tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86499985551103446942024-03-12T19:31:21.277-07:00The Man of ModeSir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-86474519016899853682011-01-09T03:52:00.000-08:002011-01-09T03:54:06.808-08:00The Man of Mode has moved: <a href="http://manofmode.com">manofmode.com</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-70157309997065588662009-03-03T12:42:00.000-08:002009-03-03T12:45:13.353-08:00London sales - BuddPublic service announcement -- some very good deals at Budd, the seriously old school shirtmaker in the Piccadilly Arcade. They have heavily reduced a large selection of silk ties, in stripes, polka dots and woven patterns. They are also selling off lots of stiff collars (i.e., detachable collars for tunic shirts).Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-23715386133647573652009-02-16T15:01:00.001-08:002009-02-17T13:22:21.682-08:00BagelmaniaIt's very hard to find good bagels in London.<br /><br />Sure, the supermarkets sell tasteless rings of bread, passing them off as bagels. They're a very poor imitation of the real thing though.<br /><br />The most reliable source for bagels is Brick Lane. This street in the East End has been home to successive waves of immigrants: Huguenots, Jews from central and eastern Europe, and more recently Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.<br /><br />There's little evidence left of the Jewish immigrants, except for an excellent bagel shop. The shop attracts customers from all over London in search of authentic bagels. It attracts a diverse clientele, from City bankers wandering over from Bishopsgate at lunchtime, to cab drivers, to club kids from Shoreditch in search of a late night snack (the shop is open 24 hours).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwhBZG66I/AAAAAAAAAoU/MSp5Fhh7NyU/s1600-h/bagel+shop1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwhBZG66I/AAAAAAAAAoU/MSp5Fhh7NyU/s320/bagel+shop1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303534486305565602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwg9pJzkI/AAAAAAAAAoM/R2kUpwllHYE/s1600-h/bagel+shop2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwg9pJzkI/AAAAAAAAAoM/R2kUpwllHYE/s320/bagel+shop2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303534485299121730" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This past weekend, I could have headed over to Brick Lane to satisfy my bagel cravings. However, I decided to try something a bit more challenging.<br /><br />I made my own.<br /><br />I won't bother giving you a detailed bagel recipe. Those of you who are industrious enough, or crazy enough, to make your own bagels will undoubtedly be able to find a recipe.<br /><br />The secret to making bagels lies not in the ingredients, but in the unusual cooking technique -- they're boiled first and then baked. It's enough for our purposes to say that they're made with a normal bread dough: strong white flour, yeast, salt and water. I added a little sugar to sweeten the dough slightly.<br /><br />Let the dough rise, knead it, and then you can shape it into bagels. Let these rise for another 45 minutes or so.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwghsTKsI/AAAAAAAAAoE/cSsosFgV_nY/s1600-h/bagels1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwghsTKsI/AAAAAAAAAoE/cSsosFgV_nY/s320/bagels1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303534477796125378" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Carefully poach them for about 1 minute on each side. You'll have to do this in batches - make sure you allow space for them to puff up in the water.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwgknVV7I/AAAAAAAAAn8/EtZ5kppv3fo/s1600-h/bagels2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwgknVV7I/AAAAAAAAAn8/EtZ5kppv3fo/s320/bagels2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303534478580602802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now bake them in a hot oven until they begin to turn a golden brown on top. I brushed them with an egg wash before baking them - you could also sprinkle some poppy seeds on them at this point.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwgUdpI4I/AAAAAAAAAn0/wVY0OAVxOhg/s1600-h/bagels3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwgUdpI4I/AAAAAAAAAn0/wVY0OAVxOhg/s320/bagels3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303534474244989826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The finished product, with some other bread rolls I made.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwuocX3CI/AAAAAAAAAok/DSfAxYAvWMw/s1600-h/bagels4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwuocX3CI/AAAAAAAAAok/DSfAxYAvWMw/s320/bagels4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303534720126540834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Served with cream cheese.