The Ivy League Look: Television and Film

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-20^th 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.

Showing posts with label Television and Film. Show all posts

July 2, 2010

Troy Donahue, 1959

From "A Summer Place", Warner Bros., 1959

October 1, 2009

Private Eye in Ivy Style, 1959

(click each to enlarge)

"He likes Ivy League clothes, sophisticated women and cool modern jazz."

Source:

LIFE magazine - 5/11/59

August 29, 2009

Clint Eastwood, 1971

In the opening scene of Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan is wearing a three-button herringbone tweed jacket (two cuff buttons), a burgundy sweater vest, a burgundy/navy Guards tie, and charcoal wool trousers (slim cut, cuffed).

Doctor: Sure, Harry. We can save the leg.
Harry Callahan: What are you going to do with those?
Doctor: Going to cut your pants off.
Harry Callahan: No. I'll take them off.
Doctor: It'll hurt.
Harry Callahan: $29.50, let it hurt.
[that's about $165 in 2009 dollars]

August 6, 2009

Mad Men, Season 3

(click to enlarge)

I'm breaking from the norm with this post to present a few images from the website for AMC's Mad Men. These are promo shots for Season 3, which takes place during the mid-1960s (1964 to 1965, from what I understand).

Try to ignore Christina Hendricks (it's tough, I know) and take a look at the suit worn by Jon Hamm (as Don Draper). A 3/2 roll to the three-button, or a "three-button with button-on-center" in J. Press terminology. He's wearing something akin to a Brooks Brothers No. 1 stripe repp tie. Narrow lapels. Some padding to the shoulder but nothing excessive. Forward point white shirt, TV fold pocket square. I think it's a good representation of what a man in Don Draper's position on Madison Ave. would wear during this period (not Ivy, but still somewhat conservative). Two buttons on the sleeve would have been appropriate, but I'm sure that three was also common then. I'm also wondering whether Vincent Kartheiser's tie is almost too narrow.

This promo shot features four supporting characters. The costumers really do wonderful work on this show.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.