Dinner with David Niven

Parties are a quintessential element during this holiday season. While celebrating with your friends and loved ones, style and etiquette must not be forgotten at any moment.


Back in 1956 there was a dinner held at New York City's Waldorf Astoria. Among the guests were Jackie Kennedy and her sister Lee Bouvier. Sitting at their table was a "Gentleman of Cinema", David Niven.


He not only had that "aristocratic aura" on film and in real life, but he was someone you'd always see looking stylish and being classy. Blame it on his English blood or upbringing, Niven is someone to look up to.


Besides starring on memorable films such as "Casino Royale" (yes, he was Sir James Bond!), "Death on the Nile", and "Around the World in 80 Days", he was seen attending the most memorable parties of the 50s, 60s, and 70s in Hollywood, Monte Carlo, and New York.






Photo: LIFE

Mixing it up

Memeber of the 80s' "Brat Pack" and star of memorable 80s films like "Mannequin", "Pretty In Pink", "St. Elmo's Fire", and "Weekend At Bernie's", Andrew McCarthy gave a style lesson back in 1985: sometimes it's okay and fun to mix it all up.

And he did mix it up: white trousers, oversized khaki jacket, black belt, red shirt, and a tie with different shades of gray. A strange and unstylish mix to some, yet what makes it work is his laid back attitude and confidence.

"Attitude is a little thing, that makes a big difference"

Photo: LIFE

What's it all about...Alfie...

"I myself subscribe more to the European philosphy of life, my priorities leaning towards wine, women and... well that's about it...", was a quote said by one of UK's most famous ladies men in history, no this time it's not James Bond, it's Alfie.

A "fictional" character yet very real, Alfie has graced cinema screens two times: first in 1966 with Michael Caine portraying his joys and mishaps in Swinging London and in 2004 with Jude Law being an English man in Manhattan.

Law's performances in films such as "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999 remake of "A Plein Soleil"), "Gattaca", "Cold Mountain" among others, have won him international acclaim. Remarkable as his acting is his personal style, managing to look dapper attending a premiere or while strolling around town.

Below he is shown on the set of "Alfie" back in 2003 with Sienna Miller riding a Vespa. How can't this photo have "60s Mod" written all over it? The pin stripe suit, the skinny tie, the vespa all fit in well with elements from the 00s, such as the messed up hair and aviators (classic eyewear, yet this model seems to have a modern design).

In 2003, acclaimed photographer David Bailey (and another 60s icon) snapped a photo of the two "Alfies": Michael Caine and Jude Law.

Yet I have to say, despite Jude's great work in the remake, for me the one and only Alfie is Michael Caine.

And well, I myself do subscribe to the European philosophy of life, just not too much wine, of course women ("birds" like Alfie would say) and why not style and class. Do you?

Photos: People.com & Flickr

He wore black velvet

For this holiday season there's nothing more elegant and retro looking than a velvet suit or jacket. Reaching its peak in the late 60s and 70s, every stylish man owned at least one velvet jacket, from the rock stars to Hollywood. In recent years velvet has made a comeback and can be seen in the latest Gucci collection among others.


Shown below is Jack Nicholson with then wife Angelica Huston attending the Cannes Film Festival in the mid 70s. Despite the fact that this photo was taken in May, Jack managed to pull off the velvet suit perfectly. Angelica is wearing an off the shoulder dress, which seems to have made a comeback recently too.


I would recommend two looks using Velvet for this season, one would be the black velvet suit with a more discreet necktie or a skinny tie (some slippers would be ideal); and the other one would be a black velvet jacket paired with a white shirt and a good pair of jeans.






Photo: GQ

Travelling with Romy & Alain

In 1969 Romy Schneider and Alain Delon costarred alongside Jane Birkin and Maurice Ronet on "La Piscine", a film by Jacques Deray. Besides the intriguing plot, what was special about this film was the fact that Schneider & Delon were seen together on screen after having ended their relationship years before.


I suppose the photo below was taken during a promotional trip for the film. On it we can see Alain Delon wearing a black shirt, a leather jacket (ideal for this Fall/Winter), an original thick leather belt, and clear trousers. Romy Schneider is wearing probably a knee length dress with a waist belt, and a head band.




Photo: Flickr

Draper...Don Draper

"Mad Men" can be considered among the best and most successful TV series of the second half of the 00s. I guess most of you, my readers, have watched it or at least heard/read about it. The series' plot focuses around the life of Donald "Don" Draper (Jon Hamm) and those who work at Sterling Cooper, an advertising agency in Madison Avenue, hence the name "Mad Men".


Set in the early years of the 60s in New York City, besides the great storyline one can be amused by the settings (they've pretty much recreated the early 60s with perfection), the soundtrack, and of course the fashions. It's like bringing the early 60s to present day TV with HD. The beauty of characters like Betty Draper, Peggy Olson, and Joan Holloway must not be missed.


Below the always stylish Don Draper enjoying some moments of relaxation from his bustling life.







Photo: Flickr

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood, best remembered for his roles in movies such as: "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly", "Dirty Harry", and "Million Dollar Baby", was photographed somewhere along the early/mid 60s wearing some black trousers, a red shirt, a white knitted cardigan, and a leather strap watch.


His sweater somehow reminds me of Alain Delon's fall jacket shown in a previous post this Fall. It's worth putting attention to the button area of this item. An ensemble that can be worn as a whole or without the sweater this Fall/Winter and on the first days of Spring when the air is still cool.



Photo: Lital.com