“Go west, young man.â€
In 1851 John Babsone Lane Soule coined this phrase in reference to the “Manifest Destiny†seekers of the mid-nineteenth century, but his words were still ringing out over a century later as America’s hippified denizens made the pilgrimage to San Francisco. From the Gold Rush onward, San Francisco had been a proverbial land of opportunity for this country’s itinerant masses, a place for like-minded misfits to come together and find acceptance. While this atmosphere has now unfortunately spawned the monoculture of Silicon Valley, the vibrant and volatile spirit of the sixties still burns on.
It’s this spirit that Beams Plus has channeled for their latest collection, “Frisco Ivy.†If the name isn’t enough of a dead give away (you’ve got to love how on the nose Japanese brands can be sometimes) the collection is a cherry-picked assortment of the Bay Area’s best. There’s a patched up overcoat, an acid-trip fair isle vest, and enough corduroy to appease any Berkeley English professor. Or for that matter, any fan of The Graduate. “Frisco Ivy,†echoes The Graduate actually, as it underscores preppy presentability with a sense of free-spirited abandon. It’s a brilliant Americana amalgamation, once again, brought to us from halfway across the world.
Am I old at 37? Why does everything fit except the pants? And the clothes are nice…I just don’t understand the highwaters.
Those pants are fucking ludicrous. Unless there’s a crowd out there dying to look like a village idiot?
I like how they chose to acknowledge their SF influence by choosing the one nickname for the city that San Franciscans universally loathe. SF, The City, never Frisco.
http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/3271-don-t-call-it-frisco-the-history-of-san-francisco-s-nicknames
@albert. The City? You mean New York? Also, you name some stuff in Japanese and I’ll run it by some people in Tokyo and see how well you did / cool you are.
I’m not getting the fit of the trousers either. I get the cuffs, short inseam/outseam, but the fullness in the thigh and seat makes them look like clown pants. I think these proportions would be even more glaring on an Asian, given that, generally, they have longer torsos and shorter legs. Yikes!
Other than the trouser fit, the selections scream Beams.
In #7, are those 877s with a different sole? Any idea?
Nice clothes, if you want any and all available females to run screaming in the opposite direction.
…a look coming soon to a Hipster bar near you. More costume than clothing.
Believe it or not, the cord pants were the best seller early Fall. Girls actually bought the pant.
Not something I go for in terms of “hot” guy in pants on the other styles.
The pants look comfy and suites to The City’s constant 55 degree weather. The wide thigh/skinny leg thing reminds me of jodhpurs and WWII army trousers, so you could call form following function in a comfort centric, and cycling centric town.
Also it’s a choice, one that’s meant to alienate old people. And by “old” I mean “not open to a new idea”, even one rooted in 70 year old fashion.
Have you seen how men are represented in television or commercials recently? They’re bumbling idiots, they’re socially inept, they’re clowns. We as a society are emasculating men, and fashion constantly reflects it.
Thats what this collection is about; its about emasculating men into these staggering fools; goofy, surprised looks, that ‘oopsy daisy’ smile… if I saw a man dressed like this, I would take him as a comedian or a circus worker or an extra.
I’m sure its not what the designer intended, but thats what he’s channelling. Lithe, skinny Calvin Klein models or Blue-Collar Workwear Wannabe’s, and now men who dress like my retired mom.
@Michael @albert I love the site. Let’s not let the comments get snarky. ACL should remain snarky comment free.
@toby I think we’re past the point of the comments not getting snarky.
@Chris Oh come on. Live a little. Standards of dress have slacked, this doesn’t mean that men have devolved into “staggering fools.” Stop playing Chicken Little on this. Why should getting dressed be anything less than enjoyable? You’re the one wearing the clothes all day.
And that’s what this collection is, it’s downright enjoyable. And to say that this is “emasculating men” is downright ridiculous. How is it emasculating to wear what you want? Now more than ever people, especially men, can wear what they want, how they want, and who are you to say that that’s wrong.
It’s clothing. It’s personal. Have some fun with it.
With the risk of sounding very fuddy duddy, please stop with the “High Water Pant”. It’s God awful. I’m thinking that many of the designers are so bored with the conservative classic look of things that they trying to throw a bit of the outlandish to put their stamp on cool. This is Short Bus fashion!
@Michael Heal the World
With the exception of the pants, everything in this collection looks quite nice.
“…preppy presentability with a sense of free-spirited abandon.”
That’s hilarious: not trying to make any friends over at Ivy Style, right?
I like the colors, esp. that burnt orange duffle. For casual, knock-around stuff, they’ve done a good job. IDK if today’s Mrs. Robinson would get all hot and bothered should Ben show up dressed as shown though. Now I wouldn’t wear the sweatpants: have we just stopped caring or what? And I disagree with some of you on the high-waters: there are men who can pull off the look, and, if the pants are well-used, the look’s even better. Still, all that layering is better for NYC and Tokyo winters than SF ones, even considering the wind ‘n rain. I’m not comprehending what’s so San Francisco about this look, unless Beams is riffing on Cable Car Clothiers.
And, Albert, no less a luminary than Herb Caen reversed himself and pronounced “Frisco” just fine. It’s been called Frisco since Gold Rush days: but who wants to be reminded of the slutty Barbary Coast when one has been exalted to Snob Hill?
Some nice looking clothes here once you see past the daft looking half mast trousers. I’m sure that in the pic with the tartan trews, the model is thinking “they told me to wear them this short and I feel like a twit”…
Those pants are great…if you happen to be trying to be trying to end up on the recieving end of a good ol’ fashioned fast-pitch windmill punch to the dick.
Personally, I like the trousers.
As a native San Franciscan, I’m gagging. A designer from another place that wants to capture the spirit of the city, and starts by calling it “Frisco” has not done research or perhaps any thought at ALL into the city’s heritage and current zeitgeist.
Yes, the city used to be referred to as The City, Herb Caen used to mention how mail in California addressed to “[street address], The City, CA” would make its way to SF without incident.
Those pants … might fit in somewhere. I don’t know where. Fashion isn’t just about knowing the magazines, it’s knowing place, time, etc. E.g. a colleague moved from Sweden to Ireland to North Carolina a few years ago. Tall, lanky fellow that he is, he could be seen walking be seen walking the halls in snug Capri pants. Now, Capri pants are suitable dress for European men. You don’t seen them in the South. I thought of telling him that the only notable Americans seen in Capri pants included Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and perhaps Gidget, but no men I could think of ,,, but thought better of it. He was comfy in them, all else be damned.
So maybe this chap has the charisma to carry off his high water pants look in any crowd. More power to him. But I shudder at the thought that so many of the pants cut this way are a “Frisco” style. Blech.
When you think of San Francisco, think Nick Charles, Dashiell Hammett, Vince Guaraldi, Joe DiMaggio … not Harold Lloyd.