# How does your wardrobe swing away from Ivy style?



## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

Confession time, folks:

- I like my jackets darted and with a bit more waist suppression than you'd see in Take Ivy or at J. Press. I also like side vents.
- I have a terrible weakness for very non-Ivy DBs. 
- I'll wear jeans.
- With a jacket.
- My shoe choices are a little off center (I'd rather have chelsea boots than boat shoes).

How about you?


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Whenever I turn up looking Ivy, it's an accident.


----------



## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

Birkenstocks...


----------



## Tilton (Nov 27, 2011)

When the mercury hits 90 or so. At that point, unless I'm going to work, out to eat, or a similar activity, you'll find me in "fishing" shirts from Simms, ExOfficio, or Columbia. And Gore-tex. I like Gore-tex.


----------



## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

Cuff links. I love me some cuff links. On point collar shirts. Although I buy them from Press, so it can't be too bad, right?


And, um, this shirt that my wife bought me a few years ago. I was too fat for it then, but now it fits me, and I wore the crap out of it this summer.



Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

Oldsarge said:


> Whenever I turn up looking Ivy, it's an accident.


That's a fairly Ivy sort of quality, fwiw.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

Favorite suit: Natural shoulder, 2-button darted jacket w/ side vents & ticket pocket, pleated trousers, & vest. Tweed -- and from Press.
Second favorite: Natural shoulder, 2-button darted jacket w/side vents & ticket pocket, pleated trousers. Harris Tweed -- also from Press.

Ivy, just not Orthodox Trad.


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

I like wearing spread collars a lot these days, sometimes even with sack blazers/sport coats. My suits are darted with two buttons and in one case even a ticket pocket. One of them is double breasted but I may retire it soon since the 6x1 fastening dates it a bit. Have a pair of brogued wholecuts (AE Fairfax) that I very much like. I also share L-Feld's affection for french cuff shirts. Even worse, they have spread collars and are NOT from J. Press!


----------



## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

First, jeans. Levis 501 STF, but they're still jeans.

I wear a lot of Patagonia, especially the meshy AC shirts and Puckerware seersucker. These are camp shirt style.

I also wear blended jersey polos, comfortable in hot. humid weather. I'm leaning toward some merino polos, which aren't quite Lacoste-styled either.


----------



## FiscalDean (Dec 10, 2011)

I also wear suit coats and jackets that are darted. I do own one dress shirt that is not a button down. 

I wear jeans at night and on weekend. I live on a lake in northern Wisconsin, so when I do have the occasional neighbor I'd feel a little out of place. 

I own a couple of Hawaiian shirts that I wear on occasion.


----------



## DaveS (Dec 11, 2011)

Being shorter in stature at 5'7", I cannot wear sack-type suits/jackets. Without waist suppression, I'd look like a cube.

I don't much like, nor ever wear checked shirts or madras (though this may change, who knows?). I do wear some dress shirts that are not button down, some having French cuffs, especially with a suit.

Pants must cover my shoes with a slight break; no "high water" lengths, though I think this shorter leg length my not be strictly Ivy/Trad.

I'll wear jeans, and even cowboy boots (rarely) on occasion.


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Truth be known, if my clothing choices are Trad or Ivy, it is more by accident than with intent. I had never heard of Trad/Ivy before discovering AAAC, but have worn the colors (read as garments) pretty much all of my adult life. Although, there was that pair of Earth shoes and that pale blue polyester leisure suit back in the early 1970's (I think is was) and presently the two Barongs, three Hawaiian shirts, not every suit or sport jacket is of the sack design (sack jacket designs can be hard to find at times) and a collection of baseball caps I wear while running, don't quite fit in with the 'Breed standard!' Ah well, we humans are an imperfect lot so so be it!


----------



## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

Athletic fit suits, sport coats, and shirts, some spread and club collar dress shirts to be worn only with a tie and suit, some heavy jeans to be worn on windy, cold winter days. Everything else is button down and trad all the way.


----------



## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

Jovan said:


> I like wearing spread collars a lot these days, sometimes even with sack blazers/sport coats. My suits are darted with two buttons and in one case even a ticket pocket. One of them is double breasted but I may retire it soon since the 6x1 fastening dates it a bit. Have a pair of brogued wholecuts (AE Fairfax) that I very much like. I also share L-Feld's affection for french cuff shirts. Even worse, they have spread collars and are NOT from J. Press!


