Recently on the Ivy Style Facebook page, an important question was posed to the members: how do you keep your white shirts looking white, especially around the collar? The post was quickly inundated with various pieces of advice, which ranged from home remedies to professional laundering. The great, and varying, advice from that post has …
In 1947, a letter from the Student Tailor Shop gave official notice to Princeton’s incoming class of ’51 that the university required its own wardrobe. “The style of clothing worn around the campus,” it read, “is different from that sold in metropolitan centers and home town stores.” From four-button suits and detachable-collar shirts in the …
Today, in honor of International Tartan Day, associate editor Chris Sharp shares another tale of sartorial esoterica. * * * Three thousand thirty-three miles separates Cape Cod from Scotland, yet this dune-covered land has its own tartan. You will not find it in any official tartan registry, but it was once one of the items …
This week I received an email from a young guy just discovering traditional American style. He was in need of a blazer and wanted to know all the proper Ivy details and then where to get one. I offered up the usual suspects, but told him there are many variables, price being the first one. …
Brooks Brothers has brought back the university-stripe oxford in green rendered in the new-old (as opposed to the old-new) version with unlined collar and $140 price tag. Brooks has also started making alpha-sized sport shirts the same unlined way and at the same price, but with the chest pocket that was removed on the new-old …
Ivy Style asked readers who were around during the heyday of the Ivy League Look to share their reminiscences. Here are some of the responses about clothes and college life back in the day. * * * I’m a Westerner, now 58 years old. My first dealings with Brooks Brothers were when I was in …
The cold will come upon us soon and stay. In preparation I pulled out my faithful Irish handknit. It might come as a surprise to some that the source for this sweater was Lands’ End. The company was stocking their catalogs with some credible country attire at the time, such as moleskin trousers, heavyweight Viyella …
According to Atkinsons, makers of Royal Irish poplin, Huguenots brought their silk-weaving craft to Ireland in the 17th century, and where they began blending their silk with a fine local wool. The result is a half-silk, half-wool blend that makes for a necktie with great hand and character, one that belongs in every trad’s neckwear …
If World War II had never happened, would khakis have ever become a staple of the American male wardrobe? That’s the question I found myself pondering when my editor at Ralph Lauren Magazine said he wanted me to write a feature on khakis. What in the world was there to say that hadn’t been said? …
This post, which features much input from our Facebook group, was inspired by a recent comment decrying bit loafers for their Italian origin. It got me thinking about what other items associated with the Ivy League Look and preppy style have origins outside the UK and Ireland. Here’s what we came up with, presented alphabetically. …
While the English are often praised for laying the vestiary groundwork forthe Ivy Leauge Look, it is my biased opinion that the Scots are worthy of praise for their numerous contributions to the genre as well. I am biased because my Scottish grandmother made sure that I am not only proud of my Scottish heritage, …
Ever seen an unlined oxford-cloth buttondown actually being made? Probably not, but you can now. Michael Spencer has just released a video that examines its three shirt collar options: unlined, lined but not fused, and finally lined and fused. While purists like the comfort and nonchalance of unlined buttondowns, lining and fusing is often best …
Since I started working at The Andover Shop several months ago, every day has been a “party”,” in 90-year-old owner Charlie Davidson’s words. After noticing that forward pleats seem to be making a comeback, I figured I’d give them a try. Most of the customers at The Andover Shop opt for them when commissioning suits …
This past week J. Press unveiled its Spring 2017 collection, the second in a row to feature the use of live models, which made their return last fall. It looks to be the same two models. the older not too old and the younger not too young. The looks feel current without being trendy, a …
Like many people who work in Washington DC, I am a transplant. However, I don’t work for a congressman or a law firm. I walk a foot beat in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods as a member of the Metropolitan Police Department. I grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts and credit my …
A couple weeks ago it was menswear market week here in NYC. The Millennial Fogey tagged along and enjoyed inspecting everything. Here he is in the Alan Paine booth: Yes, Bills Khakis is still alive and still using the same US factories, according to a spokesperson. Zip-up Norwegian sweater with Nantucket red trim from Castaway. …
“My kinda clothes” is a delightful little phrase coined by the legendary Charlie Davidson of The Andover Shop. It’s also a regular series here in which men discuss their favorite items of apparel. If you’d like to contribute, please use the contact button above. * * * I grew-up in Grosse Pointe, MI and my …
Keeping the bottom button undone on a vest is the sort of information that fathers used to pass along to their sons, along with how to flush a public toilet with one’s foot rather than one’s hand. But as I am older than most readers of this website, allow me to offer a bit of …
The UK magazine Country Life has an article on corduroy pants, which it calls the perfect country trouser. Although the piece waxes on the varied colors available, it appears that most Brits are only comfortable in subdued hues. The ability to wear go-to-hell pants may be a privilege of being American. Here’s a snippet: A …