Top!

I nearly lost a Weejun tapping along to that...

Cooley - Can I sue?

t.

Verily -

In London & Paris (at least) the button was buttoned.

Edit: And in London & Paris the GIs taught us the style. Who taught them? Their sainted fathers?

Last edited by Terry Lean (2007-07-18 09:48:59)

'There is this awful tendency among young men nowadays to do up all three buttons on a suit. I don't know who started it, but it's a crime against tailoring which should be stamped out at the earliest opportunity. Everyone should know the rule, which I was first told by a wardrobe assistant: "Top button sometimes, middle button always, bottom button never". Mind you, sometimes I must admit I'll do the top button only and just let the rest of it rock.'

The above is a quote from acclaimed British actor Bill Nighy and shows the true perspective from a Brit angle. That doing three buttons up is something I've noticed too. Nighy is also an ex-Mod and this reminded me of something else. This was from a book called 'Mods!' where the author, Richard Barnes, quotes a stylist from the time:

'If you put your hand in your trouser pocket, you never pulled the jacket up so it was wrinkled. You'd have the top button done up and the jacket would be pulled back behind the arm so that you didn't ruin the line. You'd only ever put one hand in your pocket if you were wearing a jacket. It was a bit foppish, but quite subtle.'

Dandy.

Last edited by SubtleCool (2007-07-18 13:51:43)

Not Trip, but isn't the problem just that the "Trads" have joined the party late & not done any background reading further back than the OPH maybe?
They see a 3 to 2 sometimes pressed so badly that there is no roll to the lapel and they think that they'll just copy the picture in the book/catalogue/whatever and be OK. Worse than that they think that they have discovered a rule regarding the wearing of this style of jacket & then set about passing their wisdom on.
It's a tricky one.
If they won't research anything then they can't expect to know anything.
Catch 22?

"Intrepid" is probably their oldest poster, but he only posts from his rather limited experience of things and his word often is taken as writ.
The idea that there were only a few outlets for Khakis back in the day is barking mad (AAAT, Bills M3 thread again). He may have only had access to a few places, but that is a very different thing.

AAAT is a lazy forum. They want rules because if they have them then they don't have any choices to make. The Ivy League style was never like that ANYWHERE. It isn't a dumb-ass off-the-rack style.

I think it's all just too subtle for them & way over their heads. Most of what I see on their forum would have been taken as piss-take Preppy fancy dress in the 80's when I was spending all that time & money in the U.S. They look so much like a parody that you'd never have believed that they liked this style of dress. They look much more like they're sending the whole style up.

Odd to an old Ivy fan like me.

If they do like the style then why not promote it at it's best?
And if they don't know what that is then FIND OUT?
Just dressing up as Coco the Trad in Andy's 3 Ring Circus doesn't cut it.
Ya think you could pull this shit with Savile Row style & people in the know wouldn't howl with laughter?
Same with Ivy. Those who know will never accept this "Trad" stuff, boys.
It is what it is, but it isn't a part of American Traditional Style.
It's brand new & it's all yours.

Enjoy it while the rest of us all enjoy you wearing it!