A Gentleman's Ten Commandments.

This manifesto, which was posted on the Chap magazine website, I find as hilarious and tongue-in-cheek as Diana Vreeland's "Why Don't You?" column. The editor of Chap, Gustav Temple, does an impeccable job of applying the mentality of these rules to his every day life and he is quite the gent because of it. Give the list a look, be enlightened, and be amused.

1 THOU SHALT ALWAYS WEAR TWEED. No other fabric says so defiantly: I am a man of panache, savoir-faire and devil-may-care, and I will not be served Continental lager beer under any circumstances.

2 THOU SHALT NEVER NOT SMOKE. Health and Safety "executives" and jobsworth medical practitioners keep trying to convince us that smoking is bad for the lungs/heart/skin/eyebrows, but we all know that smoking a bent apple billiard full of rich Cavendish tobacco raises one's general sense of well-being to levels unimaginable by the aforementioned spoilsports.

3 THOU SHALT ALWAYS BE COURTEOUS TO THE LADIES. A gentleman is never truly seated on an omnibus or railway carriage: he is merely keeping the seat warm for when a lady might need it. Those who take offence at being offered a seat are not really Ladies.

4 THOU SHALT NEVER, EVER, WEAR PANTALOONS DE NIMES. When you have progressed beyond fondling girls in the back seats of cinemas, you can stop wearing jeans. Wear fabrics appropriate to your age, and, who knows, you might even get a quick fumble in your box at the opera.

5 THOU SHALT ALWAYS DOFF ONE'S HAT. Alright, so you own a couple of trilbies. Good for you - but it's hardly going to change the world. Once you start actually lifting them off your head when greeting, departing or simply saluting passers-by, then the revolution will really begin.

6 THOU SHALT NEVER FASTEN THE LOWEST BUTTON ON THY WESKIT. Look, we don't make the rules, we simply try to keep them going. This one dates back to Edward VII, sufficient reason in itself to observe it.

7 THOU SHALT ALWAYS SPEAK PROPERLY. It's quite simple really. Instead of saying "Yo, wassup?", say "How do you do?"

8 THOU SHALT NEVER WEAR PLIMSOLLS WHEN NOT DOING SPORT. Nor even when doing sport. Which you shouldn't be doing anyway. Except cricket.

9 THOU SHALT ALWAYS WORSHIP AT THE TROUSER PRESS. At the end of each day, your trousers should be placed in one of Mr. Corby's magical contraptions, and by the next morning your creases will be so sharp that they will start a riot on the high street.

10 THOU SHALT ALWAYS CULTIVATE INTERESTING FACIAL HAIR. By interesting we mean moustaches, not beards.

Need I say more?

Lovers and Lollipops.

I bet you haven't discovered it yet, but I am a sucker for old movies. One in particular that my mom and I discovered last spring is the film Lovers and Lollipops. Now, the film may seem like any old 50s flick, but not so. The director Morris Engel was actually the first to make a full length film with a home-made handheld camera. He did not like the constricting feel of oversized movie cameras, so he tinkered with one of his regular film cameras to have video taking capabilities. Talk about a smart man. So, the final result was this film as well as his other documentary-like movies Little Fugitive and Weddings and Babies. Here is the original New York Times review for the film and be sure to watch it next time it is on Turner Classics.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Tie The Knot.

Lumina's Gulf Stream Bow tie

I have recently gone completely bananas for a neckwear company called Lumina Clothing Co. They describe their aesthetic as being a cross between the classic southerner and an Ivy Leaguer's style in the 1960s, and boy have they succeeded! All of their pieces are hand-sewn and are available in a variety of widths and fine fabrics that exude that summery, collegiate look. They make a lot of pieces for weddings as well and their customers are always ensured that they will stand out

of the crowd.

Located in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina, the company itself was named after the old Lumina pavilion in Wrightsville Beach that was built in 1905. With a name like that, it is certain that these ties and bow ties will bring its wearer back to another world of the good old summertime and to the well made attire that comes along with it.

Lumina Pavilion circa 1906

Source 1, 2

Tune Tuesday.

Bix and the band

I am a firm believer in appreciating where you are from in order to know where you are going. I have noticed society has gotten in the habit of not listening to older music because people are so quickly bored by tunes that are even a few months old. That being said, I do believe it is time we take a few steps back, all the way back to Bix Beiderbecke in the 1920s. Now, mind you, do not kick Bix until you have listened to him, he was an innovator of his time and he sure knew how to strike up the band. Listen to Best Gal, Sorry, and his work with the Chicago Cornetts.

