Sir Paul explains further,
"In London the Ivy look was brought in by a lot of the GIs who were stationed out in places such as Cambridgeshire. They came into London at the weekends and went to clubs such as The Scene, in Soho. There was a quite an interest in the way these guys dressed, because they looked so cool and slick. The clothes are quite timeless, and there's always been a hard core of fans. It's a look you can easily wear with your existing wardrobe"There's something about the middle picture that reminds me of British mods of that time. Did they take inspiration from Ivy style?
And here are some of the clothes, all given the Paul Smith twist. Button-down collars, chinos, sweatshirt - all that we expect from Ivy-inspired clothes. I love the gingham shorts in particular. As you'd expect if you've followed my blog, I'd like to have seen a tweed jacket, but the Spring and Summer are not the time for such jackets. As a timeless style, there's something here for all ages and tastes.
I do like this general style. I used it often while at Uni (though never with an un-tucked shirt) and I think it sort of morphed into my adult casual style in later years, though I wear it using structured jackets and slimmer (as opposed to baggier) trousers (chinos or dark jeans). Leather brogues or chocolate suede loafers for my feet. I feel comfortable and confident when I dress this way, and definitely notice a change in the way others perceive me.
ReplyDeleteI like the shorts too, but really love the gun-metal jacket in the last picture: its cut, colour, the pocket detailing and the satin lining.