Preppy Style | Off the Cuff

Vineyard Vines: An American Original (Part II)

On December 20, 2010, By OTC

In Part One of this column, we took a look at the philosophy and strategy behind the brand that is Vineyard Vines. Now, let’s look at the business side of that ubiquitous pink whale.

A very important thing to note about Vineyard Vines is that they are opening brink-and-mortar stores while almost any other brand in this market segment is either closing them of postponing any further retail expansion (let alone refurbishment of existing units).

Vineyard Vines’ decision to follow a corporate/institutional branding strategy alongside its retail market is a big reason for their resiliency in the current economic environment. Their corporate/college/sporting division’s business offsets, or at least makes less impactful the capital costs of their retail operation.

This duel market strategy and Shep and Ian’s ability to create a real and passionate culture around their brand are two key reason that they are thriving while other bigger and better financed brands are just trying to stay afloat.

Early on, the company focused on the college market as a key demographic and it has been a successful effort. Go into any college store anywhere in the country and you are likely to find Vineyard vines branded ties, polos and tote bags. That well-known repeated logo pattern is a virtual signature telling you from a distance that the Dartmouth green necktie with the never-ending shield repeat is the work of Shep and Ian.

Hitting The Books
In the same spirit of Jimmy Buffet, Vineyard Vines has college tours that bring the brand’s lifestyle directly to college students on their campuses. Complete with beach parties and pink foam whale hats reminiscent of Buffet’s “land sharks” they are marketing the Vineyard Vines brand directly to a core consumer audience. Some critics point out that in some segments – namely fraternal groups – the brand has become synonymous with boozy college keg parties. While not really the company’s fault, it’s a persistent form of collateral brand damage none the less.

Unflattering subsets aside, this kind of legwork does indeed develop an enthusiastic and educated customer base predisposed to support the brand and product outside of the college environment. They see their support of the brand as integral to their own lifestyle. Tell me of any retail lifestyle brand that wouldn’t want a market full of grade school-to-country club ambassadors.

How is all this managed? The company has a business unit dedicated to producing customized designs for colleges, their sport teams and fraternal organizations.

Think of it as a collegiate marketing version of vertical integration. If it works right, pretty much anything that campus needs will run through, or at least by, their Vineyard Vines rep. To keep these collegiate efforts coordinated and effective, Vineyard Vines has dedicated brand managers who focus solely on the university market; working with student leaders, administrators and sports teams.

A key goal of course is that as these students grow up and head off to their own careers, a new supply of Vineyard Vines diehards are ready to open their wallets. They’ll graduate to corporate casual, weekend and country club lives and bring Vineyard Vines along for the ride. The thing that makes this philosophy tangible is that unlike other aspirational brands – the ones that let you believe that buy wearing their shirt or shoes you too will live in a countryside estate – the Vineyard Vines “lifestyle” is approachable and believable.

The Vineyard Vines world is populated by people you know doing things to which we can all relate: having weddings and graduations, going to parties and just hanging out with friends. That life is not only easy to aspire to, it’s tangible and easily made real though you and your best friends all sporting the same Vineyard Vines tie and khakis in that Christmas party picture. Now that’s aspirational branding.

Wearing the Whale
The brand also fits nicely into the preppy/New England Americana trend that has been evolving for the past few years. In fact, rather than losing steam the look seems to be gaining, moving into new markets and creating its own subsets of “authentic” work wear, classically inspired sportswear and deeper dives into the prep school ethos.

The brand also has an appeal that reaches those who will never set foot on the Vineyard and who will never be part of “that” life and the continuing economic downturn provides a silver lining of sorts because customers are drawn to safe, stable, familiar styles now more than ever.

The company’s classic, some say pedestrian, designs will be in style for years and have a certain malleable nature that engages both New England Gold Casters and Southern preps used to bolder color palates. Typically, Vineyard Vines pieces are not standouts; rather they are good compliments of other aspects of an outfit. Supporting, rather than starring roles as it were.

Fall 2010 changed up this historical rule however and it seems that Vineyard Vines’ designers were looking to the highly stylized designs of Ralph Lauren’s Rugby brand for some inspiration. Mild compared to Rugby’s hyper prep school look, but still a noticeable uptick on the style front.

For some then, the traditional designs of Vineyard Vines shirts, pants and shorts represent stylistic security as well as comfort. As an OTC reader one observed, Vineyard Vines is no Ralph Lauren. While the two share a seaside/preppy/windswept lifestyle brand, Ralph is champagne and oysters, Shep and Ian are Sam Adams and lobster rolls.

The brand has never been about highbrow, but it does appeal to the lifestyle sensibilities of many who want some of the privileged coastal life. Functionality plays role as well. A Vineyard Vines polo, tie, fleece jacket or classic “bare feet” D-ring belt will be in style now, a year from now and probably 10 years from now.

Their tote bags have become, especially for many young women, signature accessories. Other items like blazers, oxfords, shorts and pants all reinforce the Vineyard Vines lifestyle without the overbearing brand association of a Ralph Lauren-like status issue. The message is often that if you are a Vineyard Vines person, you are a fun loving low key brand ambassador who doesn’t need go out of your way to impress others.

Washington, D.C., has also found the brand to be a good fit. Apart from its appealing natural heritage and traditional preppy theme, there is a long running and bipartisan relationship that politicians, particularly from the Northeast, have with Vineyard Vines ties.

During his 2004 presidential run, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) commissioned blue donkey ties for his staff which quickly attained must-have status. Since then, Vineyard Vines ties and belts sporting donkeys, elephants, and American flags regularly dress up blue or red political operatives from Capitol Hill to K Street.

For then-Senator Obama’s 2008 presidential run, Vineyard Vines came up with Capitol Domes and the Obama “O” logo on the tail. Is there a now a White House version? Hmmm, I’ll have to check on that.

Even those classic Vineyard Vines totes have been tricked out with blue/donkey or red/elephant trim – my direct observation showing this item to be a perpetual de rigeur accessory for Hill interns and staff alike.

The Business of Fun
From a purely business perspective, Shep and Ian are pretty smart guys. They understand the power of branding and customer association to the Vineyard Vines island lifestyle. They are heavily involved in non-profit, good will and social activities in many of their key markets. The brothers understand the financial and marketing benefits of letting their brand grow organically and in markets that make sense.

One of those markets is corporate branding. The company produces neckties and select garments and accessories for the National Football League and Major League Baseball. Where one might typically expect to see repeating sailboats, instead team logos scroll across ties.

In announcing the NFL deal several years ago, SportsBusiness Daily, quoted NFL Vice President of Consumer Products Susan Rothman saying, “we have ties in the market, but they don’t have the quality that Vineyard Vines has.” She went on to say that additional team branded Vineyard Vines products are a logical next step.

In addition to its collegiate and professional sports business ventures, Vineyard Vines provides an extensive corporate branding service that captures lucrative company contracts for employee polos, fleece, etc., and corporate gifts, like tote bags, hats and jackets.

Cashing on on the blog-fueled interest in TRUE PREP, the long-awaited follow-up to The Original Preppy Handbook, the company partnered with author Lisa Birnbach to play host to a national book signing tour and produced a capsule collection of TRUE PREP branded product. the move garnered attention from multiple quarters and also positioned, or re-positioned if you will, Vineyard Vines as a classic brand equal to L.L. Bean when it comes to its preppy DNA.

Minding The Store
Vineyard Vines has taken a creative approach to its retail outlets as well. The company makes a concerted effort not to cannibalize existing retailers whenever possible. In many cases, they actually partner with their existing retailers in developing a new stand-alone Vineyard Vines store.

This strategy captures local market knowledge and existing customer bases, engenders goodwill with their local partners and consolidates retail channels. It also frees up the corporate team to focus on product development and branding efforts.

The company has won numerous awards, including being named a 2008 All-Star Awards winner by Apparel Magazine for outstanding achievements in the apparel industry. Though it certainly has its detractors, Vineyard Vines continues to be a case study in creating and building a passionate and successful business.

The company also invests in robust back office and supply chain management software. Controlling costs and inventory across the various retail platforms (web, catalog, company store and retail) is just as vital as customer development.

Vineyard Vines’ website is regularly refreshed, while still retaining it’s clean and brand-appropriate friendly feel. Though relatively new, the company’s blog, “The Vine” is refreshingly non-corporate feeling. An active Twitter feed and Facebook fan page round out a robust if relaxed social media platform.

If there is an area of legitimate concern regarding Vineyard Vines’ brand, I think it is the issue of brand dilution. By moving into so many tangential markets – collegiate, fraternal, club, professional sports, corporate – the Murrays do run the risk of muddling what Vineyard Vines really means. If I can pick up a dozen San Francisco 49ers Vineyard Vines ties at Marshall’s for $12.99, exactly how special is that brand? What lifestyle am I really buying?

