A Gentleman’s Guide to Whangee

“Charlie Chaplin”

11/17/11

A Gentleman’s Guide to Whangee

The British umbrella’s already the pinnacle of rainy-day style, but we’d like to nominate a particular detail as especially crucial. We’re thinking of that notched handle known among connoisseurs as the whangee.

Make no mistake—this is advanced-level British nostalgia. (The icon, if we had to pick one, would be The Avengers’s John Steed.) But it’s also the kind of grace note that separates the standard article from the full trad. Especially if you happen to know the backstory…

The distinguished history of whangee…»

ALL Good Idea

TAGS

03/18/09

Across the Sea

The International Tramp

We’ve always held Charlie Chaplin in high esteem—if only as an early aficionado of the bowler hat—so we were surprised to find the tramp as the subject of some belated controversy in India.

Chaplin’s already the subject of twelve different statues throughout the world, but when Indian filmmaker Hemanth Hegde tried to erect a thirteenth statue at Maravanthe Beach for an upcoming film, he provoked furious protests from crowds that saw the tramp as a symbol of the colonial legacy of oppression.

In our capacity as international moderators, we have a suggestion»

ALL Across the Sea

TAGS

12/30/08

Labeled

The Engineers

It’s always nice to see an old friend…

Selectism is sharing a peek at Engineered Garments’ new Spring collection, and it’s interesting as always. The workwear pioneers have moved on from the chaplin-esque bagginess of last year’s spring line to a more modern trim, with a new set of ornate fabrics along for the ride—a few which look like they might be more at home on curtain rods.

But don’t worry: they’re still cutting jackets with an eye towards turn-of-the-century steel workers, and they still do it better than anyone else.

See a few pictures of the line»

ALL Labeled

TAGS

03/07/08

Object

Crystal Ship

The 21st century has really fallen behind in the portable bar department. In the old days, a self-respecting gentleman wouldn’t dream of setting off on a voyage without something in reserve. And in the heyday of the trunk, there was a specific solution at hand.

Stocking more than twenty bottles of your choosing and a healthy selection of Irish crystal, this rosewood trunk is an open invitation to turn your spring picnic into a police-baiting outdoor hootenanny. Of course, luggage has always had its own unique style, but there’s nothing wrong with adding a little function into the mix.

Charlie Chaplin would be proud.

Neiman Marcus [via Uncrate]

ALL Object

TAGS