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I recently read Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style and came across a really interesting story about menswear.
Today, everyone looks to Japan for inspiration — but what most people don’t realize is that it all started in the 1960s, when they became obsessed with the style of American college students.
But here’s the thing:
They didn’t copy it poorly.
They documented, studied, and obsessively refined it.
One of the key milestones was Take Ivy (1965), a book/film that captured Ivy League style — Oxford shirts, blazers, khakis, loafers — but more than just clothing, it captured a lifestyle.
And somehow, the Japanese managed to turn it into something even better than the original.
Curious — are you also paying more attention to what’s coming out of Japan in menswear these days?