Products With Personality
Suits with a Story: Eric Twardzik
Eric Twardzik has been a lifelong devotee of Ivy Style. “For years, I’ve been into Anglo-American style.” Writing about menswear had piqued his interest and driven him to search stores and online for modern reproductions of the classic Ivy look, “and at The Andover Shop I found the real thing.”
Eric visited The Cambridge location a couple times to get his bearings before deciding what item of clothing he wanted to have made to measure. “I work from home, so I wear sport coats because I want to, not because I have to.” He consulted at length with the staff to figure out exactly what would fit his needs.
Timeless Traditions: The Classic and Versatile Dark Suit
These days, we live in a society with fairly casual rules about dress. Most people don’t need to wear anything more formal than a pair of khakis and a button down shirt to work, and many workplaces allow blue jeans and sneakers. Even the most traditional law firms and investment companies, where just a decade ago employees could be reprimanded for removing their suit jackets in the elevator, have downgraded their dress codes and abandoned the suit requirement for the most part. Working from home has increased this trend, as workplaces that had held onto the necktie have allowed that requirement to fall away too. But no matter what happens to workplace dress codes, we will always need to have at least one reliable, adaptable suit for important occasions, and The Andover Shop’s made-to-measure program can help you create the ideal suit.
Products with Personality: The Chrysalis Alpaca-lined Overcoat
Chrysalis England has been producing high-quality outerwear in the UK since 1985. They are particularly well-known for their warm, casual Field Coat designs, which The Andover Shop has carried for years. This year however, Chrysalis looked back at the history of men’s outerwear and forward to what may be a very cold winter, producing a classically-styled coat that will guard against the roughest weather.
Products With Personality: Mask Up, Dress Up
This turbulent year has brought a lot of changes into our lives. Work and home schedules have been disrupted, and the most visible representation of these changes are the masks that we all wear to keep each other safe. During the holiday season it can be even more important to keep everyone healthy, and if you want to add a new stylish accessory to your wardrobe at the same time, The Andover Shop’s mask offerings are a great option.
Products with Personality: Alden 403 Workboot
For most of the year, working at home or in an office, you have a lot of freedom when it comes to footwear. In dry summer weather, a sleek, leather soled shoe in snuff suede will carry you to and from work with style. At home all day, fleece-lined slippers or casual moccasins will do everything you need them to. But when the rain comes down or the snow piles up, and you still have somewhere to go, a rugged, water resistant boot that keeps your ankles dry is a must-have, and our Indy Boot from The Alden Shoe Company has you covered.
Timeless Traditions: Camel Hair
The cornerstone of menswear in spring and summer is a pair of khaki chinos, which are a hard-wearing piece in a neutral color which goes with everything. But when the weather shifts towards fall and winter temperatures and our standard trousers become grey wool or dark corduroy, that provides a chance to wear that neutral shade in other styles and materials, and there is no better example than camel hair.
Made-to-Measure: Our Process
Being fitted for a made-to-measure suit is a time-honored experience. In this series on The Andover Shop’s made-to-measure process, we will explore each of the steps that allow every customer to create the garment that is ideal for them.
For over half a century, Andover Shop staff have worked closely with customers to ensure the best possible fit, making minute alterations to ensure that body and suit work together. Our staff are knowledgeable about how the style and details of tailored clothing provide the best look with the customer’s body, and are able to advise on materials for all seasons and events.
Timeless Traditions: Argyle
A common assumption about menswear is that it all looks the same, that men dress in homogenous shades of blue and grey with little to differentiate them. Since opening in 1948, The Andover Shop has prided itself on challenging this stereotype, providing vibrant colors and interesting patterns in all its offerings.
Products With Personality: The Shetland Sweater
We explore the history of the iconic Shetland sweater, the making of the incredibly warm and tough Shetland wool and how it became a staple of any Ivy Style wardrobe.
Timeless Traditions: Gingham, from Indonesia to Your Closet
We’re all familiar with the quaint, brightly-colored checks of gingham fabric. Whether on tablecloths of your local bistro, or in Dorothy’s dress in The Wizard of Oz, gingham has casual, All-American connotations that have made it a standard in menswear for generations. At The Andover Shop, as a bastion of traditional style menswear, we've carried Gingham throughout the generations. In today's post, we want to share a little of our expertise from a lifetime of learning and living the trade.
Products With Personality: The Button-Down Collar Shirt
This spring, as many of us switched to working from home we adjusted many aspects of our lives, including the way we dress. As people are no longer heading to the office every day, it’s become more and more acceptable to dress down to fit our surroundings, while still attempting to maintain a sense of professionalism and propriety. So we asked ourselves--what wardrobe item balances both comfort and corporate?
Suits With A Story: Between Modern and Classic
“Ultimately,” he says, “it was a practical purchase. I needed it.” Al has been coming to The Andover Shop since 2013, when he arrived in Boston for his undergraduate studies. He was immediately taken with the store and has shopped here ever since, bringing his father in a year later and turning him into a satisfied customer as well.