Ivy Notes S1 E11 – A Follow Up

Emails came in (thank you ALL) in large volume about the Ralph Lauren initiative with Morehouse and Spelman. First, thank god and finally. Second, I need a deeper understanding of the way that WWD handles the subject. Here is a typical headline of the coverage:

 

From the Washington Post. Temperate, acessible introduction to the subject.
 
 

In contrast, WWD starts with the line, “Who Owns American Fashion?” 

Seriously, “owns?” The clear answer is NOBODY. But when you get past the stupid-question-to-begin-with element…
 
 

Of course there is a commercial strategy to this initiative.  Who cares?  Bravo.

I took a hit for not tucking in my shirt yesterday.  Noted.  If Mr. Boyer and Mr. Twardzik give me another go round, I will change things up.  It was really fun reading through the comments, and Mr. Twardzik actually stopped by last night to answer some of your questions.  In case you didn’t see it:

And finally, from the FB Group, Marc Chevalier treated us to this piece of history.

 

The sportcoat.

And the evidence…

I honestly don’t know how some of this stuf is caught. I would have worn that sportcoat for three years straight before I noticed that. Hat’s off.

Now, promise, tomorrow is the Mercer WOBCD review.

JB

11 Comments on "Ivy Notes S1 E11 – A Follow Up"

  1. Hooray for the return of the golden age of menswear, the 1930s! Rounded collars, ivy caps, and bellows pockets are the cat’s pajamas.

    This marks a revival of Ralph Lauren’s erstwhile Rugby line and Andre 3000’s Benjamin Bixby line from the early aughts:

    http://www.ivy-style.com/andre-1935.html

  2. “I took a hit for not tucking in my shirt yesterday.”
    J.B.,I wouldn’t give it a second thought. You ALL looked fine.

  3. Beautiful. More show-stoppers from Ralph Lauren co.’s salute to HBCUs: https://www.complex.com/style/polo-ralph-lauren-morehouse-spelman-colleges-collection-campaign

  4. Minimalist Trad | March 16, 2022 at 1:47 pm |

    Eagerly looking forward to the Mercer WOBCD review.

  5. Really impressed with the RL tribute to Morehouse and Spelman. There is something unexpectedly current about the whole thing, even as the clothes are all very much of an earlier era. That’s one thing Ralph Lauren has a talent for, making old-looking things seem perfectly natural in the contemporary world.

    That is a fantastic way to put it. – JB

  6. Charlottesville | March 16, 2022 at 2:21 pm |

    I had not heard about the RL Morehouse/Spellman collection, but what I see online looks great. https://www.ralphlauren.com/morehouse-spelman-preview?ab=en_US_HP_Slot_4_S1_Image_SHOP . As Nevada says, while recalling an earlier time, they look quite good today.

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if college students started dressing like that again? The TV adaptation of Brideshead Revisited ushered in something of a 30s revival in the mid 80s, aided and abetted by RL. Maybe lightening will strike twice.

    As Mitchell notes, it contains a welcome dose of club collars, for which I have a fondness. They were big in the 30s, but also, along with tab collars, quite popular in the Ivy heyday. Hoping for a resurgence.

  7. Always find something to like from Ralph Lauren.

  8. The old, old PoloRL ‘Yarmouth’ was one of the better OCBDs. Like, ever. I’m thinking of the early 80s incarnation— numbered (neck / sleeve) sizing, sans the woven pony/player at the chest. It was a not-so-subtle tribute to the old Paterson, NJ oxford (Brooks). The oxford cloth was exceptional— beefy but crisp; the right amount of heft but finer yarns.

    The PoloRL Russell model, undarted with a spot of tracing and natural shoulders, was equally terrific. Glad I picked up a brown herringbone Shetland jacket.

  9. Stanislaus | March 16, 2022 at 6:51 pm |

    I supect that sometimes the human mind has a tendency to be more pedantic than healthy for our character in the long term. If over critical views on “should have a tailor involved” would spin further one could have said regarding the group picture: “Mr Boyer’s coat in unbuttoned whilst standing = faux pas” as not wearing a three-piece suit or at least an odd waistcoat. “Mr Twardzik: buttoning point slightly too high, should be matching with navel height”.

    I certainly do not say one should point to any of that. Personally, I am too much a vintage clothes horse to strive for immaculate perfectionism. From my humble perspective the all-over appearance, timelessness, selection and style count more. Yes, even a certain level of distinction and dignity in an egalitarian i. e. athleisure world.

    Bravo! – JB

  10. It’s when we dare to reframe country/tweedy Ivy so as to recognize it (appropriately) as a particular version/variety/sort of ‘athleisure’ that it begins to fit into a larger sartorial (and historical, for that matter) context: tweed, flannel, button-downed oxfords, whipcord & cavalry twill, decrepit loafers–it’s such a soft, natural, calming vibe: you know what smart people wore to tromp-and-trudge through wet fields and forests, while wearing thick-soled leather boots and carrying shotguns.

    As ‘athleisure’ goes, it’s far more pleasing– less severe, actually, than the bright-and-shiny (and combustible–“don’t light a match”) crap the bicyclist (ugh), yoga instructor, and spandex-embracing soccer mom are wearing as they stand nearby, in line at the coffee shop, awaiting the overpriced latte.

    Kudos to Ralph for reminding us.

  11. S.E.

    I wore an old Yarmouth lavender and white university stripe today. Great shirts and, in my opinion, as good as any other shirt out there at whatever price. Last forever.

    As a cyclist, I don the spandex. Not something I would walk around town in though. Flammability not an issue since I gave up smoking so many years ago. Flammability may come from the hotness of leaving so little the lady’s imaginations. ;o)

    Sorry to have planted that image for you,

    Cheers,

    Will

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