In the summer of 2010, a strange thing was happening in bookstores across the United States: An obscure Japanese book from 1965 had become such a status symbol in fashion circles that its publisher had to order reprints to keep up with the demand. The book was called “Take Ivy.” It consisted almost entirely of photographs of students walking around Ivy League campuses in varsity jackets, slender blazers and chino pants, and its sole purpose when it was originally published was to pitch American preppy style to Japanese teenagers, who learned how to dress by studying the snapshots.

As...