A copy of The Ivy Look finally arrived last week and I’ve been studying it continually since. The authors describe it best from the forward:
Think of this book as Ivy League: The Director’s Cut. An entirely personal edit of what we consider to be the very best bits – the main styles, the sharp dressers and the major retailers.
The surprisingly small book is full of great illustrations, ads, and pictures exploring different parts of the Ivy look and the icons that popularized them. Definitely pick it up if you find these things interesting.
Some favorite quotes I found:
Brooks Brothers was something else; in the heart of New York, it was a vast, oak paneled emporium full to bursting point with the finest Ivy clothing, pared down and laid out on tables to be viewed as though works of art. To me there were just that, each label sewn in in every garments that Brooks Brothers sold carried the words ‘Made in USA’, as reassuring to seekers of the Ivy look as an authenticated painting signed by Picasso.
– Graham Marsh
It is a wardrobe that bestows tradition and elegance upon those who were not born into backgrounds of tradition and elegance. It’s a quiet, decidedly un-flashly way communicating an appreciation for clothes with a connection to the great moments of twentieth century culture. It still means a lot to me that Miles Davis wore Bass Weejuns. I feel like I am part of that tradition. I am following in his footsteps.
– JP Gaul
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