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwuq3ZqnI/AAAAAAAAAoc/MLRAqX-3YOg/s1600-h/bagels5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZnwuq3ZqnI/AAAAAAAAAoc/MLRAqX-3YOg/s320/bagels5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303534720776776306" border="0" /></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-88671291248906359932009-02-15T10:42:00.000-08:002009-02-16T15:00:38.700-08:00David Hare on Berlin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZhisOovmKI/AAAAAAAAAnc/heaLRwBP05M/s1600-h/berlin+tv+tower.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZhisOovmKI/AAAAAAAAAnc/heaLRwBP05M/s320/berlin+tv+tower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303097073211512994" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZhisdFWPkI/AAAAAAAAAnk/hv0vjeCytpU/s1600-h/berlin+jewish+museum.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZhisdFWPkI/AAAAAAAAAnk/hv0vjeCytpU/s320/berlin+jewish+museum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303097077089582658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZhisZ_YRMI/AAAAAAAAAns/e04j7boYm9Y/s1600-h/berlin+dom.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZhisZ_YRMI/AAAAAAAAAns/e04j7boYm9Y/s320/berlin+dom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303097076259243202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Anyone with an interest in Germany and its history should rush to get tickets for David Hare's reading on Berlin, at the National Theatre.<br /><br />This hour-long meditation on the city is based on the author's experiences there over many years, most recently during the filming of The Reader (the new film with Kate Winslet, for which Hare wrote the screenplay).<br /><br />Hare's monologue is incredibly broad ranging, touching on history, politics, theatre, film, architecture and food. He moans about the niceness of the people, and that Berlin today is all about lifestyle; that history and politics are forgotten there.<br /><br />Not such a bad thing. I would rather live in Berlin today than in 1961 . . . or 1948 . . . or 1945 . . . or 1938 . . . or 1933 . . . or 1923 . . . or 1919 . . .<br /><br />Berlin - A reading by David Hare, National Theatre, London. Directed by Stephen Daldry.Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-21449553016061972312009-02-13T23:44:00.000-08:002009-02-14T00:04:19.658-08:00Kiton at Saks Fifth Avenue<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZZ2oRTovXI/AAAAAAAAAnU/DXpS6HsHNLY/s1600-h/Saks+Kiton.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZZ2oRTovXI/AAAAAAAAAnU/DXpS6HsHNLY/s320/Saks+Kiton.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302556045487947122" /></a><br /><br />Saks Fifth Avenue has been trying for years to create a Kiton boutique in its New York flagship store.<br /><br />For the uninitiated, Kiton is an Italian clothing company that makes some of the finest quality suits in the world. Their clothes are handmade by a small army of tailors in Kiton's workrooms just outside Naples. Prices are very high: $7000 for a suit and $1200 for trousers.<br /><br />Saks unveils their new Kiton store on Monday. Unfortunately, their timing is terrible, opening it in the midst of the deepest economic troubles since the Great Depression. Saks's sales fell 23.7% last month and they are laying off 9% of their staff. Like many other retailers, they're being forced to offer discounts of as much as 70% off just to move merchandise out of the door.<br /><br />Saks is still talking a good game, and undoubtedly there will still be some customers for these clothes in New York, but they must be worried.<br /><br />Story in today's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/business/14saks.html?_r=1&hp">NY Times</a>.Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-24462287902874985572009-02-12T13:21:00.001-08:002009-02-12T13:28:48.045-08:00PragueBack from a few days in Prague, and I thought I would share some photographs from my trip.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJlTcNbI/AAAAAAAAAm0/-ZmomRj9Fo4/s1600-h/prague1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJlTcNbI/AAAAAAAAAm0/-ZmomRj9Fo4/s320/prague1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024454163674546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJlF2oHI/AAAAAAAAAms/CFJs3dquwec/s1600-h/prague2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJlF2oHI/AAAAAAAAAms/CFJs3dquwec/s320/prague2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024454106685554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJa0zKtI/AAAAAAAAAmk/nvGaQumtF20/s1600-h/prague3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJa0zKtI/AAAAAAAAAmk/nvGaQumtF20/s320/prague3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024451350801106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTbVLH7vI/AAAAAAAAAnE/qS8Lx2xp_gc/s1600-h/prague7.