This thread is really making me want a double breasted suit.

Or worse yet, a double breasted blazer!


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

You have no idea how hard it is to resist the urge. Black Lapel already has my measurements dialed in and 6x2 fastening is available. I think future Mrs. Jovan would kill me though.


----------



## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

Like many on this forum, I admire Ivy and 'Trad' but don't feel obliged to adhere to it dogmatically. I favor darted suits, and wear slim cut ones for social events requiring suits. Jeans are also in the seasonal rotation. I like plain point collar shirts better than button down for business or social evening dress where a jacket and tie are required, button down when no tie is worn. I am tired of khakis but wear them anyway, usually cuffed but not always. I own, but seldom wear, two double breasted, ventless suits. Ditto for several peak lapel, 3-piece suits.

And, this is good, I bought a black suit but have yet to wear it anywhere. Maybe I'll save it for my funeral.


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

I'm not sure when the DB suit/blazer will show up. It's a ways down the priority list but come it will, I'm sure. If nothing else, it will go just fine with my annual out-of-doors cigar.


----------



## Anthony Charton (May 7, 2012)

Oldsarge said:


> Whenever I turn up looking Ivy, it's an accident.


Same here. But then again, I live in the UK most of the time, so dressing Ivy equates to dressing like the (few) dapper Americans at my university. That being said, browsing the trad section of this forum increases my appreciation for the style considerably. Slow process...


----------



## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

filfoster said:


> Like many on this forum, I admire Ivy and 'Trad' but don't feel obliged to adhere to it dogmatically.


Besides liking the look, I find it an easy "system" for looking decent without too much trouble -- like Garanimals for adults. The more I stick to it, the easier it is.
.


----------



## TradThrifter (Oct 22, 2012)

Darted jackets, ball caps and jeans.


----------



## mjo_1 (Oct 2, 2007)

-'tech' fabrics for golf, camping, working out, etc. They just work better. 
-heavy dose of patagonia fleece
-jeans
-A few darted suits
-rainbow sandals


----------



## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

- Darted suits and blazers. I don't currently own any sacks at all. They do nothing for me besides ticking a box on the trad checklist.
- Patagonia fleece. But, then again, if enough of us do it, does it become trad?
- Harding Lane baseball cap. It's probably preppy but not trad.


----------



## Bandit44 (Oct 1, 2010)

Partly by financial necessity, partly by my evolving sense of personal style, I've slowly arrived at a balance. I wear an ocbd with bowtie, longwings or loafers, and argyle socks 5-6 days a week. For trousers, pleats aren't a dealbreaker either way, but they must be long rise, full-cut, and cuffed with a generous break. And although I have several sacks, my recent acquisition of a 2 button Brooksease blazer has renewed my appreciation in the more tailored look of a soft-shouldered, darted jacket. The few suits I own are all darted. 

Based on what I see others posting on the wruw thread, I think I'm most faithfully a "casual trad." Except for a few years where I strayed during graduate school, I've always worn polo shirts, khaki shorts, and moccasins in the summer and button downs, khakis, duck boots, and field/barn coats in the winter. I've added a few items such as Nantucket reds and white bucks, but since these were natural outgrowths of what I already wore, my new additions have turned few heads.


----------



## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

L-Feld -- that casual shirt looks really cool, and I like the proportions of the Press point collar.

I will say that I only rarely add things to my wardrobe that aren't "trad-compatible" -- I tend to wear a sort of bouilibasse of trad gear with the occasional lump of something a little odd in there, like white jeans or something.


----------



## dkoernert (May 31, 2011)

Darted suits and blazers, pleated pants (only a few), and my ultimate weakness: selvedge denim.


----------



## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

L-feld said:


> This thread is really making me want a double breasted suit.
> 
> Or worse yet, a double breasted blazer!


DB Blazer is better not "worse" and certainly Ivy. I'd say "Trad" as well, but I'm no religious fanatic. All the museum curators wore DB blazers. So, too, the jocks on the polo team. Press has long had a DB model in stock.


