Here are two emails I recently received. The first is a request for suggestions of preppy brands from other countries, and the second falls into the category of "too good for my eyes only."
Dear Muffy, ;)
Dear Muffy, ;)
I recently picked up the accompanying 'Ivy Style' book to the NY Fashion Institute exhibition you highlighted a while ago on your blog. Given that the book has a chapter on preppy style in Japan and Korea, I was wondering whether your readers could crowd-source preppy brands from other countries.
Barbour and Hunter boots should be obvious. I can also think of Jack Wills (Aubin & Wills), possibly Thomas Pink, Ede & Ravenscroft (all UK), then for Korea E-Land (originally named 'England') and then for Germany e.g. Prince Leopold of Bavaria's fashion label "Poldi", Reitmayer, Lodenfrey, Susanne von Dörnberg, Brigitte von Schönfels (gosh, what is it with aristos and their fashion labels?), Frankonia, Fjällräven and J.Lindeberg in Sweden, Scapa in Belgium. I remember that there was another Scandinavian menswear company that was featured on several preppy blogs last year, with short video ads, but I can't remember the name.
I know that "The Daily Prep" is a New England blog, but one single post should be permissible, no?
Best regards!
As a longtime reader of TDP, I look forward to your superb posts on the style, places and traditions around which I grew up. Recently, I have especially enjoyed your coverage of the Ivy Style exhibition, and of course, of J. Press, an institution so familiar to me as a Yalie and Cantabrigian.
For this reason, I thought that you might enjoy some images of a surprise that I had today while traveling in Tokyo. While I have long been familiar with the Japanese interest in preppy style, via the book "Take Ivy," I was thoroughly unprepared to ascend an escalator in Matsuya Ginza and be met with a J. Press "Ivy style" exhibition, not to mention Yale-emblazoned, ivory-corded mannequins walking bulldogs!
J. Press in Cambridge -- where I shop most frequently -- never lists Tokyo as a location, but the J. Press department was substantial. Interestingly, I recognized very little from the stores in the USA. Some garments seemed the same, but most seemed perhaps a bit too fine, a bit too luxurious, a Bergdorf Goodman-ized version of the real thing. There was not a shaggy dog in sight, but lots of cashmere; at least I think that it was cashmere, as it was most definitely not shetland wool.
With thanks from a grateful reader.
22 comments:
J. Press has long been Japanese owned just as Brooks Brothers has been foreign-owned for decades.
As an ex-pat Brit, other brands from the UK that I would throw into the mix, off the top of my head, would be Lyle and Scott, Charles Tyrwhitt, Musto, Loake, Cordings of Picadilly, J.G. Glover/Peregrine, and Joules.
Muffy:
Argentina has the "Legacy" clothing company among maybe one other whose name escapes me right now ( the latter one of which supplies their excellent polo team as well as... long-standing Ralph Lauren model Ignacio Figueras) that could be considered preppy. I own numerous polos from them and they are made in said country and durable.
source: I am American of Argentine-Welsh parents!
Anonymous @4:59-
Brooks Brothers is owned by the Retail Brand Alliance, a company based out of CT...
Just stick with what your doing Muffy. All of the brands are just mass merchants now and I enjoy the blog they why you do it.
@Anonymous 5:51, Brooks Brothers is owned by an Italian Company.
Hey Muffy, what happened to the Presidential Election poll you had up? I was curious to see what the turn out would be.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1664349,00.html
The Argentine polo shirt supplier is La Martina.
As a New England ex-pat living in Ontario, I've found Hudson Bay Company for their Hudson Bay blankets, Tilley hats and travel clothing, and these ponderous boots that seem only to be sold in the town hardware store in Dubreuilville, north of Lake Superior. They are ugly as can be but very warm and very durable, and so satisfy the preppy dressing rule that form follows function. I'm reasonably confident that they're made locally, but don't quote me on it, as they have no online presence where I could check my facts.
Abroad brands? As Preppy is inherently New England, it's hard to translate, so here I go with my personal attempt:
From France: Lafuma English - OUTDOORS, NATURE, MOUNTAINS
http://www.lafuma.com/en/
Excellent outdoor equipement company. I'm a big fan of their jackets, which have a textured feel in the fabric, vs tipical plastic feel, and an amazing attention to small detail. Also they have a significant part of their production in France.
From Sweden: Peak Performance - Official Online Store - Peak Performance
http://www.peakperformance.com/se/
I have to admit I only own one item from them, a Polo shirt no less! But the material I saw in the Tirolean store where I discovered them was top notch for outdoor activities.
I'd say the two above are amazing outdoor equipment brands.
From my native Spain, it's hard to tell. I'd suggest two places, not clothing brands. First, "El Corte Inglés". Old fashioned, with its good and bad, but a very decent selection of brands in the clothing department.
http://www.elcorteingles.es/
In Barcelona, l'Illa. A commercial center with a lot of good timeless classics (but one needs a discerning eye)
http://www.lilla.com/ca/
Finally, and to be "provocateur", Decathlon. http://www.decathlon.fr Mass produced in remote locations, but despite some absolute eyesore designs, a place to get basic equipment for outdoors and an institution which has democratized sports and outdoors equipment in Europe (where for some unknown reason regular brands price tags are so much higher than in the US).
The scandanavian clothing company, could it be Morris (from Sweden)?
Website: www.morris.se
Latest catalogue:
http://www.morris.se/downloads/aw2012/theEdinburghTales.pdf
/Toby
The Japanese line of J Press releases noticeably smaller sizes as compared to the original.
There is an outlet in Singapore which contains only MIJ J Press products.
For example, blazers only go to 38 chest circumference, the largest shoulder width is roughly 18 inches.
@Anonymous 9:05 - I was curious too. The widget kept malfunctioning and erasing votes, and then we lost our power for a week.
I LOVE that you posted this! I just came back from Tokyo and the surrounding cities and could not believe what a fabulous city it was. I went there not knowing what to expect (I think I thought my Paris-philic, Mumbai-hailing, New England roots would be out of place there) and can not believe how much I enjoyed myself! What a dignified shopping-paradise!
Helly Hansen, devold and Bergans are some additions from Norway that should be worth mentioning. Devold is by the way those who produce the LL. Bean Norwegian sweater.jk
Yet in the more affluent partes of Norway (mostly outside of Oslo) we think of theese clothing brands as beeing a bit to utilitarian. Therefore, we usually wear the same clothes you would in other traditional parts of Europe, or New England for that matther.
Best regards,
Adrian Holand Wige Nordtömme
Some more preppy Swedish brands are Tretorn and Boomerang.
Muffy - nothing wrong with cashmere...
I think I heard that Jack Wills (Aubin & Wills) have filed for administration (bankruptcy).
Pendleton makes high quality clothing that is classic. Pendleton blankets are the best for cold winter nights.
Brooks Brothers is, in fact, owned by Retail Brand Alliance. (if Wikipedia is to be considered a legitimate source, that is.)
@ Pigtown: That is incorrect.
Jack Wills overall is still a huge success story. Aubin & Wills, their new 'older' stores are being shut down however. Interestingly that concept didn't work out- just like it didn't with the Ruehl No. 925 stores for Abercrombie & Fitch.
Here:
http://www.retail-week.com/sectors/fashion/aubin-and-wills-what-do-retailers-need-to-know/5041928.article
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