TRAD
BOY’s heritage is rooted in men’s clothing, and American traditional is the unequivocal bedrock of our brand, a standard that doesn’t waver with what’s in or out at the time. This is the Ivy League preppy style created by students at prestigious eastern universities in the United States. Take for instance, Brooks Brothers, the quintessential establishment brand of New York, whose most basic item is the three-button jacket popular throughout the United States. One must always remember there is also more to American traditional style and there are numerous rules dictating what one “should” and what one “must” do.
For us at BOY, knowing American traditional is the same as knowing fashion. Although these traditional rules for how to dress might seem out of date, one is able to truly, for the first time, enjoy a garment once one has a proper understanding of it. We believe an understanding of the basics forms the foundation upon which you can be yourself and dress confidently. This may diverge from mainstream thinking about today’s fashion trends, but that is exactly what BOY is and we will never change.
B.D. SHIRT
SEERSUCKER
B.D. SHIRT
ENGINEERED
SHIRT DRESS
MADRAS CHECK
JACKET & SLACKS
MADRAS CHECK
SHIRT
ASCOT TIE SHIRT
- B.D. SHIRT
- SEERSUCKER
B.D. SHIRT - ENGINEERED
SHIRT DRESS - MADRAS CHECK
JACKET & SLACKS - MADRAS CHECK
SHIRT - ASCOT TIE SHIRT
ROOTS
The button-down shirt, or as it is affectionately known the B.D. shirt, has always been a BOY standard. While we hadn’t designed one for our spring/summer collections in recent years, we did resolve to go back-to-basics and came up with a short-sleeve version. The B.D. shirt is the core of American traditional essentials. It was the grandson of Brooks Brothers’ founder who seized upon this shirt while watching a polo match on a visit to England. He noticed the players would button down the collar points on their uniform to stop them from flapping in the wind and interfering with their play. That’s where the idea for the button-down shirt came from. This all-around shirt goes with everything. A washed-out B.D. shirt can even be worn without ironing and be a part of your daily selection. The B.D. shirt quality, which we focused on in particular, is the sizing. When our bible “TAKE IVY” was published, the 1960s was a time when brands didn’t make B.D. shirts for women. So, at that time, they had to be particularly adept at wearing men’s B.D. shirts in a manner that matched their own particular fashion style. In consideration of that admirable history, we made ours a little big. The B.D. shirt is a basic item for BOY as we got our start crafting pieces that embraced men’s clothing yet were tapered to our size. Its simplicity is precisely what makes this an essential part of any wardrobe. Everyone who wears one will give it their own personal touch.
The B.D. shirt is an American tradition essential and something that BEAMS BOY is always expanding on and updating. We released this new version, breathing a new look into the B.D. shirt. Our motif is a vintage men’s size shirt. The theme, which we chose, is how to wear a shirt made for a man in a way that accentuates your own individual style. Because the material is Oxford cloth, a washed-out shirt straight from a washing is perfectly fine to wear, or you may prefer to be more methodical and iron it. The way in which the B.D. shirt is designed allows wearers to express their individuality, even in the way the shirt is buttoned and sleeves rolled up. We were very selective with this new version, wanting to make sure ideas extending to BOY roots are also incorporated into our B.D. shirt.
Check out our online shop for more inspirations
B.D. SHIRT
ROOTS
The definition of a crazy pattern is a patchwork of various colors and fabrics created by combining remnants into a design. As the story goes, on a visit to a shirt factory, Ash Wall, the legendary Brooks Brothers vice president, saw new employees cobbling together scraps as part of the training to perfect their sewing technique for stitching together color polo shirts. He commented that the shirts were fun. This led to their production and this famous fable known throughout the apparel industry.
These “individualized shirts” were made using two or more pieces of fabric and came to be called “engineered shirts.” They are no longer put together haphazardly using only what’s available.
From the positioning of the cloth to the cutting of each piece, these shirts are designed one by one to create an engineered shirt. They were given the name so that everyone would know these shirts are designed with meticulous calculation and masterpieces imbued with the pride of the shirtmaker. Even though we generally classify these as shirts, each and every one of them has different roots and a different story. This item is something that we want to continue to create as a way of paying respect to all that have come before.
Check out our online shop for more inspirations
JACKET & SLACKS
JACKET & SLACKS
SHIRT
The overall silhouette is slightly more compact than last year’s, but the fit is looser, which is just what we want to wear now. We used shell buttons for a more classic look this time, and also insisted on the proper detail. This year is also a bonanza for the madras!
- JP
- EN
Twenty-five years ago in 1998, the first BEAMS BOY shop opened in Harajuku.
The concept is simple. As expressed in the name, BEAMS BOY was created for boyish girls attracted to men’s clothing who want to blend it into their look.
What is it about essential men’s clothing that we are drawn to?
It’s the deep-rooted heritage.
Clothing with a well-defined genealogy carries a story in the enduring details and evokes a warmth produced from its unique fortitude and continuing embrace.
More particularly, those clothes were created for a specific purpose and continue to pass on their folklore along with meticulous craftsmanship.
And, we want to walk along our journey amidst those clothes.
That is our creed.
We have created our own unparalleled value in five core categories spanning heavy-duty items for work,
military and sports that have always been dearly loved ever since their creation in addition to the Ivy League and Preppy looks exemplifying the American traditional style.
These five categories are the core of what it means to be BEAMS BOY.
Knowing where someone or something originally comes from, the roots planted before the heritage that we see, is part of the fun of the fashion story.
Moreover, with a knowledge of that background, we then produce our own arrangements.
Our hope here is to pen a bible of sorts for crafting your own style, a style that is encompassed by that heritage and focus.
If you see something that piques your interest, open to that page and discover.
The more we learn about heritage, the story behind an article of clothing, the fonder we become of it.
The coordinates that we find are a delightful joy.
“THE INDEX: BOY” is a stylebook that brings you a behind the scenes look at this history for a better understanding of BEAMS BOY clothes.