We’ll conclude the recent batch of Kamakura-versus-Brooks discussion (aka the “buttondown showdown”) with a couple of photos snapped yesterday in the Madison Avenue store. The shop may be small, but it still has room for some newly arrived pocket squares and wool neckties, in addition to all the shirts.
Recently the comments section has been lively with discussion about Brooks Brothers shirts. Obsessing over them is practically an institution; as early as the mid-’60s George Frazier was writing, “What the hell’s happening to the roll on Brooks Brothers buttondowns?” There’s a reason men get so worked up about them: they have strong attachments to …
…. the Guggenheim Museum opened. One year later William Claxton took the above photo of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. A previous Ivy Style tribute to Coltrane (and the Claxton photo shoot) is here, while a post on striped sportcoats is here. As for posts on buttondown-collared shirts, Mr. Erik J. has weighed in on the …
Sperry Top-Sider recently announced it has revamped its collection of shoes and accessories called Gold Cup. Quality is promised to be higher, and of course prices are about double the usual, with boat shoes priced at $150. For that you get, in the company’s words, “premium hand-sewn leather uppers, butter-soft deerskin lining, and Sperry’s patented …
This morning Kamakura Shirts alerted us to this recently produced, 11-minute, English-language TV profile of the company. It’s very interesting for its business and manufacturing insight, and if you’ve already become a fan of Kamakura, I think you’ll enjoy learning more about the great value and attention to detail that goes into its shirts. — …
Yesterday J. Press sent out an email blast about its famous Shaggy Dog, everyone’s favorite Ivy sweater. The mailer neglected to mention, however, that the sweater is back in this dark green color that had been unavailable for a long time, according to a source at the company. It’s a fitting hue, since you’ll …
The latest issue of Japanese magazine Free & Easy is called “The Updated Ivy” issue and features scads of pages of every imaginable wacky twist on trad classics. In fact, one passage explicitly states that Tokyo Ivy is a lot “crazier” than New York Ivy.
As speculated a couple of years ago, Brooks Brothers announced today that it plans to open a restaurant in the space on 44th Street that previously housed its women’s collection. The news was broken today in a New York Post exclusive: Brooks Brothers, the “Makers and Merchants” of fine American suits and ties since 1818, …
In New York, when you pop in somewhere to use the restroom you never know what serendipity awaits. I don’t mean in the restroom itself, but the establishment you’re in. You might run into an old acquaintance, or make a new one. In my case recently, I’d popped into Bloomingdale’s and while exiting the men’s …
In 1980, the only thing hotter than the best-selling “Official Preppy Handbook” was blasting aliens at the local arcade. Though they appealed to different demographics, three decades later the worlds of prepdom and video games have been combined in the form of Soxfords’ Space Invaders argyle sock, ideal for those who grew up in the …
This beautifully rounded, unpadded shoulder is from the current collection of a well known menswear retailer. Can you guess who?
Is there a mathematical formula for the natural shoulder? Indeed, there just might be. The discovery came about on Monday when Richard Press and I had lunch together and then sauntered over to J. Press. I told him some new fall sportcoats looked distinctly different from recent Press offerings. The shoulder was more natural, the …
Assistant editor Christopher Sharp takes the reins as we celebrate five years of news and commentary, words and pictures, clothes that make you cheer and clothes that make you cringe. * * * As Ivy Style reaches its fifth anniversary, we are certainly now post-grads no plans on giving up the old alma mater. Christian …
Explorations in Ivy cool-chic: Ralph Lauren cashmere cable crewneck; Kamakura oxford buttondown; olive Levi’s 501s, tapered; Alden bit loafers; Ray-Ban Clubmasters, alligator watch band, Kiel James Patrick black braided belt, and Lemon & Line black rope bracelet.
It’s time to bring the recent run of Brooks-related posts to a close (if only so we can move on to J. Press), so in this post I’d like to address a few of the more theoretical notions to come from the vibrant discussion in the comments section over the past week. First off, here …
After a couple of posts already on Brooks Brothers, the fodder keeps coming, and discussion points keep popping up, so we may be on this topic for a while. First off, today on the Brooks website I noticed a plug for the first issue of 1818, its new lifesteyle magazine. The overall feel, as we’ve …
No need to be long-winded, so I’ll keep it short: Jackets that are too short make men look like boys, while jackets of adequate length make boys look like men. Take it from these 1927 Whiffenpoofs — estimated ages 18-22. These gentlemen songsters may be doomed from here to eternity, but it’s not for being …