Last edited by stanshall (2015-04-23 15:00:32)

I think its just all too dependent on taste... and sometimes in the past I used to think that good taste meant what is correct by the rules of proportion ..and as we're dealing with really what is soley a visual medium...arguably touch too..but no one is coming up and touching my clothes..lets just suggest its about looks..

With that in mind..there are some universal principles..tone seems to be the biggest thing and it appears as humans we like to see the whole tonal range taken into account..

With that down we can then look at shape, colour texture etc..and you can have a huge choice of variables..and yes you can even get into the idea of golden ratios and excat proportions too..but then there is a little thing called character when things can be a bit too short or too bit too long but then what is created is character...character suggests a lot and is arguably more interesting than perfection.. but then perfection is good too. You just need both..to really meet all the criteria.


Its a very broad area and each element could have years spent on it but I think ultimately Ivy is a look that offers a lot of scope for creativity and a visual structure that maintains.

In a recent pic I felt soggys tie was too big for his lapels..I can only jidge that by my eye..others might see it differently..also I see a lot of fault in my own clothing most recently my last pic the leather of the shoes and better shouldve set tonally higher than the jacket but i didnt have any shoe that were right so I comprised and its not as good as it could be.. which is why it wouldve been nice to be a designer and maker so you could undo these issues..but im at the mercy of a budget and being large and incapable of working a pair of scissors...I have to take what I can and make the best out of it..I think like with cooking, dressing is a very difficult thing to do correctly because it is all so relative and a balancing of almost infinite variables..Im not even sure why we bother

My point is even with it all done correctly you have to realise clothes communicate you..and we're all different..but to make something visually appealing you need a whole symphony of elements playing out that the eye is not left wanting..thats what a great clothes designer does..but your voice is your voice

Ultimately I think of it like this...I love Country/folk music.. but i dont love every tune equally because its in a style.. i like sometunes more than others and some will be my utmost fav...why because they have principles being met that transcend style.. its like that with clothes too

And a last point

I dont just like Topsters.. I like a very specific period of topsters where I felt the proportions they exhibited appeased my taste the most..thats not being blindly into a style..thats getting down and dirty with personal taste and judgement, same goes for all my clothes Im not buying something because its ivy..im buying something that appeases my taste that happens to be in this style..I dont care how rare a shirt is or how nice the roll is.. it still needs to be matched with the right stuff if your serious about creating visually inspiring outfits.

Last edited by Bop (2015-04-23 15:46:26)

For the record I think WM dresses very well and that almost allows for him to be even more throwback..because the principles under pinning what makes an outfit look good are really universal. Thats a point which should be made clear I guess

Thanks! Once you get my socks off I'm a normal guy.

I couldn't agree more, Yuca. The fundamental factor here that unites us all is our love for Ivy style, despite whatever flavor contemporary fashion is pushing (and frankly, who cares). The majority of us feel most comfortable, both physically and dare I spiritually, in a pair of high rise trousers with a sack coat and an OCBD that doesn't have a cardboard collar. Sometimes what we wear is a matter of subjective taste, but I'd like to think it's truly a matter of authenticity, especially for those of us here. While some people might think that we look outdated or out of context, if we like it, does anything else really matter?

Last edited by Bradley (2015-04-24 02:31:50)

Fit indeed matters, very much so. The combination of authenticity and proper fit, as you said, is thoroughly important. What I really enjoy about the "Ivy" look is that fit is almost tailored (no pun intended) into the whole aesthetic: tapered trousers with a high rise, softly structured jackets with slight form, that billow of an OCBD that we all love. And of course, there are exceptions to everything. Some people perceive those things as outdated... and so be it.

Though, I don't think the Ivy look is retro at all; it's universal. The sad state of clothing at the moment basically renders anything that's classic as something a "grandpa" would wear, as mercer (sorry for bringing it up) so eloquently put awhile back. When gym shorts with a graphic T or low rise skinny jeans and a disheveled flannel are commonplace, most classic items or outfits are judged with questioning eyes.

Still, when we tear everything else away, clothing is very much an art, and like arts, perceptions that arise subjective. We are all part of the same little "Ivy League" school and while each of us brings something different, we are still part of that group and follow a broad set of guidelines. And that's what I like most about this forum and the look itself.

Last edited by Bradley (2015-04-24 03:14:12)

hahaha. 

I think you saying we live in a bubble is a bit unfair, Soggs.  You're viewing and judging us based only on our contributions to this forum, which indeed caters to a few diehard Ivyists.  Lest you be led to think that everything in my life revolves around what I'm wearing each day, I've just gotta say, it doesn't. 

I'd gladly wear a shirt from any maker if it tickled my fancy.  What was that one you posted recently?  I asked about it.  The green one?  Now that looked like a killer shirt.  Did I question whether or not the maker has any idea about anything to do with Ivy or what we talk about on here?  No.  Not at all. 

I can count the number of companies that really cater to ivy / trad fans on pretty much one hand, and I'm sure a large percentage of their customer base doesn't think in those terms.  They just buy the clothes they've always bought.  And then we've all seen how hard it is for guys like Henry to get a dedicated and small "Ivy" brand off the ground.

To get something off the ground depends on a number of factors, I thought his shirts were top. Great quality but sizing was an issue for me. I'm sure if he could have ordered sizes other than Alpha in the numbers he wanted he would have. Same with sleeve length. A small company really needs to compromise with makers. H didn't want to do that with his ties so they never got off the ground. Customer base is another issue, a lot of Ivy wearers pick stuff up cheap so that made H's shirts seem costly but if you compare them to the same quality brands in shops they weren't priced badly. For all the big ups by the Ivy bloggers, and he who shall not be mentioned, did any of them dip their hand in their pocket and buy one? I doubt it but yeah, a really tough market to get into.

Get your green shirt here WM... http://emanuelberg.com/bespoke-tailoring/individually-tailored-shirts.html

Last edited by Goodyear welt (2015-04-24 11:24:12)