The II Earl

Tradition, which is always old, is at the same time ever new because it is always reviving - born again in each new generation, to be lived and applied in a new and particular way. Convention is simply the ossification of social customs. The activities of conventional people are merely excuses for NOT acting in a more integrally human way. Tradition nourishes the life of the spirit; convention merely disguises its interior decay. ~ Thomas Merton

God rest ye, merry Gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, For Jesus Christ our Saviour Was born upon this Day. To save poor souls from Satan's power, Which long time had gone astray. Which brings tidings of comfort and joy. A very happy Christmas to everyone.

A Hip flask is one of the best presents a man can be given. Fact. The perfect gift for a brother, godson, father or grandfather; they can be engraved and then used forever, whether in the field with a shotgun in hand or preparing for a black tie ball.

His noble presence and gentle, kindly manner were sustained by religious faith and an exalted character. - Winston Churchill , on the character of Robert E. Lee

Words: From GUARDIAN by Josh Sims Credit: The National Archives ** The recession has forced us to make our shoes last. But how do you get the perfect shine? Dave Watkins rarely uses spit. Polish, yes. But not spit. As sales director of one of British manufacturing's success stories, the Cherry Blossom shoecare brand, he knows his buffing from his brushing. For a long time he's been fighting a losing battle. Although sales of shoes have been climbed steadily over recent years – faster than clothing sales – shoe cleaning has, as he puts it, "remained a mystery to younger people. Shoes have become a commodity. You get them scuffed. You buy a new pair." Add in the popularity of trainers, and one might imagine the Sunday night pre-school ritual of yore to have all the nostalgia of gathering around the radiogram for Listen With Mother. But the recession has seen a rise in the smartly shod. It appears to have prompted not only a reappraisal...

"Many people don’t understand how disciplined you have to be to play jazz… And that is really the idea of democracy - freedom within the Constitution or discipline. You don’t just get out there and do anything you want." - Dave Brubeck

Winter is a tricky time of year; it’s freezing, it’s dark, there are no looming summer escape plans and everyone just becomes a little more miserable. You’re a gentleman though, and it’s important to ensure that your persona is kept intact during all seasons – including winter. Don’t be that guy who complains, who looks miserable and – most importantly – don’t allow your sartorial sophistication to slide during the winter months. While we understand that temperatures have dropped and that you don’t want to be cold when you step out, that doesn’t mean that you have to make fashion sacrifices. As a gentleman, you need to remember that the glass is always half full and that winter is an opportunity to look amazing, not a season to be dreaded. ✠

A few tips how to enjoy an at home spa experience. • Step 1: Turn off your devices or put them on silent to enjoy no distractions. • Step 2: Create a relaxing atmosphere by lighting a candle, dimming your lights, and turning on tranquil music. • Step 3: Unwind with a cup of herbal tea — or a glass of champagne! • Step 4: Enjoy a hot towel, face mask, hair mask, or a relaxing soak in the bath. ✠

Aside from using the search bar which is fine-tuned to pull up most any subject in menswear–we’ve prepared this series as a gentle guide for those taking their first steps into the world of personal elegance. To begin choosing your next suit, determine whether you prefer: DOUBLE BREASTED, SINGLE-BREASTED, OR THREE-PIECE SUIT ? Even if the classic two-piece, single breasted jacket has been ruling for the better part of the last two decades, since a few years, we are witnessing a bit of a stylistic renaissance in the world of refined men’s style. The double-breasted suit is coming back stronger than ever, and many waistcoats are finding their way into many-a-man’s wardrobe. In fact, the design possibilities have never been as large as they are today. This small revolution requires a more extensive knowledge of a few fundamental notions, if only to help you feel as though you’ve made the right suit choice. The Double-Breasted Suit For many, it is the quintessential elegant man’s...