----------



## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

Youth-Repp:

White casual pants are certainly Ivy, so I think you get a pass on white jeans. Just as a note: Richard Press says that in the heyday of Ivy, the tab-collar shirt was just as popular as the button-down, though few are seen today.


----------



## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

Oldsarge said:


> I'm not sure when the DB suit/blazer will show up. It's a ways down the priority list but come it will, I'm sure. If nothing else, it will go just fine with *my annual out-of-doors cigar*.


Useless tangent: I also indulge an annual cigar. Don't tell my insurance agent or cardiologist. I had mine about a month ago and it reminded me why I don't have one more often. Like so many things in life, thinking about it is often better than the experience, or in the case of a cigar, the day after the exeprience.


----------



## mjo_1 (Oct 2, 2007)

hardline_42 said:


> Patagonia fleece. But, then again, if enough of us do it, does it become trad?


I think so....maybe not 'trad' as in Princeton in 1963, but maybe more of what I would call classic. I feel like the snap-t pullover is an especially iconic item. I also think that these are the shetland sweater of my generation, more or less. Casual, warm, looks good with khakis or jeans, available in many colors. Plus, they can be machine washed and don't get destroyed by moths. Of course I love my shaggy dogs, but there's a lot to be said for the headache free storage and maintenance of the snap ts.


----------



## Uncle Bill (May 4, 2010)

Selvage denim, 
Two button darted suits with natural shoulders and side vents. 
Spread collar dress shirts, 
Blundstones (rugged chelsea boots from Tasmania).


----------



## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

Uncle Bill said:


> Selvage denim,
> Two button darted suits with natural shoulders and side vents.
> Spread collar dress shirts,
> Blundstones (rugged chelsea boots from Tasmania).


I'd take Blunnies over the hideous Bean Duck Boots any day.


----------



## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

Youthful Repp-robate said:


> L-Feld -- that casual shirt looks really cool, and I like the proportions of the Press point collar.
> 
> I will say that I only rarely add things to my wardrobe that aren't "trad-compatible" -- I tend to wear a sort of bouilibasse of trad gear with the occasional lump of something a little odd in there, like white jeans or something.


I remember my wife bought it for me because it "looked like something my grandfather would have worn" which kind of describes most of my wardrobe anyway.

Except for velcro frankenstein shoes. I haven't delved into those yet. But hopefully by the time my arches have fully deteriorated, I can at least afford to get some Alden modified last shoes.


----------



## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

Pale_Male said:


> Youth-Repp:
> 
> White casual pants are certainly Ivy, so I think you get a pass on white jeans. Just as a note: Richard Press says that in the heyday of Ivy, the tab-collar shirt was just as popular as the button-down, though few are seen today.


Now that I think of it, I want some tab collared shirts too, so I can harken back to the age of jive. I wish I had a clue of where to buy them.


----------



## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

I have little problem with # of buttons, their placement, vents, darts, pleats or cuff/cuffless. At a distance, though, I would look pretty much Ivy.


----------



## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Brooks Brothers and Paul Stuart sell them, as do a number of online shirtmakers. Ratio Clothing has it as one of their "secret" offerings.


----------



## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

L-feld said:


> Now that I think of it, I want some tab collared shirts too, so I can harken back to the age of jive. I wish I had a clue of where to buy them.


BB has a few. Press likely does too, though they're not on the website.


----------



## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

L-feld said:


> I remember my wife bought it for me because it "looked like something my grandfather would have worn" which kind of describes most of my wardrobe anyway.
> 
> Except for velcro frankenstein shoes. I haven't delved into those yet. But hopefully by the time my arches have fully deteriorated, I can at least afford to get some Alden modified last shoes.


What a compliment! So many grandfathers today dress like their toddler grandsons.

I think biotech will have a new titanium replacement arch ready just in the nick of time. In the meantime, try Birkenstocks for walking.


----------



## Trad-ish (Feb 19, 2011)

Pale_Male said:


> I'd take Blunnies over the hideous Bean Duck Boots any day.


----------



## jmfr (Jul 28, 2013)

Pale_Male said:


> I'd take Blunnies over the hideous Bean Duck Boots any day.


No, just no. 

Blundstones are no longer made in Tasmania and even when they were I wouldn't wear them. 

For that style of boot, the better informed Australian would pay the premium and go with RM Williams.


