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Ivy Style: Radical Conformists
A history of "Ivy Style" in menswear, tracing the origins and diffusion of this enduring and classic fashion
Many of the most familiar sartorial images of the 20th century can be traced to the prestigious college campuses of America. The "Ivy League Look," or "Ivy Style," was once a cutting-edge look that for decades led the evolution of menswear. Far more than a classic way of dressing, Ivy Style spread beyond the rarified walls of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to influence countless designers.Focusing on menswear dating from the early 20th century through today, this elegant book traces the main periods of the the interwar years when classic items, such as tweed jackets and polo coats, were appropriated from the English man's wardrobe and redesigned by pioneering American firms such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press for young men at elite East Coast colleges; then from 1945 to the late 1960s, when the staples of Ivy Style—oxford cloth shirts, khaki pants, and penny loafers—were worn by a new, diverse group that included working-class students and jazz musicians; and finally the current revival of the Ivy look that began in the early 1980s.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.
Published in association with The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
Exhibition
The Fashion Institute of Technology(09/14/12–01/05/13)
Many of the most familiar sartorial images of the 20th century can be traced to the prestigious college campuses of America. The "Ivy League Look," or "Ivy Style," was once a cutting-edge look that for decades led the evolution of menswear. Far more than a classic way of dressing, Ivy Style spread beyond the rarified walls of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to influence countless designers.Focusing on menswear dating from the early 20th century through today, this elegant book traces the main periods of the the interwar years when classic items, such as tweed jackets and polo coats, were appropriated from the English man's wardrobe and redesigned by pioneering American firms such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press for young men at elite East Coast colleges; then from 1945 to the late 1960s, when the staples of Ivy Style—oxford cloth shirts, khaki pants, and penny loafers—were worn by a new, diverse group that included working-class students and jazz musicians; and finally the current revival of the Ivy look that began in the early 1980s.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.
Published in association with The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
Exhibition
The Fashion Institute of Technology(09/14/12–01/05/13)
- GenresFashionNonfictionHistory
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 30, 2012
About the author
Patricia Mears
20 books4 followersPatricia Mears is the Deputy Director of The Museum at FIT.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
December 27, 2012
Just finished a scholarly and satisfying stroll through the decades of what is now being termed "Ivy Style," thanks to a handful of blogs and an iconic book published in Japan. Reading this is like reading a treatise on a backdrop of everything; one doesn't notice it until it's not there anymore, and then it acquires a great deal of significance. Very likely my own father, who could have stepped out of most of the pages of this book, never gave a second thought to the wardrobe with which he was presented throughout life, but to this day he dresses quite naturally in the tweeds, polos, madrases and loafers portrayed throughout.
Fashion history is something that may seem trivial, but the way we present ourselves to the world speaks volumes before we even open our mouths. Ivy Style explores the sartorial evolution of this classic manner of dressing in a thorough and thoroughly readable fashion.
Fashion history is something that may seem trivial, but the way we present ourselves to the world speaks volumes before we even open our mouths. Ivy Style explores the sartorial evolution of this classic manner of dressing in a thorough and thoroughly readable fashion.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review