My 15 year old nephew is suddenly starting to take an interest in his personal grooming and appearance - evidently he has discovered girls!
He’s presently keen on various crappy sportsweary type fashion brands covered in giant writing, like Elements and Superdry, but encouragingly he likes Ralph Lauren too.
A few chats with his clothes conscious uncle and a strategic loan of ‘The Ivy Look’ by Marsh and Gaul seem to have planted the seed that perhaps theres a bit more out there in terms of developing his own look. He’s not about to about to start walking around in a sports jacket, collar and tie etc, because that’s not what people of his age generally do, no point in him wearing stuff that his mates are going to laugh at. But there’s a definite interest being shown in the more casual end of the ivy spectrum.
I’m thinking, sneakers, desert boots, jeans, button downs, sweats, maybe a harrington or a combat jacket …. that type of gear, we can save the classic tweed herringbone and longwings for later.
He’s coming to stay with me next month and shopping for clothes is on his agenda, I’ll treat him to a few bits and maybe some wardrobe donations, but essentially he’s on a tight budget.
Any thoughts or suggestions fellas?
/\ your ideas are sound Woof, also consider adding a plaid flannel shirt or two, a polo shirt or two, couple of better t-shirts, a knit hat, and a baseball cap .....
I almost regret advising this, but what about J. Crew? From what I've seen of the catalogs that still arrive in my mailbox, J. Crew might be more youthful, i.e., trendy, with a shadow of prep and ivy behind it. No?
I really think these are not bad casual looks for the younger, hipper dude: https://www.jcrew.com/mens_feature/NineToWearRightNow_sm.jsp?intcmp=m1_ninethings
Then again it's been a while since I last dated a teen-aged girl, so I really have no idea what might work.
Last edited by Chipper (2016-07-27 07:59:42)
Muji have some very passable short sleeve button downs in the sale at the moment for £10.
And, not that I have tried them, but the chinos also look to have a decent rise on them.
Uniqlo is always worth a look for the budget-conscious teen Ivyist, especially the two button pique polo shirts.
John Simons sale is on.
I concur with Sid, all above are great options.
Stuarts may also be worth a visit as there's a big sale on (up to 50% off) - and it's near Shep Bush market station you can hop over to Chiltern Street in about 20 mins for the JS sale.
For jeans, go to Cinch (LVC) in Newburgh Street to find which style suits him best, then do a search online to find them at a less nosebleed price
^ not such great value in the UK Chipper, their prices convert from £ to $ by swapping the symbols.
To give you an idea, a $19:99 polo shirt in the US becomes a £19:99 polo shirt in the UK ( about $26/27).
Uniqlo all the way. Free hemming on the jeans and chinos. Straight leg selvedge in indigo are a great jean for the money £35, and the vintage chinos have a nice taper and are sized well- in 1" increments! £29
The button downs in regular fit ARE your entry level IVY shirt. Oxfords and broadcloths for £15.
Pocket Ts and surcingles can be had too. They're pique polos are great too.
There's always IVY-ish gear.
(my job as Uniqlo Ivy Rep in-resindence is complete)…
As mentioned in The IVY LOOK...
Blue Polo shirt
Stonewash jeans
Stone Dessies..
A solid look I reckon and the first two at reasonable prices in Uniqlo
Last edited by Bop (2016-07-27 11:04:10)
I'd second the tip with Muji.
Chinos (slim or regular) with a good rise (not too high, not too low), left pocket with button, right without. Beige/navy/dark grey. Similar walk shorts.
Zip hoodies, nice t-shirts, rain coats, mock harringtons, boxer shorts, BDs (although with a rather small collar). In the last years they had a lot of interesting stuff in each season. Sale currently is on.
Not to derail the thread or to inflame any sensitivities, but 15 years of age was right about the time for a young man's first trip to Brooks for a blazer and other staples (aside from those die hards who started their progeny in the Boy's Dept.). Never mind. Carry on.
The best thing you can do for him is to find his shirt size then get him a few cheap Makers BDs (full sleeve or half sleeve) on Ebay or similar. Also explain they will need to be pressed, changed on a daily basis and worn tucked in. You can even explain the different weights i.e. Oxford being heavier etc (believe it or not it took me a few years to realise. Doh.)
Also there are plenty of youngish people wearing sportscoats, so maybe find a vintage one in his size in an innocuous colour.
I suspect the idea of learning to look for specific vintage details, brands etc is far more alien to most people than the clothes themselves, so if you can get hold of a little bit of decent vintage kit for him, then the fact that it is so well made could mean he will be happy to wear it, even if the details are different to the crap that is or recently was en vogue.
There's always the surfer Ivy look.
Might be worth looking at a few vintage stores, admittedly most are full of tat, but a few gems crop up and you can usually find a basic or 2.
Agree on Uniqlo - perfect for a lot of the basics, men you i'm not sure about stonewash jean Bop - i'd head to the indigo and beat them up.
Actually I suspect a good option would be to show him some killer vintage photos and ask him which styles appeal most. Make sure to include the likes of McQueen etc etc to show that it is possible to dress well and be attractive to hot chicks.
Also show him some photos of our very own Brad, Sancho and Young Ivy - not exactly teenagers but still I think all under 25.
Some great advice there guys thanks. Uniqlo and Muji are definitely good sources for staple pieces that will together. Building a list:
French blue BD
Denim BD
Blue/uni stripe BD
White T
Indigo jeans
Khakis
Grey sweat
White sneakers
Harrington
Combat jacket
Desert boots - I was thinking Roamers unless there any other suggestions
Leather belt
As already suggested, Uniqlo would be a good place to start for the basics. Maybe one or two OCBDs from Lean Garments or even from ebay/ etsy. I'd go for Sperry CVOs just be different as you see loads of kids knocking about in converse.
I also agree with Yuca, showing him photos that have been posted here would be helpful. I remember Mightymax (I think that was his name) used to post some nice stuff.
I see no one has mentioned their local WI as a means to get a low cost start on your IVY wardrobe, but it's out there...it's all out there...
If you have time and it's convenient, come east and see what Blackmans have in stock - might luck out of some Playboys. They stock dessies too but remember their motto, "the devil wears Prada, the people wear plimsoles - £5"