Ivy in Action

Why do so many right-thinking guys, whose fashion taste is perfectly secure at the office and around town, go ape when it comes to sports attire? The moment they're liberated from the suit-and-tie ritual, it seems their sense of Ivy-bred style takes a nose dive, and they emerge from the clubhouse or locker room in a get-up that would embarrass Lord Invader. "Mass-produced eccentrics," Russell Lynes calls these peacockclad clods, men who – without realizing it – are actually competing with women to see who can look prettier!

There is, believe it or not, an authentic Ivy look in active sportswear, just as there is in town wear. And we feel strongly that when you take off for vacation or set out for a sportive weekend to sample that weird and unlikely stuff called fresh air, you should be just as exact about your swim shorts, sailing attire, tennis togs and golf garb as you are about your Sunday-go-to-cocktail duds. There is also a lot of unspeakably garish merchandise supposedly suitable for active sports on display everywhere. You've seen the kind of gruesome garbage we mean, touted as the hottest news from Majorca, the Italian Riviera, Cap d'Antibes and Southern California: Old Testament sandals, ballet-dancer shirts that tie north of the navel, tooshort swim trunks laced and latticed up the side, etc. – all of which you'll want to forget. Steer clear, too, of fussy, "amusing" prints in beachwear, shirts with tricky yokes and odd-ball collars, needlenosed moccasins and headgear that might be OK on Mars, and baggy slacks that look better at a minstrel show than at the country club.

Observe all the foregoing taboos and you still have a thumping opportunity to dress casually and correctly this summer for your favorite sport, and still retain individuality while doing it. Witness the four al frescoed fellows on the page you just passed for our cases in point.

Beach: Trim, fly-front cotton poplin trunks with side-tabs for a waist-clinching fit have thankfully replaced balloonbottomed boxer shorts. The McGregor brightly-striped, washable beach shirt can be worn either buttoned or unbuttoned, as you choose. Remember, if you prefer patterned swim trunks – either tartan plaids or India madras looks good – choose a solid color shirt to go along. The ones made of terrycloth toweling are especially useful after a swim, and look for a pocket in the shirt for stowing cigarettes, sunglasses, locker key and other gear. Carry a jumbo beach towel, too, to lie on or dry off with. Rope-soled canvas espadrilles by Peerless are a practical footnote for all forays on the sunlit strand.

Boating: Once you're at sea, as captain or crew member, you'll want shipshape, functional clothes. The sun tan slacks by Gordon of Philadelphia are made of Kenya cloth – half orlon, half viscose – won't be bothered by spray. They're extremely light in weight, yet just what you need to protect you from an overdose of ultraviolet when you spend a whole day on deck or in the fighting chair astern. The marine blue sweater-shirt by Allen Solly, London, has long sleeves for the same protection to your arms, and is a sound choice if you're expecting a fresh breeze. It's smarter still to carry an additional husky shetland sweater or a short, zip-up jacket as extra protection against the spanking night wind that usually follows the twilight calm. Blue Topsiders are de rigueur on deck. Once back at the yacht club for drinks and dinner, you'll want to change into a Linett navy flannel blazer complete with brass buttons; wear it with slacks of gray, white or the new Regatta stripes by Corbin, and a checked button-down shirt.

Tennis: The wise choice here is white. Even if you don't aspire to Forest Hills, white shorts by Corbin and white tennis sneakers will make you look like an ace. The red Lacoste knit shirt is a French import, allows complete freedom for forehand, backhand and overhead smash, and comes with an extra long shirttail that stays tucked in. The sweater you'll don after the match should also be white, with our Country's colors at V-neck and cuffs, a classic cable-knit job by McGregor that's odds-on favorite at every court. When you repair for cocktails, crawl into a crisply-creased pair of summer-weight flannel slacks, gray or white, to wear with a three-button jacket of linen, or tweedy-looking silk. Your shirt can be checked or quietly striped, and make it a button-down so you can wear a tie with it or not, depending on the degree of formality your crowd goes in for. Well-shined moccasins or clean white bucks complete the outfit, the former being free of flopsy tassels and the latter being a better bet than any two-tone deal.

Golf: The question of whether walk shorts should be permitted on golf courses is strictly a matter of local option, so if you like the freedom shorts give – nearly everyone does – and look well in them – not everyone, by a long shot, does – check the ground rules of the courses you play. You'll especially want to team up with a pair of olive green poplin shorts by Corbin, pleatless, with belt in the back, and a good-looking glen plaid, long-sleeved shirt from Paul Stuart that can help you avoid excessive sunburn. Ditto for the small brim poplin cap. The new knee-high socks by Esquire are made of stretch nylon and really stay up. Your golf shoes should be the best you can afford, sturdy ones of stout calf kept well polished. For sudden rains, carry a zippered water-repellent jacket along.

Supplementary Gear For Four Active Sports

In addition to the sportswear apparel described and pictured in Ivy in Action, here is a rundown of other Ivy-approved attire for a well-dressed season in the sun. For complete information on where-to-buy any of this merchandise, write playboy Reader Service, 232 E. Ohio St., Chicago 11,I11inois.

Beach:

India Madras swim trunks, fly-front, by Corbin or Catalina. Aertex button-front shirt, red/white check by Hathaway. Raffia flat-top cap, by Elis.

Boating:

Reevecord faded-blue slacks in combed cotton, by Webster. Coarse, natural color fishnet pull-over shirt by Bartlay, Ltd. Sand-colored water repellent poplin short coat with back-belt and wooden buttons, by Zero king. White elastic web belt with red stripes, leather detailing, harness buckle, by paris.

Tennis:

Washable white flannel slacks, 75% orlon, 25% rayon by Lissner. White Ban-Lon Knit pull-over shirt, light and absorbent, by Puritan. Nylon taffeta windbreaker by White Stag-Bantamac.

White cotton burlap belt with leather trim and stud hook closure, by paris.

Golf:

Light gray Dacron and worsted slacks by Majer, pleatlewss and trim-cut.

Dacronair short-sleeve shirt by Gordon of Philadelphia, 65% dacron, 35% cotton.

Dacron and cotton golf jacket and cap by Zero King. Striped, woven elastic belt with metal link buckle, by Hickok.