The II Earl

Perhaps considered a simple accessory in the modern era, the history of the handkerchief tells us it is anything but, where its multifarious symbolisms throughout historical culture is quite something to behold. The Effect of Principle, Behold the Man (Handkerchief) - c. 1806 - Attributed to John Hewson (American, born England, 1744-1821) After Gilbert Stuart. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images) W hen, in the 1930s, Kleenex produced their slogan “Don’t carry a cold in your pocket” the death knell of the handkerchief’s ubiquity had been rung. Once an object to initiate a meet cute, or a talisman of good fortune and sexual intention, it was soon to become an optional accessory lying dormant till, say, a global pandemic were to bring it back in from the wilderness. Like all the best stuff, the handkerchief’s allure lies not so much in its practicality, but in its history. Whereas its sartorial br...

from Country life Nancy Mitford has a lot to answer for. It was she who, in 1955, set out in print what had never been written before – the unspoken rules for being ‘U’ or upper-class, and ‘non-U’. Her article, published in the CIA-funded magazine, Encounter, provoked an outcry, not least from her old friend Evelyn Waugh. In an open letter denouncing her for lobbing this grenade into British society, he wrote: ‘There are subjects too intimate for print. Surely class is one?’  Reading Mitford’s essay now, you realise how quickly everything changes. Back then, her observations on class were based on language – whether you ‘took a bath’ (non-U) or ‘had one’s bath’ (U). Whether you said ‘chimneypiece’ (U) or ‘mantelpiece’ (non-U). Today, having a bathtub at all is a sign of leisure, and therefore U (showers being much more common in every sense), while having a fireplace has become similarly recherché – and therefore U – in an age of remotely c...

The whole point of being in your teens is that you wear clothes in a slovenly manner, kick a football around in it and go to the sheds for a cigarette, ready to leg it if a teacher comes. It doesn’t exactly foster good sartorial discipline and frankly there is no point in the process of growing up if you dress like a grown man in your teens. We all have to remember the punk movement happened for a reason, we should all go a bit bonkers in our student years, try everything we need to and see what works after. Tailoring can wait. But if there are any old Etonians reading (a test of loyalty here for my dear twin), do take my sympathy as genuine, there is no reason you can really know what morning dress can look like and who can blame you. Now that Ascot has kicked off, and weddings are optimum British - all the pew squishing and hymn singing with none of the dancing - I thought a reminder might be in order. When you put on your morning dress, you have to think of the three F’s, fit,...

In this realm we call ‘Earth’, the glorious diversity of God’s creation has led to the development of some eccentric traditions.  Many of these revolve around the peculiar relationship between mankind and the animal kingdom. For instance, the Spanish have developed a habit of dancing around bulls, the native Americans like wrestling alligators and the Chinese enjoy eating bats. Whilst these actions seem bizarre from afar, they represent an essential, irreplaceable part of the cultures from which they were born. The Spanish are flamboyant risk-takers who possess the capacity for lethal violence. The native Americans lived a more ‘hands-on’ natural life than almost any other people. And the Chinese, well, the Chinese are just weirdos.  They’ll eat anything. Literally… anything. Cats, dogs, bats, you name it, the Chinese will boil it alive and serve it as soup. As British people, we should not ...

Some texts are better left untouched, as I am sure that I’m not able to improve upon John Henry Newman’s words regarding what makes a true gentleman, from The Idea of a University (1852) . And so, with no commentary needed, we launch into the specific description of a gentleman, as written by Newman. This simple page containing Newman’s words regarding specific actions that refine a man, may require a number of visits before it is completely comprehended; but, the effort to learn and apply Newman’s recommendations can pay great dividends in the quest to develop the character of the man behind the clothes. WHAT IS A GENTLEMAN?  "It is almost a definition of a gentleman to say he is one who never inflicts pain. This description is both refined and, as far as it goes, accurate. He is mainly occupied in merely removing the obstacles which hinder the free and unembarrassed action of those about him; and he con...

