A Brief Respite -- Three Blogs For Your Enjoyment

Taking a break from fiction for a few days, I wanted to share a few blogs with you. These have helped illuminate me in an area that I long overlooked, and is overlooked by far too many these days, how to get dressed. Here are three blogs that are worth a read.

Ivy Style - www.ivy-style.com @IvyStylecom


Founded by Christian Chensvold in 2008, Ivy Style takes a look at the past, present, and future of traditional menswear. Mr. Chensvold has been a style contributor to a variety of publications including The Huffington Post, RalphLauren.com, Robb Report, as well as being founder of Dandyism.net. His brief history of the 'Ivy League Look' is worth the read. J. Press founder Jacobi Press' grandson Richard Press heads a long list of contributing authors providing insights from around the style world. The blog covers the history of the Ivy League look dating back to roots in the Twenties, its rise to prominence in the Fifties and Sixties, and the Prep takeover from the Eighties to the present. Authors cover how classic brands like Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and Gant, to name a few, are relating to their Ivy roots. While Ivy Style is an excellent source for background on the Ivy League look, it must be taken with a grain of salt. A faux-aristocratic, snarky, and occasionally condescending tone pervades its posts.


OCBD Trad | Ivy | Preppy Blog - www.oxfordclothbuttondown.com @CollarRoll


While Ivy Style dwells on a bygone past, OCBD provides a more youthful take on classic menswear. with Midwestern charm in place of faux-New England snobbery. The unnamed author covers contemporary news and historical background on Ivy and Prep, but also branches out into the traditional American architecture near his home in Springfield, Ohio, and some more instructional pieces. While Ivy-Style often feels as if written by bitter old men looking wistfully at years past, OCBD is a joyous discovery of classic style and shares a great deal more practical knowledge, like how to find a good cobbler, make simple alterations to your own clothes, and embracing classic style in our disgustingly casual society. I particularly enjoyed this piece on dressing up in a casual office.


The Suits of James Bond - www.thesuitsofjamesbond.com

Breaking away from the world of American menswear, The Suits of James Bond, surprisingly, covers the attire of James Bond through the 23 EON produced films, the non-EON productions, and literary Bond. The blog covers the finer points of Bond's developing wardrobe, including the differences between Savile Row and Italian tailoring, and how a fictional character has become a style icon, particularly as Tom Ford has taken over Daniel Craig's wardrobe in the last few years.