Was John F. Kennedy the most Ivy of US presidents, or did the most important man in the country actually encourage American men not to follow the Ivy League Look? That depends on whether you’re talking about President Kennedy the nation’s leader, or Jack Kennedy relaxing among friends and family in Hyannis Port. On assignment …
As I mentioned recently, I’ve begun contributing to The Gentleman’s Journal, a London-based luxury men’s magazine that just launched a US version of its website. I’ll occasionally share pieces when I think they’re germane to the Ivy Style community. Given that color plays a primal role in preppy style, my latest should be of interest. …
While at Kamakura last week something caught my eye on their meticulously folded tie table. It was an unusual texture, and when I investigated, sure enough it turned out to be in a grenadine weave, but made of only 20 percent silk, the rest being wool. I quickly messaged Mr. G. Bruce Boyer, who agreed …
Who knew Gucci made a slipper version of its iconic bit loafer? Pair with velvet smoking jacket for relaxing evenings at home. Price $570. — CC
Earlier this summer I met with Lee Denslow of Emerson Bespoke, a Connecticut-based clotheshorse who’s having a blast running a little side business making custom clothing. Lee was making me a tweed sportcoat (which I’ll share soon), and the measuring and finishing was done by his associates at Alterations Master, located just a few doors …
I turned on the debate last night for 30 seconds before switching it off to watch my DVD from Netflix, which, by bizarre coincidence, was “The Fall Of The Roman Empire.” So this morning I awoke to an email from Ivy Style contributor James Kraus. Apparently it doesn’t take much to distinguish oneself sartorially these …
Does “Ivy chic” live in Japan? It does to my eye, as evidenced in this bold, simple, and elegant look from a Japanese member of Ivy Style’s Facebook group. He said he’s wearing a vintage Brooks Brothers nailhead suit, white Brooks shirt, and black knit tie from Atkinson’s (also note TV fold handkerchief). Wonder what …
Misuses of language have a way of spreading like viruses. For years now sportscasters have been using the term “reactionary” instead of “reactive.” Reactionary, of course, means politically ultra-conservative, not “characterized by athletic reaction.” The same guys also like to analyze the “enormity” of the situation, when in fact “enormity” means excessive wickedness, not a …
I spied this in Brooks the other day — you can see why it was hard to miss. The new patchwork cardigan — includes 20 different panels and 15 colors — is made of lambswool and priced at $498. According to Brooks’ website (which also notes the designer spent 30 hours on it), the sweater …
This morning I woke up well rested but surprised at what I was wearing: a Brooks Brothers dress shirt and Churchill-dot boxer shorts. Seems I conked out in the middle of “Pompeii” for the third night in a row, which probably means it’s time to return the movie to Netflix. As for what trad types …
While I was away in Cape Cod last week, my new “nephew” Al Castiel III crashed at my place so he could attend the Harriman Cup polo tournament on Long Island. What he found was that neo-prep lives, with Harriman putting the H in GTH. Here’s his insufferable report. — CC * * * Early …
Men who are “mad for clothes,” as Charlie of The Andover Shop likes to say, are a funny lot. Wearied from summer and the monotony of donning as few and as thin of layers as possible, they’re simply dying to break out the fall layers. And so they invariably go online the day after Labor …
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal reported on a new Golden Fleece collection from Brooks Brothers meant to be modern and casual. I know what you’re thinking: isn’t that what Red Fleece is supposed to be? Apparently, Golden will be kind of like Red’s uncle. Writes Ray A. Smith of the Journal: The 198-year old clothier …
De gustibus non disputatum est. In English we know this apothegm as “There’s no accounting for taste.” Much of what is discussed on menswear forums and blogs comes down to personal taste. To illustrate the point, we asked a number of style writers, bloggers and forum posters to name their sartorial pet peeve. One man …
I grew up in a Catholic, Eastern-European enclave in Pennsylvania coal country. As such, the Ivy League Look is something I’ve consciously adopted. It has not been passed-down to me nor born out of my environment, which I feel has given me total freedom in exploring it. To me it’s almost a form of fiction …
The Ivy heyday may be long gone, but we’re truly living in a golden age of the oxford-cloth buttondown. There are so many options currently available that all you need to do is set your budget and priorities and there should be plenty to choose from. For those with bulbous budgets — or collectors willing …
Something caught my eye in Brooks Brothers recently: a blue buttondown shirt with a foulard-type pattern. It conjured up visions of Gant ads from the mid to late ’60s, or something like that. I did some Google searching but was unable to come up with a vintage image; perhaps someone can help. Speaking of Gant, …
I’m seventeen and attend a prep school in Louisville, Kentucky. I have a fondness for classic clothing, but it’s definitely not inherited. I’m middle class and my dad’s taste in clothing is as bland as white bread. Instead I came to appreciate classic clothes through my love of film, especially old Alfred Hitchcock movies like …
Recently I was asked to participate in a new side project from Christian Barker, my former editor at The Rake. Barker founded a site called Men’s Top Tens, part of which consists of style commandments from his colleagues in the menswear, media and luxury goods industries. The piece gives me an opportunity to talk about …