MenswearCOAT

A coat is a long garment worn by both men and women for warmth, protection or fashion.

Coats typically have long sleeves and open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a

belt, or a combination of these. Other possible ornaments include collars and shoulder straps

History of the word 'coat' The Persians, based in what is now Iran, introduced two garments to the history of clothing: trousers and seamed fitted coats. Coat is one of the earliest clothing category words in English, attested as far back as the early Middle Ages. An early use of coat in English is coat of mail (chainmail), a tunic-like garment of metal rings, usually knee- or mid-calf length.

The medieval and renaissance coat is a mid length, sleeved men's outer garment, fitted to the waist and buttoned up the front, with a full skirt: in its

essentials, not unlike the modern coat.

By the eighteenth century, overcoats had begun to supplant capes and cloaks as outer wear, and by the mid-twentieth century the terms jacket and

coat became confused for recent styles; the difference in use is still maintained for older

garments.

Coats, Jackets and Overcoats

• In the early nineteenth century, coats were divided into under-coats and overcoats.

• The term under-coat is now archaic but denoted the fact that the expression coat could be both the outermost layer for outdoor wear (overcoat) or the coat worn under that (under-coat).

• However, the term coat is increasingly beginning to denote just the overcoat rather than the under-coat.

• The older usage of the word coat can still be found in the expression "to wear a coat and tie", which does not mean that wearer has on an overcoat. Nor does the terms tailcoat or morning coat denote types of overcoat. Indeed, an overcoat may be worn over the top of a tailcoat.

• In tailoring circles, the tailor who makes all types of coats is called a coat maker. Similarly, in both British and American English, the term sports coat is used to denote a type of jacket not worn as outerwear .

• The term jacket is a traditional term usually used to refer to a specific type of short under-coat.

• Typical modern jackets extend only to the upper thigh in length, whereas older coats such as tailcoats are usually of knee length.

• The modern jacket worn with a suit is traditionally called a lounge coat (or a lounge jacket) in British English and a sack coat in American English. The American English term is rarely used today.

• Traditionally, all men dressed in a coat and tie, although this has become gradually less widespread since around the 1960s. Because the basic pattern for the stroller (black jacket worn with striped trousers in British English) and dinner jacket (tuxedo in American English) are the same as lounge coats, tailors traditionally call both of these special types of jackets a coat

• An overcoat is a long coat (at least mid-calf) designed to be worn as the outermost garment worn as outdoor wear; while this use is still maintained in some places, particularly in Britain, elsewhere the term coat is commonly used mainly denote only the overcoat, and not the under-coat.

A topcoat is a slightly shorter overcoat, if any distinction is to be made. Overcoats worn over the top of knee length coats (under-coats) such as frock coats, dress coats, and morning coats are cut to be a little longer than the under-coat so as to completely cover it, as well as being large enough to accommodate the coat underneath.

trench coat or trenchcoat is a raincoat made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton drill or poplin, wool gabardine, or in some cases leather: it generally has a removable insulated lining; and it is

usually knee-length or longer

• The trench coat was developed as an alternative to the heavy serge greatcoats worn by British and French soldiers in the First World War. Invention of the the trench coat is claimed by both Burberry and Aquascutum, with Aquascutums claim dating back to the 1850's. Thomas Burberry, the inventor of gabardine fabric, submitted a design for an army officer's raincoat to the United Kingdom War Office in 1901.

• • The trench coat became an optional item of dress in the

British Army, and was obtained by private purchase by officers and Warrant Officers Class I who were under no obligation to own them. No other ranks were permitted to wear them. Another optional item was the British Warm, a wool coat similar to the greatcoat that was shorter in length, also worn by British officers and Warrant Officers Class I as an optional piece.

• During the First World War, the design of the trench coat was modified to include shoulder straps and D-rings. The shoulder straps were for the attachment of epaulettes or other rank insignia; there is a popular myth that the D-ring was for the attachment of hand grenades. The ring was originally for map cases and swords or other equipment to the belt. This latter pattern was dubbed "trench coat" by the soldiers in the front line. Many veterans returning to civilian life kept the coats that became fashionable for both men and women.

• A typical trench coat by this period was a ten-buttoned, double-breasted long coat made with tan, khaki, beige, or black fabric. Trench coats often have cuff straps on the raglan sleeves, shoulder straps and a belt. The trench coat was typically worn as a windbreaker or as a rain jacket, and not for protection from the cold in winter or snowy conditions.

• During the Second World War, officers of the United Kingdom continued to use the trench coat on the battlefield in inclement weather. Other nations also developed trench coat style jackets, notably the United States and Soviet Union, and other armies of continental Europe such as France, Germany, Holland, Poland , although as the war progressed, in the field shorter "field jackets" became more popular. These garments were shorter and more practical than the trench coat, and as such they allowed the wearer to be more mobile

Rick Astley wears a trench coat in the "Never Gonna Give You Up" music video.Trench coats have remained fashionable in the decades following World War II . Their original

role as part of an army officers' uniform lent the trench coat a businesslike respectability, whilst fictional heroes as diverse as Dick Tracy, Mike Hammer, The

Phantom, Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine from Casablanca and Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau kept the coat in the public eye.

In the 1960s, some mods wore trenchcoats as fashionable overcoats, as an alternative to the fishtail parka or crombie

In comics• Some popular examples of characters wearing trench coats include Rorschach

(comics), Doctor Occult, Green Hornet, the Sandman, and the Crimson Avenger, among others.

• John Constantine, the main protagonist of the Hell blazer series, wears a trench coat as an integral part of his image and refers to himself as a member of the Trenchcoat Brigade

• Marvel Comics thief and purported "super-soldier" Fantomex wore a white trench coat as part of his costume.

• During Grant Morrison's run on the X-Men comics, titled New X-Men, the characters Jean Grey and Emma Frost wore leather trench coats. Gambit from the X-men usually wears a brown trench coat over his armor. Hellboy is often seen in his dirty, tattered brown trench coat, with the right sleeved rolled up past his Right Hand Of Doom

• Many of the characters in Frank Miller's Sin City wear trench coats. Comic book villain The Joker occasionally wears a gray or purple trench coat, often accompanied by a matching wide-brimmed zoot hat. Tommy Monaghan, the protagonist of the comic book Hitman, regularly wears a dark green trench coat.

• The Phantom (aka Mr Walker) wears a signature trench coat and a fedora when walking in town as an ordinary man. The Punisher AKA Frank Castle also wears a trench coat to conceal his skull t-shirt.

• The Crimson Avenger & The Question in Justice League Unlimited. In Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury, television news

reporters are frequently depicted wearing trench coats. The military details, like the D-rings and the collar strap, are carefully drawn.

The Replicant Roy Batty in Blade Runner wore a black leather trench coat, while Deckard wore a custom, single-breasted trench coat. A Duster Style leather trench coat was used as one of the trademarks of vampire Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Likewise, the vampire Angel, also a Buffyverse character, often wore trench coats, especially during the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when he reverted to his evil self, Angelus. Kyle Reese wears a trench coat in Terminator 1. In the 2002 sci-fi series Firefly, the rebellious Independent Faction of the Unification War became known as Browncoats for wearing brown trench coats in combat (as opposed to the sophisticated battle suits of the Alliance). In the TV series The X-Files, both Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are known for wearing trench coats frequently.

TRENCH COATS ARE USED IN FILMS PRIMARILY BY GUN-TOTING HEROES, MAINLY FOR THEIR ABILITY TO CONCEAL LARGE NUMBERS OF GUNS WITHOUT DRAWING SUSPICION.

Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau (formerly inspector) is a fictional detective in Blake Edwards's Pink Panther series. In most of the films, he was played by Peter Sellers The trench coat was a standard feature of the hardboiled detective in countless films noirs. Unusually, Van Heflin's private eye in Grand Central Murder (1942) wore a trench coat made of leather, a garment almost always denoting a villain. Eric Draven, portrayed by Brandon Lee, wore a trench coat as part of his wardrobe in the film "The Crow". Kevin Smith's character creation Silent Bob always wears a green trench coat. Lemony Snicket, fictitious author of the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events, is often shown in photographs wearing a brown trench coat. Carmen Sandiego wears a red trench coat and a red fedora as her main costume.

