College clothing lines typically consist of sweat shirts, T’s and shorts with YOUR UNIVERSITY HERE slapped across the butt in a dubious demonstration of school pride.
Harvard University does things differently, sniff, sniff.
The institution has just lent its name to a line of preppy men’s clothing that could be standard issue for a football game only at an Ivy League school. Think “short-sleeve plaid shirts, Liberty print wovens, seersucker shorts, regimental stripes, sporty knits, patterned jackets and fancy pants — all in a contemporary, tapered fit,” according to the fashion trade publication Women’s Wear Daily.
The school has signed a 10-year licensing deal with tailored-clothing manufacturer Wearwolf Group for the line, named, and inspired by, Harvard Yard. The brand’s creative director, John Fowler, told Women’s Wear that the design team referenced photos of students lounging on the school’s so-named lawn in the 1960s for the collection.
“It’s a style that has become current again and not just with the American consumer,” Fowler said. “We think Harvard Yard will have global appeal.”
Women’s Wear says the license, arranged by The Collegiate Licensing Co., “not only highlights the growing relevance of classic American style, but also stands as perhaps the first time an American university has lent its name to a fashion-oriented collection of apparel.”
Women’s and children’s apparel also could be forthcoming.
Interested parties should not expect tides of crimson. The school’s color is used sparingly, only in buttonholes and other trims. Prices range from $195 to $225 for trousers; sport coats will top out at $495.
And you can trust that the word “Harvard” will appear on back sides only on interior labels.
*”L”-riding preppies take note: Tailored clothing brand Thomas Pink is moving its Commuter Tie — with a mini-pocket on the underside for holding an iPod Nano — into its main collection in September. The MP3-enabled silk woven neckties ($100; thomaspink.com) previously were a limited-edition offering.
*For those with more of a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, Ben Harper, who just performed at Lollapalooza, and actor David Arquette have launched the 90 percent organic clothing line PROPR, with hipster-inflected looks for men and women. It’s carried at Intermix and Bloomingdale’s.
