Ruched Loafers / Branded Garms / The Smock Anorak / Judging Books by the Cover

THE RADAR // Issue #7

Hello! Welcome back to THE RADAR, The Prep Clubs’s fortnightly mini-magazine for interesting bits and pieces in the sphere of collegiate threads. You can attend last week’s meeting here, for an explanation as to why you should stop checking fits in the mirror.

Ivy Style is Anti-Style

SKIP THE RUCHED LOAFER

There’s been a jump in interest for ruched, or “gathered” loafers, a toe style where excess soft material is pulled into pronounced folds, it’s a cool enough look, but I don’t see it being all that enduring. The ruche seems to be just an over-exaggeration of the natural pucker which occurs in any pinched and stitched moccasin with a raised lake [for more details on what the hell that means, check this article]. Whilst going for a classic penny won’t be quite so dramatic, I just feel like it’s far better for longevity. I’ve compiled a list of some great examples with a subtle gather, that I think will stay in vogue far longer than the ruche. I’ve focussed on Blake-stitched and leather soled, as is tradition, and I’ve leant into luxury, these days you can do a lot better than Bass. The gathering we’re looking for is always more pronounced in smooth leather finishes, so I’ve stuck to those too.

Paraboot Columbia

Classic, elegant, and damned hard to find, whilst Paraboot becomes increasingly ubiquitous, their nicher styles remain tricky to find in stores, nevertheless if you can spot these they’re a strong pick. A classic college loafer with an uncovered lake stitch around the toe, and the traditional additional lake around the heel.

Yuketen Rob’s

A slightly more polished take, the Yuketen offering has a covered lake around the toe, and a more contemporary heel, a toothed edge around the collar keeps it from being too minimalist, coupled with the more modern appointments in other areas they come off as sort of more postmodern, a little mix of old and new is usually a good way to have a garment that never looks out of place.

Velasca Filòm

More minimalist, particularly with the smooth beef roll, and a covered lake around the toe and on the heel. There’s something very, very elegant about that minimalism.

Barker Newington

A classic college loafer, with no frills, an uncovered raised lake, and a traditional beef roll. These have a slimmer toe box than other entries in the list, appearing more pointed as a result.

Barker Caruso

A double feature for Barker to highlight the breadth that this style can occupy, the opposite end of the spectrum to the Newington, with a full suite of adornments, covered lakes, and toothed edge along the collar and tongue, with the added appeal of being made in Northamptonshire.

D Lepori College Man

A simple college loafer, little else to report, a nice affordable option compared to some other entries on this list. Not the most stand-out in quality, but still a touch better than your run of the mill Weejuns.

Sebago Dan Shell Cordovan

I wanted to include some cordovan in this list, but gathered options are few and far between, the Sebagos were just about the only ones I could track down. It’s a shame because it gathers even more elegantly than other smooth leathers.

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HOW TO GET BRANDED CLOTHING RIGHT

I tend to avoid branded clothing. I find that even a small logo tends to cheapen a look, and it places an outfit squarely in the modern day. I like for looks to be difficult to date.

However, there are a few instances where I think branding extends beyond acceptable and into being a necessary part of a garment, and I’ve endeavoured to articulate a sort of criteria for it. First, I think that a branded garment needs to be iconic to the label, that is to say that it is a piece which a given label is famous for making, usually because they’re the originators. I also think it needs to be a garment which has always been branded, this is why Brooks can’t get away with putting their elephant on OCBDs, even through they invented them. Compare that to the Lacoste Polo, Lacoste are so closely tied to the origins of the polo shirt, and they’ve always been branded, such that to see a polo without that crocodile feels a little wrong. Patagonia Baggies, Adidas three-stripe tracksuits, and the Polo Sport Snow Beach jacket, are other examples which spring to mind, the branding is an inseparable part of the garment design.

I also make a concession for truly unabashed branding from labels which have enough sauce to warrant it [just a heads up, Aime Leon Dore is not one such brand]. This is basically just an explanation for my deep love for the Jil Sander spell out t-shirt, there’s really no other label from whom I’d wear a shirt like this, but there’s a je ne sais quois to those bold block letters, and Jil Sander’s legacy as a designer is one I’m more than happy to advertise. I think there’s a bit of an authenticity clause here, a logo tee like this one needs to be worn like a band tee, as a signal of your appreciation for the wider work. It’s tricky to get away from a sense of wealth signalling with branded clothes, especially in the realm of designer, you can’t control what others think. There’s certain labels which you can get away with, and others you can’t, they need to be suitably niche, that is not overtly niche, I’m talking about Jil Sander after all, but not totally ubiquitous, you just have to feel this one out.

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THE SMOCK ANORAK