Here at OC, we are struck by how often we end up in everyday conundrums. The ones that land you in the thick of semi (or full-blown) awkwardness, or maybe, the doghouse.
So, we turned to Simon Collins, the dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons. Collins recently penned a TOME that explores how and why people get to be so dang successful. To glean a bit of that for ourselves, we've launched Simon Says, in which Collins lends tongue-in-cheek, Brit-bloke advice to our pain-point questions and social entanglements.
So, we turned to Simon Collins, the dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons. Collins recently penned a TOME that explores how and why people get to be so dang successful. To glean a bit of that for ourselves, we've launched Simon Says, in which Collins lends tongue-in-cheek, Brit-bloke advice to our pain-point questions and social entanglements.
Q: NYC has become pretty unbearable. What does one wear to look decent and reasonably pulled-together during these summer months?
You have to look at the experts for inspiration, and I don’t mean whatever fashion mag happens to be in trending this afternoon. I’m talking Graham Greene’s Captain Scobie in The Heart of the Matter or Jim Wormold in Our Man in Havana. New York may’ve gone a bit Marrakech souk of late, but these literary chaps lived in furnaces. And they always looked good.
Now I’m not saying you have to don the full white, linen three-piece like Inspector Poirot. But do not think you can get away with shorts and a T-shirt, unless you’re in prison. There is nothing at all wrong with wearing pale-grey, lightweight, cotton trousers and a lilac, poplin shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbow. You might indulge in the current popularity of brogues sans chaussettes. Add a battered, pork-pie hat and shades, and you’re ready for anything.
For those who prefer ladies' clothes (and ladies), it’s easy: simple, silk dress (mini or maxi), posh heels, updo, shades, and lippy. Done.
And don’t forget your suntan lotion.
Q: We live in a culture where everything is instant. Is there a case for slowness?
Very much so. The practice of New York restaurants giving you a table for an hour, and then hustling you out for the next sitting is deplorable. In France, the table is yours for the night, and you are free to stay as long as you like. Much more civilized. Of course, as a New Yorker, I still want everything immediately, but that is my problem and preference. As an alternative, have a dinner party at home, feed your guests through the evening, and watch as hours fly by without waiters nudging you with the check.
The Slow Food movement is a wonderful concept involving local produce, responsible farming, and the avoidance of agro corps. If we can just avoid the overdescribing of ingredients (eg: Hand-Dug Potatoes from Madeupname Farm Orchard roughly hand-chopped and sizzled in rustic olivio d’olive lightly sprinkled with finest Madeupname sea salt. FFS!). Worth a quick look at this for the lighter side of Posh Nosh.
There is also a slow fashion movement creeping upon us. Why on earth must we acquire and discard so quickly? If you purchase more wisely, you will be set for many years. Avoid the fripperies of this season’s excesses; your tailored suit will remain chic for many seasons to come. You might vary the color of the shirts and ties, you may sock or not, with butterscotch brogues, straw hat, and shades. Without any need for speed, you can constantly change according to your whim. Sorry about the accidental rhyming.
Simon Collins