Happy Thanksgiving, my natural-shouldered brethren. There’s so much to be thankful for, so let’s jump right in. For starters, as a follow-up to our spate of posts on the great RL, you can stop calling him “Uncle Ralphie” (never understood that one) and start calling him Sir Ralph. That’s right, after a lifetime of drawing …
Good luck on your travels today. According to reports, you’re going to need it.
Shaggy Dog season is upon us in most of the country. It’s certainly here for the Lauren family, as one member was in J. Press this weekend stocking up on brushed Shetlands. And that’s our springboard from winter to spring, as we take a look at the recently unveiled Spring 2019 Polo collection. Neo-prep is …
JKF’s varsity/letterman/Joe College sweater would have been the ultimate garment to wear to The Game today, as Forbes reported earlier this week.
In honor of The Game today, Bill Stephenson shares his thoughts on Ivy League football. Stephenson graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1954, but presently lives in Princeton, where he cheers for the home team, which ranks a bit lower. * * * It doesn’t seem possible to have had an exposure to college …
Are we in the midst of a preppy revival, or its final orgiastic-death throes-supernova? As with everything, there’s reason to believe both. But today let’s look at the notion of a prepocalypse. Last week LA-based designer Greg Lauren partnered with fashion brand KITH for a collection that was likened to a preppy apocalypse. The creative wellsprings …
Contributor ANV shares this tidbit of sartorial esoterica. * * * Richard Press had said that the background color for neckties never went darker than navy blue. Similarly, the patrician wardrobe tends to avoid high contrast, except for formalwear. As a result, one rarely sees white or black in traditional necktie designs. But there are …
As mentioned in the San Francisco prep story recently posted, I’ve been writing for the SF society mag The Nob Hill Gazette, which I did some pieces for many years ago when I lived in the city. My latest is on a few proud peacocks in the Bay Area’s tech industry who defy the unofficial …
Yes, it’s true: back in the day, preppy girlfriends would make needlepoint belts for their beaux. In some cases, the belts lasted longer than the relationship. Prior contributor BC explains. * * * When we met in the fall of 1981, M. had left Georgetown, where she had been studying nursing, and was working as …
Looking to the left, hair parted on the right. Drive carefully on your way to the polls. And remember: if two Americans identically dressed in buttondowns, crewnecks and loafers can’t have a civil discussion about politics, then we’re truly doomed.
We’ve been covering the underworld lately, with con men, spies, the CIA, and now a private eye. This year marks the 60th anniversary of “Peter Gunn,” who was a new kind of TV detective when he made his debut in 1958. With his neat hair and simple gray suits, Gunn could have fit right in …
Recently a blog called The Suits Of James Bond paid tribute to 007’s American counterpart, Felix Leiter. The observations are hardly earth-shattering, but it is worth noting how the two tailoring styles relect the characters. “The colours Leiter wears may be the same as Bond’s,” the blogger writes, “but the styles are an ocean apart.” …
Before he became James Bond, Roger Moore cut his teeth in the spy-crime-thriller genre as star of British TV series “The Saint,” which ran from 1962-69, or the end of the Ivy heyday years in the States. In fact, like Pierce Brosnan decades later, Moore had to turn down the role of Bond due to his …
Darkness has fallen, the witching hour is upon us, and the boys from “Take Ivy” have rolled over in their graves, disinterred themselves, and become the walking dead, driven by the unholy urge to retake Ivy. Trick or treat!
Phanes College, a small liberal arts school in rural Vermont, has taken a bold step forward in the fight for gender equality. This year students attending any on-campus Halloween festivities are required to wear gender-neutral costumes in an effort to dismantle stereotypes and foster a safe environment for everyone. In a campus-wide email, Phanes dean …
Forum is a privately circulated men’s lifestyle title produced by the company that puts out the menswear trade pub MR. I’ve been writing essays for it for over a dozen years, many of which I’ve shared here. What follows is my second piece from the current fall/winter issue. It’s based on a wonderful recent interpretation …
Classics become so for a reason. Grey trousers are pretty much unbeatable, which is why they’ve been the default for wearing with patterned jackets for almost a century. So honor your ancestors with charcoal trousers and an odd jacket — it’s a combo that works for me. You might also consider a tab collar for …
Last night J. Press hosted a tweed-themed event at its New York store. It was the first with Richard Press in his new role as columnist and what you might call brand ambassador. Richard shared tales of J. Press’ 50-year partnership with the Irish tweed mill Magee, along with Magee CEO Patrick Temple. The chat …
Since then I’ve trimmed my beard down, but the supercilious smirk remains. Check out the event in question here. — CC