Last Wednesday, I decided to conquer the rain and venture to the West Side. I rarely leave the East Side and if I do, it’s to trek to Penn Station however today I had a different agenda. After hearing about Ivy Style for weeks from my fabulous fashionista younger sister, I decided to see what this exhibit was all about. Rainboots and raincoat clad, I made it to 27th and 7th in record timing and was greeted by the ever so friendly guard at FIT who I could’ve sworn was the same police guard we have at the front of our campus at Baruch. To my surprise,FIT did not take our Macaulay cultural passport however the day wasn’t a total flop-the museum is FREE to the public. As long as you can squeeze a visit into your schedule (they have some quirky hours) a visit to the exhibition costs you nothing.
After climbing down two flights of stairs, I entered a dark and “haunted-esque” room where I was greeted by a description of the exhibit on display.
“Ivy Style celebrates one of the most enduring clothing styles of the 20th century. It examines the “Ivy League Look,” which began during the early years of the century on the quads and in the libraries of elite, all-male, American universities, such as Harvard, Yale, and especially Princeton. Often viewed as a classic, even static, way of dressing, Ivy was a cutting-edge look during its heyday, and by mid-century its appeal was spreading beyond the campus to a diverse population of young men—from working class GIs to jazz musicians. It became codified as “Ivy style” and today, well into the 21st century, Ivy continues to inform the evolution of menswear.” (Taken from the FIT website)
Ivy Style to me was a bit too hyped up and overrated. Yes, the costumes were incredible. Blazers and suits from top designers such as Brooks Brothers and J.Press, rabbit and racoon full length fur coats, and every item in between were nothing short of luxurious. Yet what struck me was how short my visit lasted me and how empty the room was. Perhaps this exhibition was a direct representation of the way our society previously viewed art. The works geared toward the rich and afluent, to those with money and classy taste. It struck me by surprise that I was the only one in the room except for an upper east side looking lady with a chanel bag in tow. ALthough they exhibit was free to the public, why was it so empty? Maybe the weather? Na, I don’t think so. I think this exhibit falsely represented the art world we live in.
