I think I see a few guys in this Americana London look like Cap describes, although he does take it to very much its own place. It is a veritable Smörgåsbord of vintage garms, modern rejigs, big workwear inspiration, tweed newsboy caps etc. To me personally I have to hang my Americana foliage on a strong Ivy trunk. That being my tapered trousers my Bd shirts. I'm not saying it's a better look. A look is a look, but it is preferred to me and what ever fantasy im trying to delude myself with at that point in the month. And its normally LA 60s living or NY 50s beat nihilism. Depends on how close or far away from payday it is

The varsity jacket I actually still really like as it goes… the Greenspan is a great example of how an older git could get away with it ha ha…
Those GREASERS look fantastic btw…

I was kinda referring more to that whole general look

I really do think that whichever side of the pond you sit makes a big difference:

It’s probably just an AGE THING for me…when I was a nipper and went down the Mod path, I was fully aware of the Ivy influence but anything that might have been taken, I just saw as “Mod”….
Maybe fuelled by watching Happy Days up to that point he he…but “Ivy League” was as a result a complete knobby term and worn by knobby people…
I really didn’t have time for students back then either, even tho I became one myself so again “Ivy League” has always conjured up the pretentious TWAT image for me as well I’m afraid..

As I say, I’ve never really cared for the Beach Boys…
Early Who/Small Faces/Action etc. …man that just blew me away…there was nothing collegy /blue skies, sun & surf about it..just a total attitude thing going on that was perfect for a pubescent… a set of pearly gnashers in matching outfits warbling on about fackin Rhonda never had a chance…
Camber Sands was the nearest I got to surfing too…

Saying that, Mod for me has always been a youth cult and I left it at around 19 to go numerous other paths…

I can appreciate the great campus images on here of course, but at the end of the day, I still retain some of that mindset…
The button down, is forever a Mod item for me as it all stems from being 13 and how I perceived it…if I’d worn them contiuously since  then maybe I’d see them as totally Ivy…which of course they are…
I’d say the same for a 3 button jacket too… is making it a 3/2 the only difference?
Yes, there’s the whole unstructured/undarted sack element to it all as well but at the end of the day it’s still a 3 button jacket to me however you wanna dress it up…I’m not knocking the look at all here let me re-itereate,.. it will always be wonderful!

The old Blues/Soul/Jazz guys aside, the America I found fascinating then was the whole garage/psych long hair thing… the bowl and muttons look.. then into the Stooges/MC5 more Rockin’ thing…there were clearly Ivy aspects going on here too with the garage side…but again it wasn’t a term of any importance to me…

When I had to start working I got into the music industry so a whole load of new sounds and styles started hitting me..the major one being my increasing love of Hip Hop and so of course …workwear!

This remains with me above all others I feel and this is how I suppose I got back into Ivy as I started to be more interested in the origins of everything…
What’s that sample? Had me leaning back to Jazzier elements…
Where did workwear Carhartt/Dickies/Ben Davis originate and what’s beyond them? The path to Americana…
Denim is my big thing pretty much…I could live in jeans and chores and no mistake…it’s quintessentially AMERICAN to me ,..
As McGregors/Woolrich/Pendleton and the like came into play so did the return of looking “smarter” at times and how I got back into the “what most on here would take for Ivy” look….

Of course I didn’t want to look MOD whatsoever although I know I would to many, especially in the UK…but after a while it just didn’t bother me anymore in truth… and besides it was Ivy I was wearing now….wasn’t it?
Tbh, a lot of images on here in ISFT remain very Modlike to me and I’ve no problem with it at all.. it’s a solid most splendid look.. as opposed to the Weller/Peter Stringfellow route.. I can tell it’s Ivy now of course as can you all…what anyone else thinks is of no interest is it?

So now I’m at a point where I just wear what I like… I’m beyond the age of caring or wanting to impress… I probably still like to OFFEND of course.. old habits die hard!

At this moment in time, I’ve deffo gone back further for inspiration….