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTbVLH7vI/AAAAAAAAAnE/qS8Lx2xp_gc/s320/prague7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024759071469298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJbaB1gI/AAAAAAAAAmc/3F5WbSwCqdY/s1600-h/prague4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJbaB1gI/AAAAAAAAAmc/3F5WbSwCqdY/s320/prague4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024451506951682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTcTdZlNI/AAAAAAAAAnM/ka68_CHKge4/s1600-h/prague6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTcTdZlNI/AAAAAAAAAnM/ka68_CHKge4/s320/prague6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024775791121618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJKVm6EI/AAAAAAAAAmU/lfoWob7fywc/s1600-h/prague5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTJKVm6EI/AAAAAAAAAmU/lfoWob7fywc/s320/prague5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024446925006914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTa7sf8mI/AAAAAAAAAm8/la6r9Zh33HY/s1600-h/prague8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SZSTa7sf8mI/AAAAAAAAAm8/la6r9Zh33HY/s320/prague8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302024752232133218" border="0" /></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-23169486757527962832009-02-04T14:58:00.001-08:002009-02-04T15:09:39.251-08:00Keep Calm and Carry On<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYodw5aSljI/AAAAAAAAAmM/sjFKbv51VPU/s1600-h/keep+calm+carry+on.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYodw5aSljI/AAAAAAAAAmM/sjFKbv51VPU/s400/keep+calm+carry+on.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299080637436827186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The poster has become a bit of a cliche in Britain today, appearing on countless kitchen walls, but the BBC News has an interesting story today about its origins.<br /><br />It was produced during the Second World War by the Ministry of Information, to be distributed only in the event of the gravest national catastrophe. Two other posters were also made, with the same red background and King George VI crown: "Freedom is in Peril" and "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory".<br /><br />Apparently the poster was forgotten until 2000, when a bookseller from Northumberland found a copy in a box of books that he acquired at auction. His customers clamoured to buy the poster, and he now sells thousands of copies of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7869458.stm">BBC News story</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-60797142113087579182009-02-03T12:40:00.000-08:002009-02-03T12:46:16.136-08:00I LEGO N.Y.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYisgT9iJBI/AAAAAAAAAmE/21H9-vplO-0/s1600-h/ny+lego1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYisgT9iJBI/AAAAAAAAAmE/21H9-vplO-0/s400/ny+lego1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298674632715543570" /></a><br /><br />A wonderful series of sketches, doodles and visual puns - all inspired by New York and all made of Lego. They are the work of Christoph Niemann, an artist whose work has appeared in many magazines, including the New Yorker.<br /><br />More pictures available from the <a href="http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/i-lego-ny/?em">NY Times</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.christophniemann.com/">The artist's website</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-80997696409144569722009-02-02T10:26:00.001-08:002009-02-02T11:32:51.603-08:00Snow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYdHnJS49vI/AAAAAAAAAl8/uWsTElDBMfE/s1600-h/IMG_3071_1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYdHnJS49vI/AAAAAAAAAl8/uWsTElDBMfE/s400/IMG_3071_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298282224460297970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The heaviest snow in London in 18 years, with an accumulation of about 8 inches.<br /><br />Oslo or Vienna - or even New York - would easily cope with that much snow. But without the infrastructure to clear the snow, it brought London to a complete standstill. The trains and buses were out of action for most of the day, and the airports were closed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YkvDgbI/AAAAAAAAAlM/8ws9sF2GxTA/s1600-h/IMG_3073.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YkvDgbI/AAAAAAAAAlM/8ws9sF2GxTA/s320/IMG_3073.