That Ivy Style Exhibit

Hello-Hello, happy middle of the week to everyone.

Today’s schedule mandates brevity, so we’ll keep the post to one topic. It is a subject I should have written about months ago, hopefully it isn’t tedious for too many readers.

Hickey Freeman Blog

We’re talking about the Ivy Style exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum, unfortunately it closed in January. More from the Museum’s show notes.

“Ivy style” is one of the most enduring and recognizable sartorial modes in the world. It began as the “Ivy League Look” on the quads and in the libraries of elite, all-male, American universities, and consists of a small repertoire of classic items, such as Shetland tweed jackets and Oxford button-down shirts, plus the more casual madras shorts and khaki pants.

Yours truly is beyond chagrined at not having written about this sooner, at the very least before the exhibition closed, arrggh. Several pieces from the show: left to right, a Brooks blazer with 1923 Princeton insignia, another with Princeton’s 1919 insignia, and a 1916 Yale emblazoned blazer.

The Museum at FIT

More from Hickey Freeman’s blog:

Many forget that the “Ivy style” as we know it began as a more formal way of dress on campuses like Harvard, Yale and Princeton, which eventually spread beyond those all-male universities. In blue blazers with gold buttons, madras prints, bowties and pocket squares, the exhibit proves this iconic way of dressing continues to influence today’s designers.

Three more pieces from the exhibition, a classic raccoon coat, a Chipp madras jacket and linen suit, correctly described by Art Info as Ivy staples.

ArtInfo.com

Art Info’s story includes perspective from the Museum’s deputy director:

While the Ivy look is pretty democratic these days, with everyone from H&M to Hermes turning out brass button peacoats and embroidered smoking slippers, this wasn’t always the case. “If you look at pre-World War II images, you’re talking about more of an elitist group of people, people with more money who could send their children to college” Mears said.

More recent looks.

Via StyleSight

From The Journal’s review of the show:

Brooks Brothers, J. Press, Arrow, Hathaway and Gant—these are Ivy eternals. Chipp, an offshoot of J. Press, would expand and popularize the “Go to Hell” look, a mix of bright colors normally considered outside the masculine palette—coral, yellow, mint—and constituting a casual smack at the status quo.

Below, one of the tableaux from the exhibition via the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Photo by Eli Schwartz, Princeton ’60 via Princeton Alumni Weekly

Back to The Journal piece by Laura Jacobs:

Ivy-style clothes need not come at great expense; they need not be new; but they must hit the ineffable balance between carefree, careless and correct. I have never forgotten the scorn of a young man commenting on Nantucket Reds that weren’t bought at Murray’s in Nantucket. They would never fade to the proper shade of shrimp pink and so they were impostors—”not our sort of people” pants. Getting the uniform wrong locks you out of the tribe.

Below left, items circa the twenties, on the right, an Arrow shirt signed by Harvard’s 1933 Football Team.

MFIT Ivy Style Microsite

From Women’s Wear Daily’s story:

Ivy League style permeates nearly every fiber of American fashion, and a new exhibition at The Museum at FIT delves into its history.

It explores the “decline and resurgence” of Ivy League fashion and the rise of the preppy movement.

George Chinsee/Women’s Wear Daily

The WWD article quotes Town & Country’s G. Bruce Boyer, he was a collaborator on the show:

Boyer said the show is “very timely,” since “every Italian brand today is trying to do the authentic Brooks Brothers button-down. And look at Thom Browne and Michael Bastian — they take great traditional looks and make them hip and contemporary.”

I didn’t realize the origins of the polo coat, more from the exhibit microsite:

Many garments have been derived from the game of polo, including this camel hair overcoat that was originally used as a “wait” coat by British polo players during “chukkas” (the term for polo’s periods of play). In design, it was at first little more than a heavy bathrobe type wrap coat, but when British polo teams began making regular visits to the U.S. in the 1920s, it was modified and became popular on elite college campuses.

Ivy Style Microsite

Details magazine offered this:

While traditional J. Press and Brooks Brothers gear features prominently in the exhibit, it’s fun to see styles loosen up and evolve over the years, from the formal evening ensembles of the 1920s to the preppy sweater-and-shorts combos of the fifties and sixties.

