The Weejun

I've had a few enquiries recently from readers searching for tie up Bass Weejuns - a rare beast indeed and a different shoe entirely to the also rare Sportocasin (whose roots come directly from 1930s golf shoes). Sometime ago I posted a pair of already well worn 2 eyelet lace up Weejuns that I … [Read more...] about Vintage Bass Weejuns Tie Shoes

My long search of the LIFE magazine files also dug up these interesting photogaphs of an earlier college generation, some being outfitted for new wardrobe in local stores, others just general colleg life. The average date seems to be 1954 and the square format of most of them suggest the … [Read more...] about J. Press Newhaven: 1950s

Looking back from 2012, this stuff looks great doesn't it? But let's not forget that history is constantly rewriting itself (and often written by those who don't really know) and laid down for future generations as gospel. (God help those reading some of FNB in 20 years' time!). In reality, if … [Read more...] about Complete College Wardrobe Montgomery Ward 1962

Whilst not being any kind of beardy workwear East End type (and in fact in spite of that) I have always had a soft spot for classic American functional clothing. Back in the day it was LL Bean's catalogue that was prized and poured over just as much as Brooks Brothers or any other obscure US mail … [Read more...] about Corcoran, Hunting, Shooting & Fishing Fall/Winter 1959

Life photographer Bill Eppridge took a lot of images of country boy freshman Timothy Thompson, many more than were published in the 1964 article. The Life take on the piece was 'country boy out of his depth'. The following images are interesting as style refences to the reality of campus Ivy at … [Read more...] about The Freshman Blues Part Two

It's easy to overlook the many attempts by American industry to turn oil refining byproducts into lucrative space age man made fabrics. We all know of Dacron, nylon, terylene etc when appliedto clothing but what is less well known and less remembered are the attempts to replace one of nature's most … [Read more...] about Plastic Ivy – Weejuns in Dupont Corfam

Timothy Thompson Yale Freshman 1964 In 1964 Life magazine commissioned photographer Bill Eppridge to follow country boy freshman Timothy Thompson during his first term at Yale. The published images are very interesting, but there are a whole host of others, not published, lurking in the Life … [Read more...] about The Freshman Blues & Other Tales of Yale

Today the weather forecast was for cold and fine weather, so I thought I'd take the train to Cambridge for a wander around, but mainly because I wanted to pick up a Shetland Sweater at Arthur Shepherd in Trinity St. Not being term time, but still tourist time and Christmas sales, the street was … [Read more...] about Arthur Shepherd Shetland Sweaters: You Can Look But Not Buy