Thanks for the memory serving well-dressed gentlemen on the floor of J. Press in antediluvian times, but my genes also recall the flawless wardrobe of my dad, Paul Press, often cited by local New Haven cognoscenti, “The Cary Grant of York Street.”
His distinct personal appearance complemented his flawlessly tailored custom suits over blue oxford or end-on-end combed cotton crisp point collar shirts with abiding single crease tight knotted cravat, carefully folded foulard kerchief for jacket breast pocket, and Scottish argyle hosiery gartered over bespoke Lobb footwear. Yale Bowl Portal 16 provided a public stance for Dad chatting up the football crowd draped in his 32 oz. Sandstone Scottish Melton British Warm Coat, English reversible silk/cashmere muffler, topped by Fritz Hückel signature Tyrolean hat accessorized with Gemsbart German Octoberfest feather hat pin. Paul Press may have graduated from University of Pittsburgh but his embellishment was Fence Club Eli Prime.
Utilizing the J. Press Made to Measure program, Dad’s past tailoring idiosyncrasies might today be translated for a customer’s personal style to include choices of jacket linings, differing lapel seams, side vent/center hook, two/three button style or single/double breasted. Suit, sport jacket and blazer pickings are backed to the hilt offering an encyclopedic selection of imported woolens and worsteds fabrics.
Attributing the demise of menswear to spiraling cost is phony baloney. Wall Street hedge fund billionaires interviewed by Fox Business in mailroom gear disproves the axiom. Add to the mix network newscasters costumed in costly dull black and grey as if lying on a bier at the Frank Campbell Funeral Chapel. Big time sports MCs show up between innings looking like Leave It To Beaver castaways.
H. L. Mencken’s jazz age metaphor,“ Sahara of the beaux arts,” pinpoints today’s fashion coverage featured in GQ or New York Times Fast Fashion.
Time for J. Press, an island unto itself, taking tasteful gentlemen back to the home of classic American Style:
Dressing Well Is The Best Revenge
RICHARD PRESS
20 comments
It’s interesting that, I never really equated the club collar and collar pin look with the Ivy look. I usually thought more Mott Street or Canarsie. So, there we go, even that picture gives a little insight. Thank you.
Mr. Evans hits the nail sqaurely on the head, “sense of self and the courtesy it expresses to others,” this last so often overlooked.
It is a lovely photo and and memory of your father. Did you father enlist the services of your custom tailors to get the “Cary Grant of York Street” look?
It is astonishing that men have abandoned classic style and proper dress. Thank heavens there are still a few outposts of civilization!
In addition to Dressing Well is the Best Revenge, I would add Penury is No Excuse.
My dad often wore OCBDs with a suit following the example of many best dressed J. Press CEOs.