He’d spent his life being a perfect gentleman. He’d never been a flirt. He’d never been a rogue. He hated being the center of attention, but by God, he wanted to be the center of her attention. He wanted to do the wrong thing, the bad thing. He wanted to pull her into his arms and carry her to her bed. He wanted to peel every last inch of her clothing from her body, and then he wanted to worship her. He wanted to show her all the things he wasn’t sure he knew how to say. Julia Quinn , Just Like Heaven

Whether you wear the ring as a status symbol, for authentication or simply because it was handed down to you, a signet ring is still considered a mark of the elegant gentleman. Credit: Bren Danche

In the January 2014 presentation, the Woolmark Company, the tailors of Savile Row and the shirt and shoemakers of St James’s paid tribute to Winston Churchill in the former PM’s secret underground hideaway. The title of this presentation was the idea of the late AA Gill who, along with a number of other notable British characters (and one notable Canadian), agreed to model for the event in the historic Cabinet War Rooms. The result was an extremely atmospheric and evocative evening, when the labyrinthine corridors and spaces below the streets of Whitehall came alive once more with an army of smartly-clad men, animating what is these days usually a silent museum. The inspiration for this presentation was the British wartime spirit, which required people to make do and mend. This is of course a philosophy that lies at the heart of Savile Row, where garments are made to last a lifetime, and often will be handed down from generation to generation. In this way, styles often remain timel...

“A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them.” - Hardy Amies

We’ve heard time and time again what the world’s most successful people do first thing in the morning, whether that’s rising at 5am for a quick jog before meditating for half an hour followed by a cup of green tea on their commute into the office (chauffeur driven, naturally). The point is, everything we’ve heard so much about the lifestyle habits of the world’s rich and famous and it’s pretty clear that most of the time, they’re out of our reach (if he wants to last a whole working day as switched on as he was when he woke up, at least). But what about the stuff they do before they go to sleep? These habits, we’re glad to tell you, are surprisingly normal: Read a book The likes of Bill Gates and Barack Obama have cited reading before bed as being the key to them switching off after a tough day in the office. It’s not rocket science, but it works and many sleep therapists see reading before bed as a non-negotiable for a decent nights sleep. Switch off from work Working right b...

"The starting place for better development and planning must be a sea change in architectural aesthetics. Modernism should be abandoned and a return made to the classical values that created the first cities of our time" The future is classical

It’s the single most important piece of jewellery you’ll ever invest in — and with any luck, you’ll only ever buy one of them. There’s no denying that choosing the right engagement ring is a serious undertaking, and one capable of bringing even the most relaxed of gentlemen out in a cold sweat. How much should you expect to spend on her dream ring? Are you obliged to rely on the family jeweller? How in god’s name do you know what metal will suit her skin tone? Never fear, whether you are looking to update your grandmother’s rock, want to source an antique or design a bespoke piece from scratch, we’ve found just the person to guide you through this notoriously tricky quest, and better-secure your chances of getting a ‘yes’ when you propose. Jewellery consultant Beanie Major has spent a decade speaking to women about the role jewellery plays in their lives and has travelled the world seeking out the very best jewellers. Step one: Start with her Way before you even think about appro...

Every society depends on an experience of membership: a sense of who "we" are, why we belong together, and what we share. This experience is pre-political: it precedes all political institutions, and provides our reason for accepting them. Sir Roger Scruton

I see style as one of the main ways I express myself. I mostly likes tailoring, however, I love experimenting and do appreciate all different types of fashion, when done right. In my opinion the way to ‘good’ style is being yourself. Make an effort, wear clothes that make you feel comfortable, find the right fit and wear colours that compliment each other.

Sean Connery left us bereaved today October 31 at the age of 90. For every 007 fans, it’s a sad day. He is descended from Gaelic speaking Scots, and best friends with Michael Caine. The first Bond to appear on screen, and all with that seductive vocal burr, Sean Connery the recognition he deserves as a style icon. We cannot talk about the art of gentlemanly power dressing without visiting Sean Connery as the uber-spy himself. The way Connery was suited and booted as 007 made James Bond a smooth character in style as well as persona. Clearly, he wasn’t the man to mince words and that’s why we will miss Sean Connery the man along with a wonderful actor! ✠