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298268779988615602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It felt like a "snow day" off work for the entire city. Many people took the day off because they couldn't get to the office on public transport, and the centre of town was extremely quiet. Parks were filled with adults making snowmen and throwing snowballs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YuTYTqI/AAAAAAAAAlE/sEA7GbjLUsk/s1600-h/IMG_3074.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YuTYTqI/AAAAAAAAAlE/sEA7GbjLUsk/s320/IMG_3074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298268782556892834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YQ13CKI/AAAAAAAAAk8/B71DMFSfVzo/s1600-h/IMG_3049.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YQ13CKI/AAAAAAAAAk8/B71DMFSfVzo/s320/IMG_3049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298268774648449186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YWgXIHI/AAAAAAAAAk0/4RbfCD7m1aE/s1600-h/IMG_3066.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7YWgXIHI/AAAAAAAAAk0/4RbfCD7m1aE/s320/IMG_3066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298268776168890482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The courtyard of Burlington House, home of the Royal Academy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7sI6tBgI/AAAAAAAAAls/ebeo4-wh9F4/s1600-h/IMG_3077.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7sI6tBgI/AAAAAAAAAls/ebeo4-wh9F4/s320/IMG_3077.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298269116118664706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A Land Rover, the best form of transport in this weather.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc8ageHh0I/AAAAAAAAAl0/Xdw5nLnBzpc/s1600-h/IMG_3080.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc8ageHh0I/AAAAAAAAAl0/Xdw5nLnBzpc/s320/IMG_3080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298269912715200322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Outside a local pub.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7r1aU9HI/AAAAAAAAAlc/rSDJTgYhVRA/s1600-h/IMG_3085.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SYc7r1aU9HI/AAAAAAAAAlc/rSDJTgYhVRA/s320/IMG_3085.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298269110882595954" border="0" /></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-69710738336165427592009-02-01T18:14:00.000-08:002009-02-02T10:25:22.276-08:00A cultural weekendA cultural weekend in London.<br /><br />On Friday, the new Palladio exhibition at the <a href="http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/">Royal Academy</a>. In the evening, the Mariinsky Theatre (the company formerly known as the Kirov) performing Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades, conducted by Gergiev. A sell-out show at the <a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk/">Barbican</a>.<br /><br />Saturday morning at the <a href="http://www.wallacecollection.org/">Wallace Collection</a>.<br /><br />On Sunday, the new film Frost/Nixon, adapted from the stage production at the <a href="http://www.donmarwarehouse.com/">Donmar</a>.Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-7365591907707541782009-01-31T08:49:00.000-08:002009-01-31T09:03:07.472-08:00End of an era<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.orient-express.com/onyc/images/720x300images/onyc_720x300_entrance27.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 720px; height: 300px;" src="http://static.orient-express.com/onyc/images/720x300images/onyc_720x300_entrance27.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Image from 21 Club website: <a href="http://www.21club.com">www.21club.com</a></span><br /><br />The last restaurant in New York that requires men to wear a tie has finally given in and changed its dress code.<br /><br />Jackets are still required, but while ties are "preferred" at dinner they are no longer mandatory. A sad development -- it was nice to know that there was one last holdout against casual dress -- but I suppose it was inevitable.<br /><br />Alan Flusser, quoted in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28ties.html?ref=dining">NY Times</a>, huffed "I don't think this sends the right message to young people."Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-52551874176026182822009-01-31T08:45:00.000-08:002009-01-31T08:48:42.357-08:00The Man of Mode returnsAfter computer problems throughout December, travel over Christmas, and a busy January, the Man of Mode returns.Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-44878091712659915542008-12-14T04:12:00.001-08:002008-12-14T04:17:37.021-08:00KrakowA few more photographs from the Man of Mode's recent trip to Hungary and Poland. This time, some images from Krakow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bm1Rk0I/AAAAAAAAAks/QjryYtk350Q/s1600-h/krakow1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bm1Rk0I/AAAAAAAAAks/QjryYtk350Q/s320/krakow1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279617816349217602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bfn6K0I/AAAAAAAAAkk/Lh1C82AjiwU/s1600-h/krakow2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bfn6K0I/AAAAAAAAAkk/Lh1C82AjiwU/s320/krakow2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279617814414109506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bR5tciI/AAAAAAAAAkc/ItoRP_swe2Q/s1600-h/krakow3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bR5tciI/AAAAAAAAAkc/ItoRP_swe2Q/s320/krakow3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279617810730676770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bK5SrTI/AAAAAAAAAkU/t7IeNW6qIDA/s1600-h/krakow4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4bK5SrTI/AAAAAAAAAkU/t7IeNW6qIDA/s320/krakow4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279617808849874226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4a4OFJ5I/AAAAAAAAAkM/AgcYI61eZ9o/s1600-h/krakow5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUT4a4OFJ5I/AAAAAAAAAkM/AgcYI61eZ9o/s320/krakow5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279617803836794770" border="0" /></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-31978462068181264652008-12-12T12:19:00.000-08:002008-12-12T12:44:26.803-08:00More Soviet era statuesAfter my previous post of <a href="http://manofmode.blogspot.com/2008/12/socialist-realism.html">Socialist Realism and the statue park in Budapest</a>, here are a couple more communist era statues.<br /><br />Marx and Engels, in the Alexanderplatz in Berlin. In the background stands the partially-demolished Palast der Republik, the former parliament building of the DDR which also housed restaurants and a bowling alley. It stands on the site of the Stadtschoss, the Prussian-era royal palace in Berlin, which was badly damaged during the war and what was left was pulled down after the war. There are now plans to rebuild the palace at the same location.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SULHmgfxl1I/AAAAAAAAAkE/WnuBhsWbIvU/s1600-h/marx+engels+berlin.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SULHmgfxl1I/AAAAAAAAAkE/WnuBhsWbIvU/s320/marx+engels+berlin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279001177603807058" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lenin, in October Square in Moscow. Apparently this is the last remaining public statue of Lenin in the Russian capital.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SULHmaDccjI/AAAAAAAAAj8/uxmTqnCt9kM/s1600-h/lenin+moscow.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SULHmaDccjI/AAAAAAAAAj8/uxmTqnCt9kM/s320/lenin+moscow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279001175874368050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There is also a statue park in Moscow with various Soviet era works. I'll post some pictures of that in due course.Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-6341186173939831392008-12-12T11:51:00.000-08:002008-12-12T11:57:47.789-08:00Does James Bond hate architecture?An article from the Guardian on the architecture of James Bond, describing Bond's hatred of modern architecture in particular. It also argues that Quantum of Solace has the best architecture of any Bond film.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/nov/04/james-bond-architecture">Guardian article</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-41473823997921080722008-12-10T14:51:00.000-08:002008-12-10T23:33:47.162-08:00Paul Stuart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUDBeKuRyII/AAAAAAAAAj0/NirCMMvsU1A/s1600-h/paul+stuart+ext.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUDBeKuRyII/AAAAAAAAAj0/NirCMMvsU1A/s320/paul+stuart+ext.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278431487296915586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Paul Stuart store exterior, photo from NY Times</span><br /><br />The NY Times has a story about Paul Stuart, the clothier and haberdasher on Madison Avenue. It's one of the Man of Mode's favourite shopping destinations in New York.<br /><br />The store is next door to Brooks Brothers, and it feels like a more stylish, more upscale version of Brooks. The shop is decorated with antiques, including a large Flemish tapestry next to the entrance. The Times describes the overall appearance as being like "the giant walk-in closet of an Illuminati Grand Master".<br /><br />Their selection of ties is stupendous, with an especially good selection of silk knit ties in every possible colour. They also have an excellent range of bow ties, if that's your thing.