----------



## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

My suits tend to be two button, darted, center vent. Shirts with suits are usually spread collar. Sport coats and blazers are 90 percent sack 3/2 and worn with ocbd's nearly always. All trousers are pleated except for the occasional jean or Mt Khaki. Polos in summer and frequently wool button down Pendelton shirts or ocbd's with lambs wool V neck sweaters in winter. Most dress shoes are Alden or Brooks by Alden or boat shoes. I tend to wear things until they wer out then replace them with almost the exact same item. Since my dress norms were set in the 60's in the collegiate south, I continue to gravitate to that style.
Probably not going to change when I turn 66 next week.
Tom


----------



## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Suit coats, sport coats and blazers all have natural shoulders, but suppressed waists to fit my athletic form. My only Barbour jacket is a modern, non-wax fabric. I wear plenty of black, including turtlenecks. Add Patagonia, Gore-Tex, fleece and other technical fabrics.


----------



## Tilton (Nov 27, 2011)

Uncle Bill said:


> Selvage denim,
> Two button darted suits with natural shoulders and side vents.
> Spread collar dress shirts,
> Blundstones (rugged chelsea boots from Tasmania).


You know, I like the look and idea of Blundstones, but I can never find pictures of normal folks wearing them. If anyone has some pictures of them with normal khakis or jeans and not rolled-up, ankle hugging hipster pants, I would appreciate it. Every time I've seen them and tried them on, I'm wearing pants/shorts I'd never wear with them so I can't get a good idea.


----------



## CMDC (Jan 31, 2009)

With suits I tend to wear spread collar dress shirts and am especially drawn to British makers--Hilditch and Key being my favorite. Tend to be French cuff, too.

If money were no option I'd gravitate more toward Neopolitan sportcoats whose patterns I find to be more sumptuous and which would be more apt for the climate here. Same with ties--Cappelli, Marinella, etc.

I wear a lot of soccer jerseys on the weekends and like to find really random ones at the thrifts. Derby County was a recent find.


----------



## fred johnson (Jul 22, 2009)

I prefer PRL point collar "Andrew" and PRL two button darted jackets to J Press and Brooks these days, especially during warm weather, and forward pleated dress trousers. However with my tweeds and flat front flannels I like BB OCBD. I prefer cotton crewnecks, never shetland. With suits, which I hardly ever wear, I will do a spread collar (custom to get just the right spread) or J Press point and gold pin. Never cufflinks. Never black shoes, cordovan instead. Bills M1, cuffed and pressed. Jeans only for doing yard work; Wrangler "Rustler" boot jean from Walmart.


----------



## BigTC (May 10, 2010)

Himself said:


> Besides liking the look, I find it an easy "system" for looking decent without too much trouble -- like Garanimals for adults. The more I stick to it, the easier it is.
> .


Exactly. I always know what to buy, where to buy it, and that it will fit in perfectly with what I already have. Plus I know that while I'll never be the most fashionable guy in the room, I'll always look appropriate without having to give it too much thought.


----------



## KayGee (May 19, 2013)

Darted jackets
jeans
technical fabrics for running, hockey, and camping
motorcycle boots to wear with above jeans and technical armored jacket on motorcycle.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

Big tent Ivy gives folks a lot of freedom. If someone wants to wear Clarks Wallabees, Lee Riders, a Maine Guide shirt and a Baxter State Parka, there's a place for them in the big tent, even if there isn't in the small one. The same goes for the fellow with the Charvet shirt with silk knots, Sulka tie, and English monkstraps, as well as the Dickies perma-press khaki guy who has too many chambray shirts in his closet.  With so much opportunity available, why stray into darts, pleats, and built-up shoulders?


----------



## Uncle Bill (May 4, 2010)

Pale_Male said:


> I'd take Blunnies over the hideous Bean Duck Boots any day.


Agreed 110% My chisel toe crazy horse brown Blunnies are my go to travel boot, great for getting through security quickly at airports and covering a lot of ground at your destination. Australian Boot Company here in Canada has a special winter boot make up from Blundstone I plan to buy once November rolls around. On top of that, they look great with chinos, cords and denim, even flannel trousers in a pinch.


