Best Dressed Men on Campus

To understand New England culture, one must consider its relationship with university campuses. The style of dress worn by students at prestigious universities like Princeton, Yale, and Harvard in the 1930s and 40s significantly influenced subsequent fashion. Contemporary fashion critics described these students, who wore well-tailored clothes while maintaining a "not dressed up" look, as the Best Dressed Men.

The 1933 issue of "Apparel Arts" states, "The studied negligence of the undergraduates is the standard of good taste among them. The secret of the American undergraduate's superb appearance is that he is never 'dressed up,' but always 'well dressed'."

This aesthetic was reflected in their choice of materials. Oxford cloth shirts, brushed Shetland sweaters, Harris Tweed jackets, and flannel trousers. They sought casual textures suitable for a campus atmosphere, rather than luxurious or urban-looking materials.

A 1962 issue of "Sports Illustrated" noted, "Representatives of the New Haven tailoring establishments — J. Press, Fenn-Feinstein, Chip, Arthur Rosenberg and others — climb aboard the train for Cambridge and make a biennial pilgrimage to see what the young gentlemen are wearing." Tailors who made clothes could not ignore the Best Dressed Men on campus.

And it was Southwick that supported brands such as Brooks Brothers and J. Press, which created the American Ivy style, from behind the scenes. Many of the items from these brands were made by skilled craftsmen in Southwick's factories.

The golden age of Ivy style lasted from the 1930s to the mid-1960s. However, with the rise of counterculture, changes in university admission standards, and the general casualization of society, Ivy style rapidly declined.

Nevertheless, the aesthetics and values that New England created never disappeared. Even today, styles known as Ivy and preppy are beloved, and numerous brands refer to this tradition. New England's tailoring culture is not merely fashion, but a philosophy that continues to be inherited.