How The Yale Co-op Helped Shape Style History

It’s been 20 years since the Yale Co-op closed its doors, but the store’s influence on menswear — and, more broadly, style — can still be felt today. At Ivy Style, Christopher Sharp looked back on the Co-op’s history and explored just why it mattered. He begins by noting that “alumni, faculty, students and employees” were able to join, and for a remarkably low rate. Sharp sets it at a dollar annually; a 1985 article mentions that incoming Yale students at the time could purchase a 4-year membership. It’s a bargain either way. The clothing sold at the Co-op helped to establish a certain style for menswear — but the act of shopping there was a gesture in and of itself. Sharp writes that Love Story author (and Yale professor) Eric Segal defended himself against charges of having sold out by, in part, citing his menswear buying habits. “I buy my clothes, boots, sports shirt, suede suit from the Co-op,” Segal said in 1971. Read more at InsideHook.