Book smarts aren’t everything, especially when it comes to matters of men’s style. And while there are some bona fide men’s style “rule books” out there, there’s also a wealth exceptionally fascinating stories, anecdotes and history to know as well. The true men’s style connoisseur is, after all, a deep seeker of knowledge. It’s in that spirit that we’ve examined the shelves of the NS library and chosen our top 10 must read men’s style books. ▪ True Style by G. Bruce Boyer, $30 ▪ Men and Style: Essays, Interviews & Considerations by David Coggins, $30 ▪ Permanent Style: The Style Guide by Simon Crompton, $52 ▪ Icons of Men’s Style (mini edition) by Josh Sims, $15 ▪ Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style by W. David Marx, $30 ▪ Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser, $55 ▪ Mad Men Carousel: The Complete Critical Companion by Matt Zoller Seitz, $27.50 ▪ 100 Years of Menswear (mini edition) by Cally Blackman, $20 ▪ The Details: Iconic Men’s ...

Reading is for the improvement of the understanding. The improvement of the understanding is for two ends; first, for our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver and make out that knowledge to others. The latter of these, if it be not the chief end of study in a gentleman; yet it is at least equal to the other, since the greatest part of his business and usefulness in the world is by the influence of what he says, or writes to others. John Locke

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." — Vince Lombardi

Credit: Mr Fabio Instagram Lord Sebastian Flyte (and I am referring to the Fabio Trombini incarnation here) is nostalgia personified. He is the past we all wish we'd had (even if he has a future we'd rather avoid) - a past of magnificent houses, Paris, divine poetry and, of course, elegant clothes. Thankfully, I had found the perfect candidate for my new fashion story. The words came out of his mouth naturally – he perceives beauty in a way only few people can. Describing Trombini’s style is difficult as it is best perceived as a part of a greater picture. Fabio dresses, at least in Instagram account, with unstudied elegance. Mr Fabio manages precisely the mix of flamboyance and classic good taste that is so hard to get right. Overall, the former student of London College of Fashion looks like what a portraitist like Cecil Beaton would have longed for. His Instagram account is a good starting point to imagine what such an experience might be like, if you are interested i...

"Standing by his side, immaculately dressed as ever, with his eye-glass fixed and a gentle smile on his face, was Psmith." P.G. Wodehouse, Psmith in the City

If we’re talking about wellies, then we’re talking about Hunters. If we’re talking about music players, we’re talking about iPods, but if we’re talking about off-roaders, then there’s only one machine that springs to mind; the Land Rover Defender. A true automotive icon, dreamt up on the sands of Anglesey by Maurice and Spencer Wilks, its body was cobbled together from aluminium because steel was in short supply following World War II, and its sea-green shade came from surplus military aircraft paint. It may have appeared a botch-job, but 68 years later its straight lines and ability to trample any terrain still put a smile on all those who sit behind the heavy wheel. The love affair started back in 1948 when the British army was looking for a British equivalent to the USA’s Willies Jeep. Scraping together what they could after the war, Land Rover conjured up the Defender from Aluminium and leftover army surplus paint used on Spitfires. It is a machine that defines our pluck – as...

"One has an obligation to celebrate the positive things and to provide people with whatever weapons one can against the negative things. We are lucky to be building on the achievements of our ancestors, and the important thing is to maintain them and to not throw them away" Sir Roger Scruton

The Landed Estates of County Roscommon was published in late 2018. The book examines the big houses of Roscommon and concentrates on 12 of the larger estates within the county; Mount Talbot, Castlecoote, Donamon, Mote, Frenchpark, King House, Rockingham, Loughglynn, Kilronan, Clonalis, Castlerea House amd Strokestown Park. Each of these estates has a full chapter to themselves in the book and almost 80 others estates are briefly examined in the final chapter. The book is printed in full colour and contains 276 pages with each chapter containing a wonderful collection of old and modern photos. The author has given talks at the Percy French Festival in Castlecoote House, the Boyles Arts Festival in King House and for the Irish Georgian Society in Dublin, all events were sold out weeks in advance. Many of these outlets also have the book available to purchase online, check their websites or Facebook pages for confirmation. Thanks for reading. ✠

