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 …
Recently an interesting pair of loafers came on my radar. They’re made by TB Phelps of deer hide. I reached out to the company to find out more, and here’s what they said. The loafer model is called the Ventura and comes in chestnut, black and tan in sizes 8-13 including half sizes. It also …
Brooks Brothers made news in a rather dubious fashion this week. The magazine Garage ran a piece entitled “On the Enduring Bland Appeal of Brooks Brothers — and the Freaks Who Love It.” This is followed by the subhead “How has this brand been around for so long?” Quotes the piece: The titular man from …
Anton Miranda was featured here at Ivy Style in 2017 and is an active member of our Facebook group. A few days ago the resident of the Philippines published an essay about how he discovered Ivy and prep style — or rather how it discovered him. He writes: Through the years, my conviction for this …
This week the venerable Goldman Sachs announced it is no longer requiring suits to be worn. Yet another end of an era. Above is a photo taken at a broker function in 1987 for the opening of a commercial office building in Reston, Virginia. The event was held for the firm I was with at …
Most of the traditional tailors and clothiers have contributed some signature piece or look to the canon. Henry Poole gave us the dinner jacket in 1865. In the late 1800s, Cordings pioneered the covert coat and tattsersall shirts. Haspel introduced seersucker suits around 1909, and Brooks Brothers’ contributions are almost too many to list – …
… and what we’re fighting against: Top image from O’Connells. Bottom image (as in rock bottom) via Thom Browne.
J. Press has given Ivy Style a sneak peek at its new lookbook, which goes up on its website Thursday and is hitting snail mailboxes already. Here are some highlights.
Have you ever seen an outfit on a movie screen and it spoke to you? One of my favorite scenes is from “The American President.” The camera pans the POTUS’ closet and a row of white and light blue dress shirts, with minimal pastels and stripes, fills the screen. White and light blue are the …
As many readers here know, The Andover Shop was recently acquired by several long-time customers who wanted to see the beloved store continue (and, upon closing, received a firm but smiling admonition from co-founder Charlie Davidson, “Well, it’s yours now. Don’t fuck it up”). As they prepare for the arrival of spring and summer merchandise, …
You’re probably so desperate for a nice spring day that you would be willing to don pink and green and prance in public in exchange for one balmy day. According to the new Lands’ End spring preview catalog, the notorious preppy combo of pink and green might make a comeback. Time wil tell. — CC …
As a high school student, interchangeable items are a must. This means a few simple items that can work with everything else I have in my wardrobe. I would say that I have a uniform, which consists of an OCBD in white or blue, a knit or repp tie, khakis or indigo denim, a sweater …
DCG on New Year’s Eve on the way to a fete at his club, and not very amused by the rain. Tux by heyday-era Continental tailoring house paired with Bean duck boots. Custom English pumps in black suede with grosgrain bow stashed inside VAN Jac tote bag. Reversible coat by J. Press. Black watch umbrella.
Astute readers will recall the Ivy Style high-rise/tapered leg project we had in development several years back. It was with Bill Thomas, founder of Bills Khakis, and right before the first sample was to be cut, things went a little haywire internally. Bill ended up at Duck Head, after the previous team, shall we say, fowled …
Our last post, on the topic of Ivy in Japan, had a touch of defensive jingoism, to be sure. But it also left open the question of whether or not the Japanese do take American inventions and make them better. To wit, this tweed jacket found by Ivy Style correspondent Trevor Jones at J. Simons in …
Many of the storied New England boarding schools were founded during a particularly tumultuous period after the Civil War, when the established order of older money families was threatened by the growing prominence and wealth of war profiteers and fortunes made during the Industrial Revolution. All the boarding schools embodied New England’s Anglophilia, and it …
Contributor ANV shares this tidbit of sartorial esoterica. * * * Richard Press had said that the background color for neckties never went darker than navy blue. Similarly, the patrician wardrobe tends to avoid high contrast, except for formalwear. As a result, one rarely sees white or black in traditional necktie designs. But there are …
Classics become so for a reason. Grey trousers are pretty much unbeatable, which is why they’ve been the default for wearing with patterned jackets for almost a century. So honor your ancestors with charcoal trousers and an odd jacket — it’s a combo that works for me. You might also consider a tab collar for …
Since then I’ve trimmed my beard down, but the supercilious smirk remains. Check out the event in question here. — CC