Christmas 1989 at Brooks again and there were a number of 6 button front offerings (Just ask Rojo):
English woven Wool & Cotton with a Satin back from Brooks' USA workrooms in Yellow with a 'Brids & Pheasants' print - $115
Or the same in Blue with 'An Equestrian theme' - $115.
$195 would get you 'Rich, soft Lambsuede in dark tan' fully lined from Brooks' own USA workrooms.
And for $145 in Fine Spanish-woven worsted made in their USA workrooms Brooks would sell you a Green Hunting McIntyre tartan waistcoat or a Red Sinclair.
- And all with flap pockets too, btw.
....
Holden Caulfield when out & about in NYC encountered Ivy League types in 'flitty' Tattersall waistcoats in nightclubs... Sour grapes I suspect as they had all the girls & he didn't... The Tattersall odd vest was especially Ivy I think. Those who were there will know best.
Me? Well... It's all a bit too Anglo for me (but that's just me). The point here is that these Anglo items (even if I'm not keen) were a big part of the 'Anglo Brooksian' look which we also tend neglect over here. And we really shouldn't.
Because this American style we all love WAS at times very often not terribly American at all. Especially at Brooks.
Any fans of the Ivy odd vest out there? Any memories of the Brooksian odd vest also?
S,M,L, XL sizing even in '89 for these I notice.
J.
Oh - And there was a Red Wool Doeskin one too for $115. "Our exclusive holiday red vest".
English Doeskin made up in Brooks' USA workrooms etc.
S, M, L, XL.
Thanks!
It's a very occasional WTH look for me.
I could use a tattersall-so hard to find now-BB used to carry them as a matter of course.
I recall Mr. Pollock mentioning them in the past. I think he still sports them. Very old school IMO.
Love the look...on Brownshoe and generally.
I'd also like to offer the waistcoats here to my good friend Richard -
http://www.pakeman.co.uk/products.php?cat=93
This is from Mr. WASP101's much talked about blog:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9KqaGwLTV34/SMB4gv4AopI/AAAAAAAAA_U/GcjPl0K_rH4/s1600-h/1934_5.jpg
Here we see the Odd Vest look in 1934.
J.
The odd vest is part of the accroutement of the character on Mad Men who comes back from London. I thought his clothes were an interesting pairing of Ivy and English elements. Sort of Anglo-Brooksie meets preppy. And I think the term "preppy" by the way, has currency before 1981 or whatever the ol' magic date is. My ol' chum Trip once spotted a book in the reflection of a window of a bookseller..... It describes an aesthetic even if it didn't quite have that name.
Last edited by Coolidge (2008-09-07 22:43:44)
Absolutely. The concept was there probably from the 20's if not before. The name came later & the meaning has morphed around the edges throughout it's history.
The word 'Preppy' wouldn't be out of place in either This Side of Paradise or The Catcher in the Rye, IMO.
J.
... And the concept of 'Trad' is also as old as the hills too...
But it's not called 'Trad' and it looks nothing like the Trick Or Treat stuff we see on AAAT.
It's far more subtle and underplayed. The REAL style is an unconscious style for its wearers. Horace can tell you about all this if he fancies.
Me? I just wanna be John Coltrane.