DADDY DAY

DADU AND ME (THE BEARD AND THE BOW), THE EARLY YEARS. 

HAPPY POPPA'S DAY.

FOR SALE: LE SMOKING FOR ALL SEASONS

ON THE FERRY EN ROUTE TO THE ISLE OF BUTE FOR A LOVELY SCOTTISH WEDDING LAST YEAR, WRAPPED TIGHTLY IN MY FATHER'S WOOL SMOKING JACKET WHICH I COVETED FOR YEARS AND THEN NICKED (APOLOGIES DADU).

HE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING SUPER ELEGANT WHEN HE WORE IT, (FOR ENTERTAINING AT HOME) WITH A SPECTRUM OF WILDLY COLORED CORDUROY TREWS AND VELVET SLIPPERS.

FOR FALL 2011, WE CRAVED A BIT OF THAT NOSTALGIA FOR OURSELVES; THE MEMORY OF DADU, AND THE LEGENDARY LOOK OF SAINT LAURENT AND SAVILE ROW.

ENTER THE THEODORA SMOKING JACKET, THE ALIX OF BOHEMIA TAKE ON THE CLASSIC. WE MADE THEM IN JEWELED VELVETS AND PAISLEY CORDUROYS, BUT WE ARE QUITE ATTACHED TO THE VINTAGE COTTON VERSION, PHOTOGRAPHED IN NEW YORK LAST YEAR BY DANIEL SETH PAGEL.

'WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS BEFORE?' I EXCLAIMED, AND THREW AN UNLINED VERSION IN MY RUCKSACK AND TOOK THEODORA TRAVELING WITH US LAST MONTH. IT WAS IDEAL OVER A MADRAS BIKINI, (NO ONE LIKES AN EXHIBITIONIST) AND OFFERED A BIT OF PROTECTION AGAINST THE BLAZING MEXICAN SUN. 

BUENOS DIAS THEODORA, AND WELCOME TO THE SMOKER'S CORNER.

ALIX OF BOHEMIA THEODORA JACKET, BY SPECIAL ORDER. SHOW ABOVE IN VINTAGE COTTON DOT WITH SEERSUCKER PIPING.

DADU

MY FATHER, SITTING IN HIS OFFICE AT HIS FAMILY'S CLOTHING FACTORY, 1983.

HE HAD THE MOST INCREDIBLE COLLECTION HANGING IN HIS CLOSET: SOME WERE MADRAS, SOME EMBROIDERED WITH ODALISQUE, PENGUINS, REGATTA FLAGS. THERE WAS EVEN A PAIR EMBLAZONED WITH DOLLAR SIGNS. I WAS SO FASCINATED WITH THEM, I USED TO ASK MY MOTHER TO PIN MY FATHER'S BRACES INTO MY TROUSERS BEFORE SCHOOL.


FOR MY FATHER, WHO TAUGHT ME ABOUT HARRIS TWEED AND SEVEN FOLD TIES, AND WHO NURTURED MY LIFELONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH MENSWEAR.


HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADU.