Spin, Eagle, Tilton, and Garasaki: Thank you for your compliments. I read AAAT regularly, and enjoy many of the topics. When I find one that I believe I can make a contribution to, I do. However, I post my looks on a smaller, quieter, more reflective forum. As a geezer, it's more suitable to me.
AAAT covers all the topics, has a wide age and experience range, it's energetic, sometimes contentious, suffers a few poseurs, and has terrific moderators. I think that's a good thing for most guys trying to achieve a classic Ivy League look. Speaking of a classic Ivy League look, I am in complete agreement with Trad-ish, who recommends OCBD's fine blog post on collar roll. OCBD is a guy who, in my opinion, has made exemplary progress in attaining the classic Ivy look. He is very careful about his purchases, makes very few mistakes, and sequences his purchases to acquire apparel pieces that complete his classic Ivy wardrobe. He's done this better and more thoughtfully than any younger guy I've seen. His blog is pleasant reading for me!
Back on the topic, I wrote a brief reminiscence about what's currently called the "Liberty Bell" collar at my other place. I hadn't intended to post it here, but posters on this topic have asked good questions. My short write-up and sketch adds precious little to the discussion, save for some possible background. Still ....
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Here I sketch out the mathematical reasons why the Liberty Bell collar roll is such a classic. I didn't originate this notion, but was led to it by the Scotsman owner of the Campus Ivy store where I was lucky enough to work when I was in college. He said something like this: "The perfection of the Classic button-down collar with a four-in-hand tie is the result of the resolved tension between two sets of opposing curves. One opposing pair of ogee curves and another opposing pair of arcs." He had a slight burr, which can't be duplicated in print, but was great to listen to nonetheless.
I reproduce here what he drew for me in 1959 or 1960:
He didn't use the phrase "Liberty Bell Collar" but rather the "Classic Collar." I liked his explanation then and I like it today.
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Since I believe that the 14" x 14" rectangle including collar, tie, dimple, arch, lapels, gorge, bloom, belly, and - optionally - pocket square, is the single most noticed area of a man's look, it's well worth getting these elements right!
), only rolling towards the bottom. His shirt is either stiffy starched, the collar fused, or both. The use of anything besides a four-in-hand with a button-down collar always struck me as wrong, too.
