Summary

In the penultimate and ultimate episodes of “American Ivy,” Trufelman explores the origins and significance of style, particularly their differing manifestations in Japanese and American interpretations of Ivy, as well as the deep-rooted and fundamental connection between fashion and nostalgia. She furthermore ultimately comes to the conclusion that Ivy’s popularity can best be attributed to its modern-day accessibility, noting that “[Ivy] clothes have an incredible have an incredible power to communicate a sense of openness… It[‘s not] about the clothes themselves. It’s how you style them” (Trufelman 02:33:48).

Response

I happened to listen to this episode of Life Kit when we first started listening to “American Ivy,” and I’ve continually found it to be highly relevant to Trufelman’s work, as well as this class overall. While it focuses on professional image as it relates to social media use, it ultimately comes back to the same fundamental idea we (and Trufelman) have been investigating for the past few months: how we use visual rhetoric to communicate information about ourselves, our identities, and our values. Andee Tagle describes the idea of a personal brand as being “composed of what people see you do, hear you do, and how you make them feel” (Tagle, 00:05:58), and I would argue that Trufelman’s study of Ivy focuses on the exact same principles: how one’s sense of fashion influences others’ perceptions, how it reflects their social status, and how it ultimately makes someone feel.

Material Composition

In keeping with the idea of finding a way to make Ivy suit you, i.e making it your own rather than merely adopting it, I chose to create an outfit that was unique to myself. The most surprising/out-there choice is probably the pants I’m wearing; these are in the style of galabeya, a loose-fitting traditional Egyptian garment. The pants I’m wearing are more ornate than the galabeya worn in daily life (I actually bought these for a theme party when I visited family over winter break). The necklace I’m wearing is another nod to my heritage; the pendant is a hamsa hand, a symbol believed to ward off the evil eye. Aside from the detailing on the pants (and my glasses), this outfit is entirely black and white, which is on brand for me – I tend to stick with muted colors, such as black, white, navy, and red. While there’s nothing particularly exotic about the button down and blazer, I chose to wear them rather casually, rolling the sleeves up and leaving the top buttons undone, as well as wearing the blazer over my shoulders. The combination of the oversized blazer with the looser pants give the outfit a more relaxed feel, but the button down gives it a certain sense of structure. Finally, I paired the outfit with adidas sneakers and a hair tie to maintain the sense of sportiness associated with the original concept of Ivy.

Works Cited

Gillespie, Dizzy, et al. “On The Sunny Side of the Street.” Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/6vBgf2IELAFk4yt9eCaz0G?si=1d29727c19374033.

Piaf, Édith. “La Vie en Rose.” Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/3lAun9V0YdTlCSIEXPvfsY?si=c3c4952260414c31.

Tagle, Andee. “Find Your Authentic Personal Brand.” Life Kit, NPR, 9 January 2023, https://open.spotify.com/episode/0I38cSFnb1Ez4tAldGSXEa?si=57f6f65d7d62460b.

Trufelman, Avery. “American Ivy: Chapter 6.” Articles of Interest, 30 November 2022, https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/american-ivy-chapter-6.

Trufelman, Avery. “American Ivy: Chapter 7.” Articles of Interest, 7 December 2022, https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/american-ivy-chapter-7.

Social class can be described as “one’s position in the economic hierarchy in society that arises from a combination of annual income, educational attainment, and occupational prestige” (Kraus et al., par. 4). Trufelman touches on how “class determines… the clothing they wear” (par. 8), further confirming the notion that “when people engage in social interactions, some of their behaviors and cultural practices are infused with social class and, as a result, accurately communicate social class position to observers.” 

Subculture shares this inherent ability to communicate one’s membership within a certain strata of society to outsiders. “Broadly defined as social groups organized around shared interests and practices” (Herzog et al., par. 1), subcultures typically consist of “voluntary, informal, and organic affiliations formed either in the unregulated public square of the street, or conversely within and against the disciplinary structure of enforced institutionalization” (par. 2). 

In “American Ivy: Chapter 4” and “American Ivy: Chapter 5,” Trufelman flits between the histories of Kensuke Ishizu and Ralph Lauren, budding fashion titans of their times in Japan and in the United States, respectively, in order to demonstrate how Ivy, despite widespread opposition to it in both societies, due to its rebuke of standard fashion conventions in the East and its proximity to the mainstream during the countercultural revolution in the West, ultimately comes to predominate modern fashion due to evolving perceptions of class.

Works Cited

Herzog, Amy, et al. Interrogating Subcultures. In[]visible Culture: An Electronic Journal for Visual Studies, 1999, https://www.rochester.edu/in_visible_culture/issue2/introduction.html. Accessed 19 February 2023.

Kraus, M. W., et al. “Signs of Social Class: The Experience of Economic Inequality in Everyday Life.” Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(3), 422–435. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616673192.

