Tom Hoy: Spring Selects
Following our recent launch of menswear writer Tom Hoys’ Easy on the Ivy zine, we took the opportunity - while he was in London - to have him dive into our Spring/Summer ’26 selections. Alongside a few of our Clutch Essentials, Tom pulled together a series of easygoing, laid-back looks that reflect his signature take on relaxed, Ivy-inspired style.
Take it away, Tom!
I’ve been writing about menswear for a few years now, but like most people, it didn’t start in any formal way. It started with films, music, and that early instinct to just experiment with clothes. Almost like playing dress up without really thinking about it.
When I was younger, I became slightly obsessed with 60s cinema. The way suits sat, the haircuts, the way people carried themselves on screen. That naturally pulled me into the music from that era as well, and over time it all just snowballed into a deeper interest in clothing and how it’s put together.
Travel has always run alongside that. The two things have blended quite naturally for me. Writing about my time in Japan recently felt like a kind of full circle moment in that sense. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to spend time properly, especially through the lens of clothing and culture.
I run Easy on the Ivy, a Substack that’s been going for just over two years now. It started as a weekly blog, although it was never really meant to be weekly in the beginning. It just grew into that rhythm over time. The writing there looks at Ivy style in a broader sense, not just in a purely historical or academic way. There are already plenty of people who do that brilliantly.
What I’ve always found more interesting is how it travels. How it shifts depending on where it lands. Japan is probably the best example of that. It’s not just that they’ve adopted it, but that they’ve reinterpreted it completely and made it feel like something distinct. There’s a real sense of community around it as well, not just in Japan but among people who write, collect, and think about it globally. That ongoing conversation is what keeps it interesting for me.
That’s really what the zine came out of as well. A way of slowing all of that down and putting it in one place, reflecting on it properly rather than just posting fragments online.
Look #1
This first look lends itself well to what I see as the Japanese approach to Ivy, and how different genres of clothing have merged together to create something far more interesting than any one category on its own. At the centre of the outfit is the Buzz Rickson's P-44 jacket.
Buzz Rickson's make some of the best historically accurate reproduction pieces out there, and this one is based on a US Marine Corps field jacket. It took me a while, I’ll admit, to get around to wearing camouflage, but I’ve come to really appreciate it in this context.
There’s a way to wear camo that doesn’t feel like you’re leaning into the military reference. I tend to treat it purely as a pattern, which is really what it is. No different to paisley, polka dots or stripes. When you look at it that way, it becomes much easier to work with.
It also works well as a way of introducing texture and visual interest into an otherwise understated outfit. Rather than overpowering everything, it just shifts the tone slightly, which is what makes it feel relevant here.
Look #2
If it’s a statement you want to make, then a Japanese sukajan jacket is the way to do it. This is the Tailor Toyo Mid 1950s Style Souvenir Jacket, Roaring Tiger x Black Dragon.
A sukajan, often referred to as a souvenir jacket, comes from post-war Japan when US servicemen stationed there would commission embroidered jackets as keepsakes. The name “sukajan” is a shortened form of “Yokosuka jumper,” referencing Yokosuka, the area where the style is said to have originated.
Traditionally made in satin and heavily embroidered, they often feature motifs like tigers, dragons, eagles or snakes, usually split across the front and back or mirrored across a reversible design.
The English term “souvenir jacket” simply reflects that original idea of something bought or made as a memento of time spent in Japan. In this context, it becomes less about costume and more about pattern, texture and storytelling through clothing.
Look #3
The world of Ivy style and military surplus blends together really nicely. There are a lot of references I pull from when I’m thinking about a look like this, and one of them is always Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer.
At the centre of this outfit is the BD Shirt Ideal Oxford by Anatomica, layered under the Soundman Albany Fatigue Jacket. I get a lot of inspiration from film, and Dustin Hoffman is always one of my go-to references. There’s something about that slightly unpolished, lived-in way of dressing that feels completely natural, even when it’s carefully considered.
Look #4
This next one centres around The Real McCoy’s swing jacket. The Real McCoy’s is one of my all-time favourite brands. Just when you think the detailing can’t be pushed any further, you find out the materials they’ve used are either original deadstock or sourced to match exact period specification. That level of commitment is what sets them apart for me. It feels like they go far beyond what most brands are willing to do.
I’ve always been drawn to Harrington jackets and this style more broadly. It’s completely timeless. Anyone looks good in one, and in my opinion, everyone should have one in their wardrobe.
Look #5
This last look shows that jeans absolutely can work in summer when they’re worn in the right way. A lighter wash and a slightly looser fit makes all the difference, especially when the rest of the outfit is kept relaxed and easy.
I’m wearing a pair of Chamula sandals here. Aside from being extremely comfortable, they’re also really functional in the city during the warmer months. They don’t feel overly informal in the way some sandals can. For me, they sit in that in-between space, bridging the gap between loafers and sandals. I wouldn’t usually go for the most forgiving summer footwear, so these work as a really solid middle ground.
To round off these five looks, Tom leaves us with a perspective that underpins it all:
“The only person you should really be dressing for is yourself. Wear what makes you feel good. Use rules if you want to, but think of them more as guidelines than anything fixed or restrictive. The moment it becomes too serious, it stops being fun. For me, that’s the point it loses its energy. Keep it light, keep it personal, and let it evolve naturally over time.”
Many thanks to Tom for his time!