Many characters in The Matrix film series wear leather trench coats, which have become largely associated with the series, to the extent that many trench coats are labelled 'Matrix coats'.

The Immortals of the Highlander series often wear trenchcoats to conceal their weapons. The L.A. police detective Alonzo Harris from Training Day wears a black leather Trench coat which hides two pistols. The vampire David in The Lost Boys wears a black trenchcoat over a leather jacket.

IN THE LAST SCENE OF THE FILM BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, AUDREY

HEPBURN'S CHARACTER IS SHOWN WEARING A BEIGE TRENCHCOAT.

JACKETjacket is a type of sleeved hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. For clothing older than the mid-nineteenth century, a distinction is often maintained with a coat, but in many instances the terms are now interchangeable.

A jacket is generally shorter, ending just below the waist, and often lighter. Some jackets are fashionable, while others serve as protective clothing.

The term comes from the French jaquette, which means either a man's morning coat or the jacket of a lady's suit.

Tuxedo.There are two theories about the first tuxedo. The tuxedo was invented by Pierre Lorillard IV of New York City according to one school of thought. However, some historians believe that the tuxedo was invented by King Edward VII.

Pierre Lorillard Pierre Lorillard's family were wealthy tobacco magnates who owned country property in Tuxedo Park, just outside of New York City. At a formal ball, held at the Tuxedo Club in October 1886, the young Lorillard wore a new style of formal wear for men that he designed himself. He named his tailless black jacket the tuxedo after Tuxedo Park. The tuxedo caught on and became fashionable as formal wear for men.

British Origins According to English clothing historian James Laver, the idea of wearing black for evening wear was first introduced by the nineteenth century British writer, Edward Bulwer-Lyttonn who wrote in 1828 that "people must be very distinguished to look well in black.“

A resident of Tuxedo Park, James Brown Potter vacationed in England in the summer of 1886. Potter and his wife, Cora were introduced to the Prince of Wales {who later became King Edward VII} at a court ball in London. Potter asked the Prince for advice on formal dress. The Prince sent Potter to his own Saville Row tailor, Henry Poole & Co. Potter was fitted with a short black jacket and black tie that was unlike the formal tails with white tie that was worn in the United States for formal occassions.

The new tailless formal wear was said to have been designed by the Prince of Wales. The Prince and his tailor drew inspiration from the British military uniforms of the time, which used short jackets with black ties. This is where the two origins meet. James Brown Potter took the design back to the Tuxedo Club, where Pierre Lorillard modified it, named it, and made it popular during the Autumn ball

TERMS THAT HAVE COME ABOUT OVER THE YEARS RELATED TO TUXEDO FORMAL WEAR :

ASCOT: ACCESSORY: A WIDE SCARF OR NECKTIE KNOTTED SO THAT ITS BROAD ENDS ARE LAID FLAT UPON EACH OTHER. OFTEN PINNED TOGETHER WITH A PEARL STICKPIN AND USUALLY WORN WITH A CUTAWAY TUXEDO. TODAY ALL ASCOTS ARE BANDED FOR EASE OF USE.

BAND BOWTIE: ACCESSORY; A BOWTIE WITH AN ADJUSTABLE BAND THAT WRAPS AROUND THE COLLAR OF THE SHIRT AND CONNECTS WITH A CLASP.

BANDED COLLAR: A FORMAL SHIRT, WITH BANDED COLLAR ONLY, NO WING-LIKE APPENDAGES. WORN WITH FANCY BUTTON COVERS. USUALLY FEATURES A WIDE PLEATED FRONT. ALSO REFERRED TO AS "MANDARIN COLLAR."

BESOM POCKET: ON A COAT, A VERY NARROW PIPING ABOVE THE POCKET SLIT. CAN BE SATIN BESOM OR SELF (SAME FABRIC AS COAT) BESOM, WITH FLAP.

