Painting the Town Blue with Dr. Keith Churchwell

The dapper gentleman here is Dr. Keith Churchwell of Nashville, brother of a recent Dandy Portraits subject, Dr. Andre Churchwell.  Yes, both distinguished doctors, and yes, both exceptional dressers.  The Churchwells are certainly a family blessed with abundant talent and style - and there are still three more siblings I haven't met!

Keith attributes his desire for elegance to his father, the late Robert Churchwell, who was the first African American journalist to report for a major southern newspaper, The Nashville Banner.  From 1950 -1981 he worked for the Banner, most notably reporting on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement.  The elder Churchwell's pioneering role in the Movement has been immortalized in David Halberstam's book The Children, and a profile of his life can be viewed here.  Keith recalls that he always saw his father impeccably dressed - it was part and parcel of his personality - and this heritage naturally influenced Keith's own flair for dressing.




After I our initial meeting at the clubhouse that is Len Logsdail's,  I thought it might be fun to meet up with him before he and his wife Leslie went out for a Broadway Show on Saturday night.  There was talk of a midnight blue velvet jacket...

Charming the passers by on Fifth Avenue

Bruce

Bruce, NYC, Jan 2012

A Good Evening

Just a few snaps from a good evening spent with a crew of fine dressed men.

 

Nathaniel "Natty" Adams in his new suit from Doyle Mueser

Dandy Wellington

Mr. Haar, of The Ragged Phonograph, tries to hypnotize me.

And "The Kid" Davis, trumpet player for Dandy Wellington's band

The Parisian Gentleman - Hugo Jacomet

Hugo Jacomet at Cifonelli's, Paris, Sept 6, 2011

Hugo Jacomet is the creator of Parisian Gentleman, a well respected menswear blog published both in French and English.  Hugo catalogs his sartorial adventures navigating the ins and outs of bespoke tailoring - his grand passion.  He shares practical details of how to dress with understated elegance, and recommends those rare stores and fine craftsmen that are lucky enough to make his short list.

On this day we met up at his favorite tailor in Paris - Cifonelli.  I walked into the palatial showroom and found Hugo there to greet me with his signature shock of silver hair and four suits ready to go.



"Cifonelli is the Mount Everest of bespoke tailors," Hugo said with a satisfied grin.  Here he is with Lorenzo Cifonelli in matching jackets.  Lorenzo is the fourth generation Cifonelli at the helm along with his cousin, Massimo.




Hugo revels in the intricacies of bespoke - he shows me this cuff and that buttonhole and that detail under the collar which is invisible to to anyone but the man wearing it.  He took great joy in telling me the extra hours it takes for certain details that only Cifonelli does.  What an eccentric (and luxurious) thing in this day and age, I thought, when it's all about faster and cheaper.

Then off into the dressing room where all the action takes place.  Lorenzo gives the final few tucks and seal of approval.

Shoes by Corthay

I quickly learn that these are the accoutrements of Hugo.  What is just off camera is the tray with the most perfect cup of espresso.



The opposite of ostentatious:  you have to literally dig to find the label.  Men who know just know.

Tie by Marc Guyot

Leap into 2012!

The always charming Winston Chesterfield photographed outside his home in London on Sept. 11, 2011.  The fresh puddle on the street reminded me of the famous Henri Cartier-Bresson "decisive moment" photo, so we gave it a go.  Happy New Year folks!