Take Ivy is a fashion photography book which documents the attire of Ivy League students. The New York Times described it as “a treasure of fashion insiders”. Take Ivy has been the Ivy League bible for Japanese baby boomers, among whom the Ivy League look is very popular, though original copies are very rare in the West, garnering auction prices as high as $2000. Take Ivy was authored by four Japanese sartorial style enthusiasts and is a collection of candid photographs shot on the campuses of America’s elite Ivy League universities. The series focuses on college-aged men and their clothes, capturing the unique fashion of the student population of that time. Whether getting a meal on campus, lounging in the quad, riding bikes, studying in the library, in class, or at the boathouse, the subjects of this photographic compendium are impeccably and distinctively dressed in some of the finest American-made garments of the time. Shosuke Ishizu, the director...

There are few fabrics that are so synonymous with their place of origin as Harris Tweed. Woven exclusively on the islands that make up the Outer Hebrides - Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra - Harris Tweed is famous around the world for its intricacy, beautifully rich handle and rugged durability. The Outer Hebrides have been well-known for their excellence in weaving for hundreds of years, however until the mid-19th Century, the majority of their product was only sold or traded at local markets. In 1846 Lady Dunmore, whose late husband the Earl of Dunmore was the landowner of Harris, requested their clan tartan be woven in the local style. She was so taken with the result that she decided to dedicate her time to producing more and marketing it to her well-to-do friends. Her work in both producing the cloth and supporting it as an object of desire led to it becoming a major force in the textile industry and was picked up by cloth merchants across the country. Its popularity has only cont...

“Cricket can only flourish if it is played by civilised people.”   Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

One must act in a fashion that conforms to one’s position and privileges with which one has been born, bestowed and or has earned.   - Noblesse oblige

Steve McQueen - the undisputed king of cool. Known for his love of clean cut masculinity, McQueen’s style is timeless, transcending generations. With a style not bound by class or location, McQueen has become an icon not just for his work in cinema but for his effortless and instantly recognisable dress sense. While it would be east to say McQueen is one of the all time great style icons, it’s by no far stretch where you could say he’s one of the world’s best-known dressers. His sartorial style was never forced, instead with a more relaxed masculine look.

In Greek mythology the Three Graces represent charm, beauty, and creativity, all good qualities. But something is missing. They are positive when they are placed in the world in a particular way with at least one other quality. I think of dignity as the necessary ingredient to moves grace—gracefulness and graciousness—to something beyond the aesthetic and into the moral realm. Grace brings pleasure, while dignity brings honor. While pleasure is often desirable, it becomes more so when it is done respectfully. Gracious become goodness when mixed with dignity. I believe that happiness is achieved when you live with grace and dignity. So here are several ways that grace and dignity together can lead to life’s satisfactions. 1. Live your life full of graciously. Live your life full of dignity. 2. Grace is achieved when you feel yourself as part of what is. Dignity is achieved when you accept the dignity of others. Therefore, live responsibly as part of the social world. 3. D...

"In a series of events, all of which had been a bit thick, this, in his opinion, achieved the maximum of thickness." - P.G. Wodehouse, Indiscretions of Archie

The long coat is described as a frock coat, and is particular to the Household Cavalry, which is formed of two regiments - The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals - while another version with slightly different cuffs is also worn by the Foot Guards. (The style of the knee-length frock coat evolved from men's 19thc fashion, with additional inspiration from the Ottomans.) It was worn in "Undress" instead of Full Dress, most likely because the choice of Windsor Castle made the wedding a less formal affair. One thing that fascinated us the most was the dashing dark uniform that Prince Harry chose to wear to his wedding. The uniforms were created by traditional military tailors Dege & Skinner on Savile Row, and were said to have taken over 100 hours to stitch and tailor by hand. Details are everything, even in a seemingly monochrome coat: the intricate interwoven braid on the sleeves (which was barely visible on television) took a single skilled craftsman over a we...

Queen Elizabeth's husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has died. He was 99-years-old. The royal family confirmed the sad news this morning. "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," reads a statement."His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss." The Duke of Edinburgh was born in Corfu on 10 June 1921, the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg. He therefore also held the title Prince of Greece and Denmark. Prince Philip joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1939, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Prince Louis, who was Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord. He had a long and successful career in the Navy and rose to the rank of Commander. Prince ...

