Men can’t often wear floral patterns and get away with it. An occasion and a place is often needed; ‘holiday’ and ‘Honolulu’ help enormously. One of the best opportunities is when lolling by the pool or tanning on the beach. The informality of such a situation means that ‘flowers’ are scarcely noticed. This is perhaps why so many men, who probably wouldn’t be seen dead in a bright pink shirt or a floral tie, wear Vilebrequin and … [Read more...]

I attended a 1920s “Gatsby theme” party recently, thrown to celebrate a dear friend’s 30th birthday party. The scene was perfect; an oak panelled salon upstairs at Kettner’s in Soho, where the lights twinkled dimly through the hand-blown glass and the neo-gothic corniced ceiling recalled the extravagant drawing rooms of the Long Island mansions of the Gilded Age. The dress code, of course, was ‘Gatsby’, and I had decided to wear white … [Read more...]

The Unbranded Espadrille Man The Unbranded Espadrille Man hates hotels. He has no interest in swanning around a pool or spa, looking at or being looked at by other hotel guests. Instead, he rents gîtes – “Much less pretentious than a villa” – reads about local history and potters about munching marmalade on toast. A moderately successful writer – who secretly dislikes the ostentatious biographies he pens - he considers his … [Read more...]

One of the least acknowledged realities of the age we live in is that fashion is undemanding. It used to be that people were laughed off the social scene for wearing a jacket, waistcoat or accessory that was even slightly ‘out of date.’ The intense snobbery of fashion demanded compliance; many strived, and few were able, to keep up. Now, ‘personal style’ is king. Fashion has a subtle, overarching influence but its diktat grows ever … [Read more...]