Chums,

I hope this will not steal Ol T's thunder, but this W.A.S.P. style cannot wait.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.A.S.P.

Cheers,
Trip

Last edited by Terry Lean (2007-06-07 01:52:01)

Last edited by Terry Lean (2007-06-07 03:36:51)

The word is famously in Love Story (1970)...

I think in certain parts of the U.S. they would know in '66 & would have known for quite a while, but they wouldn't mean quite what was meant by the term in the 80's.

I don't help much, do I?

Tony gets it.
The 'elite' at play...
They have their own style -
It ain't mine.

Post 6 describes, with the exception of "bespoke", Jerry (Jerome) Lauren's upper tier Anglocentric Polo offerings since the early 80s until its recent fascination with Thom Browneishness. Tom Wolfe's "Boston cracked shoe" look. Early Polo knitwear was (> www.corgihosiery.co.uk ) Polo English classic shoes. The better stuff still retains the look, although it may be made in Italy or Asia. "Trads" on AxAndy do not recognize this and oft join in on a gang-bang of the logo.  Also, to a limited degree RLPL, which is generally too Eurocentric now. Better RL is Brooks Brothers with flair, better shoulders, silhouette and higher quality.  Not the logo-ed stuff that finances the empire. If you're not banned, wander over to AAAC and search: Polo catalogue. You may even spot a pair of black Belgian loafers used in an 80s Bruce Webber shot.

Some WASPs resent and scoff at PRL. Regard it as too aspirational. But there are no bastions of WASPwear left in the NE US, are there? Herzfelds? Certain RTW elements can be found under the Italian Luciano Barbera label. Shoulders on the now rarely imported Brit RTW tailored clothing were too padded and square to be WASPish. Surely Savile Row still has its US WASP adherents, but those are outnumbered by somewhat more arriveste, gauche tastes seeking conservative guidance.

English oriented WASPishness used to reign supreme in the US. Even a main street (high street) store in my small Southern home town used to stock a limited supply of Coke/Derby/Bowler hats, believe it or not. Traditional stores in cities of any size were not strangers to English waistcoats and other haberdashery. Gone.

New money in the US chases "Italian" style. Thus the decline in US tailored garment RTW. Boyer in one of his earlier books described US tailored RTW as, generally, the best in the world. Gone, because young affluent men favored a largely hand-less Zegna or whatever.

>> www.stubbsandwootton.com which, for all practical purposes, are basically the same slippers as can be acquired from www.shiptonandheneage.com (in the US www.shipton-usa.com ) at a much lower price

WASPs wouldn't be caught dead in a Bentley, unless vintage.

(Not responsible for spelling (especially foreign), punctuation, grammar or sintax, whatever that are. Must have been a glitch in the software)

Last edited by Trad to the Bone (2007-06-07 21:12:58)