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#1 2015-03-22 08:54:31

Joey
Member
From: Jazztown, USA
Posts: 660

Straying from the Faith

I've only been into this whole "Ivy" thing for about two years now, but I noticed right around springtime both this year and last year, I've been tempted (for lack of a better word) by more modern fashion trends.

Perhaps it's a mentality that has something to do with the changing seasons, as the dawn of springtime is frequently coupled with an all-around sense of freshening up. Or maybe it's purely a statistics kind of thing: my warm-weather wardrobe is particularly skimpy on the Ivy front. It's likely a combination of those factors but regardless, I find myself interested in other styles.

Mind you, this in no way means I have lost my love for Ivy. And really, when I say "modern fashion trends" I mostly just mean "preppy style." This is exacerbated by my mother, who reached adolescence in the preppy 80s (in many of her high school photos, she's proudly sporting two layers of popped-collar polo shirts (I have never done this)). I spent this past week with my parents for spring break, and this annual break tends to be when I'm gifted with a modest slew of warm-weather offerings by Ralph Lauren. The Polo stuff isn't really to be scoffed at, but at best it's merely "Ivy-inspired" - hardly anyone outside of this forum would notice the difference between it and the real McCoy. Take for example, my current best warm-weather sport coat: a linen/silk/wool blend herringbone jacket by Ralph Lauren. It's got swelled edges, patch pockets, and a 3/2 front but it's darted and there are four buttons on the cuff.

I'll admit, when the temperature reaches 80, 90+ Fahrenheit, I wouldn't go out of my way to dress in anything warmer than shorts and a polo shirt. However, despite my occasional straying, I think, in the grand scheme, I'm becoming more of an Ivy purist. If, for example, I manage to find myself a nice 3-button seersucker number (probably my #1 wish list item at the moment), it would easily become my go-to summer jacket rather than the darted PRL summer tweed. This would go hand-in-hand with my current gradual shift in preference from Topsiders to white bucks, from critter shorts to (full-length) chinos, and from polo shirts to a variety of button-downs.

Anyway, these are just my ramblings on the subject. Much of my inconsistency is quite likely a product of my youth, but I'm curious if any other members of this forum ever have this feeling. I know we all have our own unique flavor of Ivy (namely, the Mod and Americana crowds), but does anyone else ever stray? I'm particularly interested in issues of taste as opposed to comfort (ie, moments where we've been briefly or otherwise interested in another style rather than "it was a lazy day so I stayed in my sweatpants").

 

#2 2015-03-22 09:36:43

Yuca
Member
Posts: 8543

Re: Straying from the Faith

As I see it, wear all the darted jackets with too many buttons on the cuff you want, as long as: they are a decent length, the shoulders aren't too bad, your trousers are high rise, your shoes are at least okish (sneakers will do) and if you wear a real shirt instead of a polo shirt it has a decent collar to it. (The trouser rise is particularly essential yet almost unattainable nowadays.) You'll still have the absolute basics of dresing like a man imo, albeit with a little modern twist.

Personally the only non-ivy style that inspires me is 50s/60s French/Italian. (As I have mentioned before.)


some sort of banal legitimacy

 

#3 2015-03-22 20:36:28

Joey
Member
From: Jazztown, USA
Posts: 660

Re: Straying from the Faith

 

#4 2015-03-22 21:22:53

Jeff Reed
Member
From: Brooklyn, New York
Posts: 991

Re: Straying from the Faith

I'll be wearing critters on belts, shorts, socks, and trousers. Lime green sweater with white linen. I've got a plethora of ribbon and surcingle belts that will all find their way in. Neon pink tie with ants. Paper thin two-button seersucker jackets. You get the idea.

I am more off the Ivy reservation in the spring and summer for sure. Much of my stuff would make the eyes of some of the good people here bleed.

There is almost nothing more I enjoy than changing out of office clothes on a Friday in the summer. The firm is run by and heavily populated with Orthodox Jews. They do seem to enjoy gawking at my get ups and there is some good natured...criticism? Perhaps I'm the Mercer of my office.

We should all be able to rally 'round the Tom Collins, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvUQcnfwUUM

 

#5 2015-03-22 22:49:39

katon
Member
Posts: 363

Re: Straying from the Faith

When Ivy is taught as a curriculum, a lot of people leave. The secret is to teach it as an elective system. Charles Eliot did a similar thing when he tried to bring a Harvard education to the masses; instead of saying that you had to read these things in this order or else, he just delivered a stack of carefully selected books and told them to read as many as they felt like, in any order they felt  like  -- all the books were classics, so starting anywhere was fine.

Same deal with Ivy; get together (digitally, at least) the old Brooks and L.L. Bean and J. Press catalogs and stick them in a pile -- read whichever, and when you find something you like, follow up on it.  Maybe 60s Brooks leads to 60s Norman Hilton, or 80s L.L. Bean leads to 70s Abercrombie & Fitch or 90s Lands End  or the J. Press pocket flap leads to Tom Wolfe's Ivy clothing essays -- the Ivy tent is a lot bigger than some realize. :-)

Last edited by katon (2015-03-22 23:02:46)

 

#6 2015-03-23 01:17:27

Moose Maclennan
Ivy Inspiration
From: Hernando's Hideaway
Posts: 4577

Re: Straying from the Faith

^
very well said

 

#7 2015-03-23 01:37:53

Moose Maclennan
Ivy Inspiration
From: Hernando's Hideaway
Posts: 4577

Re: Straying from the Faith

'Pure Ivy' is a bit of a misnomer. I doubt the term has been used outside of certain internet circles.

 

#8 2015-03-23 03:04:38

Sidewinder
Member
Posts: 610

Re: Straying from the Faith

 

#9 2015-03-23 03:59:00

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Straying from the Faith

Katon...Moose....how the devil is one fella?!?.....Word Up fellas...W-O-R-D UP......


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

#10 2015-03-23 05:15:32

An Unseen Scene
Member
From: Nottingham, UK
Posts: 1173

Re: Straying from the Faith

Somebody in the forum once said 'learn the rules and then you can break them'.  At this distance of time or outside USA, any sense of pure-Ivy is either incorrect or difficult to achieve.   We're all interpreting and over time perhaps can relax it all to find our own way though this doesn't make for the sparky conversations of old.

 

#11 2015-03-23 05:45:30

woofboxer
Devil's Ivy Advocate
From: The Lost County of Middlesex
Posts: 7959

Re: Straying from the Faith


'I'm not that keen on the Average Look .......ever'. 
John Simons

Achievements: banned from the Ivy Style FB Group

 

#12 2015-03-23 06:16:12

Worried Man
Member
From: Davebrubeckistan
Posts: 15988

Re: Straying from the Faith


"We close our sto' at a reasonable hour because we figure anybody who would want one of our suits has got time to stroll over here in the daytime." - VP of George Muse Clothing, Atlanta, 1955

 

#13 2015-03-23 06:19:36

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Straying from the Faith


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

#14 2015-03-23 06:20:28

Tommy
Member
Posts: 1753

Re: Straying from the Faith

I don't know if it's straying from the faith, but often I look at the Mod angle when I'm choosing what I'm going to wear, although of course mod was very influenced by the Ivy league style. This influence is particularly strong if I'm going to a mod/ skinhead do, though I rarely get the chance to do that these day any ways?

When it comes to summer, that will probably see a stronger ivy direction along with a west coast/ surf influence.

 

#15 2015-03-23 06:47:00

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Straying from the Faith

Yeah…straying from the faith is pretty dramtic ha ha…

Everyone on here is coming at it at their angle….

A helluva lot/majority of UK posters will be coming to it from the Mod/Skin thing obviously…

No matter how we dress it up tbh..a lot of Ivy on here is just MOD to me…coz, that’s how I’ve seen the clothes from the get go…

I went the workwear route to get as far away from Mod as possible and cos the Hip Hop thing was far more interesting & current back in the late 80s onwards…

When I wear a button down/sack/brogues.. I still feel Mod tbh…cos to anyone outside of this forum and Mods themselves…NO-ONE over here would see the subtlety of the differences…

But saying that I still like all the looks…I just still find the workwear/ earlier 20th Century stuff more appealing as to a certain degree, I feel I’ve exhausted the Moddier style bit…

And probably why I like Keydge for example…it DOES give off a different vibe for me… from a vintage piece…

But hey…as Seasick Steve put it…

IT’s ALL GOOD…. And I’m gonna dig out an old 3/2 this week just to show the lurve….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hacMDslR4Vo

P.S. See - Seasick Steve will look utterly shite to most if not ALL on here….but I just love it… I just can’t take clothing too seriously…if  wanna wear a sack…I’ll wear a sack…if I wanna wear bibs…so be it…AMEN!..straying from the faith?...Meh...


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

#16 2015-03-23 06:51:48

Oliver
Member
From: San Francisco
Posts: 6321

Re: Straying from the Faith

 

#17 2015-03-23 06:53:27

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Straying from the Faith

Ha ha...

HITMAN FOR PRESIDENT...


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

#18 2015-03-23 06:55:24

Worried Man
Member
From: Davebrubeckistan
Posts: 15988

Re: Straying from the Faith

^
Hahaha.  I don't have time to go into all my reasons at the moment, but it touches on what others have said here.  Of course I'd carry on as usual.  smile


"We close our sto' at a reasonable hour because we figure anybody who would want one of our suits has got time to stroll over here in the daytime." - VP of George Muse Clothing, Atlanta, 1955

 

#19 2015-03-23 07:09:44

Bop
Member
Posts: 7661

Re: Straying from the Faith

I think we could easily have a modern thread, and an americana thread to allow people to discuss things that others would have interest in but doesnt dilute the rest of the forum..I mean the wardrobe gave birth to TI nothi g to stop TI giving birth to something else as long as its a natural progression

 

#20 2015-03-23 07:16:30

Bop
Member
Posts: 7661

Re: Straying from the Faith

Or maybe that stuff could just be discussed in the Wardrobe...it needs a bit of kick

 

#21 2015-03-23 07:17:48

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Straying from the Faith

I'd like to make the leap to Cross- Dressing too if there's any takers....


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

#22 2015-03-23 08:04:27

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Straying from the Faith


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

#23 2015-03-23 08:12:09

Bop
Member
Posts: 7661

Re: Straying from the Faith

Big tent...like your trousers then

 

#24 2015-03-23 08:40:27

Moose Maclennan
Ivy Inspiration
From: Hernando's Hideaway
Posts: 4577

Re: Straying from the Faith

A big tent full of men with funny chunky shoes.

 

#25 2015-03-23 09:00:46

Thee Captain
Member
From: The galaxy MACS0647-JD
Posts: 6972

Re: Straying from the Faith

It's only a vision for now he he...


He came he saw he gave the WANKER SIGN! Moved on from Talk Bollocks now as it's well shite innit and y'all look MINGIN'..
I Lunge Therefore I Am #theecaptainofsuave
https://www.mixcloud.com/TheeCaptainOfSuave

 

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