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Delight in Disorder

October 19, 2015

Delight In Disorder

by Robert Herrick (1591–1674) A sweet disorder in the dress Kindles in clothes a wantonness. A lawn about the shoulders thrown…

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The Cultural History of the Hoodie

September 20, 2015

The Cultural History Of The Hoodie

Besides maybe the suit, is any single item of men’s clothing more freighted with potential meaning than the hoodie? Sportswear…

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Backstory on the Birth of Vintage

September 5, 2015

Backstory On The Birth Of Vintage

I really enjoy the public radio show Backstory, about American history. It’s hosted by three genial college professors from Virginia,…

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On 1960s surfer style

September 4, 2015

On 1960s Surfer Style

“We saw surfers around town. They had sun-bleached hair, drove old station wagons, wore plaid Pendleton shirts, white jeans, huaraches—Mexican…

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More Adidas Sneakers Than a Plumber’s Got Pliers: The History of Shelltoes

August 24, 2015

More Adidas Sneakers Than A Plumber’s Got Pliers: The History Of Shelltoes

Gary Warnett goes historical on one of the first (post-Chuck Taylor) basketball sneakers to transition to streetwear/subcultural status symbol: the…

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The NYT’s Panel on Ivy, 1958

August 12, 2015

The NYT’s Panel On Ivy, 1958

From a September 28, 1958 edition of the New York Times, a panel discusses what they think of the then-trending…

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These Phones Are Horribly Dated; These Shirt/Tie Combinations Are Not

August 10, 2015

These Phones Are Horribly Dated; These Shirt/Tie Combinations Are Not

If we’re considering this 1987 GQ spread a cultural artifact, we have to assume that in the 1980s, business was…

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Turning Western

August 6, 2015

Turning Western

In his book Civilization, Harvard professor Niall Ferguson has an interesting chapter on how Japan started adopting Western modes of…

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Summer in Japan

August 5, 2015

Summer In Japan

Some great photos from W. David Marx, showing how some men dressed in Japan shortly before and during the war….

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a word search, originally published as an advertisement for J. Press in the Japanese magazine Men’s Club

June 27, 2015

A Word Search, Originally Published As An Advertisement For J. Press In The Japanese Magazine Men’s Club

Via the always-interesting Heavy Tweed Jacket, a word search, originally published as an advertisement for J. Press in the Japanese…

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Cool scans of menswear illustrations

May 21, 2015

Cool Scans Of Menswear Illustrations

Some very cool scans of menswear illustrations from Ethan Newton of Rugged Old Salt. More can be found on his…

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Karl Marx’s Shoes

March 19, 2015

Karl Marx’s Shoes

Here’s a surprise. Apparently Karl Marx bought his shoes from the famous bespoke shoemaking firm Peal & Co. He had…

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A Tailor’s History of Savile Row

March 15, 2015

A Tailor’s History Of Savile Row

Here’s something awesome. Fashion students from around London are working on a project to document the history of tailoring on…

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Savile Row, 1957

March 7, 2015

Savile Row, 1957

My friend CrimsonSox found some wonderful images of H. Huntsman & Sons in 1957. Notice how all the tailors are…

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How Army Jackets Became a Civilian Staple

March 6, 2015

How Army Jackets Became A Civilian Staple

The New York Times Magazine has a nice article today about how army jackets became civilian staples. An excerpt: But…

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