Rowing Blazers and The Age of New Prep
By Anthony DuPrau ‘24
For a while, it seemed as though preppy fashion was falling in popularity towards its great demise. Long gone are the days of men sporting jackets and ties and women sporting nautical dresses. Aesthetics seen in movies such as The Dead Poets Society and The Good Shepherd fell off with its target audience preferring athleisure and streetwear. Brands synonymous with prep were having to adapt to a new millennial and Gen Z consumer that associated prep with having to dress up for church on Easter or a dull work environment.
But this would not be the case for long. In 2017, Jack Carlson founded Rowing Blazers. Rowing Blazers was the exciting sequel to his book titled Rowing Blazers which examined the niche history of the boldly colored jackets worn by rowers across the world dating back to 1825. Carlson’s first collection released soon after its founding paid homage to the traditions and rituals seen throughout the rowing world featuring his design thesis on blazers, vibrant ties, and classic oxfords made right here in the USA opting for unparalleled quality for their consumers. With the company’s reputation soaring, Carlson released line after line using his keen eye to combine a time capsule of prep’s tradition while also incorporating modern undertones from the skate and punk scene featuring radiant color patterns and more modern cuts and takes of classics such as sweaters, cardigans, rugby shirts, and more.
What truly sets apart Carlson is that Rowing Blazers portrays a lifestyle achievable by everyone. I mean the brand’s store is referred to as the clubhouse and their recent slogan is “a club for everyone.” The movement of lifestyle clothing brands has caught on and it’s what gave Rowing Blazers its original cult following. Aptly put by a close friend, “Rowing Blazers when I first found it was like a cool club. Everyone knew someone who was closely involved, or modeled for them, or something along those lines.” Since then, Rowing Blazers has grown its versatility by appealing to more crowds. Because of this, they were able to achieve mainstream success through celebrity representation and sticking to their limited drop thesis. As of recently, Rowing Blazers has been donned by A$AP Rocky, Dwayne Wade, Timothee Chalamet, and Emily Ratajkowski. When asked about his mainstream success in a GQ interview, Carlson said, “A lot of people see what they want to see in the brand.”
Carlson has also made a name for himself with his many collaborations ranging from prep startups like Firstport, to brand name clothing brands such as Gucci and J. Crew and everything in between. His collaborations exude the brand's authenticity, branching two worlds into one movement. I mean, can you name another brand that has worked with the NBA, Barbour, Murray’s Toggery Shop in Nantucket, and J Press?
One of my favorite collaborations from Rowing Blazers is with Harry’s New York Bar. Harry’s New York bar is an iconic watering hole in Paris known for being the home of the original Bloody Mary, Sidecar, and French 75. Harry’s is also known as being a favorite of some of America’s most well-known authors: Hemingway, Gershwin, and Fitzgerald. Harry’s New York Bar was the center of attention during one of Carlson’s fall-winter drops as they hosted the release party for the launch while also debuting the collaboration line. Covered wall to wall with foreign and abroad collegiate pennants along with crests from Oxbridge, Harry’s proved to be the perfect backdrop for the Rowing Blazers vibe. This drop was one of Carslon’s more casual drops featuring a range of items such as an ashtray, sweatpants, and pullovers, along with Rowing Blazers staples such as the rugby and polo shirt all dawning the Harry’s logo.
However, my favorite drop was his latest collection with Target. The collection truly put Rowing Blazers on the map as a clothing force to be reckoned with. The collection dropped over 150 items ranging from $5 to $500. The drop featured a repeat of some of his classics such as the navy blazer with white piping and his patchwork tartan blazer. Carlson through this project was able to let his creativity run wild. The drop also featured items such as candles, cards, book stops, and even a portable ping pong table. What truly made this drop amazing, besides the sheer amount of items, was the pricing. His signature blazers were selling for less than $100, his rugbies were retailing for under $50. The collection sold pretty quickly with a lot of the featured items now collectible much like Carlson’s other limited drops.
Rowingblazers.com
As of now, it seems that Rowing Blazers has found its footing in the mainstream as it slowly continues to build its empire of followers and enthusiasts. Carlson, the true embodiment of the Rowing Blazers spirit, continues to collaborate and release drops every couple of months. So much so that my bank account is having a hard time keeping up. In the meantime, I highly recommend that you, the reader, should check them out ASAP and stay alert for their next drop. It could be the one that gets you hooked.
