Tradified

From The Editor

Ivy is a fashion born of a mindset manifested in a lifestyle.  There are values attached:  dignity, the value and power of thought, ethics, hard work, aesthetics, appreciation of all things classic, and the dogged pursuit of excellence.   While Ivy evolves (I haven’t worn socks since Easter) the values don’t.  If you are a reader,

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From The Archives

Golden Years: Gant Shirtmakers of New Haven

When his sons got out of the army at the end of World War II, Bernie Gantmacher asked his pal Jacobi Press if he could give his sons Elliot and Marty a job in the stock room at J. Press. Gantmacher had owned a shirt factory in New Haven since the ’20s and occasionally supplied

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Dress Codes and Common Courtesies

Editor’s note: Mr. Michael J. Connolly grew up in Essex, MA and is now a professor of history in Indiana. Mr. Connolly is a regular contributor to Imaginative Conservative as well. His piece was a very timely submission, as I have evolved too with civility and how to reinforce it here. As I enter my


Is There A Debt Here Really?

You see, here in the comments and on the FB group, a lot about the debt that Ivy owes to the UK. Is that true though? First, you have to start with what Ivy is. Ivy isn’t Trad, right? Ivy has Trad in it. Sushi has rice in it but we don’t call it rice.


An Amazing Tom Round Up

Once again, The Amazing Tom provides a round-up of Ivy-relevant articles for us. Up first is this article in the Wall Street Journal about mixing patterns. I have a simple rule for myself, DON’T. Unless it is a tie. Then, never stripes with stripes. Some people pull it off, I am not amongst them. In


G. Bruce Boyer riffs on Riffs

On my other show Home From Here, Mr. Boyer called in and we did an hour sampling and talking about some of the music in his new book, Riffs, which is available on Amazon here. Riffs by G. Bruce Boyer He was an amazing guest, and we covered a breadth of topics. We purposely stayed


How We Roll

Editor’s Note: Chris Collins sends hilarious emails, is a very good guy, and sent in this piece about sleeve rolling, for which we are grateful. To roll up or not?  Your shirt sleeves, and the ‘whether to’ or ‘if at all’ discussion about when they can and should be rolled up is either an interesting


Lauren Just Went Un-Ivy

The Amazing Tom just sent me an article that stepped me back a bit. Fodder for discussion. Here’s the article. They say the right thing. That they are elevating the product, the storytelling. And I think they have. Lauren’s recent projects directed toward inclusion are fantastic. BUT. The article states that Lauren, over the last


An Interesting Exercise And An Ask For Advice.

Editor’s Note: Topic courtesy of Pier Francesco Verlato of the FB Group. Looking forward to your notes. Charles Bellinger, who has written for the site, got some very good news and now has an interesting problem. Any thoughts?


The Man Makes The Clothing

Editor’s Note: We once again are treated to the brilliant writing of Daniel D. Covell, to whom we are always grateful for both his books and his submissions here. Paul Winston, whose family owned the well-regarded Ivy Style purveyor Chipp, said of John F. Kennedy, Jr., “Kennedy was a handsome and important man.  That old


In The 1940s

Men’s fashion was in a staid place. Men were not incentivized to buy suits because the war took the money and the joy out of it. In fact, many men wore their uniforms on suit-occasions. Jayne Shrimpton, in her book Fashion In The 40’s, writes: “Men’s clothing was also subject to strict guidelines: single-breasted jackets