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David Colman at The New York Times just did a great piece on the resurgence of "American preppy-style" in the States entitled The All-American Back From Japan. In it, Colman addresses the irony of how the signature stateside sartoria of mid-century Ivy League campuses (e.g. "madras everything and button-downs everywhere") have come to be identified as a Japanese aesthetic, kept safe in the hands of Filson-clad faithful in Fukuoka and J. Press junkies throughout Japan. The two best quotes in the article come about when Daiki Suzuki (Engineered Garments/Woolrich Woolen Mills) recalls an encounter with Thom Browne (GQ Designer of the Year):

Mr. Suzuki remembers the first time he met Mr. Browne, when they were both starting their lines. “He was wearing a gray suit, button-down shirt, tie, cashmere cardigan and wingtips,” he recalled. “I remember thinking, ‘I’ve never seen an American dress in such Japanese style.’” Mr. Browne is flattered. “It’s amazing,” he said. “The Japanese get the whole perfect American thing better than Americans. They understand that it’s an identifiable style around the world, this American look. We think we appreciate it, but we really don’t, not like they do.”

In the article, Colman sites Take Ivy, a collection of photographs taken in 1965 on Ivy League university campuses by Teruyoshi Hayashida as the ultimate reference guide for all things preppy. Michael (A Continuous Lean) is lucky enough to have an actual copy of the book and you can check out more of his copy of Take Ivy here.