Photo: Take IvyIconic red cotton trousers of moleskin, drill or corduroy are one of the few exceptions to the general rule that men's jackets and trousers are always neutral colors (though I once saw a bright red cotton suit in Madrid). Reds, as they are known, are seen most often in New England, where their likeness to the color of tree leaves in the fall gives them some provenance.
Reds are worn with blue oxford cloth buttondown shirts, white cotton turtlenecks, tasseled loafers and other traditional clothing of what used to be known as the eastern elite. They are often found in the closets of Ivy and Ivy emulating undergraduates, hanging next to their pink and madras summer counterparts, and like those counterparts they tend to arouse deep seated negative reactions in midwesterners.
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10 comments:
Will-
Truly love this post. As a New Englander who has temporarily relocated to the Midwest for law school, the Barbour jackets, Nantucket Reds, button-downs every day, and various shades of khaki pants I continually wear have only alienated me from the "Ohio" standard; and for whatever reason, annoy my generation.
That I only own a pair a jeans seems to perturb some Midwesterners. While this may sound biased, I am speaking simply from experience. However, I will never shy away from my Vineyarder roots and prep school rep ties. Sorry, Midwest, your refusal to accept the tried-and-true style of the Northeast does not solidify your belief of my elitism, but your reluctance to accept others.
A bit of a rant, but, I believe the look of Reds, tassel loafers, blue blazers, oxfords, and engine-turned belts will forever be iconic.
Will,
Thanks for the post on "reds"!
Am I safe in assuming that these are summer only pants? Also, can they be worn with suede Alden tassel loafers?
How about deck shoes?
Thanks again,
Jeff
Jeff, I think of them for fall. The summer version, in lighter cloth, tends to be pink.
Wear them with any New England shoe.
Lisa Birnbach called them "go to hell" pants.
Red pants? I'm a fan.
I couldn't part with my Nantucket's. I have been dismayed in recent years by some of the J Crew incarnations covered childish embroidery of tiny lobsters, seagulls, and the like. Isn't a red trouser enough whimsey?
Will,
I attended a charity event last Spring which was raising money to teach inner city children to play squash. Red pants and blue blazers abounded which put me in the mood to purchase a pair of reds myself. I am still searching for the perfect pair, and when I find them, I shall purchase them.
For the perfect pair of reds, go to Murry's Toggery Shop. They carry the perfect ones.
Mark
I think some clarification and differentiation is needed:
The "Reds" referred to in the post are a classic fall/winter pant, as Will notes, in a shade that resembles to changing of the seasons as well as the dark hues so commonly affiliated with colder seasons.
Nantucket Reds, also reffered to correctly as Reds, are a light-pinkish pant that naturally fades with age. The "brick-red" color of the pant is claimed to be first marketed by Philip Murray of Nantucket and gained distinction over the years from Nantucketers and Vineyarders, alike. The store, Murray's Toggery Shop, is something of gem, and a store that should be at least visited in order to attain the pants--rather than a mere "online acquisition."
The pants that Lisa Birnbach referred to as "go to hell" pants are not Nantucket Reds, but pants of bright yellows, blues, greens, or reds that typically have embroided fish, sailboats, mermaids etc. on them. As any good Islander knows, Nantucket Reds are not "go to hell" pants, but a suitable cocktail party attire, as well as way to easily identify another Vineyarder/Nantucketer no matter where he should find himself wearing the pant.
I like Reds. I have a pair of pants and shorts. I wear them primarily in the spring and summer, and on holiday in warm climates such the Bahamas. I don't give them much thought. I grew up with these kinds of garments and therefore I don't give them much thought. They're fun trousers, I guess, if you're sufficiently aware of them.
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