For one thing, the term is almost always …
Today is a rainy Seersucker Thursday, that tradition that began in the US Congress when members decided that once a year they’d like to add a touch of whimsy to their dress while practicing corruption and incompetence on behalf of the American people. Pictured is an undated advertisement from Haspel, the great popularizer of seersucker. …