Understanding the Engineered Garments Ivy Blazer requires an examination of the genesis of the Ivy Style as a whole. While achieving popularity in the 1950s - especially overseas - the style's roots extend back to the early 1900s, specifically around 1910. At the time, the United States' foreign policy of isolationism and increased urbanization and industrialism led to the development of American peculiarities. Men's suits with a uniformly consistent design - sack suits with flat-front trousers, roomy blazers with just two buttons on the cuff, and a 3/2 roll defined this period's clothing. But where exactly did this style come from?

The sack suit's earliest relative is the sacque coat, which originated in France during the 1840s and became popular in the United States during the 1850s. Although many people believe it refers to the garment's baggy fit, the term sacque refers to the construction of the coat's back, which is made from just two straight-cut pieces rather than four curved pieces with concealed pockets in the tails, as is common in more formal and traditional coats like tailcoats, morning coats, and frocks.

Brooks Brothers crystallized this style in 1895 by introducing the No.1 Sack Suit, distinguished by its natural shoulders, lower armhole, lack of waist suppression, 3-button single-breasted stance, and center rear vent.

While today the garment is an accoutrement of the elite, the reason for the design was much more practical: mass production. The No. 1 Sack Suit was the first-ever men's mass-produced tailored garment, with the baggy fit allowing men of any body type to buy it and tailor it to their needs. The 3/2 roll, the design that hides the top button behind the roll of the lapel, has a similarly sober background. At the start of the 20th century, when three-button jackets fell out of fashion and college students couldn't afford new two-button jackets, they creatively adapted by pressing back the lapels of their old jackets to transform them into two-button coats.

The popularity of Brooks' invention didn't take off until the 1920s. The Ivy Leaguers, students from prestigious Northeastern American universities like Harvard and Yale, fell in love with the suit and popularized it, often pairing it with penny loafers. At that time, the sack suit was deemed acceptable for college students but inappropriate for mature men. Manufacturers like Brooks Brothers, J. Press, and Chipp Inc. continued to refine the style alongside college shops near universities. Baggy clothing has often been associated with the youth, and as these students aged, society expected them to adopt a more sophisticated style of dress. However, following WWII, the sack suit and its natural drape became a mark of American style, igniting a worldwide craze.

The Engineered Garments Ivy Blazer's straight body and three-button stance retain the critical essence of the sack suit. Alongside this are the traditional breast patch pocket and two front flap pockets lined up with one another. The hooked vent and twin spaced cuff buttons (gunmetal for the Hopsack fabric) are two more hallmarks of the style. The notch collar's position allows the jacket to be worn with the top two buttons closed while also accommodating the wear to roll down the lapel and close the middle button. Additional tailoring details include the partial lining for the spring summer season, all topstitching (except for the shoulder and armhole), and the inside breast pocket flap.

Designer Daiki Suzuki pushed the limits of the already vast proportions, expanding the garment to fit almost like a coat. Despite this expansion, Daiki also placed darts on the front of the jacket - a detail not typically found in traditional sack suits - to add shape, demonstrating how to break the rules while retaining style.

The Ivy Blazer fits snugly in Engineered Garments Spring Summer 2024's Ivy Style theme, showcasing a crucial piece of American suiting style. However, Daiki gives the jacket a new purpose, playing with details and purpose to imbue a sense of originality and secure its position within the Engineered Garments universe.