In the Put This On article about the rise and fall of early 21st-century neo-prep, I was quoted saying that perhaps the next stage will be a rediscovering of the sober side of the trad-Ivy-preppy genre. After all, “all fashion ends in excess,” as the old adage goes, and once this stage has been reached …
Today Kamakura unveiled its summer collection. The model is pretty scruffy and many of the shirts are spread collar, but those of you who appreciate variety might enjoy some of the alpha-sized buttondowns available in fabrics such as linen and breathable 36-gauge knit, which is pictured above. The company has also announced it will open …
As a counter to the recent discussion about loutish behavior among fraternity men, here’s a delightfully dignified video from Hampden-Sydney College about the importance of proper dress, anchored by the blue blazer, “our badge of honor.” — CC & CS
Last night I attended an event held at “the lodge,” a funky townhouse in the distinguished Upper East Side environs of Fifth Avene and 77th Street. It’s the showroom for the brand VK Nagrani, which caters to “alpha males,” or jet-setters with money to burn. But it also caters to another jet-setter whose aircraft was …
Two weeks ago, the Polo flagship on Fifth Avenue, which opened last fall, created a new section in the store called the Haberdashery. It’s where you’ll find all the ties, dress shirts and cashmere sweaters — and all in the spring colors you’re anxious to wear. There are also plenty of sportcoats in spring fabrics, …
In the market for a tennis sweater, even though you don’t play tennis, or even cricket? Here’s some of what’s out there. Above, Bills Khakis cotton sweater, $325. Below, wool vest from Cable Car Clothiers, $298: Wool sweater by Smart Turnout, $280: Brooks Brothers Red Fleece, on sale $49: Ralph Lauren Wimbledon umpire vest, on …
Last week Bass unveiled some new models of Maine-made Weejuns. Priced at $295, they are made from Horween leather and come both with and without beefroll. I’d attended a Bass spring preview back in October, but I don’t recall these shoes being ready then. But here’s what else caught my eye, which should be …
On another post discussion just broke out about quilted Barbour-style jackets. I’ll plead guilty to owning one. Others expressed strong distaste, so I say we put it to a vote. (Alas our polling software is glitching right now, so you’ll have to weigh in via the comments section). — CC
I was unable to attend last week’s Brooks Brothers preview as I was battling a virus — a computer virus. So I’m falling back onto Women’s Wear Daily for the coverage. Writes the paper: At Brooks Brothers, Harris tweeds, soft tailoring that enables layering, an “into-the-woods” color palette and unorthodox pairings are some predominant messages …
Today the film adaptation of the international sensation “Fifty Shades Of Grey” opens. I don’t know about you, but I like my neckties far too much to risk tearing the slip-stitch by using them as bondage tools. Recently I wrote about acquiring a number of items this season in olive, but the bulk of my …
The concept of modern prep may really be nothing new. Use the term loosely enough and you could say it goes back to the 1920s, when the Ivy League Look first began to codify. A couple of weeks ago saw another edition of the big menswear tradeshow known as MRket, and this time there was …
About a year and half ago I wrote a piece about olive and gray — the olive part didn’t exactly go over well with some readers. I forgot about the colors for a while, but when I did a more stringent than usual closet purge this fall, I rediscovered the color I’ve always been most …
Daniel C. Greenwood’s debut Millenial Fogey column on Brooks Brothers certainly stirred up discussion. It especially stirred up Chris Sharp, Ivy Style’s normally circumspect and disinterested assistant editor, known for his well researched historical pieces. He found himself inspired to lay his heart bare to the brand so dear to him that he recalls shopping …
It’s time for a check-in with Brooks as there are several pieces of news: • Above is CEO Claudio del Vecchio speaking to Bloomberg News. • Shirt fits now use the same names as in other categories. • The company’s foray into the Australian market has had some bumps. • Last Friday Brooks tweeted an …
Last week I tweeted a one-liner about wearing a polo shirt under my oxford on a day when I wanted an extra layer. I thought it would make for an interesting post, particularly with a vote. I mean, how many of you actually do that? Then sure enough yesterday a member of our Facebook group …
Last week New York Magazine ran a piece on its website called “The Weird, Lovely World Of LL Bean Commenters.” The slideshow sampling of comments left on the company’s website (of which #14, my favorite, provided us with our headline), demonstrates a perfect storm of heritage brand with knowledgeable clientele, Internet-enabled peer reviews, and neurotic, …
Last weekend was the Pop-Up Flea show, which has grown considerably. While mostly populated (yes, still) with a kind of hipster/workwear/urban lumberjack vibe, there were a few tradly items worth sharing.
After the extended JFK love-fest (hmm, unconscious pun there), it’s time to appease the other side. On Tuesday Jeb Bush became the first republican to formally announce he is exploring a presidential run for 2016. Were he to win, he would be the third of a veritable Bush dynasty. His father may have been our …
In our last post we announced the annexing of a new Manhattan restaurant into the Ralph Lauren empire. Here are a few more happenings from other corners of the RL world.