Dapper Dan

Put this in your ears and enjoy.

21st Century Prep

Lisa Birnbach, author of prep tome The Official Preppy Handbook, will release a sequel to her 1980 classic in September along with author Chip Kidd. In the 25 years since the original, "preppy" (as a fashion trend, not the prep lifestyle) has cycled in and out of fashion and right now seems to be riding a crest of popularity - one need only look as far as the recent resurgence of J.Crew. The irony of this, of course, is that the class of people the book lampooned never seems to care whether frayed oxfords, Barbour jackets, and deck shoes are in, they (we?) simply wear them because it's what's practical, what's traditional, what's always been done. The best part about Birnbach's satire is that everyone's in on the laugh --non-preps and preps alike-- mostly because of how painfully accurate her social commentary is. (I swear there's a sketch of an older gentleman toward the back that was based on my father.) Enjoy the video sneak peek here - looks like the OPH 2.0 is going to be just as fun as the first version.

Saturday Cocktailing | The Tea Party

The phrase "tea party" carries with it a lot of ... shall we say, interesting connotations. Last weekend I cast those aside and threw together a daytime party for some friends on a sunny (but still chilly) Saturday afternoon. It was a great way to entertain - I had all morning to prepare, and the guests were out the door by five p.m., just in time for a nice nap. I could see moving the whole shabang outside once the weather gets nicer. Here are a few shots of the table --

Lots of spring things - hydrangea, Pimm's Cup, cucumber spears...

The homemade fruit tart was tricky to put together, but well worth it.

Cucumber watercress sandwiches, egg salad on endive, smoked salmon and herb butter...

The only tea at the party was Firefly sweet tea and fresh mint lemonade...

The Brilliant Mister Bastian

The weather is finally getting nicer and already this guy's got me longing for fall. Check out some of my favorite looks from two Michael Bastian-designed collections for fall: his eponymous line,




and from his much-talked-about collaboration with Gant.

This guy's unstoppable. Fall 2010, here we come.

The Lilly P. Jungle

Each trip I take to Palm Beach, I stock up on secondhand preppy essentials at Fiore Menswear, a store near Sunset Avenue in a section of the island devoted to thrifting and designer consignment shops. It's chock full of finds, including Loro Piana cashmere outerwear, vintage Hermès ties, shirts from Turnbull, and the like (all at quite reasonable prices). My favorite, though, is the extensive selection of vintage Lilly - they've literally plastered the walls with it. This trip I returned with two pairs of "go-to-hell" pants (a la Tom Wolfe): a blue and white cotton batik-esque print (left), and the very loud ostrich print ones on the right in, gasp, polyester. Some alterations were needed to take these pants into this century - removing the flared leg and taking in the waist and seat - but the finished product will be 100% unique, pants not likely to be seen on anyone else from Bar Harbor to Winter Park (not in this print, anyway). Pictures of the final product to come once the tailor is done with them.
N.B. - There is not a "go-to-hell" shirt. Save the Hawaiian short sleeve numbers for the fanny pack toting tourist masses.

Life, Post-Snowpocalypse

This past week has been something of a wash for those in the DC area, where a record breaking snow total pretty much shut everything down. Now it seems we're out of the woods for a while. While digging ourselves out of the snow may seem annoying, I'm just thinking of how sweet spring will feel this year when it finally arrives. Cherry blossoms, anyone?
(N.B. - this photo was taken last Friday - before the brunt of the storm hit us - when all the white weather still seemed so unusual and pretty. Most of those cars are deep under snowdrifts by now.)

Wardrobe Staple | The Cashmere V-Neck

We're currently in that sartorial in-between season, the purgatory between the tweeds and tartans of fall/winter and the linen and madras of spring/summer. It's still damned cold, but wide wale cords and blaze orange cableknits don't seem quite right either. So for right now, it's best to pick a neutral color palette and stick with it. I find J.Crew makes a terrific cashmere v-neck that is a good layering piece all year round. The fit is spot on, it comes in basic colors (gray, navy, black) as well as seasonal ones (purple, olive, seafoam), and the construction has improved significantly since they first partnered with Loro Piana for the yarn several years back. At $188, it may not be cheap, but it's on par quality-wise with sweaters twice its price (and with luck, you can even nab it on sale).
J.Crew Cashmere V-neck, $188, at J. Crew