Welcome to The Ivy League Look

This blog presents a historical view through articles, photographs, reminiscences, and advertisements, of an American style of men's fashion of the mid-20th century known as "The Ivy League Look" or "The Ivy Look."

This blog will not present modern-day iterations of this "look"; it will be shown in its original context as an American style worn during this specific era. Author commentary will be kept to a minimum.

This is not a commercial site and links to commercial sites will not be posted.

February 1, 2010

Sacks for Men? 1958


Sacks for Men? They Call Them Ivy-League Look

By Gay Pauley, The United Press

NEW YORK - Turns out the men beat us to the sack silhouette. And now they're going back to shape.

In rounding up the new trends in man's fashions, I asked one stylist if the stronger sex would be crawling into something even faintly comparable to the unfitted line of our sacks and chemises.

"We've had the straight look for years" he said. "We called it Ivy League."

He explained that this spring the fashionable male will look for clothes indentation at the waistline in suit jackets. But the men are joining us gals in another trend - we will wear shorter skirts, they will wear shorter topcoats and suit jackets, said Harold Dessler, of the men's and boy's wear inter-industry council.

In case any of you women plan to shop with husband or boy friend this spring, here are some highlights from the council.

Top suit silhouette: The three-button jacket, with trousers trim and tapered. The jacket this spring has a more cutaway front with flapped pockets and a narrower lapel.

If he's the conservative dressed, he will wear the middle button buttoned; if he's on the dashing side the top two buttons are closed.

Top color for spring is blue.

Grey-Flannel Ousted

"The grey flannel suit has had its hey-day," said the council. It's been replaced not only with the varying shades of blue, but with subtle chalk and pin stripes.

The stripe trend carries over into shirts, although the solid white is the number one seller.

This spring it competes, not with Madison Avenue pink but with television blue and grey.

Matter of fact there's so much white in men's wear in general, the laundry and cleaning people must be all smiles.

Ties are all white or white background with pattern. White shows in wool challis sports shirts, in slacks topped by striped or solid color blazers, or in combination with black, blue and brown in sports coats. Even all white socks are coming back, said the council.

Source - Miami News (Palm Beach Post) - 2/9/58

1 comment:

Richard M said...

All good until the white socks.