Details

Even though I missed seeing the exhibit in person, there is a wonderful book of essays accompanying the exhibition, edited by Ms. Mears.

Yale University Press

More on the book from its publisher, Yale University Press:

Ivy Style celebrates both high-profile proponents of the style—including the Duke of Windsor, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Miles Davis—who made the look their own, and designers such as Ralph Lauren, J. McLaughlin, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Bastian, and Thom Browne, who have made it resonate with new generations of style enthusiasts.

Ivy Style is also available at Amazon and other outlets.

One of the best parts of the exhibit is the way curators drew upon the blogging community, several of my favorite blogs were involved in a variety of ways. Christian Chensvold over at the Ivy Style blog has an essay in the book discussed above, he has several stellar posts on the show. One offers a delightful video walk-through of the exhibit hosted by Richard Press.

Muffy Aldrich of Daily Prep renown is another author I admire tremendously and love reading, she donated items for use in the exhibit. I think you’ll enjoy this April post showing preps for the show. TDP was also featured in a Symposium affiliated with Ivy Style, for a real treat spend some time on this post, the entire slide show about Muffy’s blog is viewable.

John Tinseth writes The Trad, always enjoyable and a place where I have lurked for years, he was part of the Symposium as well. In this post you can see loads of photos from the exhibit, including the vintage dorm room shown below.

The Trad

Dusty at Maxminimus is yet one more writer I regard with great admiration, he was also part of the Symposium and this post details that experience brilliantly.

The show may have closed in January, but hopefully you will be able to enjoy it virtually via some of the links included above.

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One more tidbit, anyone interested in a new personalized phone case might want to visit the always-wonderful Nautical by Nature blog. We’re just tickled to be sponsoring a giveaway for one of our Preppy Planet custom cases.

Nautical by Nature

Even if you don’t need a case, pop in and say ‘hey’ to Kate, she is the bee’s knees.

“The Ivy League”

Hello and happy day to everyone, I hope your afternoons are going swimmingly.

Business pressures mandate brevity today, so we are going to offer another reading suggestion. Like so many topics we end up discussing, this one has been sitting on my desktop (literally) for many weeks.  We’re talking about a book still fairly new to the marketplace, Ivy League, from upscale publisher Assouline.

Assouline Publishing

Here is Assouline’s description of the book:

The Ivy League is so much more than a group of eight universities. Attending one of these prominent schools provides entrée into a world of exclusivity and private clubs—a membership that never expires. Through photos and text, The Ivy League admits readers to the world’s most revered institutions, portraying the character of each school and what sets it apart, from renowned graduates and dominant political stances to athletic rivalries, architectural styles, popular fashion, and more.

The volume is by Harvard alum Daniel Cappello, below we see the author at a signing party hosted by longtime prep stalwart Gant.

Assouline Facebook Page

Mr. Cappello is the fashion director of Quest magazine, a Princess favorite; for those not as familiar with the publication, it describes itself thusly:

Like the scion of a once-great dynasty, Quest is New York’s last magazine devoted to Society with a capital S, covering the socially prominent in New York, Greenwich, The Hamptons and Palm Beach.

The May issue of the magazine:

Quest Magazine

Back to Mr. Cappello, he also worked at George and the New Yorker. The new book looks like a fascinating read, more on the content from Assouline:

Representing the apex of academic achievement, the Ivy League is also a gateway to the socially powerful and elite, making it the wish of all parents for their children. But that’s only the beginning.

The always-wonderful Stacey at the Quintessence blog shares her thoughts on the new book:

Cappello starts with the “big three”- Harvard, Yale and Princeton –  and these schools also have the best and most varied selection of photos. The author has assigned descriptive subtitles for each school that I will leave you to determine if accurate. As a Harvard grad, he sums up his alma mater as “the Ivy’s Ivy.”

The photos alone are worth seeing.

Assouline Publishing via Quintessence

Many of them are classic, offering an eye on style that remains much the same even today (thank heaven).

