As anyone who's ever attempted to maintain a blog will testify, it's tough. Time is the biggest enemy. Next comes ease of use - from the almost book length posts of traditional blogs many of us moved to the easy sound[word]bites of Tumblr an Facebook. Whilst they both have their virtues, it's hard …
White Levi’s by The Majorettes – 1963
Here's some light hearted fun to blow away the January blues. A 45 from 1963 used to promote the new 'White Levi's", so-called because they weren't blue and had a white tag. Some reissues are out this month from LVC, but meanwhile here's the single on YouTube. "White Levi's, Tennis Shoes, Surfin' …
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The Department Store Museum: 1960s Ivy ‘Varsity’ Shops
Often when we find some vintage clothing, especially shirts like Gant or Sero, they will have had the store name tags made up and sewn in alongside the brand. This kind of co-branding for local loyalty was common in the US and a kind of precursor to the ubiquitous Brand X Hip Store that we see …
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Steve McQueen – Alternative Frames From the LIFE Archive
I know blogs with photos of McQueen are two a penny these days but, whilst searching for something else, I accidentally came across around fifty or so images from Life that I hadn't seen before - basically the alternate frames from images that have been published everywhere. The reason may be the …
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The Brooks Brothers Time Machine: 1980 Deadstock
Vintage Brooks Brothers Haul It's generally agreed that the end of the line for Brooks Brothers began when Marks & Spencer took over the company in 1988. (Brooks was charged with being an arrogant and remote institution but that is matched only by M&S whose arrogance and business practices …
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The Weejun’s Best and Worst of 2012
I know, I know. Months go by without so much as a mini-post and suddenly there's a best and worst of the year? What's that all about? Lack of free time is what it's all about, dear friends of the 'ox blood' loafer. This year I've had so little of it. Now, that midway point between Christmas and New …
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Whatever Happened to the Surcingle Belt? Update
(Updated with new photos of O'Connells' Surcingles below) Back in the early 80s, anyone dressing in the American style, whether a vintage ivy league look or in the then current preppy style would have been familiar with and almost certainly owned at least one surcingle belt. What exactly is a …
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Dick Van Dyke in Full Boom Ivy Mode 1967
Like most American movies Divorce American Style shows menswear that would have been woefully out of date and unfashionable by 1967. But we don't care do we? Any chance to see how Boom Years Ivy was worn in the flesh, rather than rely on dodgy retro recreationists (the like of which have turned …
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A Few Deadstock Shirts Just Arrived: Brooks Unlined Collar, Southwick Popover, Lion of Troy Raglan Popover
A few shirt arrivals in the last few days (like I needed any more shirts, but you know how it is!): A vintage Lion of Troy popover raglan sleeve number, identical in every way to one that guest poster The Woolster found last year. Unfortunately, this one is too big for me even if I attempted to …
J Keydge, Slack Jackets – Get them whilst you still can.
Over the years one of the things I've found it hardest to source have been ivy sports jackets, especially jackets that can be worn in a non-ironic sense for everyday work amongst the great unwashed of non-converts. I've had dozens of sports jackets going back to around 1981, but almost without …
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