05 December 2010

John Simons and The Ivy Look

2010 will surely be remembered as the year that the Ivy League look returned to menswear in London. Penny loafers, Harrington jackets, Oxford button-down shirts, knitted ties and herringbone tweed suits are all over the high street and have had numerous mentions in the press this year.

The man who first championed the look in the UK in the late 50s, John Simons, opens his new shop on Tuesday 7th December. The address is: 46 Chiltern Street, London, W1U 7QR

For further information on this legendary modernist and Ivy League gentleman's outfitter, check out his website: http://johnsimons.co.uk/

To find out more about the Ivy League style and its connection to the modernist look of the 1950s and 1960s, I would highly recommend you check out The Ivy Look, which was published this Autumn and serves as an excellent introduction to the style, with many great period illustrations, photos and advertisements. Written by well-known mods about town, Graham Marsh and JP Gaul, this pocket-size book focuses on the Ivy look as interpreted and adopted by London modernists over the years.

The Ivy Look: Classic American Clothing - An Illustrated Pocket Guideis currently available to buy brand new from Amazon for just £6.50 (including free UK postage).