Clearly, he must have manners, humour, humility, talent and courage, but there will always be more materialistic giveaways, too A member of the Athenaeum once put up a notice after his umbrella was taken from the cloakroom. It read: ‘Will the nobleman who has taken my umbrella please return it.’ A friend asked: ‘How do you know it’s a nobleman?’ He replied: ‘The rules state that this club is for gentlemen and noblemen, and no gentleman would take my umbrella.’ According to Somerset Maugham, the only value of being a gentleman lay in the fact that it wasn’t a pretence (he also said it was almost impossible to be one and a writer), but with the world changing faster than a baton handover in an Olympic relay, is it possible to have a definitive picture of one? Clearly, he must have manners, humour, humility, talent and courage, but there will always be more materialistic giveaways, too. 1912 The Proms The Quorn ...

"Wealthy and influential people, often bored with their formal duties, go to the country in order to get out of London, the ugliest and most uncomfortable city in the world; they invented the long week-end to stay away as long as possible. Their métier is politics; they talk politics; and they make politics, quite spontaneously." - John Gunther, 1940 Source: Gunther, John (1940). Inside Europe. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 287.

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” — Epictetus

What are the first things that come to mind when you mention Berlin? Loud techno music? We are enamoured with another facet of Berlin’s vibrant life, in the form of the stylish tailor Maximilian Mogg . Since he founded his company in 2015 with just €5,000, this charming Savile Row enthusiast has been turning the heads of a particularly suave subset of Berlin’s style-conscious men, building a coterie of like-minded individuals around him and an international clientele that come to him for a flamboyant take on classic English suiting. For those unfamiliar with Mr Mogg, the pertinent details are as follows. He stumbled upon the delights of tailoring as a young man when, eternally frustrated by being unable to find clothing for his long-limbed, slim frame, he turned to the services of various alterations tailors, taking inspiration from Mr Alan Flusser’s tome on gentlemanly style, Dressing The Man . In particular, he fell in love with the fits and fabrics of Savile Row. Savile Row sui...

"Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire." Gustav Mahler

  A FATHERS ADVICE If a sportsman true you’d be Listen carefully to me. . . Never, never let your gun Pointed be at anyone. That it may unloaded be Matters not the least to me. When a hedge or fence you cross Though of time it cause a loss From your gun the cartridge take For the greater safety’s sake. If twixt you and neighbouring gun Bird shall fly or beast may run Let this maxim ere be thine “Follow not across the line.” Stops and beaters oft unseen Lurk behind some leafy screen. Calm and steady always be “Never shoot where you can’t see.” You may kill or you may miss But at all times think this: “All the pheasants ever bred Won’t repay for one man dead.” Keep your place and silent be; Game can hear, and game can see; Don’t be greedy, better spared Is a pheasant, than one shared.

In October, for the first time in its history, the world’s most infamous gentlemen’s dining club admitted that it failed to attract sufficient membership applications. So, farewell then, dear Bullingdon Club, taken from us this Michaelmas at the tender age of 236. Yours was not an easy life. Of course, there were the good times: the braying laughter of friends in high places; that reassuringly expensive dress sense; the broken glass and opened doors; those very smart photographs on all those steps and things. But, near the end, your ailments came in crowds. How unkind Evelyn Waugh was to write, in his prophetically named Decline And Fall, of your ‘epileptic royalty from their villas of exile; uncouth peers from crumbling country seats; illiterate lairds from wet granite hovels in the Highlands’. Illiterate? Uncouth? What rot! Don’t these people know that three of your younger sons – Johnson, Cameron, Osborne – recently made it to the pinnacle of government? (Never mind that the lat...

