Batik On Campus
Was batik really worn by college men, or was it a marketing ploy by clothiers, as one reader recently suggested? Evidence courtesy of Lehigh University yearbooks from 1961-65. — CC & CS
Buttondowns & Batik: A Campus Shop Ad Gallery
Some examples of ads from campus newspapers during the Ivy heyday. In the next post, we’ll show you some examples of batik in 2014. — CS & CC
Going Native: Batik, The Forgotten Campus And Resort Fabric
As we reach the heart of summer, I sense a deprivation. It goes virtually unnoticed, and yet it is there for any Ivy enthusiast to investigate. The stores are full of the requisite madras and seersucker, but little else. Compared to the Ivy boom years, or even the golden age of the 1930s, it appears …
Unruffled By Change: The Story Of Langrock Owner Alan Frank
In a 1973 issue of the Princeton Alumni Weekly, Richard K. Rein wrote about P-Town’s legendary clothing shop Langrock. “Princeton’s oldest and most successful men’s clothing store,” he wrote, “is a curious mix of effete snobbery, highbrow intellectualism, and small town warmth and personal service that remained singularly unruffled by the sweeping sartorial changes occurring …
Brand On The Run: The Launch Of Ivy-Inspired Tracksmith
This morning a small new collection called Tracksmith launched. It’s the first thing in a long time we’ve felt should be categorized under Ivy Trendwatch. The founder, Matt Taylor, you see, is a Yale grad and the Ivy League is referenced as a style wellspring in the running-wear company’s marketing material. For example: Tracksmith offers …
Hallelujah For Madras
Choir boys going to hell.
James Garner, 1928-2014
Actor James Garner has died at the age of 86. In 1963 he donned 3/2-roll suit to play opposite Doris Day in the Atomic Age sex comedy “Move Over Darling.” Garner is pictured above in the book “Hollywood And The Ivy Look.” Click here for the New York Times write-up. — CC
Langrock Humor, 1949
From The Daily Princetonian, 1949.
Us Vs. Them: Langrock Defends The Ivy Look From ’70s Barbarism
We return to the topic of Langrock, the lengendary Princeton clothier, with these two ads from the 1970s aimed at the campus community. Together they illustrate how the shop viewed itself following the fall in popularity of the Ivy League Look. In the top ad, Langrock touts itself as a noble knight defending the …
Fall Forward: New Items From Brooks Brothers Red Fleece
When we change the clocks twice a year, we remember the direction with the mnemonic device “spring forward, fall back.” But these days retailers bring out next season’s clothes earlier and earlier, and as soon as July 4th was over there were already signs of fall. Yesterday Brooks Brothers sent out an email blast plugging …
Norman Hilton: Coming (Again!) For Fall 2014
Our last post was on Nick Hilton’s blog post about Langrock, and today he sent out a mailer announcing the return of the Norman Hilton sportcoats he recently produced. More info as we get it. — CC
Retail Darwinism In Tigertown: Nick Hilton On Langrock
Nick Hilton, Princeton-based son of late Ivy clothier (and Ralph Lauren’s first investor) Norman Hilton, has written a terrific post on his blog about the legendary clothier Langrock. Entitled “A Case Study In Retail Darwinism,” the piece explores how Langrock’s resistance to change — even after the fall of the Ivy League Look — doomed …
Just Ducky: Duck Head Website Finally Launches
The much anticipated return of Duck Head is finally here, as the brand’s website finally features product. “Launching the site has been a huge undertaking and we are so happy it’s finally up,” director of marketing Alex Wallace told Ivy Style. Products that will garner the most interest are the O’ Bryan pant and shorts. …
Where Main Street Meets The Elite
This ad from mass-market clothier Galey & Lord dates from 1965. But apparently that’s no random model who sat for the portrait. According to textilehistory.org: In the mid-1960s, six prominent socialites had their portraits painted by Henry Koehler. The garments were crafted using G&L fabrics. Ads appeared in the New York Times Feb 2, 1965. …
Young Pup: York Street Fall Preview
As mentioned in the last post, on Friday I attended a preview of the fall collection by York Street, the youthful line by J. Press. Here are some items, along with a few atmospheric store shots with current items and memorabilia, to succour J. Press fans anxiously awaiting a new Manhattan retail location.
Brooks Vs. Press Hybrid Hoodie Showdown
Today I visited J. Press’ York Street shop for a preview of its fall collection. More on that in the next post. Later I stopped by Brooks, where a jacket caught my eye. It was certainly eye-catching, and I realized it bore a certain similarity to one I’d just seen at York Street. Both, you …
Soccer Is Not A Preppy Sport
In a couple of hours, the US will take on Germany in the World Cup. Most of you probably don’t care, because soccer is about as preppy as having a name like Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan IV. Pictured above is Khan at Harvard in 1958 from a LIFE Magazine photo shoot. We …
Hold Up Your Pants The Ivy Way
Simple outfit, stylish belt. One of my favorite formulas. — CC
Surf’s Up Again
This weekend summer officially arrived, so here’s your summer reading (at least for a few minutes) via this piece on a new surfing book I did for Ralph Lauren Magazine. Above, an image that could only exist in the imagination of the Japanese: the “Surf Ivy” collection from the brand Beams Plus.