Smaller image in the top left hand corner is of Gordon, aged 18, when he was an apprentice at Huntsman Savile Row. The start of his long and successful career in tailoring.

Bowler-hatted Young Conservative dandies, show their class at a party rally in Westminster [1969] captured by Homer Sykes

The real reason people are conservatives is that they are attached to the things that they love, and want to preserve them from abuse and decay. They are attached to their family, their friends, their religion, and their immediate environment” - Roger Scruton , Conservatism and the Conservatory

Oh my, have I made a terrible mistake! I’ve heard since even before I played the game that golf was a “Gentlemen’s Game” and I have had it in my mind that this phrase meant a game played by a well-mannered and considerate man with high standards of proper behavior. So when I saw players throw clubs, swear obsessively, throw temper tantrums, and display improper behavior on a golf course, I thought to myself that this person simply doesn’t get what golf is all about. Well, I believe that I am the one who has made a mistake. My study of history and the game’s origins leads me to the concrete conclusion that in fact this “Gentlemen’s Game” has always been a game played by men of noble birth or superior social position. In fact, both are acceptable definitions of the term “gentlemen” but it is clear given the games history in the United States that the game has its roots with men of superior social position. CB MacDonald, who is considered the Father of American Golf, c...

A recent visitor to White’s, the venerable gentlemen’s club housed in 18th century splendour in London’s St James’s, walked up to the bar to find it occupied by three dukes. “It’s the one place in town where they feel totally at home,” he said. Such encounters are custom-made to reinforce the stereotype of a traditional gentlemen’s club: a place of fusty exclusivity, where elderly gents snooze in leather armchairs beside marble fireplaces, disturbed only by the occasional retainer. Ranged against modern London’s raucous pleasures, including a new wave of tie-free, wifi-enabled rivals, these relics of 19th century culture would seem doomed to slow decline. Yet not only are they surviving but many are thriving, with membership and usage growing. “Standards have risen enormously since the 1980s,” said Rupert Lendrum, club secretary at Buck’s in Mayfair. “There’s been a significant shift to professionally run clubs and finances are far healthier.” Buck’s was dreamt up by cavalry offic...

Charles Pears [1873–1958] Gibraltar. Part of a campaign commissioned in the late 1920s by the Empire Marketing Board.

"A poor man, if he has dignity, honesty, the respect of his neighbours, a realisation of his duties, a love of the wisdom of his ancestors, and possibly some taste for knowledge or beauty, is rich in the unbought grace of life." - Russell Kirk

This cheery tribute to bibulous conviviality also serves up a warm moral. Written at an Inn at Henley To thee, fair Freedom! I retire, From flattery, cards, and dice, and din; Nor art thou found in mansions higher Than the low cot, or humble inn. ’Tis here with boundless power I reign, And every health which I begin, Converts dull port to bright champagne; Such Freedom crowns it, at an inn. I fly from pomp, I fly from plate, I fly from Falsehood’s specious grin; Freedom I love, and form I hate, And choose my lodgings, at an inn. Here, waiter! take my sordid ore, Which lackeys else might hope to win; It buys what courts have not in store, It buys me Freedom, at an inn. Whoe’er has travell’d life’s dull round, Where’er his stages may have been, May sigh to think he still has found The warmest welcome – at an inn.

“A king may make a nobleman but he cannot make a Gentleman.” - Edmund Burke The idea of a gentleman was a more inclusive one than it sounds to modern ears. One of its greatest advantages was that you could define it so as to include yourself. You could behave like a gentleman, without possessing any of the social attributes which a gentleman might have: there was no need to possess a coat of arms, or a country estate, or engage in field sports, or wear evening dress. At least since Chaucer's time, there had been a distinction between the social meaning of the word, and the moral. It was evident that well-born people, who ought to know how to behave like gentlemen, did not always do so, while others sometimes did. Philip Mason, whose perceptive study, The English Gentleman , was published in 1982, argues that "the desire to be a gentleman" runs through and illuminates English history from the time of Chaucer until the early 20th century. He suggests that "fo...