J. Press
Posted on May 11, 2008
Filed Under Clothing, Shops, SATM Shops | Leave a Comment
Location:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Address & Telephone:
82 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA - 02138
617.547.9556
877.450.5844
Also in:
New Haven, CT; New York, NY; Washington, DC
Web Address:
www.jpressonline.com
Notes:
There was no question that J. Press is still around; they are thriving with four locations and a recognized brand that continues to define “Ivy League” style.
Like their clothes, the J. Press web site is clean and unpretentious; presenting the line simply and without fuss. Be sure to notice the additional page links at the upper right of the product pages; they are a little hard to see on some monitors, but a large portion of their stock is on these additional pages.
Their “Heritage” page sums up their philosophy and the secret to their continued success;
“Classic American Style isn’t created in an instant. It takes time. In fact, it takes generations worth of thoughtful refinement and unwavering commitment to dress men to an Ivy League standard. That’s been our commitment since 1902.”
The Andover Shop
Posted on May 8, 2008
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Location:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Address & Telephone:
127 Main Street
Andover, MA - 01810
877.475.2252
978.475.7138 (fax)
22 Holyoke Street
Cambridge, MA - 02138
617.876.4900
Web Address:
www.theandovershop.com
Notes:
The Andover Shop is the first entry in the ‘Where To Shop’ section of Style and the Man. We’re hoping that the fact that it is still in business, available on the web, and apparently thriving is a good sign for the rest of the project.
The Andover Shop’s web site appears to reflect the content of their print catalog, so there is a an excellent selection of images of their clothing and accessories. I wish the ‘larger view’ images were a bit larger to highlight the beautiful texture of the clothing, but they are more than adequate to show the scope, and uniqueness, of their stock. The product descriptions go straight to the point with almost no hyped-up marketing copy; just fine, since the clothes speak for themselves.
And speaking of Alan Flusser…
Posted on May 5, 2008
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If it has been some time since you cracked the cover on your copy of Style and the Man, now is a good time to dust it off and reacquaint yourself with Mr. Flusser’s particular blend of good taste and good sense. I have yet to find any other reference, regardless or size, format, or price that provides a better primer on the concepts of classic style than the first 112 pages of this book.
And that’s only about a third of it. The rest is devoted to, simply, “Where To Shop”. Mr. Flusser provides an extensive survey of some of the best clothing shops around the globe, expanding on each with his first-hand accounts of the personalities and particulars that make each of seventeen cities unique in the world of men’s clothing.
I was checking this section of the book recently (looking to see if Atlanta had magically appeared in the list of profiled cities since the last time I checked - it hadn’t) when I found myself wondering which of the shops are still around. I would hate to plan a trip to Milan for the sole purpose of visiting Neglia, only to find upon my arrival that Neglia is now a plumbing supply house. Style and the Man was published in 1996, after all, and the world has changed quite a bit since then.
Of course, one of the ways it has changed is that it is now possible to check immediately whether a clothier halfway across the world is still open. And view their entire stock (in some cases via video). And order whatever you like and have it delivered the next day. There’s a lot to be said for today.
So I decided to start a small side project checking on each of the stores that Mr. Flusser profiled in Style and the Man to see is they are still in business. I will confirm each shop’s current location and contact information, verify whether it has a web presence and provide a brief overview of the site. If I have first-hand experience in the store I may add a comment or two, but for the most part I will leave the in-depth commentary to Mr. Flusser and his fine book. These entries will be under the category: SATM Shops.
I should note that I am in no way affiliated with Alan Flusser or with Alan Flusser Design. I am simply an admirer of his design aesthetic and I appreciate his 30-plus years of setting a much-needed example of classic style in the industry.