What I like about stuff I really like now is that I don’t pitch myself in any timeframe whatsoever…
PLUS, you see loads of old farts like meself in chores/loose pants/big boots/caps and the like..from the early 1900s onwards… it’s maybe more eccentric today as a look but you can pretty much chuck anything with it..
But it’s this that I find fascinating now…it’s absolutely NOTHING like the Moddier/Ivyier end of the spectrum for me and which I kinda feel I’ve been there, done it etc, ..and if only it was colder over here…I could look maybe even more ridiculous mwoh ha ha ha….LumberjackLinemantastic….
When I look at old images now, it’s this I think is the MUTTS and just so darn cool,,, probably because a lot of the items I just don’t have  and so desire moving forward etc.
I’d say there’s easily well over 100 years of inspiration now in what I think’s Cool, stylish and sought after..
I never really thought until now how US guys would probably find this all a bit retarded as a look but I think now it’s a bit too late for that.. it’s probably an ISLAND MONKEY THANG?!?

My Americana/Ivy is what I say it is and as I’ve always banged on…just dress for yourself.. and fuck the rest of ‘em..


So this is my take on it all as a Limey and of a certain age..

I’ve already stated that Ivy/Americana is all the same old thing for me…but what it is…is something you can move about in..and almost “switch sides” to a degree and take bits from whatever you like and what over here would be seen as cultlike i.e. Mod/Rocker/ Rockabilly/Spiv/Dork (?).. and from which you would never deviate..

I’ll be back giving Ox a run for his money soon enough… hell yeah!

Americana seems to just encompass the whole lot for me,, and YES.. even the Frat college stuff… naturally..
It’s all good which ever way you attack “THE LOOK”…

P.S.  I was in the Red Wing Store here last Friday and a coupla fella’s  remarked upon my jacket.. maybe of that weird type Bop mentioned who look not too far removed from ole’ Al here…they had no idea I was wearing a Pendleton…which made me feel nicely smug I can tell ya… tho’ pretty bemused that they didn’t know a Pendy when they see it… I'm taking no sides me...

I’m glad I’ve been around the block a bit.. and will continue doing so!

Good bit of bedtime reading Cap.  I knew you'd add some interesting personal insight into this particular topic.

^ hahahahahah

My Supersole Brother..from another mother...

That was me was me really dissing them as a 13 year old my Man...which right then for someone not that clued up would have been the US equivalent and long before i'd heard anything else bar soul/R&B...
If its any consolation I thought the Beatles were tossers then too...I was a tiny narrow minded little mod who just missed punk but picked up on that vibe in new wave/Mod revival stuff...

I still don't listen much to the Beatles & keep meaning to have a real good sesh with the Beach Boys but it's still not happened... what can I say...I'm a problem child...
I know how utterly important they were to the history of music but still ain't got me arse in gear to pay them the reverence that they're due..

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.”

As for Stevie's overalls.....I can assure you that me and all the other kids watching thought he looked a complete cock in them ha ha.....

Payback's a bitch, huh?!?

Lovely stuff Stan...

Creedence are another lot I really like but still ain't got round to actually buying anything by...

I think for stuff like the Beach Boys/Beatles...a helluva lot of their tunes are just so well known anyhow, the novelty factor wears off in playing it to a degree as it's "already known" sorta thing..

I had a freebie for Bowie about 10 years ago...and again..another bloke who I'm not massively into even tho' I fully appreciate what he did etc. - I pretty much knew every song and so thoroughly enjoyed the gig...

I worked at Abbey Road for about a year in 1988 - I say worked loosely...all i can really recall was mainly getting stoned all the time with an Anarcho Welsh Punk ha ha.... and copping off with older women there... but I digress...
I found it quite a dreary place tbh
Thee famed Studio 2 (Beatles one) was beyond miserable as was the whole wankfest still going on with them at the time... & because the studio was hardly used, I found it kinda sad and almost creepy..
Their dismissal of poor ole Syd at the door with his guitar back in the day also stuck with me big time...there was nothing cool about the place whatsoever for me..
Obviously then, it did little for my Beatles appreciation even tho' I was a complete Hair Bear by this point and well into my late 60s/early 70s period..

I'm also of the opinion that a lot of those Psych/early rock looks don't really age that well...they are VERY of their time I think....and with most of them totally off their Tits, it's no real surprise what they wore is it?...

Simple denim, sneakers/boots, shirts..even a white T remain effortlessly cool from one generation to the next...

I listen to music pretty much all the time...can wear headphones at work...walk around town plugged in...there's just so so much to cram in isn't there...and new discoveries always take preference with me... so whilst I PROMISE to give the BB some serious time soon.... I can't hold myself to it..