BUTTON COVER: ORNAMENTAL ACCESSORY DEVICE WORN AT THE NECK OF THE SHIRT, CLIPPING ONTO THE BUTTON OF THE COLLAR. AVAILABLE IN MANY STYLES. USUALLY WORN WITH A MANDARIN OR CROSSWICK COLLAR SHIRT.

BUTTON STANCE: ON A COAT, THE POSITION WHERE THE COAT FIRST BUTTONS ON THE CHEST. USUALLY DEFINED AS A STANDARD, LOW, OR HIGH BUTTON STANCE.

COLLAR: ON A COAT, THE TURNED BACK MATERIAL THAT FALLS AROUND THE BACK OF THE NECK. CAN BE OF SATIN OR SAME MATERIAL AS THE COAT.

.CROSSWICK SHIRT: A VERY MODERN FORMAL SHIRT WITH A CROSSOVER SPREAD COLLAR. FEATURES A WIDE PLEATED FRONT. USUALLY WORN WITH A FANCY BUTTON COVER; A TIE CANNOT BE WORN WITH THIS SHIRT.

CUFF LINKS: ORNAMENTAL ACCESSORY DEVICE OF TWO PARTS JOINED BY A SHANK, CHAIN, OR BAR FOR PASSING THROUGH BUTTONHOLES TO FASTEN SHIRT CUFFS.

CUMMERBUND: ACCESSORY; A BROAD SASH WORN OVER THE WAISTBAND OF THE PANTS. PLEATS ARE WORN WITH THE OPENING FACING UP.

CUTAWAY: A FORMAL COAT ALSO KNOWN AS THE MORNING SUIT. USUALLY A DARK GREY COAT WORN TRADITIONALLY IN THE MORNING FOR WEDDINGS. NOW CAN BE WORN ANYTIME DURING THE DAY.

DOUBLE BESOM POCKET: ON FORMAL COATS, TWO NARROW PIPINGS IN SATIN OR SELF MATERIAL ABOVE AND BELOW THE SLIT, WITHOUT FLAP.

DOUBLE BREASTED: A TUXEDO COAT WHICH OVERLAPS ITSELF IN THE FRONT. OFTEN ADORNED WITH FOUR OR SIX BUTTONS.

DOUBLE BREASTED VEST: A VEST WHICH OVERLAPS ITSELF IN THE FRONT. OFTEN ADORNED WITH FOUR OR SIX BUTTONS.

FLAP POCKET: ON A COAT, A STANDARD POCKET. COMMON ON TRADITIONAL COAT STYLES.

FLOOR LEVEL PEAK LAPEL: ON A COAT, A TYPE OF PEAK LAPEL IN WHICH THE PEAK, RATHER THAN POINTING UPWARD, RUNS PARALLEL TO THE FLOOR.

4-IN-HAND TIE (NECKTIE): ACCESSORY; A NECKTIE FASTENED WITH A SLIPKNOT, A MAN'S REGULAR NECKTIE. USUALLY WORN WITH A STROLLER COAT.

FRENCH CUFF: A WIDE SHIRT CUFF FOLDED BACK AND FASTENED WITH A CUFFLINK. FOUND ON 100% COTTON RETAIL SHIRTS.

FULL BACK VEST: ACCESSORY; A VEST WHICH HAS A FULL BACK PANEL SEWN IN.

FULL DRESS TAILS: A COAT ALSO KNOWN AS THE TAILCOAT, BEING SHORT IN THE FRONT AND LONG IN THE BACK. VERY FORMAL. ONCE AVAILABLE ONLY IN BLACK, NOW AVAILABLE IN ALL COLORS.

LAPEL: ON A COAT, THE TURNED BACK MATERIAL THAT FALLS AROUND THE FRONT OF THE COAT. CAN BE OF SATIN OR THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE COAT.

VENTS: ON A COAT, AN OPENING IN THE LOWER PART OF A SEAM; A SLIT IN THE GARMENT. TUXEDO TYPES: CENTER VENT, NON-VENTED, SIDE VENTED

STROLLER: MATCHING TUXEDO LENGTH COAT TO THE CUTAWAY. WORN WITH CONTRASTING STRIPED TROUSERS, PEARL VEST, LAYDOWN COLLAR SHIRT, AND 4-IN-HAND TIE.

STUDS: ACCESSORIES; SMALL ORNAMENTAL BUTTONS MOUNTED ON SHORT POSTS FOR INSERTION THROUGH AN EYELET NEXT TO THE SHIRT BUTTON.

TUXEDO: SPECIFICALLY USED TO REFER TO A STANDARD LENGTH COAT, SINGLE OR DOUBLE BREASTED WITH SATIN LAPELS. GENERALLY USED TO REFER TO ALL MEN'S FORMALWEAR.

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Wing Collar: Also known as stand up collar. A formal shirt, usually with a pleated front that has wing-like pointed appendages.

Arctic jacket, or anorak (in the United Kingdom) or parka (in the United States), a hooded jacket for very cold climates An anorak or parka is a type of heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur or fake fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of freezing temperatures and wind.This kind of garment, originally made from caribou or seal was invented by the Caribou Inuit, Inuit (Eskimo) of the Arctic region, who needed clothing that would protect them from wind chill and wet while hunting and kayaking. Certain types of Inuit anoraks have to be regularly coated with fish oil to keep their water resistance.The words anorak and parka are now often used interchangeably, but when first introduced, they described somewhat different garments, and the distinction is still maintained by some. Strictly speaking, an anorak is a waterproof jacket with a hood and drawstrings at the waist and cuffs, and a parka is a knee-length cold-weather jacket or coat; typically stuffed with down or very warm synthetic fiber, and with a fur-lined hood. Originally an anorak specifically implied a pull-over jacket without a zipper, button or frogged opening, but this distinction is now largely lost, and many garments with a full-length front opening are now described as anoraks

The original Snorkel Parka which is 3/4 length and has a full, attached hood; the similar N-2B parka is waist-length and has an attached split hood was developed in the USA during the early 1950s for military use, mainly for flight crews stationed in extremely cold areas, designed as it was for extreme temperatures. Originally made with a sage green DuPont flight silk nylon outer and lining it was padded with a wool blanket type material until the mid 70's when the padding was changed to polyester wadding making the jacket both lighter and warmer. The outer shell material also was changed to a sage green cotton-nylon blend, with percentages 80-20, 65-35, and 50-50 being used at various times. It gained the common name of "Snorkel Parka" because the hood can be zipped right up leaving only a small tunnel (or snorkel) for the wearer to look out of. This is particularly effective in very cold, windy weather although it has the added liability of seriously limiting the field of vision

Blazer :A blazer is a type of jacket, worn as smart casual clothing. The term blazer is also sometimes used as a synonym for boating jacket or sports jacket, though in fact it is neither. A blazer resembles a suit jacket, except that it has a more casual cut, and sometimes has features such as patch pockets with no flaps and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable, because it was designed as a sporting jacket. They often form part of the uniform of bodies such as airlines, schools, and yachting or rowing clubs.There are essentially two distinct jackets now called blazers, the original beginning as a jacket worn in boat clubs, for rowing, a brightly coloured, often striped single breasted jacket, with contrasting piping; essentially an early sports jacket. The other style commonly described as a blazer is a navy blue jacket, classically double breasted, which was originally called a reefer jacket, a name still used sometimes. Eventually, as the original blazer became less common, the term came to be applied to the naval version, which gained its modern metal buttons (originally these were black, accompanying a more military cut). It is now worn in its original form by some yachting clubs.

BALL JACKET, OFTEN SPECIFIED AS A BASEBALL JACKET OR FOOTBALL JACKET, A CASUAL JACKET WITH KNITTED CUFFS, COLLAR, AND WAISTBAND AND A ZIPPERED FRONT.

BOLERO, A VERY SHORT JACKET FOR WOMEN, ORIGINALLY WORN BY MATADORCAR COAT THE MAIN DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF A CAR COAT ARE THE AAA-LINE STYLE, FLAT FRONT, AND MID THIGH LENGTH

Down jacket, a quilted jacket filled with down feathers.

