
James Andrew, NYC summer
It often seems that when the temperatures rise a few degrees, all of the sartorial splendor that the city usually exhibits quickly goes to hell in a hand basket. Granted the summer heat can be quite unbearable and perhaps it might actually be a good idea to air one’s self and jacket whilst en route to wherever (we don’t want to arrive a total sopping mess), but I find that making a bit of an effort to maintain some level of decorum is usually fairly handsomely rewarded by the general approval of friends and strangers alike.
And don’t get me started on the summer entertainment front — no, red plastic cups, plastic knives and forks, paper plates and paper napkins just won’t do. The fact is, summer brings endless opportunity to entertain in style, and this doesn’t even have to be an over the top effort either. In fact, I love the paired down, fresh summer dishes that involve very little cooking or preparation — cold soups are always a refreshing treat, for instance, and one can pop these up with a fine table setting. I can’t get enough of cabbage and lettuce-ware complimented by D. Porthault floral napkins, bamboo flatware and simple glass goblets (rosé and lemon water fill these quite nicely).
My impossibly chic friends like Howard Slatkin and Penelope Bianchi are quite keen on summer slipcovers which are an easy way to add a quick bit of seasonal flair to an interior — changing up the pillows on chairs and sofas can also give an interior some needed summer umph, so even if you happen to be stuck in town you can feel like you have a place in the Hamptons and/or the English countryside!
Dressing for an elegant summer soirée, I’m sporting a Tom Ford palest pink silk suit, pale blue cotton shirt with contrast white collar and cuffs, navy and pale blue silk polka dot tie, cap toe white suede shoes, Charvet retro print silk pocket square in shades of blue, vintage pearl and pale blue sapphire cuff links, vintage Rolex, and my fragrance is Creed Original Cologne,. Tom Ford bronzing gel adds a bit of a sun kissed glow.