Decoding Fashion 101. Ivy League style

In fashion, preppy style and the Ivy look denote an aesthetic based on a grand history that is visually conveyed through understated, neat, and well-made clothing giving a look of a mastered relaxed confidence and a laid back scholarly type of sophistication. The restrained opulence offers the nate of luxury composed with timeless pieces due to the origins of style.

The term of preppy originates from private, university-preparatory schools and is commonly associated with the subculture that has a nature of vocabulary, speech patterns,etiquette and dress to reflect their athletic and academically traditionally upper class lifestyle but this overtime has altered to create the modern preppy and ivy looks we have today.

The Ivy league look possesses a color scheme that practices restraint, sophistication, and purpose based on neutrals and deep rich primary colors such as red, esmerald and navy. Preppy styles incoporate more color but will not be saturated , they harmonize in order to ccreate a streamlined, seamless, put-together look.

Though prep and ivy league looks to go hand in hand, the difference between the two is found within essences and origin. The Ivy league look tends to be more elegant and cultivated, quieter confidence for the academically oriented wearer which developed further in 1910. This style provoked a sense of community amongst students who came from similar backgrounds and allowed for them to distinguish themselves visually. The Ivy style began to grow in establishment through university culture and life then held great influence within the 1950s. Prestigious students wanted formal clothing that was elegant, but still well suited to casual situations as Ivy League schools and neighboring communities. As the Ivy look became further spread, preppy style, which is recognized for clean, polished, and colorful leniency emerged inspired by nautical roots.

Brooks Brothers is the oldest clothing retailer in the US, headquartered in Manhattan and founded

in 1818. Originally focused on menswear, they created the prominence of the Ivy League look in

the early 1900s and still produce to this day The brand defined American style out of innovation,

quality, value, and very specific traditions along with core values that introduced garments such as the original button-down polo shirt, being the first to offer madras, democratizing the repp tie, and introducing pieces such as the shetland sweater to America- just to name a few feats

One of the most prominent being Ralph Lauren who paved the way for what we recognize today as the classic, traditional american style no. The brand is synonymous with the Ivy League or Preppy style.Ralph Lauren at its core has a focus on lifestyle andThe Ralph Lauren Corporation offers diffusion brands with differing aesthetics, themes, and price points Polo Ralph Lauren, for example, has a great emphasis on sports which fulfills the athletic component of this aesthetic.

Another brand that has contributed to establishing this look in the 1970s,was Tommy Hiffilger, he began designing preppy clothing for his own eponymous menswear line in the 1980s. At this point in time, the prep look was beginning to experience a revival as vibrant trends were beginning to cycle out. and Tommy Hilfiger became one of the most prominent brands in 1990s sportswear with a distinctive prep conscious lenient that had an interchangeable purpose, but always focusing on luxury in these moments even with wearable "casual" clothing and personal style.

Over the years, Ivy has grown from the territory of establishment in the eastern United States to something much more universal. Aspirations played a major role in this, especially in the 1950s. But fashion brands like Ralph Lauren and preppy trends in the 1980s made America wider. Prior to

, there wasn't much difference between most American and European shirts. The shirt was generously cut, as was the British one. They had a pointed or moderately wide collar and both single and double cuffs.

After World War II, companies such as Brooks Brothers, J Press, and Gantt made their name on American shirts because the previously niche style of ivy spread throughout the country.

For example, there is Brooks Brothers who appreciates the button-down collar, but Gant did a lot to popularize it by introducing the first completed version at Yale University. Gant later gave us a rocker loop, but Brooks claims a chest pocket (although dropped regularly) and an unlined collar.

Ivy has declined as well as fashion in the late 1960s. But in the 1980s, when preparations were spreading a nationally similar look, it came back with revenge. And since 2010, there has been a modern revival that has been a major factor in the growth of men's clothing as a whole, but it was helped by the re-release of Take Ivy, an exhibition at FIT, and the growing interest in heritage brands.

As sporting activities influenced many creative tailoring features, the demand for a comfortable look continued to grow. The rigorous hierarchical view of the past is now playfully treated by youth culture. The Ivy League University has become a hub for science, research and fashion. The term Ivy League was first used in the 1930s to refer to a group of Northeast American colleges that were rivals of the movement. It quickly became synonymous with more than sports, symbolizing academic excellence, fame and tradition, while creating a new relaxed fashion style that spreads across the country.

GANT is a pioneer in this clean aesthetic, founded in 1949 by Bernard Gantmacher. The retailer is celebrating its 70th anniversary with the Seven Decades Seven Icons collection in honor of the lasting charm of these heritage sites that have shaped American life forever.

