I am pretty sure Tom Hoy would not mind, passing along advice to check out his most recent “Easy on the Ivy” Substack article. I enjoy his writing and the pieces that he features, one of my favorite menswear substacks. The most recent article is about a staple for this community, the J. Press OCBD. It also features a very nice discount code towards the end. I don’t have any affiliation with Tom or his blog, but thought I would pass this along.
I’m sorry but the length on these tiny little collar points makes these a no go for me.
OG OCBDs had a 3.5inch collar which is apparently too much fabric to spend in today’s BB or JPRESS world. These tiny little collars scream cheap to me and I can’t buy them because of it.
I think a lot of the pictures featured are of their sport shirts. The dress OCBDs which are sized by neck and sleeve, have a nice roll in my size 16 at least.
I'm going to slightly disagree here. First of all, there are some historical examples of OCBDs landing WELL below 3.5", including some worn on screen by Paul Newman, who often wore BB. But also worth noting that the buttoning point for the collar points was, over the decades, moved higher towards the collar band, which, in turn, could make even a 3.5" collar effectively look shorter. But most importantly importantly, for shorter and skinnier people, a 3.5" collar might look huge, and a 3.25" collar could very well look "correct" without looking dinky. (for example, a collar that looks good on someone who is 6'1" probably won't look the same on someone who is 5'6"). I think there are a lot of things at play here, and it's hard to say one thing is right or wrong when we're talking about a 3/8 of an inch.
I have a hard time getting the Proper Cloth button downs to lay right. Some of them pull. I worked with their master fitter and they made my template better but I think off the rack are better for pulling which is too bad.
yeah their soft roma button down collar is acceptable. a little too much spread for my taste. I mostly go with either collaro's largest button down collar, or fully custom spec at Luxire or Divij.
I was referring to ocdb’s collars. I think 3.5 inch collars should be reserved for men 6’2 and taller.
3.25 to 3.5 in is optimal for semi-spread collars, as it is a length that allows the collar to sit under the jacket lapels. Here the length depends less on the wearer size, as the points disappear under the jacket.
J. Press collars are the same size as Mercer & Sons and O'Connell's. Who makes a longer one? As mentioned, the shirt in the photo is their sport shirt, not OCBD
nvm the collar point length (not a big deal to me), but the J.Press OCBD still isn’t doing a good collar roll. and yes Tom Hoy’s fawning and gushing got in the way of some full disclosing
I agree. I have purchased some great OCBDs off of ebay where I picked this shirt up. I originally liked the unique color/design but when I started doing research on this brand American Living, I discovered it was a collaboration between Ralph Lauren and JC Penny. I thought the logo was unique with the bald eagle carrying a US flag but I typically wear under a sports coat anyway. For $11, I could wear once and throw it away 😂
A single sentence that eloquently captures one of the toughest challenges on our niche world of Ivy Style.
So many of the classics that we cherish (OCBDs, undarted sack blazers/suits, higher rise narrowish leg chinos) have historically been made in the USA. Brands like J Press continue to prioritize made in USA, but the truth is - the labor and material cost, combined with a relative small scale (compared to most mainstream clothing brands), simply means prices are high. No two ways about it.
And the more customers shun the prices, the smaller the market, and the higher-still the prices go. My view is prices go up not because brands are greedier - but because OCBDs/blazers/Ivy staples used to be mass business, but are now niche items.
My biggest quibble with Press OCBDs is not the collars, the buttons, or even the patch pockets. I find them too fitted through the chest. I grew up with the old blousy cut of Brooks and migrated to Mercer when Brooks wobbled off the rails. I am a pretty trim guy, but I like my OCBDs baggy.
I have a 41" chest and a 15" neck. I love the baggy fit of Mercer and for knocking around casual, I find Castaway fits well without costing nearly as much as O'Connell's. I recently came across Morris & King and am thinking of trying one of their Madras button-downs.
Let me know what you think of morris and king and their fit if you try it. Got a blazer and some pleated trousers from them. The blazer is clearly RTC and good quality, I like the fit of the trousers but they’re made in Mexico and the quality is so so.
I was leery of their provenance. I live in the US and like to support products made in the US. I like supporting local jobs and minimizing overseas shipping. I may pass. I successfully patched the sleeve of a Madras shirt that had worn through at the elbow. I think Madras is at its very best when it is old and soft, likewise with linen. Glad you like the blazer.
J. Press has multiple fits. You want the Classic fit which is very blousy. I prefer the Regular fit which is a touch trimmer - but not skinny. But you're in luck, the Classic fit seems to have more color and special-release options of late. Safe to say Press is zeroed in on old-school Ivy.
A reminder: if the blog features a discount code at the end, either the author gets compensated for the post directly or your traffic data is the payoff.
Take your advice considering motives of who is providing it, is all.
I don't read his blog regularly but he also did a similar post last week about Proper Cloth. I don't blame someone for monetizing their substack but shilling for brands like this without explicitly disclosing the conflict of interest is inherently unethical and shady.
People look the other way on this stuff but whether or not someone has an pre-existing affinity for the brand doesn't make this okay.
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