The Ivy Look: Classic American Clothing - An Illustrated Pocket Guide [Anglais] [Broché]

Interesting UK take on an American style. The authors' interpretation of what constitutes the "Ivy League Style" of the late '50s/early 60's is curiously broad. The book consists mainly of reproductions of clothing ads from mens magazines of the period (such as Esquire) and a variety of jazz album covers featuring musicians wearing these styles. that's all fine, well and good, but the inclusion of such items as LL Bean rubber hunting boots and Top Sider boat shoes brings back nightmares of that horrible 80s "preppy" fad. While there is crossover between the styles, it is worth noting that there isn't one photo in the book of anyone actually wearing those shoes. (LL Bean boots don't appear anywhere in the over-hyped "Take Ivy" book either.)

Are dacron shirts and polyester slacks "Ivy"? The authors seem to think so. I think what the authors fail to grasp is that "Ivy League" became a bit of an advertising buzzword commonly used to sell product. Much like "mod". Hence, a lot of these ads are just styles of the period and not necessarily any more "Ivy" than anything else. While I admire the dedication, enthusiasm, and research involved with this book, i wonder if the inclusion of French New Wave film posters and Charles Eames lounge chairs really has jack to do with anything other than the authors' wish to tie-in their fave obsessions using some nebulous "six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon" connection. As much as I also love Raymond Loewy's design for Lucky Strike, it baffles me how that pack of cigarettes or a Zippo lighter is somehow "Ivy"! Classic American icons? Definitely. "Ivy League"? Uh....that begs explanation.

Don't get me wrong, I share most of these same obsessions. But so did many others, who may or may not have been sporting the styles or attending Dartmouth.

Basically, this book is a fictional world of Ivy as seen through rose-tinted lenses of a couple of Limeys. This fantasy world is created by staring at mid-century photos of Steve McQueen, Miles Davis, jazz LP covers, and Esquire back issues. The mundane reality of the nationwide "everyman" nature of the Ivy style is lost somewhere in the haze of their pretentious prose. The authors would rather believe their own fantasy of a secret cabal of chino-clad hipsters aligned in a subversive cult of bass loafers and Blue Note LPs.

Anyhow, I'll still give it 4 stars for style and enthusiasm. Fans of the period and styles will enjoy this. But please don't take it as any sort of bible of Ivy. Like "Take Ivy", it's sort of a foreigner's appreciation/interpretation mixed with a bit of fawning myth-making.

Maybe it's in part because I was so disappointed by Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style that "The Ivy Look," which arrived in the same box, seemed so rewarding. "The Ivy Style" is an entertainingly written and well-informed book, but it's also very much affected by who its authors are and where they come from. It's important to understand that in order to really get the most out of this "pocket guide."

One of my criticisms of "Preppy" was that it relied so heavily on commercial advertising for its illustrations. "Ivy Look," too, is packed full of ad images, as at least one other reviewer has pointed out. So why not rip this book too? The answer is in the second paragraph of the Foreword: "It seems entirely appropriate that the authors came to learn and fall under the spell of the Ivy look through exposure to three quintessential American art forms - cinema, advertising and modern jazz" (p. 12). The "Ivy" Marsh and Gaul are discussing here is not American "Ivy League" style straight from the well, so to speak, but rather a particular English interpretation and expression of "Ivy." More than just a preference for what clothes to wear or, on a deeper level, a "look" with various ethnic, geographic, and sociopolitical signifiers, this English Ivy is a deliberate "lifestyle" choice. That is the explanation for why things like Vespas and Marlboro cigarettes, which don't have any particular Ivy League or preppy association in the States, are lovingly included in "The Ivy Look."

(If the sort of analysis in the above paragraph is of interest to you, I encourage you to find the review of this book on a popular Ivy Style blog. Google "Clothes Mad: The English Ivy Obsession" and read not only the review but as many of the comments as you can stomach. Me, I've reached my daily limit of lit-crit exegesis.)

Once you know more or less where the authors are coming from and take their perspective into account, "The Ivy Look" is a fun and informative read. The prose is as stylish as the clothes and cars, and their recommendations, not only for clothing brands but also movies and jazz albums (if you're into those things, which I am) are well taken. And I was pleased to see how closely my Dockers K-1s resemble the "original 1950s U.S. Army-issue khakis" beautifully shown on pages 116-117. You may not ever use this as a "pocket guide" in the sense of carrying it with you to The Andover Shop or J. Press, and if you're a real devotee of this style, there may not even be much in here that's new (save for the aforementioned induction of Vespas and Jean-Paul Belmondo into "Ivy"). But as a celebration of a particular interpretation of "classic American clothing," I think this has a lot to recommend it.

A superlative look at the ivy league style, through the eyes of two confirmed enthusiasts. This book provides an in-depth look at a style which has heavily influenced men's fashion in the years since it gained popularity. A wide assortment of full-color photographs, many never before seen in print, provide days of viewing enjoyment, while a variety of articles and drawings add expert analysis. The book examines the origins of the style, its heyday (via looks at personalities such as JFK, Miles Davis, and Steve McQueen, as well as classic spreads from publications such as Esquire), and its present, with a listing of merchants and websites which continue to celebrate the ethos. The perfect gift for any classic menswear enthusiast, student of fashion, or indeed anyone who values classic style.