Assouline Publishing via GQ

From GQ‘s review:

The result is a book that captures the back-stories and notable moments in each school’s history alongside some pretty great archival photos of student life (interested prepsters take note).

Obviously the book holds appeal for an intriguing crowd, here is how The Observer described a book party back in April:

It’s not every book party where you end up in a 5th Avenue estate, listening to a Columbia a capella group sing doo-wop classics.

Photographer and recent documentary subject Bill Cunningham mingled among the Upper East Side revelers which included Allison and Jay Aston, Charles Rockefeller, Punch Hutton and Chris Rovzar from Vanity Fair, Anne Vincent from Vogue, Robert Burke, Kelly Rutherford, and The New Yorker‘s Ben McGrath.

For an in-depth look at the book, Stacey’s post at Quintessence is a must-read.

The book is available at a variety of places, including Assouline, Amazon and your local independent bookstore. This one is tempting for any number of people on one’s gift list.

A DVF Flash Mob…? Also, a Cute Menswear Move and ‘Preppy Goes Pop’

Hello, it is another gorgeous day here at the Prepatorium, bright and beautiful, the kind of day that makes one want to play hooky.

We begin with something fun, a Diane von Furstenberg flash mob. While a gaggle of women in DVF wrap dresses isn’t what comes to mind when you hear the words “flash mob,” we can promise that “It’s twue, it’s twue”!

Franck Mura via Women's Wear Daily

Those saying, “Isn’t that the Seine in the background?” win today’s gold star in geography, today’s event was staged just across the river from the Eiffel Tower.

Franck Mura via Women's Wear Daily

This afternoon’s mass dance in Paris was part of a marketing maneuver to launch the designer’s new scent, “Diane“. In addition to the perfume, body lotion, etc., there is actually a Diane Fragrance Wrap Dress.

Diane Fragrance Wrap Dress

Dance mobs have been staged in several locations, including several in the city during New York Fashion Week.

Franck Mura via Women's Wear Daily

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Our next item is beyond darling, and it comes from an unlikely source, a men’s clothing line. Take a look at these stickers from Gant Rugger.

Via Fashion Week Daily

Clearly peaking the Cute-o-Meter in the red zone, they were designed by a university student in Moscow, each piece represents an item in the label’s fall line.

Via Gant Rugger

The menswear firm is showcasing the stickers and men wearing the pieces depicted at its online site.

Via Gant Rugger

Gant Rugger deserves a tip of the hat, rarely do we see this level of creativity and ingenuity (not to mention risk-taking) in a marketing effort for a men’s label. No doubt the company knows how much the stickers will appeal to ladies, a savvy move considering women do much of the primary shopping for menswear.

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Speaking of fall menswear, The Financial Times recently carried a fascinating piece titled Preppy Goes Pop.

Blame it on Thom Browne, whose twisted prepster went mainstream(ish) when Brooks Brothers signed him up to design their Black Fleece line, which this season offered white silk lapel tuxes with black scout shorts. But from Wall Street to Madison Avenue preppie bow-ties replaced ties, and dickies were paired unexpectedly with plaid shirts, casual waistcoats and jeans.

The story ran back in September, it focused only on menswear. From the article:

Though Michael Bastian said his collection was based on James Dean, a mid-western farmboy-turned-icon of cool, his moss green suede loafers, window pane suits and horizontal rugby stripe tops felt instead like the kind of clothes the Kennedys would have worn in Hyannis Port.

Click here to see the piece in its entirety, it makes for a good read.

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We leave you today with a look at something dubbed A Preppy Hillside Palace.

Windemere Realty via Curbed.com

That is how this particular real estate listing was described by the good folks at Curbed, the site tracking neighborhood news and real estate. ((No, that isn’t a photo of our little palace. Sigh.) More from the Curbed story:

Seattle might be more commonly associated with flannel-clad grunge rockers than bow-tied blue bloods, but if this estate in the Capitol Hill neighborhood is anything to go on, there’s a more straight-laced side to the city.