It’s a legitimate concern and frankly one I suspect has already been mulled over up at the Stamford, Connecticut, headquarters.

Vineyard Vines: An American Original & Preppy Heavyweight

On November 8, 2010, By OTC

Vineyard Vines is everywhere. A classic American success story, the company, most associated with whimsical yest office compatible ties, was most recently feted in the long-anticipated follow up to The Original Preppy Handbook – TRUE PREP.

In fact, TRUE PREP and TOPH author Lisa Birnbach worked together to promote the new book. In September, Vineyard Vines used its stores to host a cross-country tour for Ms. Birnbach and even launched a TRUE PREP co-branded capsule collection. As it did not even exist when TOPH was written, this example of Vineyard Vine’s impact on, and influence in, the East Coast preppy trend is even more noteworthy.

The Back Story
Founded in 1998, Vineyard Vines sells a classic vision: that everyone should enjoy the simple New England seaside life; and through their products you can. In times like these, still full of turmoil and uncertainly and a desire for simple, classic influences, that message is very attractive.

Vineyard Vines was built by two brothers, Shep and Ian Murray, who both had suit-and-tie Manhattan careers but really wanted to live and play by the water. They quit, started making quirky ties and the rest, as they say, is history. Self financed by the seat of their pants, it’s an authentic story. And the company’s hats, ties, shirts, short and bags all carry this inherent authenticity that resonates with Vineyard Vines’ customers.

Though host to a variety of product lines, the most well known are their ties which have a similar cache’ to Hermes ties and so are regularly snapped up by suit wearing lawyers, bankers and even politicians.

This particular aspect of the company’s brand is one of its most interesting. While VV ties are not made in a French artisan’s atelier, their similar subtle repetitive patterns, rendered tongue-in-cheek to Hermes’ status-heavy bridle bits, often resonate with the same customer demographic.

As Ian says, “We started making neckties so we didn’t have to wear them.” That feeling has effectively translated to their customers. For many, wearing a Vineyard Vines tie is a little like saying, “I may have to wear a tie, but I’m wearing a vineyard Vines tie because that’s who I really am – someone who doesn’t need to wear a tie.”

Vineyard Vines’ ties send a message about the wearer, or at least what the wearer wants you to believe about him. Their designs are tastefully neutral but topically ironic. As noted above, where Hermes may have interlinking Raj elephants, Vineyard Vines ties have interlinking beach chairs or gin & tonics. They are statement ties at a very irreverent level and in fact require the wearer to possess some personal confidence; a little “in-your-faceness.”

To my mind, one of the main reasons that Vineyard Vines remains a successful brand, even during these economically challenging times, is because its growth and brand recognition were both the result of an organic process. It’s grown slowly in terms of a national label and by doing so has achieved a certain cult status among the American preppy/Trad cognoscenti.

The brand and its products have a personal and timelessly classic appeal. Most companies spend small fortunes trying to manufacture that magic – Shep and Ian just seemed to stroll right into it. But once the brand stuck, they made a point of effectively managing its growth and sticking to their natural markets.

Branding the Life
At its core, Vineyard Vines can still be considered a cult brand. While its product lines are fairly strait forward New England preppy standbys – polos, khakis, shorts, fleece, tote bags – the buzz surrounding the company is still the visceral kind normally associated with newcomers. Not everyone knows about the brand, but those who do are often vocal advocates.

For a lot of their customers, sporting a Vineyard Vines martini glass tie or whale logoed hat, tells people that really they are an individual, not one of the corporate masses. And within the company, there is still a real passion to spread the gospel of Vineyard Vines. With products and price points that range from hundreds to just a few dollars, it’s also a lifestyle brand that people can buy a little piece at a time. This approach is the classic recipe for retail success practiced by the likes of Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren.

From the customer’s perspective, moving through the Vineyard Vines world is well thought out presented at a casually human scale. Everything reinforces not only the “VV” lifestyle but also the real people living it. For example, the catalogs feature real people whom the brothers have known for years, not professional models. This practice began out of necessity – they couldn’t actually afford to hire models – but eventually became a staple of the local and real world ethos that has made the brand so popular and accessible.