And if you discover from this post that you have found a new favorite genre, then I suggest you also listen to Paul Whiteman. He was a favorite of the Llewelyn-Davies boys and is a favorite of mine.

Sources 1, 2

The Burberry of Savile.

Sometimes, womenswear is too transitional and it gets irritating that one can never really keep up with what is current and fashionable. That is why it is absolutely necessary to observe what will always be in style, what is always well made and what is always flattering. That of course is bespoke menswear. Now, for those of you who don't know what bespoke suits are or where they originated, I will inform you.

In 1803, a man by the name of Beau Brummell, who was a leader in style of England's Regency Era and the first to wear a tie with a suit, began going to the tailors on Savile Row for his attire. The tailors that made his suits are no longer on Savile Row, but ones like Henry Poole & Co. which moved to Savile in 1846, still remain there to this day. In the words of the BBC Documentary of Savile Row, "They have dressed royalty and film stars, prime ministers and potentates. Valentino came here for riding breeches; Churchill for pinstripe; Fred Astaire his white tie and tails. They even funded a French Revolution to put Napoleon III on the throne so he could pay his tailoring bills." This Row consists of 11+ tailors that specialize in custom-made clothing to make a man look his absolute best. The men have their choice of any type of burberry, or fabric, to suit every occasion, whether it be a light grey wool to make high waisted pants for a renowned journalist or an all-weather cloth for an expeditious colonel. Every detail is agreed upon between the tailor and the customer, and a relationship is formed between them that will last as long as the suit itself, a lifetime.

Patrick Grant, the current owner of Norton & Sons Tailors on Savile Row.

And this is for your musical enjoyment in reference to the title of this post.

Sources 1, 2

Rat Pack.

Harold Lloyd as "The Freshman" wearing a rat cap in 1925

I just had the great privilege tonight of interviewing a large group of women who were celebrating their 50th college reunion. A whole lot has changed since 1960. They told me all about their white table cloths in the dining hall, their school policy against wearing shorts on front campus, and then they showed me their rat caps from freshman year. Now if you don't know what a rat cap is, it is a cute little hat that the freshman were forced to wear for the first two weeks of school as a mark so the older kids could tease them. It might seem like the hat would have a bad connotation to it, but I think the hats are adorable! So I think, with it's negative past aside, the rat cap or the "beanie" as it is also called should make a comeback and become a new staple. I may be a freshman, but I am dying to wear one of these hats.

Her Serene Highness.

If there is one person I admire and one person I aspire to be more like, it is Grace Kelly. She was an acclaimed movie star who met Prince Ranier of Monacco at the Cannes Film Festival and later went on to marry him. Grace was a beautiful princess and was the perfect mesh of American and Monégasque, wearing clothes that were Hollywood glamour with the flair of the Riviera. She had 3 beautiful children, one named Caroline who is the mother of Charlotte Casiraghi, friend of Lagerfeld and gem of European society.

Grace in "High Society", her last film before

moving to Monacco

With Prince Ranier and her two eldest children, Albert II and Caroline

Charlotte Casiraghi and dearest Karl

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Barrie and the Fairy.

J.M. with his dog Porthos

J.M. Barrie is by far my very favorite author not to mention one of my top 10 favorite men. He wrote "Peter Pan" not really for children, but more as a testament to how he felt like a child himself. He also wrote it for the Llewelyn Davies family, who he met in the park and who he eventually spent all of his time with. Barrie thought the Llewelyn Davies boys stood out among the other children because of their red velvet tam o shanters. J.M. was also completely infatuated with their mother Sylvia, who was his Wendy. Barrie's life story was very interesting as were the books that he wrote. So, I entreat you to read Peter Pan, the story will take you to another world of pirates and Indians and mermaids.

Jack Llewelyn Davies

Sylvia with the oldest three, George, Jack, and Peter

Jack, George, and Peter as "the Boy Castaways"

The 5 boys with their father Arthur Llewelyn Davies

Photos

(500)

Oh where to begin on this one. I was reading the obituary today for J.D. Salinger in the NY Times and it got me thinking about the references (500) Days of Summer made to the writer and other cultural references in general.

-For one, Tom is explaining to his younger sister how perfect he and Summer are for each other. "We talked about Bananafish for like 20 minutes. We're so compatible it's insane." This refers to The Salinger book 9 Stories* where one of the stories is called "A Perfect Day with Bananafish".

