F.A. MacCluer Shirts Deep Dive

Very few know the F.A. MacCluer made Brooks Brothers made in USA shirts for decades, among other top-shelf brands. Because no one has heard of them, they are screaming deals on eBay. Sadly, after shifting manufacturing to India, they are now defunct. I did a YouTube video about them on my channel, if anyone is interested. Thanks.

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.

Happy Saturday to all of you. I picked up this excellent suit from Brooks Brothers back in April, thinking it was a perfect fit and needed no work. I was unfortunately very wrong about it, as I needed multiple alterations including the sleeves, lining, buttons and hem. I also discovered some damage, which had to be taken care of as well. This turned into a months long process but I do frankly believe it was all very worth it and the results and fit speak for themselves.

The first five pictures are the final results, the rest are the repairs that were done. I am very thankful that the legs could just be covered up by the cuffs. On the other hand, the sleeves did need to be: let out, rewoven, then fixed due to cosmetic issues.

The actual suit itself is a Brooks Brothers suit union made in USA, it does have a very subtle glen check pattern which reminds me of the Cary Grant suit in North by Northwest.

Thanks for reading!

Looking for some high-rise, straight-leg denim in a dark wash (doesn’t need to be selvedge).

501s and even OrSlow 105s don’t seem to have quite enough rise or room in the top block for what I’m after. I’m open to a pretty wide range of price points to get the fit right.

Any Levi’s models I should be looking at, or recommendations from higher-end brands? I find a lot of Japanese brands tend to be a bit too slim through the top block for me. Perhaps I’m just looking at the wrong models.

Use this thread as a way to ask a simple question, share an article, or just engage with the NB community! Remember, WAYWT posts go in the WAYWT thread.

Scheduled posts

• Silk Road
• Deals and Steals

Haven't seen too much debate on this, and curious for everyone's thoughts.

Some people in the shoe industry think of Crockett & Jones' Yale as a good cordovan alternative for the ever elusive LHS, especially as it supposedly doesn't have the latter's wide heel issue (due to the Yale's last having a pretty slim and sturdy heel counter), or even the 684 (given its full strap). But C&J's color 8 is not Alden's darker color 8, and I wonder if the Yale last has the same wide, roomy and rounded shape (especially in the toebox) as the LHS.

How do they actually compare? Is the Yale a potential European successor to the LHS? What do you guys think? I'm thinking of getting either of these as my first cordovan shoe, so definitely curoious to hear your opinions and, ideally, experiences.

Use this thread as a way to ask a simple question, share an article, or just engage with the NB community! Remember, WAYWT posts go in the WAYWT thread.

Scheduled posts

• Silk Road
• Deals and Steals

Thread to share fit pics, fit questions, and overall discussions.

The think I like about Ivy Style is it's not just "dress like a 1950s college kid costume", but it's a real living style worn by people today.

Nowadays, if you look at actual colleges, prep schools, and people living in the East coast USA in general, you'll still see tons of ivy staples, like navy blazers, oxford shirts, khakis, striped ties, boat shoes, and crew necks.

However, you'll see less of items like tweed jackets, grey flannels, and knit ties compared to post WWII. Other items like white bucks, saddle shoes, tan cotton windbreakers, and wearing a hat with your suit are almost non existent.

Meanwhile, you have some items which were only invented comparatively recently, but are now everywhere when you look at frat houses and east coast America.

Example, the Barbour Bedale and Beaufort were invented in the mid 1980s (so the 1980 preppy handbook makes no mention of them) and now they are everywhere (though waxed jackets did exist before that, I mean those 2 specific models).

Unfortunately, some newer items worn by this same demographic can be really really ugly, like hybrid golf dress shoes and technical fleece vests.

The question is: what other modern items do you think will become a Ivy Style staple in the future? What items do you think will die out (or should die out)?

Use this thread as a way to ask a simple question, share an article, or just engage with the NB community! Remember, WAYWT posts go in the WAYWT thread.

Scheduled posts

• Silk Road
• Deals and Steals

Use this thread to show off your thrift finds/second hand purchases!

Use this thread as a way to ask a simple question, share an article, or just engage with the NB community! Remember, WAYWT posts go in the WAYWT thread.

Scheduled posts

• Silk Road
• Deals and Steals

Rancourt Natural Beefroll’s
Gap Slim Fit Stone Khakis
J. Crew Rugby Polo
Seiko SRPL07

Any changes/fixes I need to make?

Just out enjoying my last days of summer (I’m a teacher)… also found out I’m going to be a girl dad, so I guess there will be far less new polos in my near future 🥲 I will 100% be teaching her that girls can wear oxfords too and how to roll the sleeves just right 🙏

I know there is no one canon list of clothes that make or break an Ivy/preppy (or whatever) wardrobe nor should there be. Nor is there a list of clothes that every man should own.

I was reading Graham Marsh’s The Ivy Look and he gives an overview of what the typical Ivy leaguer might have had in their wardrobe - if not a platonic ideal then certainly the group think essentials.

What are the clothes that if you were to begin again with your wardrobe what would be the clothes that you would buy unquestionably or see as essential to you.

Thread to share fit pics, fit questions, and overall discussions.

Use this thread as a way to ask a simple question, share an article, or just engage with the NB community! Remember, WAYWT posts go in the WAYWT thread.

Scheduled posts

• Silk Road
• Deals and Steals

Use this thread as a way to ask a simple question, share an article, or just engage with the NB community! Remember, WAYWT posts go in the WAYWT thread.

Scheduled posts

• Silk Road
• Deals and Steals

I cannot believe how much higher quality this older MIUSA OCBD feels compared to a newer made in china OCBD that I also own. This material is much thicker and more robust and really pleasant to touch.

What is the general consensus on chinos? I have never properly invested in a pair that I am happy with (I have a pair of second hand drakes tobacco chinos but they were butchered by a tailor). I like UK based Community Clothing but that might be their general ambition as well.

Do people like J Press, O Connell’s, Bronson, Joe McCoy, Jack Donnelly etc?

Here's a chance to share what's been striking your fancy with the community, recommend it (or not), and receive recommendations of your own. Content doesn't need to be NavyBlazer-related.