Over the past few years, there has been some validity to complaints that Vineyard Vines was on design autopilot. The styles were a little drab and neutral and quality not top-notch. The 2010 Summer and Fall seasons however, have been absolutely on target. The designs are inspired and appealing in a functionally preppy way and a renewed focus on materials and construction show.

OTC recently received a box full of Vineyard Vines’ current offerings and I can say that, unexpectedly, I love each piece. to be blunt, I did not expect to be so impressed. Given the generally average stylistic and performance reviews the brand gets, I was hoping to find one or two pieces for OTC to recommend. Turns out, it all gets a big OTC thumbs up.

The two pullovers they sent, a Raft Up Rugby and Jersey 1/4-Zip (in Blue Blazer), are without exception my new go-to favorites. The Washed Twill Club Pants (in Beach) were, honestly, the biggest surprise.

I tried out VV pants before and was disappointed. They never really fit me and I felt like the leg openings were too wide – just not me. On top of that, I’m a bit of a khaki snob, mostly because I can never find a pair that I really fits me. These khakis, rendered in a lightweight brushed finish vaguely reminiscent of moleskin, are great. I wear them all the time and I’m going to get more; simple as that.

The Nor’easter Vest, lined in dense but thin Polartec has already seen extensive dog walking and apple picking use. In speaking with the company’s PR crew I learned that, although not really touted, Vineyard Vines outer wear is genuinely tough and built for use. No, walking the dog is not akin to heeling your 420 in 15-foot swells during a squall, but the taped seams, heavy zippers, durable materials and solid construction appear to be some new hallmarks for a brand that has heretofore been categorized as “style over substance.”

Bricks & Mortar
In its stores, Vineyard Vines has done the elusive – effectively capturing the appeal of coastal New England life and tying the physical experience to emotional appeal of the brand. In fact, while other brick-and-mortar outlets are closing or at least slowing their expansion, VV is still moving ahead with targeted expansion.

The stores are friendly, bright and inviting. You feel the Nantucket-ness in every inch of the place; from the large framed maps of New England coastline to the buoys and nautical paraphernalia scattered across the selling floor. For a native Connecticut Yankee who spent childhood summers on Long Island Sound, it’s like going home.

Of course, it’s a clean, shiny, well designed nautical version of home akin to Polo’s take on the classic English country manor house. Better and more ideal than the real thing but nonetheless inherently true to its roots.

On the cyber end of things, the website is visually engaging and makes the visitor feel like they are part of the Vineyard Vines world, or at least that should want to be. There is even a photo gallery so that customers can send pictures of their exploits and celebrations while wearing or using Vineyard Vines products. This last feature is a very effective method for building brand personalization and identification because the customer is literally getting to be part of the culture. It also marries traditional “real world” marketing with aspects of social media and first person reporting.

Shep and Ian also recently launched their blog, which highlights a more conversational approach to the brand. In fact, what it really pushes is a community approach to content generation. they want the blog to populated by fan stories, posts or videos of local and family events sent in by customers and employee highlights from retail outlets.

In Part II of this extended brand profile, we’ll continue our discussion about Vineyard Vines’ business strategy, including their successful approach to college grassroots marketing, its political connections and creative model for retail development. Part II is working its way through editing and should be ready in a week or two. Keep your whale hat on and your eyes peeled.

Tagged with: Brands • Preppy Style • Vineyard Vines

A Classic: The Canvas Tote

On May 27, 2010, By OTC

I have a lifelong appreciation for designs that respect a product’s utilitarian roots.

Classic and traditional styles have always done that. In fact, the hallmark of the true preppy aesthetic is the re-purposing of utilitarian items for everyday life: foul weather gear becomes a fashion statement, prep school ties and jackets appear in the office, and the steamer trunk great uncle Dan used at Yale is now a snazzy coffee table at the beach house.

A great example of this approach to life – utilitarian yet stylish – is the canvas tote bag. The most famous version of this functional workhorse is made by L.L. Bean. In fact, L.L. Bean literally invented the canvas tote bag category. The bag was originally developed to carry blocks of ice (back in the day when block ice was used to keep foods fresh in the ice box).

A nicely aged tote

From these humble beginnings, the bag quickly became recognized for its simple yet elegant functionality. L.L. Bean started to offer the canvas tote in a smaller version and called it the “boat & tote.” It was perfect for lugging around sailing and boating items and the more abuse it suffered the better it looked. So began the WASPy affinity for this multipurpose wonder.

As the Official Preppy Handbook cheekily pointed out, every New England family has several of these lying around the house. In some ways, these canvas totes are a sort of status symbol. That you know what these bags represent – where to get them, the history, even the perceived lifestyle they imply – makes them recognized and desirable.

Heritage Research, a workwear inspired British brand, even convinced L.L. Bean to produce a limited run of the original 30oz cotton duck ice tote bag.

Courtesy of Selectism.com

The L.L. Bean canvas tote bag has been liberally copied by many competitors. The basic design has even been reinterpreted by suppliers to Wall Street brokerage houses and white shoe law firms. Their logoed bags, given as employee gifts or awards, have become New York chic collector items. Go figure.

It is not uncommon to see these bags on the subway commuting to work with their owners. They are neutrally appealing and bring a bit of the outdoors to the office without being at all kitschy. The midsized L.L. Bean version is perfectly proportioned to hold everyday stuff along with lunch or a morning bagel.

Tagged with: Bags • Preppy Style

True Prep Advance Teaser

On April 6, 2010, By OTC

True Prep Blad

View more documents from Alfred A. Knopf.

Tagged with: Preppy Style • TOPH • True Prep

Signs of Spring: Preppy Handbook & Lumina Bow Ties

On April 6, 2010, By OTC

Well, without a doubt a Spring here in the nation’s capitol.

The cherry trees, a gift from the people of Japan to the people of the United States, are blooming across the city and tourists from around the world are flooding in.

Though a little frustrating – please, please stand to the right on escalators – I love seeing how amazed visitors are when walking up to the Capitol or strolling along the White House gates. What I also like, especially after our unusually brutal winter, is that folks are breaking out the Spring wardrobe.

Two items of note on this front; (1) The Preppy Handbook, the tongue-in-cheek arbiter of all things Ivy League, is getting a Part II, and (2) if you like ties, you need to check out a small company from Raleigh, NC, called Lumina.

First, The Book. The New York Times this past Sunday reported – on the front page no less – that Lisa Birnbach is penning a follow-up to the seminal “The Official Preppy Handbook” currently titled “True Prep.” For the pink and green cognoscenti, this is huge; a second coming of sorts.

Though intended to be a parody of the WASPy, gin soaked, boat shoe wearing, blue blazer sporting, East Coast lock-jawed social snobs inhabiting the finest prep schools and ivy covered walls of higher learning, it instead became the bible of how to become one.

Great piece from back in the day (thanks to UnabashedlyPrep.com)

The current wave of preppy resurgence has some serious staying power and is still riding high. And this generation of preps has been pining for its own social guidebook on par with the classic TOPH.

As Scott “The Sartorialist” Schuman mentioned to me once, although Americans like to try on other styles – English country and city looks, Italian sprezzatura, French minimal cool – East Coast prep is ours and ours alone. No one does it better and we should be proud of that.

The other preppy classic: Take Ivy

Outside the U.S., preppy/East Coast/Ivy League/American Trad, call it what you will, is the defining style of America. Japan may be the most obsessed when it comes to getting the precise look down pat, but what makes American preppy so enduring is its imperfection and evolutionary nature.

TOPH made my family cool – and I sure can’t argue with that. So, be on the lookout for more updates on this genuinely exciting news. With any luck, you’ll get to see a sneak peek right here, before it hits the shelves.

Now, on to some preppy wares that you can put to use right now.

Today, I am sporting a bow from the Lumina Clothing Company – a small shop run out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Named after the nearby town of Lumina and founded by a group of tie-loving friends, they make outstanding and unique ties.

As I write this, I am wearing the Something Traditional bow tie (as you can see below). Now, I do like bow ties but don’t often wear them. It takes some guts and I have to be in the right mood – but after tying on this one I think I’ll be in the mood more often. The construction is outstanding, I love the bright, refreshing design and even the hook and roller hardware is impressive. In disclosure, they sent me this tie as no cost; but for $39.00, it’s a darn good deal.

The Something Traditional bow tie

Please take a moment and stop by their site, check out their other bow and neck ties and learn more about this great little company. OTC is always on the lookout for smaller and start-up companies that have a great story and great products – this one has both.

Tagged with: Brands • Lumina Clothing Co. • Preppy Style

« Previous Entries

Vineyard Vines: An American Original (Part II)

Vineyard Vines: An American Original & Preppy Heavyweight

A Classic: The Canvas Tote

True Prep Advance Teaser

Signs of Spring: Preppy Handbook & Lumina Bow Ties

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