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 …
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 …
Update, 3 July, 10:04 AM: Last night Ivy Style crossed the 10,000-comment threshold with these infamous words that will echo across America this summer as families pile up the station wagon and head out on the road: Are we there yet? The comment was left by none other than regular reader Henry, who will finally …
From the vanity files, for the latest issue of The Rake I was asked to empty my pockets for a section called Pocket Guide, which profiles what the world’s most irrepressibly elegant men [sic] carry in their pockets and on their person. Click here for a PDF of the layout. I donned duds by Haspel, …
English Ivy guru and Weejun fetishist JP Gaul, co-author of “The Ivy Look” (see our review here), has written a piece for Yale University Press’ blog. YUP is the publisher of the upcoming book created in conjunction with the MFIT exhibit. While discussing his discovery of Ivy as a teenager in the ’80s, Gaul writes: …
This afternoon the press release for the MFIT’s exhibit was sent out. Here it is in its entirety. — CC * * * The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) presents Ivy Style, an exhibition that celebrates one of the most enduring clothing styles of the 20th century. From its origins on the …
Today Brooks Brothers announced that it was the official clothier of Baz Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” adaptation, which opens December 25. Under the direction of costume designer Catherine Martin, Brooks created more than 500 outfits for the male principals and extras. Women’s Wear Daily has an ungated feature on the collaboration complete with slideshow. Below is …
Yesterday trade publication Apparel Magazine posted what I believe is the first article to appear on the upcoming “Ivy Style” exhibit at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology. It’s the most detailed account yet on what you can expect in just a few short months. Here’s an excerpt: Ivy Style will present the …
Charlie Davidson, the legendary 86-year-old proprietor of The Andover Shop, doesn’t often condescend to pose for the camera, but he acquiesced last week for my long-gestating profile in The Rake. Consider the shot above a sneak peek and expect the story sometime this summer. The headline, for those of you who don’t listen to music …
Recently GQ said John Updike was in as a style icon while Jack Kerouac was all washed up and played out. And last week the magazine’s web site put up a slideshow. No new images for you guys perhaps, but maybe for the younger and/or less literate out there. Remains to be seen if fashion …
News broke today that the brothers behind Ovadia & Sons have inked a deal with J. Press. The alarmist headline above was in jest, of course. While initial news on Twitter was that they were appointed creative directors, GQ says they are merely designing a special collection. “Our line will have a really cool, young …
Erstwhile Ivy Style contributor Zachary DeLuca answered the recent want ad for The Andover Shop and was offered the job. Zach was able to negotiate his hours so he can continue his projects, including acting as a sales rep for a custom tailor and selling vintage Ivy duds through his business Newton Street Vintage. Zach …
Yesterday Women’s Wear Daily reported that Russell Simmons is relaunching his clothing label Argyleculture, this time in partnership with the Joseph Abboud brand. Aimed at “urban graduates,” Simmons described the collection as “preppy on steroids.”
Today would be the 100th birthday of John Cheever, who died in 1982. Two news reports you might want to check out are this one by the New York Daily News, and for an English perspective, this one from the Telegraph. I asked Bruce Boyer if he might have any particular insight on one of …
Paul Fussell, author of the mordantly hilarious “Class: A Guide Through The American Status System,” died Wednesday at the age of 88. “Class” includes an entire chapter devoted to the semiotics of dress, and he aims his wry wit at his own class as much as those above and below. Here’s an excerpt: Upper-middle clothes… …
If you can’t get enough of images from the heyday of the Ivy League Look, there are several tumblr sites you need to check out. Above, The Weejun. Below, Traditional Natural Shoulder: And finally, The Ivy League Look: All great resources for documenting Ivy style from the past. — CC
Yesterday the trailer was released for Baz Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby” adaptation, due out this Christmas. And don’t forget, the theatrical version will be in 3-D. Will the glasses be shaped like the ones on Dr. Eckleburg’s billboard? — CC
In its June issue, GQ uses the term “Ivy League Look” in what I suspect is the first in a long time. The context is in a one-page guide to Cambridge. The magazine mentions J. Press, but neglects to mention The Andover Shop, opting instead for a place called Concepts, described as “part high-end skate …
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is the steamy new novel that has bored housewives all stirred up, but here’s a shade of grey for us guys. While browsing at J. Press recently, this jacket caught my eye from across the room. The reason was the color: a grayish olive that struck a resounding early ’60s note. …