Perhaps we should call them ‘Freedom Cuffs’
Posted on May 2, 2008
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I was pleased, initially, to see the Wall Street Journal (still one of my favorite dailies) devote several column inches to the subject of some of the elements that go into the construction of a quality dress shirt. This was wrapped up in an article by Ray Smith that talked about British shirt makers pursuing a larger slice of the American market. As usual (and perhaps deservedly), though, the tone of the piece followed the lead of many such articles these days, making the point that the American man is so disinterested in and uneducated about his clothes that he wouldn’t know a French cuff from a Italian poke in the eye.
(Speaking of French cuffs; it’s perfectly acceptable to refer to them thus. Just because we appreciate the craftsmanship of a good British shirt, that doesn’t mean we have to embrace their separatist lingo. When I fillet a fish it does not rhyme with the place I was assigned to sleep when I was in the Army. Double cuff is fine as well, but only if it’s said with no hard feelings.)
Quotes like “…he was flummoxed by some of the descriptions, including ‘cutaway collars’…” can be found throughout the article, and this points to either a strange bias on the author’s part or it is a pitiful indictment of American culture. ‘Split yokes’ I could understand, but ‘cutaway collars’? Flummoxed? This is not a good sign.
Perhaps any publicity is good publicity if we have truly reached the point of dazed incomprehension when presented with the mysteries of the gusset. Review the article for yourself. Slightly condescending tone aside, it contains some good general information and references to Turnbull & Asser and Charles Tyrwhitt, and a brief quote from Alan Flusser.
The Lamy Safari Fountain Pen
Posted on April 28, 2008
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The fine-nibbed Safari fountain pen from LAMY is the official working pen of Classic Style. I have used the same charcoal Safari for over 12 years and I have yet to have a single problem with it. (Let me clarify that; I have occasionally forgotten to stock up on ink cartridges, but that is my problem, not the pen’s.)
LAMY released the Safari in 1980 with the intent of introducing teenaged students to quality writing instruments. The design philosophy that made it a great pen for scrappy adolescents (constructed of hard-wearing ABS plastic, nib section with two side moldings to make it easier to grip, flat sided barrel to prevent it from rolling away, chromium coated stainless steel nib) also makes it the perfect pen for anyone who wants to use a fountain pen for all their day-to-day writing.
The nib is strong without feeling brittle and can take a surprising amount of pressure without bending or digging the paper. The fine nib is wonderful for its distinctive sound as it travels across the page.
The Safari is available in charcoal, grey, yellow, red, and blue and uses the LAMY T10 cartridge or Z24 converter.
There are certainly more elegant pens, but for a hard working fountain pen that looks great and is priced appropriately (US $20.00) you cannot do better than the Safari.
Visit LAMY’s home site at lamy.de
Sage advice
Posted on April 25, 2008
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In the 3rd edition of his only slightly dated handbook, The American Waiter - Instructions in American and European Plan Service, Banguet and Private Party Work (The Hotel Monthly Press, 1914), John B. Goins provides this sage advice.
“Shirts should be changed as often as twice a week; collars four times. In winter, underwear should be changed twice a week, and in summer, daily. The reason for this is evident, as from the nature of a waiter’s work is it impossible not to perspire; and a garment saturated in perspiration is unfit to wear another time in the dining-room.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same…
The J. Peterman Company
Posted on April 22, 2008
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“Sometimes you don’t need a reason to walk up to a pretty girl sitting alone in a cafe. And sometimes the decision is taken out of your hands entirely.
She’d been writing in her journal, pausing often to look out the window at the endless blue beyond the beach. At one point she reached down to the Heirloom Gladstone Bag next to her chair and drew out a small, illustrated catalog.
I could see it perfectly, so I knew I must be dreaming. Since I was dreaming, I figured I didn’t have anything to lose.
‘Pardon me,’ I said looking down at the unmistakable layout, ‘but how long have you been carrying that around with you?’
‘This?’ she said, fanning the pages slowly, stopping on the Lexington Hacking Jacket. ‘Why, ever since it came in the mail about 3 days ago. Why do you ask?’