• Eisenhower jacket, a waist-length, fitted, military-inspired jacket with a waistband based on the World War II British Army's Battle Dress jacket introduced by General Dwight Eisenhower

• Eton jacket, similar to a tailcoat but cut off just below the waist, worn as the school uniform of boys under 5'4" at Eton College until 1976 and at many other English schools, particularly choir schools.

• Field Jacket, a jacket that is worn by soldiers on the battlefield or doing duties in cold weather. The field jacket came about during World War 2 with the US Army introducing the M-1941 and the M-1943 field jacket and issued the jacket to their troops. The most well-known and the most popular type of military field jacket that is on the market today is the M-1965 or M-65 field jacket which came into US military service in 1965

• Fleece jacket, a casual jacket made of synthetic wool such as Polar Fleece

• Flight jacket, also known as a bomber jacket

• Jeans jacket or denim jacket, a jacket falling slightly below the waist, usually of denim, with buttoned band cuffs like a shirt and a waistband that can be adjusted by means of buttons. Also called Levi's jacket (see Levi's

• Kilt jacket, one of several styles of traditional Scottish jacket worn with the kilt, including the Argyll jacket, the Prince Charlie jacket, and a type of tweed jacket

• Lab coat, a knee-length simple coat, almost always white, worn by scientists, students and researchers in laboratories

• Motorcycle jacket, a leather jacket, usually black, worn by motorcycle riders; originally to mid-thigh, now usually to a fitted waist

• A pea coat (or pea jacket, pilot jacket) is an outer coat, generally of a navy-colored heavy wool, originally worn by sailors of European navies. Pea coats are characterized by broad lapels, double-breasted fronts, often large wooden or metal buttons, and vertical or slash pockets. Although it first appeared in the early 19th century, modern renditions still maintain the original design and composition.

• A "bridge coat" is a pea coat that extends to the thighs, and is a uniform exclusively for officers and Chief Petty Officers. The "reefer" is for officers only, and is identical to the basic design but usually has gold buttons and epaulettes.

• Sportcoat (US) or Sports jacket (UK), a tailored jacket, similar in cut to a suit coat but more utilitarian, originally casual wear for hunting, riding, and other outdoor sports; specific types include a shooting jacket and hacking jacket

• Sports jacket, also known as a sports coat A sportcoat (sports coat, sports jacket), also mistakenly called a blazer, is a tailored coat for men.

• It is of a similar cut to a suit coat, but is designed to be worn on its own and not as part of a suit. Styles therefore may be less restrictive. Compared to suit jackets, sturdier fabrics are used, such as woolen tweed or hounds tooth. Originally sportcoats were worn as casual attire for hunting and other outdoor sports. Today the sportcoat is used as casual wear (e.g. for recreational use, or in America even for business) and is the mainstream coat of choice in North America. A shooting jacket is a type of sportcoat with a leather patch on the front shoulder to prevent wear from the butt of a shotgun or rifle, frequently with matching leather patches on the elbow. A hacking jacket is a wool sportcoat for casual horseback riding, often of tweed and traditionally with a single vent. A blazer is similar to a sportcoat, but differs in having a nautical origin.

Ivy League is a style of men's dress, popular in the late 1950s, and said to have originated on college campuses. The clothing stores Brooks Brothers and J. Press represents perhaps the

quintessential Ivy League dress manner, the latter with two of its four locations found at Harvard and Yale Universities.

It is epitomized by the sack suit which is defined as being a 3-to-2 blazer without darts and a single vent. The pants are cuffed without pleats. It was also characterized by the use of natural

fabrics, shirts with button-down collars, and penny loafers. In suits, the Ivy League style was promoted by clothier Brooks Brothers and included natural shoulder single-breasted suit jackets.

• Sometime around 1954, jazz great Miles Davis walked into the Andover Shop, a small haberdashery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and single-handedly turned the world of style upside down. Just as his groundbreaking album Milestones changed music, that afternoon in Cambridge shifted men’s fashion.