To learn more about the “five-bedroom, 8.5-bath mansion…seven fireplaces, two offices, an elevator, a terraced lawn, stone patio, and dazzling water views” at the house, click here for Curbed‘s entire post.

Until next, may everything be well at your palace.

That Ivy Look, & Other Monday Musings

Hello-Hello, and Happy New Week to everyone!

We begin with a look at one of the WSJ stories we enjoyed reading in Saturday’s paper, “The Return of the Ivy Look“. In the story Darrell Hartman looks at the style’s recent rise in popularity among those generally attracted to more mainstream fashions.

“Didn’t go to an Ivy League school? Never played a team sport in your life? No problem! Jock-inspired styles cribbed from the golden age of collegiate athletics will win big for spring”

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal,

In explaining the actual look, the piece quotes a longtime J. Press associate as well as our friend Christian Chensvold from Ivy Style:

“Ivy League style was something that just was, as opposed to something intended to create an effect,” said David Wilder…

At least it was for anyone who was the real deal—in other words, “old-money guys who’d all gone to prep school, had that natural nonchalance, and looked like they’d been living in their clothes since the day they were born,” Mr. Chensvold said.”

Mr. Hartman discusses the resurgence in popularity for what many call ‘heritage brands,’ those mentioned above as well as others, like Brooks Brothers, while also considering some of those new to the genre, including Polo Ralph Lauren and Band of Outsiders.  Below, two pieces from Band of Outsiders.

One of our favorite books is also referenced:

“That species is the revered subject of “Take Ivy,” an influential study of elite Northeastern campuses published in 1965 by a team of fashion-savvy Japanese writers and photographers. For years a cult item among fashion insiders, the book was finally released in U.S. stores (including the ever-trendy J. Crew) this summer, flooding the menswear world with images of wholesome-looking ’60s undergrads bent over books in libraries, strolling across leafy quads and—perhaps most importantly—demonstrating a robust enthusiasm for sports.

Via The Fox is Black

There’s much more info and insight in the WSJ story, we happily recommend this one, it is a good read.

The book cited above, Take Ivy, was discussed at length in many articles, The Daily Mail offered The Ultimate Guide to Ivy League Chic Straight from Japan last fall.

“Written around a collection of photographs by Teruyoshi Hayashida, Take Ivy proves how little the look has changed over the past 50 years.

The book deconstructs the ‘casual, yet neat’ style favoured by students at the eight Ivy League universities, such as the shirt-and-Bermuda-shorts look, and varsity colours.”

Via The Daily Mail

BTW, if interested in Take Ivy, we still have a limited number of copies, the book may be found here.

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Next, we wanted to share a few styles from the upcoming collaboration between designer Sophie Theallet and Nine West.

Courtesy Images via StyleList

Many of the styles are definitely Pretty in Pink, these pieces are made with a silk repp stripe.

Courtesy Images via StyleList

We are very impressed with the ballet flats, the styles will be available in more than just the pink color palette.

Courtesy Images via StyleList

The collection is slated for a May launch.

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Frequent readers know we have a fondness for Kate Spade, the styles are attractive and the company’s whimsical approach to marketing is a breath of fresh air.  Another reason we like the company?

Kate Spade

It’s open approach to online sharing. Above, an illustration for one of many free cyber Valentines that may be sent to anyone you choose; below, a look at how a full card appears.

Kate Spade

We show the artwork from two more cards below, but be assured there *are* many designs offered that are not pink, click here to peruse the pretty options.

Our thanks to the one and only College Prepster, Miss Carly, for the original tip on this!

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A quick note of the social sort for those near our nation’s capitol next week, Vineyard Vines is throwing a party to launch its spring collection.

Vineyard Vines via Sky Blue Events

V2 has partnered with our friends at Sky Blue Events for next Wednesday’s do at the retailer’s new Tyson’s store; the fun begins at 5pm, click here for more info.

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We leave you with two quick hits, the first involves this weekend’s bright and sunny Lilly fashion show at the Ringling Museum of Art.  The show was a fundraiser for the Museum, and the always delightful She Blogs Couture by the Sea was in attendance and shared *outstanding* images of the event on her blog.

The second comes to us via a gracious reader. Last week we showed the Sperry Top-Sider keychain in a post, but sadly, it sold out very quickly.

Sperry Top-Sider

That generous reader told us about these Rainbow Sandals Keychains.

We want to thank our kindly commenter for the link.

And with that, we say goodbye until next time.

Ralph Lauren’s New Home, George & Bar at Houston Fashion Week

Hello and greetings on a day filled with fun and surprises.

We begin with the announcement of our True Prep & Official Preppy Handbook Giveaway winner….

The lucky lady is Southern Sweetie Katie!  We used Random.org to pick the winner; the number chosen is actually for one of the additional entries Katie received for sending someone else to the contest.We want to thank everyone who joined in the fun, we admit being amazed by the number of entries.  If there were to be an award for the best effort in getting others to add entries in her name, that would go to Courtney. And the most delightful comment on Courtney’s behalf comes from her mother, Kathi, we were in stitches when reading this:

“My darling daughter, Courtney Rounds, has begged and pleaded with me to leave a comment. I’ve gently reminded her that a true preppy does not beg or plead. I fear having to remind her does not speak well of my influence during her formative years. I did try. Her nursery was green and pink. Her name, Courtney Elizabeth, offered numerous acceptable nickname opportunities. Her bedtime stories alternated between select readings from my well worn copy of “The Preppy Handbook” and Shel Silverstein. I was properly supportive when she pledged a well established sorority. From an early age she could immediately recognize her monogram. She knows that there is no such thing as too many Sperry’s, plaid shorts or headbands. She has never had big hair. She never will have big hair. Courtney Rounds has a Proper Preppy Princess Pedigree. She is, after all, the progeny of a Preppy Queen and an aging frat boy.”

Courtney’s father is equally creative, here is his comment:

“Courtney is to preppy as Nietzsche is to pietzsche.”

Honestly, we have more fun doing this kind of thing, we try to be restrained so it doesn’t become tedious, but the Fun-o-Meter was peaking in the red zone on this one.

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Next, a few quick tidbits we are overdue in mentioning, with linkage should any of the stories hold appeal:

1) Following a June story in the Times on the popularity of ‘heritage brands’ the Journal ran a similar piece at the end of September, “Is LL Bean Driving the Runway?”

“Besides the re-emergence of L.L. Bean and Pendleton, other vintage brands such as Stetson, Woolrich, Levi’s and Britain’s J Barbour & Sons are having second comings, either independently or collaborating with high-end runway designers.”

We love the illustration accompanying the story, “The Heritage Hipster Matrix“.

Wall St. Journal

2) Speaking of heritage, we offer this from the Yale Daily News:

“This November, American heritage clothing brand Gant will open a new store at the corner of York and Elm streets, almost 60 years after it opened its first store in New Haven.”

We have offered a number of post drooling chatting about the upcoming Gant womenswear line, it is wonderful to see the company opening a store back where they first started in 1941.

3) Women’s Wear Daily reports on the new Ralph Lauren women’s flagship store in the city.

Grand in scale and luxurious in its decor, the new store opens to the public tomorrow.

On the Upper East Side, the new digs are across the street from the recently reopened men’s store in the Rinelander Mansion (Madison & 80th).

The new store is also where shoppers will find the brand’s Home Collection.

4) Houston Fashion Week had its share of celebs on hand, including a rather famous set of grandparents.

 

Bob Levey/Wire Image

 

President and Mrs. Bush were in the audience for the Lauren Pierce show, granddaughter Lauren’s eco-friendly line, making its debut at HFW.

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Yesterday we updated you on Talbots‘ next celebrity model, today we have news that Heidi Klum is replacing Naomi Watts as Ann Taylor’s newest face.

Ms. Klum appeared in the retailer’s holiday campaign last year, but Page Six says she is ‘replacing’ Ms. Watts.

Thank you again to everyone who entered the contest, we are thinking we may need to do a similar project next month….hmmmm, that’s a thought to ponder.  Until next time, we hope you enjoy a lovely day!

ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS: Ralph Lauren Interiors: Robert Mitra/WWD