From The Corners Of The Empire
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.
Clothes
Let It Roll: O’Connell’s New O’CBD
Last week O’Connell’s unveiled a new unlined and unfused oxford-cloth buttondown, dubbed the O’C OCBD, or just O’CBD for short. “I’ve been working on this baby for about a year,” owner Ethan Huber tells Ivy Style. “Wanted to emulate some of my personal 30-year-old Brooks Brothers shirts.” Huber developed the shirt, including fit and cut, …
In The Right Hood
Last week some of you may have heard on the news that a guy in Philadelphia is selling signs to small businesses that say “No Hoodies.” It created something of a stir, as some people complained it was unfairly biased against contestants of Jeopardy’s college tournament and Mark Zuckerberg. Hoods are much better when attached …
The Art Of Wearing Clothes Elegantly
We bring our series on elegance to a close with these thoughts from the founder. * * * Take a look at this photo of former Esquire columnist George Frazier, author of “The Art Of Wearing Clothes.” There’s the Russell Plaid suit jacket, Churchill dot tie, and buttondown shirt — all pretty standard fare. But …
Twit Or Treat: The WASPy Halloween Costume
Need a last-minute idea for a Halloween costume? Consider going as an Old Money WASP. You can build the costume from your everyday wardrobe. In addition to black-and-white saddle shoes and yellow socks (above), you will need the following. Patchwork tartan trousers: Yellow striped surcingle belt: Matching grosgrain watch band: Purple gingham shirt and yellow …
Elegance Week: Oak Street Bootmakers’ New Bit Loafer
Bit loafers are one of those polarizing items in the genre. But love them or hate them, they’re certainly a step up in sophistication from penny loafers (which is why the OPH calls them “strictly post-collegiate”). We last featured them on Ivy Style with this photo of Fred Astaire, who is surprisingly sporting them with …
Drifting Away: Classic Lands’ End Crewneck Gives Trad The Cold Shoulder
The Lands’ End “Drifter” sweater has been an old faithful for years. An inexpensive beater sweater that looks better as it fades, but is also easily replaced if ruined in an overly aggressive touch football match. But the sweater’s most redeeming virtue was its saddle shoulder, a defining trad detail and what seperated the Drifter …
Immodesty Blaze: On Blazers, Rowing, And Well Adjusted Girls
Don’t be fooled by the full-page color photos by FE Castleberry, the write-ups in the likes of Vanity Fair ,and the big launch party at the new Polo flagship. “Rowing Blazers” is a serious book and a thoughtful appreciation of a trad staple, such as the “Henley” blazer by Ben Silver at left. Author Jack …
Portrait Of A Gentleman In The Age of iPhones
Yesterday I popped into Paul Winston‘s place and immediately noticed something different. Paul was wearing a jacket. In all the times I’ve visited him, it’s either been balmy weather or the heater’s been cranked up. But yesterday was cool and crisp outside with no climate-controlling inside, and Paul confessed to feeling a bit chilly. I …
Knit Picking: The Brooks Brothers Dot-Knit Tie
In the previous post, the discussion broached the subject of knit ties. Fittingly, I had a post ready for that. Above is a new tie at Brooks Brothers which I spied in the store about a week ago. I plan to be wearing it incessantly throughout the season. Black flecked with blue (there are other …
Specs In The City
I brought my camera to the “Rowing Blazers” party last night at the new Polo flagship on Fifth Avenue, but the event was so packed taking pictures was too much trouble. That is until a certain bespectacled gentleman passed by, none other than Larry from The Andover Shop, who was down from Cambridge and looking …
Hit The Lode, Jack: The Khaki Kickstarter Campaign
Longtime Ivy Style supporter Jack Donnelly was founded by a young entrepeneur with the crazy dream of making khakis in America. “It’s something I believe in and have sunk my entire life into for the last five years,” says founder Gregg Donnelly. Now he’s heading into stage two of his endeavor with a Kickstarter …
Post #1,000: The Ivy League Look Crossword Puzzle
A few weeks short of our sixth anniversary, Ivy-Style.com has reached blog post number 1,000. For your brain-teasing entertainment, we have created a test to see how well you’ve been paying attention for the past 999 posts. Click here for a larger file of the crossword above, drag it to your desktop, enlarge if needed, …
Sharpen Your Pencils
Sharpen your pencils. Or if you’re really bold, use a pen. And get a good night’s sleep. Or pull an all-nighter reading the previous 999 blog posts. You’ll also need access to a printer. Post number 1,000 goes live Monday morning. — CC & CS
Trad Or Trim? The Shirt-Fit Reader Poll
As a follow-up to yesterday’s post on the declining demand for traditional-fit shirts at Brooks Brothers, I think we should take a sampling of the fit preference of Ivy Style readers. It occurred to me, though, that there is likely a correlation between fit preference, age and physique. Therefore, while this is hardly scientific, the …
The Shirt That Changed History, And How History Is Changing The Shirt
Today Brooks Brothers is running an online campaign for its buttondown “polo” collar shirts. The tagline is “the shirt that changed history” (it’s also running as “a shirt that changed history”). Introduced in 1896, within a couple of decades it was already the default shirt for style-setting college men in the Northeast, and on places …
Hot Or Knot? Take The National Bow Tie Day Poll
August 28th seems like an odd day of the year to dedicate to the wearing of bow ties. It’s summer, when many are trying to avoid ties if at all possible. And everyone’s preparing for the long weekend, if not already somewhere coastal or tropical. Yet tomorrow is indeed National Bow Tie Day. Consider this …
Denim & Tweed: J. Press Fall 2014
Recently J. Press sent out an email plugging its fall items, so if you haven’t visited the “new looks” page, take a look. And while you’re there, tell me if things look a bit different compared to seasons past. The mannequin forms, shirt collars, tie choices — something feels like a piano slightly out …
Trade Show Roundup
We’ve had such a steady stream of newsy material that the menswear trade shows have been put off for months. So for the rest of this week I’ll be posting photos from shows in January, springtime, and just a couple of weeks ago. In other words, there will be a seasonal mixture. Check back on …