Button Down Shirts and Club Blazers The origins of the

button down shirts date back to the 1860s British Polo Fields. Polo noticed that the collar of his shirt often fluttered in the wind during galloping, causing unnecessary distraction. Johannes E. Brooks, the son of the founder of Brooks Brothers, saw this innovation in the field of polo and soon decided to manufacture it in the United States. It was introduced to the American market on a small scale-the only way to buy a button-down shirt in the 1940s was to order a one-off from a specialty store. At the moment of marketing genius, GANT decided to stock button-down shirts at Yale University, which stocked off-duty clothing essentials for Yale students. The goal was to dress up without necessarily dressing up. You hit the money. Shirts have become a staple of East Coast colleges, and the way you wear them has shown the status of your relationship. The man unlooped his shirt when he was with the girl (to avoid wrinkling in the dressing room), and she wore his scarf in return. By the time the

club blazer first appeared on the college campus, it was an integral part of preppy American sportswear. It looked more casual, in contrast to the double-breasted padded suits that were mainstream before the war. The first blazer worn by rowers at both Oxford and Cambridge were intended to keep them warm during training sessions on chilly mornings. As with many athletic apparel, the line between work and play has become blurred and rowers have begun to wear blazers around the campus. The rowing blazer served as a status symbol, just as the Letterman jacket, created in the United States in the 1950s, represented the sport's achievements. At the turn of the century, Blazer crossed the Atlantic to reach Ivy League Universities such as Princeton, Cornell, Yale, and Harvard.

Chinos

In 1848, Sir Harry Ramsden, commander of the British Regiment in India, had the idea of ​​dyeing the white trousers of his regiment in a color that was more suitable for the dry, dusty condition of his men. The Indians mixed coffee, curry powder and morus alba to hide the inevitable stains and called it color khaki, which means "dust" in Hindi. However, the word "Chino" was first mentioned when US troops were stationed in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. The trousers they wore were made from Chinese cotton twill (Chino, a Chinese word in Spanish). Durable fabrics have become a staple of military uniform, followed by a second student battlefield when GI began, followed by Hollywood. See pictures of Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Probably wearing chinos.

Pique

More elegant than a T-shirt, but more casual than a regular shirt, the picket was born out of sporting demands. Most sources acknowledge the invention of modern polo shirts by Jean René Lacoste, who won seven Grand Slam Singles in the 1920s. Dissatisfied with the stuffy, stiff "tennis white" available at the time, he chose an unreinforced collar and a long back known as the "tennis tail" that was easy to push. It was important for him to use picket cotton because of its excellent breathability and durability. At the 1926 US Open he learned his new invention, which quickly caused a worldwide uproar. Soon other tennis players began to wear short-sleeved shirts, and polo players began to adopt new styles. In the 1950s, Gantt began making polo shirts in different colors. Not surprisingly, it has become the definitive staple of the Smart casual style.

Heavy Lager

The origin of the heavy lager is in the classic rugby shirt designed as part of the game uniform. Traditionally, they were made from heavy jersey knit fabrics. In 1823, both rugby and rugby shirts were born in response to the need to differentiate the team and look for garments with functionality and comfort. Due to the nature of the game, the fabric is generally durable and traditional rugby shirts have rubber buttons that will come off rather than come off when worn during the game.

American varsity jackets (also known as lettermen or letter jackets), like apple pies, have been around since the 19th century. Originally based on a wartime bomber jacket, the appearance has changed with the advent of leather sleeves in a different color than the body. It was 1865, and the Harvard baseball team was looking for a way to emphasize the team's star players. An enterprising young man decided that a Harvard "H" should be sewn on the front to really stand out. Therefore, the term "letterman" is used. The jacket is reserved only for good players against the important game: Princeton and Yale, and players who do not cut must return the jacket at the end of the season. Therefore, this garment has become associated with fame and status among Ivy League college students.

cable pattern

Cable knit sweaters come from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. There, intense Atlantic winds defeat even the harshest inhabitants. Traditionally made from 100% wool, knits are an indispensable gear that allows air to escape while allowing moisture to escape. Traditionally, each part of the pattern represents the lifestyle of the island. The most popular stitch, the cable stitch, represents the fishing line, and the diamond stitch represents the small arable land of the Aran Islands. Zigzags symbolize the winding paths of high cliffs, and the woven sections are intended to represent a fishing basket, bringing good luck to abundant luck. Eventually, cable knit sweaters moved from work to leisure. This style became associated with gentlemen's pursuits such as golf and cricket, establishing itself as a casual yet preppy American piece.