The more I contemplate it, the more effortlessly elegant it seems. Almost, if not quite, as good as pale blue. Truly blessed are those who choose to simplify.
But the university stripe comes in all sorts of stripe: pink, grey, brown, charcoal, red as well as pale blue. Green allegedly exists, but I've yet to see it.
Indeed, I bought a yellow one the other day - a shirt which caused no small debate on this very forum - but yes, elegant simplicity - at a distance the palest of yellows, which resolves into subtle stripes on approach. Lovely.
Nice! Oh yes.
Nice to see that, like a black swan.
These days, I seem to more interested in a canny and thrift like attitude to dress. Its possible with a minimum amount of white BB's, a number of university stripes, Weejuns and longwings, a couple of vintage BB jackets, but a limitless amount of repp ties, to arrive at an ultimate Ivy wardrobe without having one hundred and five-plus shirts in the wardrobe. Its open to anyone, democratic and classless; rich or poor, black, white, arab, Israel and Christianite. Not forgetting Shintoists, Buddhists and voodoo magick alchemists.
If I was young man, say 18 again, this is the route I would go down to achieve this sartorial vision. To be that age and know what I know now.
Hepcat, I am in total agreement with your approach to the Ivy wardrobe. Unfortunately, out of all the items of clothing, shirts and coats are my addiction. It seems to me that shirts and coats give me the widest range of options for a kit. I don't wear suits that often. A culling of the wardrobe may be necessary.
I apologize for posting the pics as though I am dangling porn for you to salivate upon. You'd probably want to throttle me as my rare Brooks stuff doesn't often see the light of day and may end up in the Smithsonian.
Last edited by farrago (2010-06-19 20:17:37)
Agree with both of the above comments whole-heartedly. My current lowly financial status ensures I have to be very canny. Ebay is no longer an option - and no bad thing at that. The few blue, white and uni. stripe shirts, the repps and shoes, plus good quality knitwear (it's my only vice, as the crazy scientist puts it) are the basis of my wardrobe. Even within spitting distance of where I live good stuff can be had if you work hard for it. It also, believe it or not, sometimes falls into my lap, like the Gant silk repp that just happened to be amongst the poly dreck in our Red Cross Shop.
Troy did those alternating stripes. I should have got them when I could...
This seems to me to be moving away from something. I must be getting old, but I'm looking with greater disfavour at anything dress-wise that is not pale blue or white. This is not to say, of course, that I don't own shirts in earth colours etc. only that it's becoming a developing tendency. The first Brooks shirts I had were the blue u.s. and I've since had Baggie: not at all bad, in spite of the maddening variations quality-wise. Picked up a Purist last week for pennies in a 'retro'-type shop.
I think it's the not-quite-absolute-but-almost conservatism that appeals; the restraint in the face of brash, dingy, synthetic-looking male 'fashion': England shirts and clam-diggers.
No-one notices it. Like a good Ivy suit, it doesn't 'put on a show'. (Thanks, Paddy, I never forgot).
I have now seen an example of the green/white. But in poly/cotton. Shame.
Last edited by Cardinals5 (2010-07-06 07:11:17)
Ralph Lauren had a signature turquoise shade in the early 90's. Apricot, or any orange hue never seemed to work.
There is a certain delight when one closes in enough for the stripes to visually distinguish themselves from what appeared to be a solid from afar.
Last edited by chatsworth osborne jr. (2010-07-06 07:50:23)