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.