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

Ebay Find | Purple PL Silk Blazer

Yeah, it screams "I am Chuck Bass," and you can probably only wear it once a year, but... I do love this blazer. Purple silk shawl DB Purple Label. Buy it Now for $488.

Spring/Summer Swatches

The lovely folks over at Pierrepont Hicks give us a peek at some of their fabrics for the coming season. For those of you not familiar with the Minnesota-based neckwear company, all their ties are handmade in NYC's Garment District (including my favorite reversible bowtie from this fall). Really interested to see what they do with that gingham and the Nantucket red...

Climb Every Mountain

A good scent always tells a story. That's not to say the story is always a good one. One whiff of Polo Sport and all the awkward memories of middle school come rushing back. (Fortunately, Ralph has all but discontinued it.) Yet most of the olfactory recollections brought on by Creed's complex and subtle fragrances are fabulously vivid - Green Irish Tweed reminds me of fitting a tuxedo shirt with studs for a black tie event in New York; Erolfa instantly brings to mind the Lilly pants and G&Ts that pervade the balmy evenings in Palm Beach. With this cologne, Himalaya, I hope to add to that repertoire. Bergamot, sandalwood, ambergris, and musk combine to create a cool, crisp winter breeze. (Even cooler if you keep it in the fridge - it actually extends the usable life of the cologne.) Fresh and masculine, and just the thing to keep the January doldrums at bay.
Himalaya by Creed, $122 for one ounce, $250 for four, at Creed

Hot Pants

Happy new year, everybody! Hope everybody got what they asked for from Santa. And while the weather outside is still pretty damn frightful, the warming trend coming to the Northeast this weekend (40s!) has my heart aflutter over spring clothes. While it's best not to get too excited yet (it's still winter), now is always a good time to start thinking about what the wardrobe is going to look like come March. Here's something I'm looking to add to mine: Polo came out with some linen pants in six great colors - they've got the mainstays of white, navy, and khaki, but my favorite is this coral red color - perfect for that classic WASP look of linen pants (in a go-to-hell color, natch), a blue or white shirt, blue blazer, and cordovan tassels. Simple, elegant, easy. Done.
Preston Fine Linen Pant, $125, at Ralph Lauren stores and online