A recent piece by Richard Press from his “Threading The Needle” column at J. Press delved into the topic of black, the verboten color of gentlemanly menswear. But while black is often the schmuck’s stand-in for patrician navy, it may actually be worse to wear blue, at least from a certain point of view. You see, …
This latest installment in our occasional “call for collective wisdom” series boasts a nice pun on “collective,” given that the author’s family fled Communism. If you have advice for the young man, please leave it in the comments section. * * * When you’re growing up as a first-generation American in a neighborhood in Queens, …
This 2008 post is one of Ivy Style’s earliest, and is being revisited with updated photos as a nice compliment to our previous football-themed post. The Benjamin Bixby line didn’t last long, and there are only a few surviving items currently on eBay. * * * Along with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Andre …
Last night a TV commentator opined that one of the dominant strains in Western lands at the moment is that the “elites are rising up to overthrow the masses.” Right on cue, humorist and former Harvard Lampoon scribe PJ O’Rourke came out with a piece in the Washington Post this morning arguing that it’s time …
On a recent Sunday afternoon I found myself standing in the rain, peering anxiously into an unlit storefront that seemed wholly out of place with its otherwise industrial surroundings. I’d brought myself, and the assorted luggage, to Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood on the last day of an NYC trip to seek out Crowley Vintage, arriving at …
Sometimes menswear buying patterns aren’t what you’d expect. Recently Bill Thomas reached out with some interesting observations. Thomas is the founder of Bills Khakis and is currently the brand director at Duck Head. He said, “The market is over 60% five-pocket chino driven at this point and favored by those over 35, while the college and …
Loyal reader Mawuli Grant Agbefe reached out this week offering to write a piece on dressing in Chicago when it’s not supposed to be winter, but isn’t exactly spring yet. He was advised to write the piece quickly, before the weather turned, and he did. * * * This week I faced the dilemma of dressing …
Here’s an encore of party shots from Thursday’s Boyer-Press event at J. Press. These shots were taken by Raymond Chu, whom I finally met for the first time. Chu has worked for Rugby RL and The Rake, and, as I learned that night, is the nephew of Nautica cofounder David Chu. You’ll see some outfits …
Yesterday I swung by Ralph Lauren‘s Madison Avenue Rhinelander flagship on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and surreptitiously snapped the latest mannequins (which I believe are technically called “forms”). As always, take what you can use and discard the rest, and if you see any combos you like but they’re too Anglo-Hollywood-Continental, simply apply the …
When we left off before Easter weekend, we took a look at some images from Ralph Lauren‘s archives. Now we’ll continue checking in with RL as we check out some of the items from the spring collection. As neo-prep makes a triumphant comeback (actually, we’ll have to wait and see about the triumphant part), there …
It’s Good Friday, and if you’re wondering what to wear on Easter, here’s an idea from the pantheon of prep. You might never have tried it. Or you used to wear this combination, but it’s been so long you’ve forgotten about it. It’s a simple formula: conservative suit (pinstriped is ideal) combined with a ribbon …
Once at a conference, as I was chatting with colleagues during a tea break, a fellow attendee came over. “Sorry to bother you,” he said, “but I couldn’t help noticing your tie. Did you go to Harrow school?” “No, I went to Harrods department store,” I replied, and showed him the label. He gave a …
We cap off this week of Asia-themed posts with a little anecdote about Prince Siddhartha, who became known as the Buddha, or Awakened One. I’ve been reading about Buddhism lately, and went twice this week to the Metropolitan Museum to contemplate the dozens of statues of Buddha and other bodhisattva, or persons on the path …
When I was a young fogey in my mid-twenties, I had a number of vests so that I could sport a pocket watch and chain. It was an absolutely fobulous time in my life. Recently I got the urge to break out the watch once again, but this time I wanted not just an odd waistcoat, …
Last night The Armoury in NYC held an event for “Ametora” author W. David Marx, who lectured on Ivy, trad, prep and workwear in Japanese magazines. Like his similar lecture several months ago, it was very well attended. This time, however, Marx brought a generous sampling of said magazines, some of which go back to the ’60s. …
Corporate culture continues to change or evolve, and the suit now seems to be headed in the same direction of the buggy whip. Not long ago, however, there were practical and professional reasons to wear a suit and tie while doing business. First and foremost, the suit was a way of demonstrating respect for those you …
This image from the Japanese illustrator Hiroshi Watatani brings several things to mind. First there’s a formula you rarely see, and that’s a completely sober outfit — like this one in black, white and gray — combined with colorful socks. I’ll do a slight variation, wearing a solid tie plus rep-striped or motif socks, essentially transferring the patterns from …
In the summer of 1979 I traveled from my home in Louisiana to visit a girlfriend who was summering in Nantucket. She was working as someone’s nanny and sharing a home with about 20 similarly employed youths. The girlfriend thing turned out to be a disappointment, but Nantucket was something to remember. I had …
I really should be writing my dissertation now, but a combination of pristine Spring weather, study fatigue and an unashamed adoration for Clarks Wallabees has compelled me to write about “my kinda clothes” instead. Ever since Ivy Style threw these contrarian shoes in front of my headlights, I’ve been infatuated with their horrific silhouette. Wallabees …