A few months ago I popped into the one mens store in our small community. I do that periodically to grab some Pendleton items if on sale. Their tailored garments are clearly on the low end of the spectrum but this is the second time I have found a miss-sized (Chinese made) coat with a massive mark down. The first time about 5 years ago was a brushed cotton burgundy blazer allegedly a 46R marked down to $60. This time I saw a 40R (really a 42) already marked down to $89 with another discount (forgot the exact amount). I have paid more for pocket squares. So I jumped on this wool (or so it says) gunclub check coat. Getting dressed using a flashlight in my closet at 5:30 AM for a 6:30 meeting I was inspired the other day of combining it with a denim shirt. I had flipped the frayed collar on 30 year old Harold’s denim shirt that sufficed, grabbed my Orvis Duck cloth heavy khakis, Alden Indiana Jones boots, Pendleton socks, Weneger field watch. The Scotch Tape tailoring 😉, on the sleeves made me a few minutes late to the meeting.

I plan on this being my last post on Antonio’s recent preppy vs Ivy League vs Traditional post: https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/preppy-revival-fall/ The use of the word preppy and its connotations vary greatly based upon the decade one was in High School. For me, as a product of the sarcastic 1970’s- we welcomed basically anything to replace the dorky disco doubleknit disaster of the decade. By my Junior year in high school my Quiana shirts had been replaced with Gant rugby shirts and my bell bottoms were replaced by cotton poly blend Berle khakis with cuffs. The Preppy Handbook was not to show up for another 5-6 years so that word was unbeknown to me. As clothing styles happily returned to its pre polyester madness, the fashion world was turned on its head as feathered bangs on dudes, high heeled shoes and giant combs sticking out of guys pockets to maintain their zipperhead parts gave way to a rush toward natural fabrics, polo shirts, OCBDs etc . Yet still, I never had heard of the word preppy. By my Junior/Senior year in college-what was produced as another satirical parody along the lines of the popular Mad Magazine and National Lampoon magazine and similar sardonic movies like Animal House, Stripes, Caddy Shack, etc, (The Preppy Handbook) morphed from a joke to a Bible. We had a few in the store and would read them to each other laughing our tails off. Then the insanity began. Since we were named in the book people flocked to our stores to get their copy. We sold crates full at the store and being on commission learned to answer all kinds of goofy questions as though we were some kind of sartorial clerics. It wasn’t until I joined this community almost three years ago that I realized guys younger than I by 10 years and longer had grown up with the term as part of their lexicon with an entirely different relationship to it than I. I also surmised that after my high school and college experience, for younger guys, preps were reduced down to just another clique like goths, and jocks, and normals etc.

Sometime FaceAche pops up so amazing memories. This was me making banana bread for the entire ship as the Chefos were about to throw away bananas that had started to Brown. 10 loaves later and everyone that wanted some got some. https://www.facebook.com/share/1HkoTGiXQA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

...for a few days, some sort of bug. Decided today I was going to shower, shave and get dressed to feel like a human again. This is not the typical attire that I post, but it's typical of what I wear around the house when I don't have anywhere to go. Forest green PGA Tour performance golf shirt. Normally I don't wear this outside of the house unless I'm actually at the golf course. Khaki Columbia performance fabric shorts, still comfortable in Florida at the end of September. Black canvas shoes that I wear as house slippers No hat! Seiko World Timer watch

Is it traditional, Preppy, Ivy League?????? Based upon Antonio’s recent post that I referenced last night, I can see elements of Today’s OOTD hitting a bit on all three. https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/preppy-revival-fall/ 1) Navy and green bar stripe or university stripe tie (I’ve had this tie for more than 44 years). It’s certainly preppy, and Ivy League, and Traditional 2) Cordovan Alden tassel loafers (I’ve had these for more than 44 years as well) per the article it’s traditional but it’s also specifically mentioned in the Preppy Handbook as well as it being clearly the grown up version of the weejun tassel loafer ie it’s the quintessential Ivy League Shoe. 3.) Medium grey suit, sack fit (no darts) natural shoulder, 3/2 roll button front with a single vent, and double forward pleats (made to Measure and designed by me in Oct 1995). Again, certainly a traditional suit but also certainly an Ivy League cut (dates back to Ivy League schools in the very early 1900’s). Coupled with the green two bar stripe tie and Blue windowpane shirt, (while not bright like a madras) those who adhere to that confounded term ”preppy” would probably recognize that this could easily have been sold by a Brooks Brothers, or J Press, or Drakes, or Harold’s where I worked any time over the past 80+ years (Harold’s was mentioned several times specifically in the preppy Handbook and this model is the only suit cut we ever sold all the years I worked there. The tie and shoes actually were purchased there). Take a look at the spreadsheet in the article then tell me is it: