A recent National Review Magazine article by Peter Tonguette subtitled, Missing The Traditional Menswear Store struck a chord in my trad heart. Lest the accusation arise I am quoting a right-wing conservative journal, I go both ways awaiting equivalency verifying the thesis in whatever left wing menswear source may currently exist.
Mr. Tonguette, a widely published arts and culture writer, and regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, Washington Examiner, Spectator World, etc., based in Columbus, Ohio, has been bemoaning the decline of traditional dress for all of his 40 years.
He decries the look inside any office building, restaurant, theatre, department store or down a street any time of day where once you would have seen men in suits and ties, dress shoes, overcoats you now see a parade of dress shirts without ties, puffer jackets, denim jeans, denim jackets and all manner of inappropriate footwear. Casual wear itself has been degraded.
Offering an alternative for the governing elite he refers to Washington, DC, location of J. Press, “the menswear store that, for over a century, was the preferred clothier for the Ivy League set and therefore wielded great influence on how society’s movers and shakers presented themselves.”
His accolade continues, “J. Press maintains a robust internet presence and its trio of brick-and-mortar stores (it also operates in New York and its home base of New Haven, CT) remains vibrant.”
I am not immune to Mr. Tonguette’s huzzahs noting, “I called up one of the few men on the planet who would know for certain, Richard Press, the grandson of J. Press founder Jacobi Press and the most enthusiastic and well-informed exponent of the style that his family’s store helped popularize.”
Our conversation synthesized the J. Press past, present and future that he believes provides a proper antidote to slob ways: “Those who simply aren’t familiar with the principles of dressing well, would have a world opened up to them, with trained salespeople there to help them correct their mistakes. Perhaps eventually they’d stride into the office and the bar and impress their colleagues and friends. And nattiness would catch on for what is widely worn is copied. Isn’t that how fashion works in any generation? Yes, mine is an ‘if you build it, they will come’ argument, but it’s worth a shot.”
All’s well that ends well.
RICHARD PRESS
12 comments
In Chapel Hill in the ’80s Mr. Varney and his daughter were still selling old new stock OCBDs and ties from under the counter drawers to in-the-know customers like me.
Calling National Review right wing is a bit laughable at this point.
Great piece, as usual. I have recently retired following 46 plus years in Retail and Retail Technology. I have traveled to London, Paris and Milan, with most of my Clients in New York. Whether at an airport, on a plane or simply walking some of the “high streets” in the aforementioned iconic cities, I have witnessed firsthand the “dressing down” of society, writ large. So disappointing. When did flip flops and pajamas become a fashion statement or even acceptable attire?? I was mentored many years ago during my tenure at Abraham and Straus by someone who claimed “you can never be overdressed, especially in a business environment.” To use the current and oft times ghastly vernacular…nuff said!
Keep up the good fight.
I read the article. I was pleased to see that there are numerous "Ivy League " style clothier throughout the country.