A Fine Man Once Said:

"Part of the 10 million I spent on gambling, part of it on booze, and part of it on women. The rest I spent foolishly."

- George Raft





Sunday, September 27, 2015

An Uptown Dandy @ Greenwood Gardens, Short Hills, NJ




I've been trying to schedule a photo session with Bill Gallo to use as a template for a  portrait for some time now. We wanted a venue that could provide a little Jazz Age panache, so we thought we'd try the nearby Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey. The property's heyday was during the 1920s and 1930s, when Joseph P. Day sank a million dollars into the 26 acres and named his palatial estate "Pleasant Days."



There are quite a few lovely places on the grounds that make for an ideal setting for a photo shoot - my favorite was the Garden of the Zodiac. The original estate featured two terraces below the Reflecting Pool Terrace: the Croquet Terrace and the Garden of the Zodiac, where twelve pairs of classical columns were arranged in a demilune around a reflecting pool, with a bronze sculpture of a boy holding two geese by Emilio Angela at the pool's center.



We came away with quite a few lovely pictures and Bill and I settled on one for the portrait. It will be interesting to see the finished product in a few months!

[Pictured: Vintage straw boater made in Italy for Brooks Brothers; straw fedora by Borsalino; light blue shirt with white stripes by Turnbull & Asser for Bergdorf Goodman; Navy jacket by Ralph Lauren Purple Label; linen trousers by Brooks Brothers; brown and white captoe spectators by Edward Green for Ralph Lauren Purple Label; navy tie with creme polka dots by Drake's; navy and red wool unicorn pocket-square by Drake's; vintage 1949 Longines watch; vintage sterling silver cufflinks by Hickey Freeman,]


Friday, September 25, 2015

True Style by G. Bruce Boyer (The Armoury Launch Party)




The fellows at The Armoury hosted the launch party for Bruce Boyer's latest book, True Style, a collection of essays on a variety of subjects on men's style, from Ivy and Italian Style to bow ties and ascots. I've only read a few of the chapters so far, but I think it's safe to say that Bruce's unique voice and seemingly-effortless writing style are once again in fine form. I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to the event and, as expected, it was a wonderful evening. There's always an eclectic group of people at these parties, which makes for some interesting conversations. Couple that with the amazing wares that are usually on display at The Armoury, and you have all the ingredients for an unforgettable experience.


Wednesday, September 9, 2015

eBay Auctions!





I've been doing some closet cleaning and posted a few items on eBay for sale. Some interesting items, including Peal & Co. slippers in Brooks Tartan for the House of Brooks, shirts from T&A and Brioni, jackets from PRL and Paul Stuart, and shoes from Edward Green, John Lobb and Carmina. The shirts are a size 16/41, jackets are 42R-44R, and shoes are around a US 10. I'm happy to end the auctions early for any readers who might be interested, so definitely reach out if you see something that you like! Happy hunting :-)


http://www.ebay.com/sch/dittycom/m.html?item=301734628952&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562