Miles emerged from the store clad head to toe in traditional “Ivy League”–style clothing, and in so doing merged two separate worlds—those of the establishment and the black jazz artist—as if fusing two dissonant notes to create a bold new harmony. The result was a crashing chord of cool that obliterated the line between square and hip, sounding a fashion fortissimo that lasted several years before fading into the silence of pop-culture obscurity.

Miles stocked up on tweed and madras jackets with a natural shoulder and narrow lapel; chino and flannel trousers; button-down shirts; knit and regimental striped ties; and Bass Weejun penny loafers. “It was a look that redefined cool,” writes Miles biographer John Szwed, “and shook those who thought they were in the know.”

“It sounds corny now,” recalls 82-year-old Charlie Davidson, who still runs the Andover Shop, “but Miles liked the real Ivy League look, and it became the hip way of dressing

• At the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival, Miles went onstage in a seersucker sack coat, rounded club-collar shirt, and bow tie. Candid photos from this period reveal his taste for tweed sport coats and oxford-cloth button-down shirts that were so white, recalls jazz writer Rob Mariani, they “made you think you’d never seen a really white shirt before.”

Swing bands had their matching tuxedos; and bebop’s poster boy was Dizzy Gillespie, in his double-breasted pinstripes, Technicolor tie, and hipster beret. But the new sounds of the ’50s—hard bop and cool jazz—required a new look. Ivy League style fit perfectly, and its clean-cut understatement seemed only to further highlight the adventurous music of these jazz pioneers. “The old clothes looked drab to them, just as swing and traditional jazz did,” says Davidson. “The stage was set for something new, and it turned out to be my kind of Eastern, university, WASPy, old-line clothing.”

Soon Davidson was dressing such jazz luminaries as Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Paul Desmond, J. J. Johnson, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Chet Baker. “Musicians realized they looked better in that costume,” recalls jazz promoter Charles Bourgeois, who first took Miles to the Andover Shop. “It was a good look and still is. Next to a tuxedo or military uniform, there’s nothing that makes a guy look better than Ivy League

• Brooks Brothers is the oldest surviving men's clothier in the United States. Founded in 1818, the privately owned company is owned by Retail Brand Alliance, a spinoff of Luxottica, and is headquartered on Madison Avenue in New York City

• Though today many people consider Brooks Brothers a very traditional clothier, it is also known for having introduced many clothing novelties to the market. In 1896, John E. Brooks, Henry Sands Brooks' grandson, invented the button-down dress shirt collar after seeing the non-flapping collars on English polo players.

• Ralph Lauren started out as a salesman at Brooks's Madison Avenue store. He was granted the right to use the Polo trademark from Brooks Brothers, which retained its rights to the iconic "original polo button-down collar" shirt still produced today.

• Brooks Brothers was acquired by the British firm Marks and Spencer plc in 1988. In 2001, Marks & Spencer sold Brooks Brothers to Retail Brand Alliance ("RBA"), a company privately owned by Italian billionaire Claudio del Vecchio

• Brooks Brothers has dressed generations of families, prominent and less famous, as well as political leaders, Hollywood legends, sports greats and military heroes.

• Andy Warhol was known to buy and wear clothes from Brooks Brothers. According to Carlton Walters: "I got to [know] Andy quite well, and he always looked bedraggled: always had his tie lopsided, as he didn't have time to tie it, and he never tied his shoe laces, and he even wore different colored socks, but he bought all of his clothes at Brooks Brothers..."

• Brooks Brothers is the official clothier of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra[5]• Brooks Brothers supplies clothes for the TV show Mad Men.• Chuck Bass and Nate Archibald on the Gossip Girl TV series frequently wear

clothes from Brooks Brothers.• The young stars of Slumdog Millionaire were all dressed by Brooks Brothers for the

81st Academy Awards.• Brooks Brothers is frequently sought out by costume designers in Hollywood,

dressing stars in such films as Ben Affleck in Pearl Harbor, Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums, and Will Smith in Ali.

• The company produced made to measure period costumes for Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters