As the archivist/historian for the ARROW brand, I’ve immersed myself in the fascinating history of the Arrow Collar Man, considered by some as the first sex symbol in all of advertising. The fictional character’s creator, the influential, early 20th-century illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, was explored at an extensive exhibition at the Reynolda House Museum in Winston-Salem, NC. I was honored to be a guest speaker during the run of “Leyendecker and the Golden Age of American Illustration.” Thanks to the Reynolda team for the hospitality and for allowing me to address this underappreciated chapter of fashion history and the same-sex partnership that came to inspire a defining moment of American pop culture and masculinity.
Stiff, detachable collars, anyone?
