Amazon is telling me November 12-19 delivery.

Agreed, that ad is particularly likeable.

Last edited by Yuca (2010-10-26 05:03:45)

Evidence of the talismanic powers of 'The Ivy Look'.

Two weeks ago, a late afternoon phone call from a local bookseller told me that my order of 'The Ivy Look' had arrived. Next morning I fronted up at the Special Orders counter at the bookshop and gave my details to a woman in her sixties who had taken my request a month before. "Ah, yes ... the preppy book !" she said whilst gazing at the details on her computer screen. I grimaced momentarily and thought "You bat-winged harpy from hell ! Who coached you to so casually skewer and deflate my uplifted spirit ?".

Leaving the store with two copies of the book, I was determined that things would improve for the rest of the day. I had the morning off work and decided to spend a few hours visiting charity shops in the north of the city, that I had not visited in over a year.  In three stores, in quick succession, I found : a Baracuta navy flyfronted raincoat, Dexter made-in-USA pebble-grain brown longwings, a logo-less Pringle-made-for-Weiss crewneck sweater in green-brown heather , Lands End supima cotton Hyde Park button-down , embroidered belt, two vintage tie-clips , four slim repp silk ties, and most unexpectedly of all - a near-mint black pair of Allen Edmonds MacNeil longwings.  All in my size, all in good condition.

Living in a far-flung, former outpost of Empire, I encounter the occasional flotsam and jetsam of Ivy items that wash up on South Pacific shores. However, the likelyhood of finding a Brooks or J Press herringbone tweed jacket - only if I dream I am shamrockmonkey or Patrick.   Most thrifting excursions may unearth a single pair of Weejuns or Sebago Classics, or a USA-made Brooks shirt in a mountain of modern shoddy-chic gear, and then I spend the rest of the day elated like a wartime New Guinean cargo-cultist who has just witnessed a Douglas Dakota fall from the heavens into the jungle canopy.

To paraphrase Arthur C. Clarke "Any sufficiently advanced thrifting harvest is indistinguishable from magic." I could only put this good fortune down to one thing - I carried about my person a book that had incomprehensible incantations muttered over it in recent weeks by various shamans of the Eastern seaboard tribes of North America, increasing its potency under The Laws of Attraction.  Thank you brouhaha brahmins, I owe you.

^ Seconded! Very well done that man! Respect.

Staceyboy

I didn't realise they are 'the best chinos out there' - I have always been put off by the fact they have a label on the back (removable I expect but it's not a good omen).

Most Dockers are formless, but the newer slim fit ones have more about them. I've seen the K1's in their stores, they've always sold them, they're just marketed as if they've resurrected them. I don't like the flap on the back pocket, so I won't be buying.

The Weejun bought a pair and posted a thread on them, somewhere....

I even saw buckle back Dockers last week.

Received the book today in the post and flipped through. Appears to be an outstanding effort and much more valuable than I was expecting. I was expecting more talk, but was pleased to see so many old advertisements and images reproduced. I was also pleased to see so many images of crisp, sharp versions of the look, as I was originally worried it was going to a be a McQueen/Newman lovefest.

I could list some issues I have, but why quibble? Everyone who tackles the topic is going to have a different emphasis.

Ultimately, this is a high quality, welcome addition to the genre.

Last edited by Big Tony (2010-11-05 16:24:41)