If ever the word “dapper” applied to a man, Mr. Jay Walter would be that guy. Mr. Walter has been a fixture in the clothing business for years and is well known by custom suit loving gentlemen all over New York for his long tenure in made-to-measure at Brooks Brothers. I became acquainted with Jay a few years ago when he joined J. Press and started the Ivy League retailer’s own MTM program. Always very kind and eager to chat, it’s worth the trip to Press to see Jay.
That’s a J. Press suit Jay’s way, with darts, 1.5 inch cuffs, ticket pocket and two buttons on the sleeves.
More Street Style here.
The pinky ring is money!
Jay is a very courteous, very helpful salesman.
That said, the off-the-rack gray flannel slacks he sold me (manufactured by Berle, I believe) are very poorly tailored. I was a bit disappointed.
Izzy at LS on 45th is not quite as warm, but his tailoring is unmatched for the price. I’m wearing a pair of immaculately tailored Hickey Freeman pants that cost me $90 total at LS. The potato sack pants from J. Press cost me $125.
Ivy,
Is this really the place to complain about a pair of pants you are unsatisfied with? When did ACL turn into Ask Andy?
ACL
this isn’t ask andy? haha.
Jeremy, looking for a signet or family ring? Look no further than G.M. Bentley Designs out of Charlottesville, NC.
http://smaller.in/cv
Judging from pic 3, Mr. Walter definitely keeps that pimp hand strong.
That suit is amazing. He’s such an effortlessly elegant older gentleman.
^^^Hillarious
Going off the cuffs… Isn’t that a Chipp?
Michael–
1. LOVE the site and generally agree with you on most matters.
2. Couldnt disagree more with your “ask andy” comment (though funny). Your presentation of Mr. Walter, to your loyalists, reads like an endorsement, ie, based on your featuring him, one would want to go see him. The notion that a reader of yours had a not great experience with the clothing there is absolutely relevant. I don’t love putting down someone you’ve featured, but I think you need to understand what your tacit “approval” of someone means to the followers of the sight.
3. Never, ever, would I do a two-button sleeve. Ever.
Re: never wearing a two-button sleeve.
Then don’t apply for a job at Sterling Cooper.
http://z.about.com/d/tvdramas/1/0/L/U/MadMen-johnslatt.jpg
uh, pardon my ignorance gents, but what are “darts”?
this is in reference to the top pic & comments:
“That’s a J. Press suit Jay’s way, with darts”
Hey,
I’m curious about the photograph on the shelf. It looks like the beginning of an incredible fist fight. Somebody has swung the opening punch, a group of guys are running over to break it up. Any details on this, Mr. Wms?
Thanks!
alx-
how to explain.. darts are the seamed areas where the clothing gets taken in so that it conforms to the body. notice how the fit hugs around the torso. often darts are found on women’s clothing – at the bust, so it sits cleanly and often on the lower back in blazers. the dart above runs from about the chest to the top of the pockets.
The dove gray hacking jacket in the background with the slanted pockets and throat latch is killer.
Well dressed man etc, but it’s the last picture really makes it.
Good work Michael.
Like the italian slant with his 3 button pressed to a 2 button…
Aren’t the shoes a bit too casual for the suit?
k
thanks for the explanation, i actually googled it last night
sort of begs the question, dont all mens suits have darts? is it of note here simply because j press traditionally sells the classic american ‘sack’ suit, so the addition of darts here adds a more tailored finish?
btw, i grew up in new haven ct, and walked by the j press store all the time near yale’s campus
used to go in there and ogle the clothes all the time! i think the salesmen were perturbed by the presence of a ‘skinny young black kid’ waltzing around this preppy outpost of white establishment! hahahahaa
ok, enough socio-economic babble, i dug the gear, preppy was fly in the hood when i was a youngster!
I was expecting some sort of wing tip’s on the gent.
ALX – not all suits have darts, including the traditional American “sack,” which had been the standard at J Press historically, which is why, I imagine Michael made special note of the use of darts in this instance. Some suits use other means to achieve waist suppression of the jacket, or, like the sack, largely forgo it.
thanks rob – im picking up 3 paul stuart suits (soiffer haskin sample sale!!!) f/my old italian tailor tomorrow morn, im going to ask him about the darts thing, nice to learn this stuff, more detail i’ll be looking for when examining clothes now!
Brendan – No, it’s a mtm Press suit made by Martin Greenfield; Jay simply asked Martin for the special details not typically found on the standard Press suit – pick stitchting, ticket pocket, darts and two-button cuffs.
David – The 3-roll-2’s more an American element than Italian.
Anyway, Jay is the fucking dude.
Its a MTM Brooks suit made by Greenfield with a J. Press label.
Love the shoes. If this photo had been taken in Milan, people would have been waxing lyrical about “sprezzatura”.
Michael – You used to have a link to a blog called Medium Format, what happened? That site had some great images.
In response to Erics question about the photo….in front of the photo is a cool little bronze sculpture of two dudes slugging it out. The photo in the back is, I think from Take Ivy and features some kooky krazy roller skating ivy young princes of new england or new jersey.
well played jay, any good three button jacket lapel will happily “roll” into a two button with the top hidden…that and the shoes in suede are a happy nod to the season, relax it’s summertime!
are there companies besides j.press and brooks brothers that sell sack suits and sports coats
who cares what he is wearing
does he like pine or oak ?
I love me an old man with style. People on here gotta learn to love and loosen up a bit. The shoes with the suit cool it up a bit. I like the warmness of the shade of suede against the grey. He looks comfortable, and it works! Keep up the good work Michael.
Mr Walter is a charming man swimming in duende. His stories are a connection to the famous and not so famous of an authentic New York of the 60’s and not some ersatz TV show. He is the real thing and like a small handful of men who sell clothes in this city – – Tom Davis at Brooks comes to mind — we’re lucky to have them.
pinky ring. on point!
It’s a great look, even if it’s not what I would choose to wear myself.
Two buttons on the sleeve: de rigueur for sack suits, but not my style. I also don’t care for the 3/2 roll–but would you expect anything else from someone working at J Press?
Suede shoes: Cary Grant and Fred Astaire sometimes wore black suede oxfords with suits, so it’s not like what Mr. Walter is wearing is completely unprecedented. The color is also something that men into shoes would likely approve of. Having said that, I find the soles make the shoes too casual–for my taste–to wear with a worsted wool suit. (Perfect with seersucker, though.)
No one seems to have noticed that the sleeves of his jacket are so long that they cover his shirt cuffs. I’d go with shorter sleeves and show some cuff.