The II Earl

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