Dateline 1968: Who’s This?
Who’s this, pictured here in 1968, one year after the fall of the Ivy League Look? He’s in a state of transition, with mop top hairstyle and blue OCBD with flap pocket and rear collar button.
Gorey Story
The name Edward Gorey (1925 – 2000) is almost as elusive as the man himself, conjuring either immediate recognition or hesitant diffidence. Even for the former, the breadth of his work is generational. From designing the Tony Award-winning set and costumes for a 1977 Broadway revival of Dracula, to the opening sequence of WGBH’s Mystery! …
Preppy Forever? Choate On Prep
How do prep-school students view clothes in a post-preppy world? Here’s an example published in 2012 in the school newspaper of Choate Rosemary Hall — the school that gave us the navy pinstripe/yellow socks/ribbon belt/bow tie look — sent to Ivy Style by Doria de La Chapelle, co-author of a book on preppy style. * …
A Comprehensive Guide To Haircuts
Was There Something I Missed?
In 2013 the Yale Alumni Magazine ran a short but interesting essay showing the importance of “the right clothes” and the ignorance of it for many public school kids admitted in the postwar years. Writes Marty Nichols, who went off to New Haven in the fall of 1948: As my classmates and I converge on …
A Tale Of Two Suits: Brooks in the ’50s & ’60s
One of the best things about my job is that every so often I come across a piece so good that I have to take a moment to admire the finer points of hand-tailoring that went into it. In this instance, I found not one but two such pieces, both from Brooks Brothers, both with …
Rare Opportunity: Full-Time Openings At The Andover Shop
The Cambridge and Andover locations of The Andover Shop are looking for seasoned full and part-time sales associates. This is a unique opportunity to work for one of America’s oldest and most distinguished haberdashers. With 70 years of history behind it, The Andover Shop has served as a steward of classic American style for generations. Successful candidates …
Ascot What Your Country Can Do For You
In the spirit of “just clothes,” Ivy Style is pleased to present this ode to one of menswear’s most precariously pretentious items. It was written exclusively for us by James Kraus, previous contributor and founder of Auto Universum. * * * Five years ago I decided to take a long-considered plunge into the world of …
Trial By Fire
“I’m afraid to ask,” I said woozily, “but where does Trump fit in all of this?” Oldman shook his head with contempt. “A petty Caesar drowning in the swamp. And he will not be joining us here.” He and Mark shared their first amicable glance, and, in perfect sync, intoned together, “His tie’s too long.” …
Surfing Craze: Tradsville Flooded By Surf-Motif Tsunami
Had a great afternoon surfing Newport, first time on a board in 12 years! Well, except for one time in Newport a while back. Time for the surf-Ivy swell to rise again as it did in 2013. — CC * * * A swell at sea has been building and has finally crashed upon the …
The Legendary Take Ivy Film
Before W. David Marx published “Ametora,” his pioneering book on American style in Japan, he wrote several pieces for Ivy Style. Here’s a revisit of a 2011 piece that shines light on Ivy both at home and abroad. * * * Just five years ago, 1965 photo book “Take Ivy” was a rarity. Most sat …
News Roundup: The Rising And Falling Of Ivy, Menswear Blogs, And Dressing Well
Greetings gentlemen, and I hope your little corner of Tradsville — even if it’s only in the mind — is opening up. There’s been a big uptick in activity here in the tourist town of Newport as businesses are released from lockdown and people take to walking the streets in t-shirts and flip-flops alternating between …
Golden Years: New York Nightlife In The ’50s
During the Eisenhower years, Manhattan was an island of social, economic and cultural equanimity. The legal drinking age was 18, the bars stayed open until four in the morning, and the Biltmore Hotel advertised special student rates for Seven Sisters and Ivy Leaguers. Here are some memories from those days of my misspent youth. The …
Langrock And The Greatest Salesman Of All Time
Last month a salesman from Langrock named Frank Mennella left a comment on G. Bruce Boyer’s post about the legendary Princeton clothier. Ivy Style followed up and asked for further recollections from Mr. Menella, and the comment and his subsequent email have been combined below with minor edits. * * * I just read this …
Now Open: Madras Season
Today we honor those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It’s also the unofficial start of summer, and therefore the start of madras season. Pictured above is a shot of 25 people, only one of whom is wearing madras, the man who would become known as our preppiest prez. Happy Memorial Day.
School’s Out: Daily Princetonian Seersucker Ads, 1940s
If you were off on Spring Break or spending the winter in Palm Beach, Princeton’s clothiers of the 1940s had just the clothes you needed, including plenty of seersucker. While not graphically interesting, these ads include interesting copy revealing what was popular with students at the time.
Summer Staple: Chens on Madras for The Rake
In honor of the mostly official start of summer, here’s my 2010 article on madras for The Rake. * * * American Indian: Madras, named for the Indian city where it originated, remains a distinctly yankee summer staple By Christian Chensvold The Rake, issue 10 Though Brooks Brothers and Chipp were just across the street …
Ivy For The Masses: The h.i.s. Brand
H.I.S Inc. may be the missing link between workwear and Ivy-styled clothing. The company was originally founded as Honesdale manufacturing in 1923 by Henry I. Siegel. It specialized in workwear, including denim, and was a contract manufacturer for JC Penny and Montgomery Ward. The firm was headquartered in New York with manufacturing facilities in Tennessee. …
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances
Well as things stand at the moment, we certainly have difficult circumstances, so the challenge is the clean living. The quote originates from Peter Meaden, one of those unusual characters that the postwar boom in the UK produced. At the dawn of Modernism, Meaden was in on the ground floor and was involved in the …