The late 19th Century - A train makes its way across the American West. Inside a passenger car, a woman, in Victorian dress and Ostrich plumed hat, holds a toy poodle in her lap with one hand while waving the air with the other.
Seated across from her is a man in a three piece suit smoking a cigar. He sees her waving and stands to open the train window. Sitting back down, she continues to wave despite the smoke rushing out the window.
Frustrated, she lunges at the man, yanks the cigar out of his mouth and throws it out the window. Returning to her seat she looks out the window with smug satisfaction. Frustrated, he lunges at the woman, takes her dog and throws it out the window.
The J Press venture with Ovadia & Sons, known as York Street, has resulted in a toy poodle. Press, once wise and understated, has been doing a lot of co-branding -- Ovadia, while a great looking and classic line, never seemed like a good value to me. It's in that land of $300 alpha sized shirts and $75 surcingle belts.
J. Press always needed a younger line in much the same way Brooks Brothers offered Brooksgate and the University Shop; Slimmer fitting and lower priced, usually as much as 30-50%. It was also a way to get the customer at a young age and keep him for the rest of his life.
While I expect only the most severe 25 year old to latch onto Press sack jackets -- The key is gonna be price and so far ain't no one talking what the prices are. Lastly, it is with great humility that I pass on this one word of advice. Edit.
Tricked out from straw boater head to Tretorn foot and madras-ed within an inch of your life isn't going to do much for you or your social life other than show a lack of imagination and perhaps testicle size. You're gonna need big ones to wear these rigs.
Frankly, I think the Yale Street models look an awful lot like Little Lord Fauntleroy. You may want to catch Freddie Batholomew's 1936 turn as the Lord before investing too heavily. Here, I posted the entire movie for you. My favorite part is when he gets his bike.
Finally, a sensible take on this all. Glad you said it, man.
ReplyDeletethese shots do look too poofy.
ReplyDeleteMust be tough being a 28-year-old virgin.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about editing as it come to wardrobes lately, TinTin. With this collection, do you feel that entire looks need to be scrapped, or more that the extreme details needed discarding and heavy muting to the bolder colors/patterns/cuts?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Maybe it went like down like this: Press's banking connections advised them that the Fed was going to destroy the middle class with stagflation and Q.E. to infinity in order to save the balance sheets of the Banksters. Thus the only clothing markets left to Press were the twee and idle rich. Everybody else will be thrifting with Giuseppe or shopping for work-wear at Walmart.
ReplyDeleteYWP- Coming up to your neck of the woods again. Let me know if you'll be around...man.
ReplyDeleteAlan- Poofy is good. Do you know, 'big girl's blouse?'
GSV- How do you know how old they are?
Makaga- A little bit of this goes a long way. I remember Ralph Lauren did an alligator wing chair. That's vulgar. So is this. Nothing wrong with a piece but the immature tend to go overboard. Kids think if a little is good, a lot has to be great. Settle down. Tone it down. Quit trying so hard.
The big question is this...Do you think any of these guys look comfortable in these clothes?
Big girl's blouse - generally employed towards someone that can't hold his lager.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways the models look TOO comfortable in their clothes - smug almost.
I know this is just a presentation/show and therefore not real but if you can afford to dress expensively (note I didn't say "well") the least you can do is not be smug about it.
Another thought, if Press wanted to go younger perhaps they should have drawn more "inspiration" from the Italians?
ReplyDeleteI actually think that line looks pretty wearable for a fashion week presentation. The last I checked you can still get all the classic stuff that J. Press has offered for years. It's not like they are discontinuing their mainline right?
ReplyDeleteI mean the short shorts aren't for me but the blazers and outerwear looks on point. How many ways can you reinvent the navy blazer anyway??? with all that said it will be interesting to see what the prices are
Blazers look like they are made for ventriloquist dummies.
ReplyDeleteOne of the models looks like JFK Jr. There is a profile pic of him sitting in the green Adorondack chair. Also another of him wearing the blue tennis sweater with red trim on the V-neck. Looks just like JFK Jr!
ReplyDelete