<br /><br />Paul Stuart suits are cut in an elegant hybrid of Anglo American styles. The jackets have some shape at the waist, but are still relaxed and not too fitted. Most have side vents. The trousers are the best cut I've found in ready-to-wear, with a very elegant line -- again, falling somewhere between the looser American cut and narrower English style.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUDBCTzakDI/AAAAAAAAAjs/k-ODVoxMO7Q/s1600-h/Paul-Stuart-Navy-Blazer.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 319px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SUDBCTzakDI/AAAAAAAAAjs/k-ODVoxMO7Q/s320/Paul-Stuart-Navy-Blazer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278431008698044466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Cashmere navy blazer from Paul Stuart</span><br /><br />Notably, their suits are available in the widest selection of sizes in the City. Not only do they offer short and tall sizes, but they also have medium-tall (something I've never seen elsewhere) and extra-tall. They also stock jackets in odd-numbered sizes, so if a 41 medium-tall fits you best, this is the place to go.<br /><br />A couple of criticisms.<br /><br />First, the article mentions the sweaters and ties in odd colour combinations. I find that their autumn/winter collections are always very nicely put together, but their spring/summer clothes invariably have some real clangers. It's usually strange mixtures of pastel colours, which might be OK in Palm Beach (probably their target demographic), but which don't appeal to me at all.<br /><br />Second, the staff in the store can be very overbearing, even downright pushy. Most of the sales staff are incredibly charming and helpful, but I've had bad experiences with a few who were much too aggressive.<br /><br />The store design doesn't help in this regard, making it difficult to browse without the help of a salesman. Downstairs, all the ties are all in glass cabinets -- although I've always found the sales staff here to be excellent. Upstairs where the suits are kept, the salesmen hover by the top of the stairs, and the floor manager immediately assigns a salesman to each customer who arrives. There are some first rate salesmen here, but there are a few who are way too pushy for a store like this. The hard sell, used car salesman approach doesn't work here, and Paul Stuart needs to take a closer look at a few of the people who work upstairs.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/fashion/11CRITIC.html?_r=1&ref=fashion">NY Times article - "Restraint feels right, doesn't it"</a><br /><br />Paul Stuart<br />45th and Madison<br />New York<br /><a href="http://www.paulstuart.com/">www.paulstuart.com</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-87821537070045450872008-12-08T14:43:00.001-08:002008-12-09T12:41:15.809-08:00Socialist Realism<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2kH1AHI6I/AAAAAAAAAjU/RUpkjSP5OJ8/s1600-h/statue+park+1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2kH1AHI6I/AAAAAAAAAjU/RUpkjSP5OJ8/s400/statue+park+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277554792741675938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Like many other cities in eastern Europe during the communist era, Budapest was filled with socialist realist statues. These works glorified the proletariat and the Red Army "liberators" of Hungary, as well as the usual statues of Marx and Lenin.<br /><br />Most of these statues were pulled down quickly after the fall of the communist regime in 1989. Hardly surprising after Hungary's experience under Soviet domination, including the Russian invasion of 1956.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2kB8pVvCI/AAAAAAAAAjE/Yl4kZZOcMa0/s1600-h/statue+park+lenin.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2kB8pVvCI/AAAAAAAAAjE/Yl4kZZOcMa0/s320/statue+park+lenin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277554691714432034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Most cities destroyed their old communist statues, melting them down to make something more useful. However, Budapest had the foresight to preserve the old sculptures and put them on show in a statue park outside the city.<br /><br />The park is marketed as pure communist kitsch, but I think that sells it short. There is a certain grandeur to these statues -- many of them are <span style="font-style: italic;">huge</span>. But some of them are also successful as works of art, despite the political message that inspired them. I think my favourites are the first one shown above, which is an incredibly powerful image, and the last one below, with the repeating characters of the proletarian militia.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2kBpPOoVI/AAAAAAAAAi8/iB2NpNrbGjg/s1600-h/statue+park+large+soldier.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2kBpPOoVI/AAAAAAAAAi8/iB2NpNrbGjg/s320/statue+park+large+soldier.