Take notes on Ivy.

Photo: Giovanni Giannoni

Second from right epitomizes casual luxury.

Feeding time at the sharpest school of all.

The Social Network has been topping many a chart and splitting many an opinion - due it's controversial story line and the fact that it is about the birth of Facebook - the most powerful website in the world, bar none.

But before I went to watch it I was in no way prepared to be dazzled by some of the attire that was on display in this motion picture - not so much Mark Zuckerberg: he dressed exactly as you would think the creator of Facebook would dress, in a way that suggests he doesn not often leave the comfort of his dormitory bedroom and so dresses in appropriate comfort ie: shabby.

It was the Winklevoss twins and their affluent clan that truly caught my sartorial eye, to the point that the following morning I googled them and the Ivy League schools in order to ascertain as to whether they were merely a fluke of fashion or whether it is something that regularly happens in these prestigious American schools: it came as a shock as modern day Ivy League schools have always been synonomous with khaki and ill fitting jeans in my mind.

It was then that I stumbled across this book Take Ivy the product of an innovative Japanese photographer: Teruyoshi Hayashida, who toured the Ivy League Schools in the late sixties visually documenting the students and their attire - at the time it was a phenomenon among Japanese boys to dress like Ivy Leaguers [as I like to call them] but it never really appealed to anyone else.

Now, Take Ivy, is fashion gold dust.

The images depict a time when tracksuits were never even considered let alone worn (even when partaking in sport), trousers always allowed the socks or ankles to show, hair was never allowed to stray, the only logos were College emblems and the boys - geniunely were Gentlemen.

The Ivy League Men represent a traditional, affluent, ambitious Gentleman who is more than capable of controlling himself, his career, and his mind - all whilst roaming around in the stiffest of collars, the shiniest of loafers and the sharpest of jackets.

Now that's a man.

Thom Browne does the look in a vicariously quirky way - contrasting sleeve letterman jackets, crisp chinos, thick woven white shirts - add a diagonally striped slim tie and you have the ultimate collegiate look without looking too retro.