-Zooey Deschanel was actually named after the Salinger character from "Franny and Zooey".

-The character Summer spoke of reading "Dorian Gray" which was an Oscar Wilde novel.

-The character Tom is loosely based off of Goethe's "The Sorrows of Young Werther" who was described as "the first unrequited love protagonist" by the movie's director Mark Webb.

-Summer's apartment was packed full of pop culture references like a print of the painting Blue Vase by Cezanne.

-It was mentioned briefly that Summer liked the painters René Magritte and Edward Hopper. Her love of the former is shown later in her apartment when she has a derby hat with a green apple on top of it, alluding to the painting "Son of Man".

-The silent films shown with JG Levitt playing chess with a little boy is definitely in reference to Ingmar Bergman's classic film the Seventh Seal.

There are so many other aspects of the film, but I think you get the idea. So many layers and textures with these pieces, it makes the film that much richer and more special.

*Another note, for any Capote fans out there, the writer Paul Varjak in Breakfast at Tiffany's wrote a book called "Nine Lives". They seem to be similarly set up as Salinger's book so I wonder if it was intentional on Capote's part to make that reference.

*Addendum. The photo above I believe is also a reference to François Truffaut's short film Les Mistons.

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History of the Heel.

Alright. Brace yourself. This entry could potentially be mind altering or mind numbing so here it goes. Heels. Heels have been around for centuries, the elite wore them in ancient Egypt to signify their power and prestige. European countries later caught onto the look in the 16th and 17th century primarily for equestrians and for the diminutive woman. The original European heels were called chopines and from the look of them I can be sure they were rawther uncomfortable. Fast forward to the early 1900s. The evolution of the heel even over the past century is startling. If you observe the heel shape and look at the features of each shoe, typically you can identify what time period it is from. Knowing when and where a shoe is from can help shape purchases in vintage stores and also shape current purchases so you can evaluate which style of shoe will really stand the test of time. Personally, I go with a flat because they are simple and are much less likely to look severely outdated. Nonetheless, here is a timeline of the heel. Hope you have learned something.

The chopines, circa 1590

The edwardian shoes, 1910

The cork "wedgy" (center), 1940s

The kitten heel, early 1960s

The platform, 1970s

The pump, mid 1980s

The strappy sandal, late 1990s

The mary jane peep toe, 2000s

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Fare Thee Well.

What a fun, witty lady Ms. Dorothy Parker was! She was the queen of the Algonquin Round Table, wrote stories for The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, and was among the best of the best at playing with the written word. Once when asked to use the word "horticulture" in a sentence, she immediately replied, "You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think." I also admire her format for writing short stories. Most all of her characters would begin acting a certain way, which was either repulsive or irritating, and by the end of the story they haven't changed one single bit. She felt that the racists will always be blinded (Arrangement in Black and White) , the sentimentalists will always be in a dream world (the Lovely Leave), and the cheaters will always remain scummy (Mr. Durant). How interesting that one woman had such faith in the general stagnation of the human race. Her words inspire me to mull over everything I say, be brutally honest in my opinions, and never get into the "vicious circle" of being a torpid character.

*If you didn't understand the title of this article, you must listen to this.

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Urban Renewal.

Garden Theatre in 1919

The theatre present day

I want you to ask yourself a very important question: if you had your very own version of the 7 wonders of the world, what would they be? Well, a few years ago I discovered one of my own "wonders" in a lovely renovated theatre that was converted into an Urban Outfitters. This theatre is called the Garden Theatre located on King Street in Charleston, South Carolina. This was my fourth visit to the store and needless to say it is lovely. The former backstage is now used as a dressing area and the balcony is used as the sale and art section. The molding is out of this world and the chandeliers are stunning enough to make you fall back into one of the store's ornate vintage settees. Now mind you, this is not the only grand attraction that should bring you to this city. Practically all of the best restaurants in the south are located here. Nothing can compare to places like Poogan's Porch (a favorite spot of Giada de Laurentiis) and FIG (given the 2009 James Beard award). Also, the whole of King Street is an excellent shopping area including the most hospitable Louis Vuitton you have ever been to, a homey Ralph Lauren, a hotspot for Italian leather at Farushga shoes, and of course the innovative Japanese inspired Worthwhile. By visiting Charleston, you will be captivated by the old charm of the cobblestone streets, but refreshed by the modernization of the city as well. Visit and be invigorated.

Elaina and I next to an old house covered in vines

on the streets of Charleston next to some

very lovely vintage bicycles

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