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277554686504640850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrw9D54I/AAAAAAAAAi0/JIBvDKjwoEU/s1600-h/statue+part+marx-engels.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrw9D54I/AAAAAAAAAi0/JIBvDKjwoEU/s320/statue+part+marx-engels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277554310618802050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST7SMSaAMBI/AAAAAAAAAjk/CYPt6TiN3Sg/s1600-h/statue+park+soldier-flag.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST7SMSaAMBI/AAAAAAAAAjk/CYPt6TiN3Sg/s320/statue+park+soldier-flag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277886921865965586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrpCyquI/AAAAAAAAAis/liNX6fdEvaU/s1600-h/statue+park3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrpCyquI/AAAAAAAAAis/liNX6fdEvaU/s320/statue+park3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277554308495354594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrUAv7qI/AAAAAAAAAik/vZ1AdGPipOg/s1600-h/statue+park2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrUAv7qI/AAAAAAAAAik/vZ1AdGPipOg/s320/statue+park2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277554302849642146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrAkM1yI/AAAAAAAAAic/WpBNMleTz60/s1600-h/statue+park4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/ST2jrAkM1yI/AAAAAAAAAic/WpBNMleTz60/s320/statue+park4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277554297629628194" border="0" /></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-77957255567483053752008-12-07T23:24:00.000-08:002008-12-08T13:04:51.851-08:00Budapest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMvtUnlTI/AAAAAAAAAf4/3fG6DaKo_cw/s1600-h/budapest+xmas+tree.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMvtUnlTI/AAAAAAAAAf4/3fG6DaKo_cw/s320/budapest+xmas+tree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277317983363372338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A few photographs from the Man of Mode's trip to Budapest. It's a wonderful city, with grand Hapsburg era buildings befitting its former status as the second capital of the Austro-Hungarian empire. There are coffee houses, sumptuous thermal baths and a first rate opera house - where I saw a excellent production of Aida.<br /><br />Szechenyi Baths, located in the City Park.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMhBEMriI/AAAAAAAAAfg/jtrxe2OpN4A/s1600-h/budapest2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMhBEMriI/AAAAAAAAAfg/jtrxe2OpN4A/s320/budapest2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277317730965171746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMhBeqhSI/AAAAAAAAAfY/DEkiGKOX9Gg/s1600-h/budapest1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMhBeqhSI/AAAAAAAAAfY/DEkiGKOX9Gg/s320/budapest1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277317731076179234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMg0uDbFI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/FZl3H6Mfk9E/s1600-h/budapest3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMg0uDbFI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/FZl3H6Mfk9E/s320/budapest3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277317727651064914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hungary has many fanatical chess players, and some of the thermal baths even have poolside chessboards. These characters are fitting in an impromptu match at the railway station, with a chessboard propped up on the ticket barrier.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMvY6ppwI/AAAAAAAAAfw/K47cOMCQi0s/s1600-h/budapest+chess.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMvY6ppwI/AAAAAAAAAfw/K47cOMCQi0s/s320/budapest+chess.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277317977885746946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A furniture shop in the Jewish quarter.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMvYIPWMI/AAAAAAAAAfo/K4aye0jwGBM/s1600-h/budpest+shopfront.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzMvYIPWMI/AAAAAAAAAfo/K4aye0jwGBM/s320/budpest+shopfront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277317977674307778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Puppets for sale in the Christmas market.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzTFytinZI/AAAAAAAAAgA/0S4YOIXaJCU/s1600-h/budapest+puppets.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/STzTFytinZI/AAAAAAAAAgA/0S4YOIXaJCU/s320/budapest+puppets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277324959836970386" border="0" /></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-53089267151576957752008-12-07T12:45:00.000-08:002008-12-07T14:35:46.264-08:00Thank you to Heavy Tweed Jacket and The EpicJust returned from my travels. I'll be posting some photographs in due course.