I pulled up a chair, knowing that this story was going to have a happy ending…”
Imagine my surprise when, in the process of looking for information on what I thought was the defunct J. Peterman catalog, I found that the J. Peterman Company is back and just as good as it ever was; retailing their wares on the Internet and in their quirkily wonderful catalog.
Last I heard, the company had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999. Soon after that I stopped getting the catalog in the mail, so I assumed that this was just one more good thing that had come to an end. Apparently the name had been sold to another company that subsequently also went under. When it did, John Peterman was able to buy back the rights to his own name and relaunch the business with the help of a core group from his original company.
It’s all still there; the hand-painted illustrations, the simple vignettes that draw you into the backstory of each shirt and shoe, even the original J. Peterman coat. I was able to visit the retail store in Chattanooga several times during the first company’s run, and all the items are just what they say they are; distinctive, good-looking, and well-made.
You don’t always get a second chance to enjoy something this good.
The J. Peterman Company
888.647.2555
Quality v. Luxury
Posted on April 19, 2008
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It’s unfortunate that the concepts of ‘classic style’ and ‘quality’ are so often thrown into the same bucket (if they are thought of at all) with ‘luxury items’ and ‘privilege’ and maybe even ‘old money’. (I think the ‘old money’ part stems from the fact that these days the idea of classic style in relation to anything is regarded as a thing from at least as far back as one’s grandfather’s time.)
The sad thing is that, to some degree at least, it’s true; it can be very hard to find things that are thoughtfully designed and well-made that aren’t priced as ‘luxury items’.
So that is something else we hope to do with Classic Style; point out things that look good and work the way they’re supposed to and that also cost what they should (as opposed to being priced at a premium simply because they aren’t junk).
That doesn’t mean that a Rolex Oyster Perpetual isn’t priced as it should be, far from it. It fills an important niche of styling, function, materials, and ’sub-text’. As does a Timex. It’s a different niche, of course, but it fills it just as perfectly.
Cable Car Clothiers
Posted on April 16, 2008
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There aren’t many places like Cable Car Clothiers in (where else) San Francisco.
Billing itself as ‘San Francisco’s British Goods Store Since 1939′; it is that, and very much more. For those of us who sometimes browse the windows of San Francisco’s shopping district wondering if the displays feature clothing or installations on loan from MoMA, Cable Car Clothiers is an oasis in a desert of ribbed vinyl and severely deconstructed denim.
Cable Care Clothiers stocks everything from perfectly constructed suits by Southwick to silk repp ties to combs and bushes from Kent of England - and, of course, you can’t miss their world-renowned selection of hats and caps. The shop itself looks exactly as you’d think it would and the staff are professional and go out of their way to ensure you find whatever you’ve come for.
Whether you’re in San Francisco for business or pleasure, I strongly recommend you make plenty of time to visit this shop.
Cable Car Clothiers
200 Bush Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-397-4740 phone
How to Knot a Tie
Posted on April 13, 2008
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I was backstage at a wedding not long ago (yes, there was a backstage at this particular wedding, it was rather theatrical) when I noticed a small group of recently-arrived groomsmen standing together looking perplexed. I asked what was up and the de facto leader wondered if I happened to know how to tie a tie. I tried hard to keep my eyebrows exactly where they were, but I may not have succeeded because he hastened to add that although he knew how to tie one the normal way, the bride wanted them to use “one of those big-ass knots”.
Ah, youth.
So I showed them how to tie a Windsor knot and they all looked great (but just slightly less great than the groom - which is as it should be).
It’s good to know a couple different ways to knot a tie, if for no other reason than to be able to make it fit perfectly in the space between your collar points. Unfortunately, this is not a topic that lends itself to written instruction. Trying to tell someone how to knot a tie without being present to show them is akin to talking a colorblind person through disarming a bomb over the telephone.
Luckily, there are excellent web-based resources available for these types of situations. TieKnot.com fits the bill admirably; well-drawn illustrations, clear and simple written instructions, coverage for all the most common knots, and a clean site design with a minimum of ads.
