In the late 20th century, the Ivy style was adopted by ‘lo lifes’ and transformed into streetwear. This process is reflective of what had occurred many times over in the previous decades; the adoption and refinement of the Ivy style into different forms, or katas. This versatility stems from Ivy being, as Trufeleman puts it,” a standard. An inoffensive, friendly, legible look (The end 00:15:54-00:15:57).” These differing forms often fade in and out of popularity, and in doing so become associated with a certain era, making the styles more nostalgic. These factors have allowed Ivy to appeal to a wide audience and come back time and time again.
I would agree many of the forms of Ivy introduced on the podcast all shared a certain ‘preppy’ look about them. But as Ivy continues to grow and change, it isn’t too much of a stretch to say that, at some point, these forms of Ivy will become differing styles. If so, when will this happen? Or, has it already happened?
In one of my first responses, I mentioned that, after seeing some recent styles of Ivy, Ivy seemed too vague and ill-defined. I also did not see many people around me wearing what I would think of as preppy clothing, despite Trufeleman claiming that it’s really common. So, after finishing the podcast, I looked at my own wardrobe. And I realized I unknowingly had some kind of preppy clothing.
It has a collared button-down shirt, with bold colors and an intricate flower pattern. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the flamingo shorts that Trufelman referenced as Ivy, while also being a more casual version of a dress shirt. The pants, while less preppy looking, look like a short version of chinos.
Maybe Ivy is more common than I thought, so much so that someone as fashion apathetic as myself even picked it up. It’s just become so different and varied that takes a trained eye to tell what Ivy is. Or, as said in the first episode:
“there’s a certain section Ivy that’s just clothes. Flat front chinos is just clothes. A Oxford button down is just a dress shirt. It’s just what people wear (What is a trend 00:25:15-00:25:26). “
Works Cited
Trufelman, Avery, host. “What is a trend?” American Ivy, Articles of Interest, 26 October 2022, https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/american-ivy-chapter-1
Trufelman, Avery, host. “The end” American Ivy, Articles of Interest, 7 December 2022, https://articlesofinterest.substack.com/p/american-ivy-chapter-7