MFIT Press Preview Day
This morning the Museum at FIT held its “Ivy Style” press conference. The exhibit opens tomorrow, and at last photos can be unveiled.
Young Man/Old Man: J. Press And The York Street Collection
The concept of age was the recurring topic of conversation at the J. Press York Street presentation yesterday. Held at the Yale Club and in conjunction with New York Fashion Week, the event drew a surprisingly large crowd of fashion and media types likely more familiar with York Street’s creative directors — Ariel and Shimon …
Social Primer Debut Collection
Yesterday K. Cooper Ray, the Southern gent behind Social Primer, debuted his new mini-collection of neckties and blazers. Previously Ray had collaborated with Brooks Brothers, but has now struck out on his own. Held at a presigious private club, models were supposed to represent fraternity pledges and the blazers, in navy and red, come with …
Stuck Between Barack And A Hard Place? Vote Magoo!
If Romney’s speech last night at the Republican National Convention left you nonplussed (or perhaps even filled with terror), and Obama likewise leaves you feeling the victim of false advertising, consider Magoo as a write-in candidate when you visit the polls this November. Magoo is a candidate all trads can get behind. He knows the …
First Look At J. Press’ York Street Collection
Yesterday GQ unveiled a first look at J. Press’ new collection under the stewardship of the brothers behind Ovadia & Sons. The collection is entitled York Street and will debut next spring. While the above outfit is perfectly reasonable (ignore, if you can, the hairy model), others leave us scratching our heads. The one below …
Ivy Style Book Sneak Peek
It’s kinda cool to have your name on a book — especially when you didn’t even have to do anything. Last week I got a copy of “Ivy Style,” the book, published by Yale University Press, no less, that accompanies the MFIT exhibit. It includes my Q&A with Richard Press from here. Other writers contributed …
MFIT Exhibit Sneak Peek
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology has granted Ivy-Style.com an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse at “Ivy Style” the exhibit as it reaches the final stages of preparation. Above, passages from Fitzgerald’s “This Side Of Paradise” will adorn the walls.
Skinny-Dipping Congressman A Trad
Last night the kind of kerfuffle that could only exist in an election year made the evening news. Even more indicative of its importance, it made David Letterman’s top 10. It seems another GOP lawmaker was caught with his pants down, this time on the beach in Israel. While on a research expedition, a group …
MFIT’s Ivy Style Exhibit For RL Magazine
Four weeks from today Ivy Trendwatch will shift into overdrive. The developments of the past five years, during which we’ve seen the republication of “Take Ivy,” several Ivy and preppy books from around the world, the proliferation of trad blogs and tumblrs, and of course Ivy-Style.com, will presumably shoot to new heights of public awareness …
Fall 2012, Season Of The Camp Moc
If Rugby’s fall collection is any indication, fall’s “it” shoe will be an LL Bean-style camp moccasin. After all, the brand does cater to young trendsetters — and followers — and its looks will likely reverberate like ripples on a pond. Rugby’s fall outfits pair the shoe with just about everything. Even the most die-hard, …
Ivy Trendwatch: Men Of The Ivy League Tumblr
Today the Rugby blog plugged a relatively new tumblr called Men Of The Ivy League, so we figured it’s about time we did the same. The site should more appropriately be called Sportsmen Of The Ivy League, as it’s focused almost entirely on athletics. The photo-driven site (as are all tumblrs) features contemporary photos, and …
Ivy Trendwatch: Brooks Brothers’ American Ivy Campaign
What a difference half a century makes. Brooks Brothers, essentially the creators of what came to be known as the Ivy League Look, used to scoff at the term. To wit, this passage from the 1959 novel “Try For Elegance” by former Brooks Brothers employee David Loovis: He [the floor manager] detested to the point …
New Spring/Summer Jackets From Crittenden
It’s market week here in New York, and yesterday I stopped by the small menswear trade show at the Park Lane Hotel, where Crittenden Rawlings was showing. I previously wrote about him in January; Rawlings is a menswear veteran who’s worked for Norman Hilton and Ralph Lauren, and who has brought out a new Ivy-styled …
Beau Tied: Introducing Hugh Simms Neckwear
Considering that the necktie is supposed to be dying a slow death, there sure are an awful lot of start-up neckwear companies lately. Most push their made-in-USA credentials, and I think all of us — from nouveau-prep twentysomething to the oldest of old-school traditionalists — who are interested in tailored clothing can laud any new …
A Year In The Life
One year ago today I hit a golf ball for the first time. Since then I’ve hit 20,000 more. Every day for the past 365 days I’ve played golf, practiced it, watched it, read about it, or thought about it. When I haven’t been outdoors hitting balls, I’ve been rolling them across the purple putting …
The Old Money Look: Vintage Ivy Market Heats Up
For those who like your Ivy kosher and don’t mind the smell of moth balls, check out vintage dealer HabuchiHuckaby on eBay. According to his seller profile: I am very fortunate to have an in with some of the Midwest’s best dressed, and sadly fleeting, old-timers. These were the guys who used to grace the …
Walk Tall: JP Crickets’ Ivy League Velvet Slippers
When you go to an Ivy League school, or so I’ve heard, there’s a certain hierarchy of coolness in your attitude towards it. Coolest of all, of course, is having dropped out to do better things, like Mark Zuckerberg. Basically you’re so smart you don’t even need an Ivy League degree. Dropping out because you …
Meet The Press: A Reader Q&A With Richard P.
Back in 2012 Richard Press volunteered to take reader questions, resulting in some interesting insight on the Ivy heyday. Ask him nicely and he might take some new questions. * * * Richard Press, Ivy Style’s “Golden Years” columnist, former president of J. Press, and grandson of Jacobi, will herein host a virtual question-and-answer session …
Madras Season: Dexys Midnight Runners
When madras season officially opened on Memorial Day, we ran a post showing George HW Bush clad in a madras sportcoat in company that wasn’t exactly wearing the same (can you imagine Obama or Romney doing that in 2012?) Now that July 4th marks our deeper descent into madras, this time we show the fabric …