“There is one other reason for dressing well, namely that dogs respect it, and will not attack you in good clothes.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Dress changes the manners.” Voltaire

"If you want to have order in the commonwealth, you first have to have order in the individual soul." - Russell Kirk

Trust not the heart of that man for whom old clothes are not venerable. - Thomas Carlyle

The world of men’s tailoring for a long-time now has been repositioning itself away from the stiff, exclusive and one-dimensional stigma that a section of society accused it of. Dress codes are becoming less polarised which has meant tailoring houses engendering towards an aesthetic that has a continued relevance to the people. This has meant that working attire in one respect has changed over the course of this period, but the basic shape of a suit is determined by history. It is a case of finding ways to alter the proportions of the suit but retaining the customer's quest for extraordinary provenance. ✠

I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be and I finally became that person. Or he became me. - Archibald Leach

   A quintessential gentleman, a charismatic icon of timeless elegance and grace, Cary Grant will forever remain in our hearts and on our screens as one of the best-dressed men Hollywood has ever seen. Described as having a gracious manner, the debonair Grant always seemed to have everything in place. His hair was always coiffed, his cars shined and pristine and his attire could only be described as impeccably tailored and fit for a gentleman. He was once Archibald Leach, a young miscreant from a tough upbringing whose mother spent much of his life locked away in a sanitarium and whose father re-married and forgot him in the shadows as he began a new family. It wasn’t until Archie Leach reached Hollywood that he became known as the iconic Cary Grant, a leading man known for his savvy sense of style and his charmingly sophisticated grace. Tucked under the suits and smile was a frightened young man who changed his stars in search of the life most men only dream about. Perh...

  These photos dating from the 1940s, in the archives of Tri-Kap fraternity. They were part of a senior's book, which would have been given as a memento at graduation. Because of the war, Dartmouth students graduated early, and thus men of all years are represented here. This fellow wears a classic Dartmouth sweater. Unfortunately, these days it's more likely to see this paired with sweatpants rather than a pair of wool trousers and a white collared shirt. On the back of the Photo, it says that dog's name is Duke. The pipe and wool sweater lend an air of nonchalance to this photo. 'Ol Fuzzy's sweater and wool pants combination is timeless and relaxed. I also like his Indian head cane, which you can still buy today. Playing cards in a striped suit and repp tie? You'd be lucky to see an outfit like this at a formal. T-shirt and blazer? Probably the most informal photo of the lot. Reminds me a little bit of Miami Vice.   One fi...

A king may make a nobleman but he cannot make a Gentleman.   Edmund Burke was surely thinking along similar lines when he stated that the king may make a nobleman, ‘but he cannot make a gentleman’. And, when a notice was put up in a St James’s club that stated ‘Would the nobleman who has stolen my umbrella please return it’, the author pointed out, by way of an explanation, that it was a club for gentlemen and noblemen and that ‘a gentleman would never have stolen my umbrella’. ✠

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN NO FURKING ALLOWED! BUT, THERE IS POST-GAME SPONGE CAKE. WELCOME TO THE PECULIAR TRADITIONS OF “THE WALL GAME” AT ENGLAND’S SUPERELITE ETON COLLEGE A knot of young men in striped shirts shove up against one another, heads down and grunting as other boys sitting atop a wall jeer and urge them on. The scene resembles a rugby scrum, or that moment in American football when a running back smacks into the opposing line—except that the struggle goes and on and on, the ball hidden beneath a muddy tangle of arms and legs, until the unacquainted spectator realizes that what he is witnessing is basically the whole game. This organized hour of “constant, hand-to-hand, Homeric conflict,” as the British writer Arthur Clutton-Brock described it in the book  Eton , is known as the wall game, and it’s been played for centuries at Eton, Britain’s most exclusive boys’ school.  Illustrations by Lachlan Campbell from  Eton Colours: An Essential Il...

I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN THE ART OF FINE TAILORING. BEFORE I STARTED MY OWN COMPANY, I HAD MY SUITS CUSTOM-MADE. I WANTED THE FIT AND CONSTRUCTION TO HAVE THE INTEGRITY OF OLD-WORLD CRAFTSMANSHIP YET REMAIN SOFT AND SUPPLE, NATURAL AND COMFORTABLE. PURPLE LABEL TO ME IS MORE THAN JUST BEAUTIFUL CLOTHING; IT REFLECTS THE PERSONAL STYLE OF THE WEARER AND A WAY OF LIVING INSPIRED BY TIMELESS QUALITY. —RALPH LAUREN