In “Pockets: Articles of Interest #3,” Trufelman explores the history and gendered dynamics of pockets in clothing, discussing the evolution of the pocket, particularly in womenswear, over the past few centuries, as well as its implications for those “who can walk through the world comfortably and securely,” and those who cannot.

Meanwhile, in “Suits: Articles of Interest #10,” she focuses on the history of menswear and its seemingly limited capacity for self-expression, particularly on how fear of suspicion and social ostracization has played a role in subduing menswear.

Ultimately, both of these texts explore the same fundamental idea: how gendered clothing serves to reinforce gender norms, and vice versa. While critical analysis of gendered clothing using a feminist approach is the most evidently productive, I think there’s something to be gained upon deeper inspection with an economic focus.

I have long held that, while the absence of pocket’s in women’s clothing is, to a significant extent, rather telling of the omnipresence of gender norms, it is also economic in nature. I believe the omission of useful pockets in womenswear is simply a ploy to sell more purses and handbags. Bear with me; this does sound somewhat conspiratorial in nature. But it’s not exactly the first time industries have invested a significant amount of time and capital in convincing audiences for the need of unnecessary goods in the name of successfully conforming to the expectations placed upon one’s gender.

Case in point: according to the Smithsonian, “in the early twentieth century, manufacturers of safety razors, seeking to expand their market, promoted the idea that body hair on women is inherently masculine and indelicate, as well as unhygienic” (“Hair Removal”, par. 5).

In “Pockets,” Trufelman discusses the development of the reticule in the early 19th century, a small, ornately decorated handbag meant to replace the traditional pockets worn under the more voluminous skirts typical of fashion prior to the turn of the century. While intricate, these reticules were almost entirely fashion and no function. The image above is of such a reticule, originating from Britain during the first quarter of the 19th century. Its lantern-like form is rather striking to the eye, however it is entirely transparent and full of small holes; this means that all of a woman’s possessions would be clearly visible to passers-by, and, furthermore, susceptible to falling through the cracks and being lost. As such, it is a rather inconvenient method of carrying one’s belongings.

I don’t believe this is meant to be a handbag for daily use. Rather, based on its particularly unique decoration and shape, I think it’s meant to complement an outfit, and act as a part of a whole ensemble, rather than stand alone. In creating such unique designs, retailers are thus able to sell a greater variety of products, attempting to convince consumers that, in order to fit into fashionable society, one must have a wide selection of purses for various different occasions.

Works Cited

“Hair Removal.” Smithsonian, si.edu/spotlight/health-hygiene-and-beauty/hair-removal#. Accessed 10 February 2023.

Swift, Taylor. “The Man.” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/3RauEVgRgj1IuWdJ9fDs70?si=d0715045c3d7471d.

Trufelman, Avery. “Pockets: Articles of Interest #3.” Articles of Interest, 2 October 2018, 99percentinvisible.org/episode/pockets-articles-of-interest-episode-3/.

Trufelman, Avery. “Suits: Articles of Interest #10.” Articles of Interest, 26 May 2020, 99percentinvisible.org/episode/suits-articles-of-interest-10/.

In American Ivy, “Chapter 3,” Trufelman discusses the historical context and relevance of Black Ivy, the Ivy-inspired aesthetic that gained prominence among students of historically black colleges and universities as well as civil rights activists in the mid-20th century.

Rather than being a mere adoption of Ivy within black America, “Black Ivy improved Ivy” (Trufelman, 00:32:21). Jason Jules, author of Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style, argues that “the embrace of Ivy style had to do with a desire to be seen as equal and not to allow particular prejudices and barriers to prevent you from doing that… There was an implicit challenge…of assumptions about who gets to own a certain style” (Trebay, par. 16). Trufelman ultimately presents Black Ivy as one of many examples of the cultural syncretism of Ivy, the predominant style of the elite originating from wealthy white anglo-saxon protestant Ivy League students, among disadvantaged groups in American society, including Jews, women, and African-Americans.

Timeline

I find it fascinating how the widespread adoption of Ivy among various groups can be viewed simultaneously as an endorsement and a rebuke of the ideals it represents; how it reflects the both the status quo and the political undercurrents of American society; and how it can serve as our reference iconography for abstractions like the idea of ‘cool’ or democracy.

Works Cited

Coltrane, John. “My Favorite Things.” Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/3ZikLQCnH3SIswlGENBcKe?si=1a426779b43d41b3.

Trebay, Guy. “The Making of Black Ivy Style.” The New York Times, 17 November 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/style/black-ivy-style-jason-jules.html.

Trufelman, Avery. “American Ivy: Chapter 3” Articles of Interest, 9 November 2022, articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/american-ivy-chapter-3.