Abstract J-Press-ionism.

I thoroughly enjoy going to the J. Press shop on L Street. It's not just that I like slightly overbearing, chummy service from the career salesmen. I like the stubborn anachronicity of the store. It's a medium-sized shop selling almost all house-label stuff. There's four shops in the world. I'm not saying it's awesomely rare and exclusive (it's not), it's just weird that that business model is sustainable these days (maybe it's not). I also like that, although the merch is pretty seasonal, it doesn't change a whole lot year to year. So maybe they just put madras shirts out for spring 2010. But some of them have tags from spring 2008! They have sales, but never true clearance, and the stuff is so staid, they can just put out 3- and 4-year-old product and it's never out of place. I'm not an evangelist for "timeless" style, but that's still kind of rad. I stopped in Friday afternoon and was intrigued by a few things.

1. A good deal of waxed cotton. J. Press-label luggage/bags, Barbour coats. The oversize tote below was cool. Can't find it on their site.


2. Madras shorts. These aren't the rarity they were maybe 10 years ago, when J. Press was one of the only sources. Theirs are lined in white cotton. I have an old Brooks Brothers pair like that, and it always seemed odd. If they're for the hottest hottest heat, then why add more fabric? If it's to stop them from bleeding onto your skin, then it's been superfluous for a while, as most modern madras (including theirs) is colorfast. I dunno.


3. An unstructured linen jacket. This piece could have none more lack of structure. It's like a jacket-shaped shirt. Seems nice, but a little un-Press; more Nordstrom-y Tommy Bahamish. Still, you could argue there's a hint of Daiki Suzuki's unlined Bedford jacket to it.


4. Armor Lux breton shirts. Seriously. SAILOR SHIRTS ARE EVERYWHERE. None of the traditional makers are super hip, which seems to make them a more logical fit for J. Press than Selectism. St. James seems a little hipper than Armor Lux, but these are nice and legitly French as well. Boat necks don't suit me, so not for me. Also probably not for you, but give it a shot if you want. Side note, Armor Lux seems to make other pieces, like a fisherman's smock, that seem ripe for interpretation/coopting by the Albams of the world.


I picked up a new hat to embarrass my wife.

Boilo: Cures what ales ya.

Over the holiday weekend, my brother-in-law Ben and I went back and forth over seasonal drinks. Gin and tonic? Summer. Whiskey neat? Winter. Mint juleps? The first Saturday in May. German beer? Fall, although a hefeweizen goes down well when it’s more humid in DC than it ever gets in Munich.

I am unconscionably committed to drinks, food, music, and literature that are appropriate for the climate, and, to some extent, the region. Luckily I’m in a temperate, cosmopolitan area, or I’d be missing out on so much. Ben lives in south Texas, so I can only assume he’s limited to Shiner, Kenny Rogers (chicken and albums), and Lonesome Dove.

Though I love a dark’n’stormy or a cold beer in July, I prefer the strong flavors and long reads of winter, so while my family enjoyed a rum and pomegranate juice on December 27, I sipped a beer and wished I’d brought the ingredients for boilo. I had a chance to make boilo on Christmas day this year, and may do it again before we thaw out. Boilo recipes can vary a lot, but this one worked for me.

Ingredients:

1 orange, quartered (I used a couple clementines this time)
2 lemons, quartered
8 oz water
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
8 oz honey
10 oz cheap whiskey (I have been told that rye is traditional… Old Overholt is good)

Directions:

Place fruit in a medium saucepan, pour in water and heat on medium-high. Add spices. When water boils, stir in honey. Bring back to a boil, and reduce for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add whiskey. Stir well. If serving immediately, pour through strainer into a teapot. Can also be left on low heat to keep warm and strained before serving, or reheated in the microwave, but take care not to cook off the alcohol. Serve in demitasses (or in mugs, but larger servings make it harder to drink, uh, responsibly), and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Photo from Flickr's Library of Congress photostream.

Take Ivy: The Trad scans.

In 1965, Japanese photographer T. Hayashida spent some time on American Ivy League campuses shooting pictures of the students (mostly men) in their natural habitat. He published the photos in a uniquely Japanese book titled Take Ivy about the seemingly un-self-conscious Ivy League style--a book which was mostly forgotten about decades later. Out of print, it's seen a surge in popularity in the past year or so, as many designers and labels have looked to that era and setting as inspiration—Ralph Lauren has really used it forever, but lines like Michael Bastian, Hickey, Engineered Garments, and others have been putting out clothes that are right out of Hayashida’s photos. This stuff is Preppy Handbook: The College Years before there was a Preppy Handbook.

The Trad got his hands on a copy of Take Ivy and has posted some great scans (Acontinuouslean had posted limited scans before, and it’s been covered in a few million blogs—I’m not scooping anyone here). Some pictures would translate very well to today; others are best left in the 60s. Check out The Trad for higher res scans and some translations of the captions in the comments. I’ve poached a couple of my favorites:


Looks good.


At my fraternity formal meetings, guys wore ties with tshirts.


I did some research to make sure this could not be George W. and Laura Bush.


Glad we've discovered other colors for socks, and other shoes than loafers. And other sizes for shorts. And decided not to wear socks with loafers and shorts.


What is it with college kids and climate-inappropriate attire? Dudes are always wearing birks and shorts in December.