----------



## Uncle Bill (May 4, 2010)

Tilton said:


> You know, I like the look and idea of Blundstones, but I can never find pictures of normal folks wearing them. If anyone has some pictures of them with normal khakis or jeans and not rolled-up, ankle hugging hipster pants, I would appreciate it. Every time I've seen them and tried them on, I'm wearing pants/shorts I'd never wear with them so I can't get a good idea.


here's a shot on flickr from Tasmania from the Australian Boot Company flickr feed:

__
https://flic.kr/p/3368928598

They wear nicely with slim-straight fit jeans (as opposed to the skinny fit hipsters love) as well as clark chinos.


----------



## crs (Dec 30, 2004)

I don't mind darts as long as the shoulders are natural. In the past year I have thrifted Isaia and Canali sportcoats that are conservative enough.


----------



## Himself (Mar 2, 2011)

crs said:


> I don't mind darts as long as the shoulders are natural. In the past year I have thrifted Isaia and Canali sportcoats that are conservative enough.


I'll take a darted jacket with great shoulders, chest and back, high enough armholes and overall great fit over an average sack any day. However it's pretty recent that jackets other than vintage sacks have nice natural shoulders. Some Polo and BB Fitzgerald jackets I've tried lately have beautiful shoulders and fit me nicely. But, I would still prefer no darts because:

They often look like an ugly scar through a major area of the jacket's nice fabric
I'm built more "straight" than V-shaped, so sacks fit me well _if they're slim enough_


----------



## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

jmfr said:


> No, just no.
> 
> Blundstones are no longer made in Tasmania and even when they were I wouldn't wear them.
> 
> For that style of boot, the better informed Australian would pay the premium and go with RM Williams.


I'm not comparing or discussing "premium" or dress boots. I like them for tramping around the city when it's pouring or slushy -- or snowing. And they're also good for muddy country walks. I don't stand around shooting ducks, but I have shot some film and they're OK for that, too.


----------



## ArtVandalay (Apr 29, 2010)

When I see a darted jacket, the darts are all I can see. Like Himself said above, they look like two giant scars on the front of the jacket.


----------



## thegovteach (Dec 2, 2012)

Don't know if this would count or not, but I know they wouldn't wear these in New England. Cowboy boots. In Texas, they are normal for everyone.


----------



## eyedoc2180 (Nov 19, 2006)

thegovteach said:


> Don't know if this would count or not, but I know they wouldn't wear these in New England. Cowboy boots. In Texas, they are normal for everyone.


This. I am a regular Fort Worth visitor, and treat myself to some Lucchese boots about every 5 years. Oh Muffy, how do these go with the Harris tweed coat? I've also got a few too many pleated trousers, but working on that. Hard.


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

^^LOL.
Of course they work with tweed...even Muffy likes a bit of cowboy in her man! I'm certain I must have worn my Lucchese, Nocona and Paul Bond western boot designs, perhaps all five pair, with tweed jackets at one point or another. However, in the interest of full disclosure, this is Hoosierville...not Connecticut (isn't that where Muffy calls home?)!


----------



## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

According to Muffy, the Patagonia fleece is perfectly acceptable.


----------



## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

This thread makes me think how much climate influences this matter (shades of the Annales school of history) - Southerners were shorts, sandals/flip-flops, jeans and boots because the climate and our type of work make it more necessary. Much of what dear Mrs. Aldrich espouses is so simply because that's what New England requires.


----------



## eyedoc2180 (Nov 19, 2006)

eagle2250 said:


> ^^LOL.
> Of course they work with tweed...even Muffy likes a bit of cowboy in her man! I'm certain I must have worn my Lucchese, Nocona and Paul Bond western boot designs, perhaps all five pair, with tweed jackets at one point or another. However, in the interest of full disclosure, this is Hoosierville...not Connecticut (isn't that where Muffy calls home?)!


Eagle, you never fail me! There is nothing like a Lucchese boot.


----------



## Colonel Ichabod (Jun 4, 2013)

WillBarrett said:


> This thread makes me think how much climate influences this matter (shades of the Annales school of history) - Southerners were shorts, sandals/flip-flops, jeans and boots because the climate and our type of work make it more necessary. Much of what dear Mrs. Aldrich espouses is so simply because that's what New England requires.


Thumbs up for reference of the Annales School. :thumbs-up:


----------