<br /><br />I was catching up on email and taking a quick look at a few blogs, and I noticed that <a href="http://heavytweed.blogspot.com/">Heavy Tweed Jacket</a> has added The Man of Mode to his list of recommended blogs. Many thanks - much appreciated.<br /><br />Edited to add:<br /><br />Also many thanks to M. Lane from <a href="http://mlanesepic.blogspot.com">The Epic</a>, for his generous reference to The Man of Mode. For anyone not familiar with that site, I highly recommend it.Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-80247957584111372312008-11-28T21:47:00.000-08:002008-11-28T21:49:06.409-08:00AwayThe Man of Mode is travelling in Mitteleuropa for the next week or so.Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-41701242090468231512008-11-28T14:39:00.000-08:002008-11-27T14:53:50.133-08:00Castletown and the Irish Georgian Society<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SS8h0vsTsMI/AAAAAAAAAfI/tdS18XcoGHc/s1600-h/castletown.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SS8h0vsTsMI/AAAAAAAAAfI/tdS18XcoGHc/s400/castletown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273470878713360578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />A good article in yesterday's NY Times about the Irish Georgian Society, which has been restoring Georgian architectural treasures across Ireland for the past 50 years. Over the years, the IGS has battled indifference, and sometimes outright hostility, in its attempts to preserve the country's Georgian heritage.<br /><br />At the head of the article is a photograph of Ireland's largest Palladian house, Castletown, in County Kildare (shown above, photograph from the NY Times).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/garden/27irish.html?ref=garden">NY Times article: A 50-Year Battle to Save Old Ireland</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-72619017987165303322008-11-25T23:18:00.000-08:002008-11-27T23:20:32.812-08:00Palladian Days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyAPpdGKmI/AAAAAAAAAeg/7hwsX-jM9mo/s1600-h/palladian+days+book.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyAPpdGKmI/AAAAAAAAAeg/7hwsX-jM9mo/s320/palladian+days+book.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272730270058293858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Villa Cornaro, which I wrote about in my <a href="http://manofmode.blogspot.com/2008/11/villa-cornaro.html">last post</a>, is the subject of a charming book written by its American owners -- Palladian Days: Finding a New Life in a Venetian Country House.<br /><br />Sally and Carl Gable bought the villa in the late 1980s and keep it as a second home. Despite the grandeur of the house, the book is a surprisingly down-to-earth account of buying and renovating the property and living in an Italian village.<br /><br />The book successfully combines several popular genres. It's the story of a lawyer and his wife from Atlanta moving to a small village in Italy and dealing with the colourful aspects of life there - think Peter Mayle transplanted from Provence to the Veneto. It's also a story about property renovation, and all the frustrations, expense and eventual pleasure of doing up an old house. In addition to the usual troublesome builders and dodgy plumbing, there are nests of scorpions and 450 year old frescos to deal with. Finally, it's a travel guide to Venice and the surrounding region, with some recipes thrown in for good measure.<br /><br />It's not a heavyweight architectural book by any measure, but well worth a read to see how a modern American couple actually live in one of Palladio's villas.<br /><br />Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Palladian-Days-Finding-Venetian-Country/dp/1400078733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227822836&sr=1-1">Amazon.com</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-5909149990560555882008-11-25T14:45:00.001-08:002008-11-25T23:33:53.393-08:00Villa Cornaro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyAPwVkZZI/AAAAAAAAAew/gtrpuJg6roM/s1600-h/villa+cornaro+ext2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyAPwVkZZI/AAAAAAAAAew/gtrpuJg6roM/s320/villa+cornaro+ext2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272730271905768850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Image from Hans A. Rosbach</span><br /><br />After visiting a couple of Palladio's smaller villas, we turn to one of his grander houses.<br /><br />The Villa Cornaro, located in the village of Piombino Dese just outside Venice, was built in 1552-53. Palladio's great innovation on the Villa Cornaro is the two-story portico and loggia, with its double set of columns under a projecting pediment. It's the most distinctive feature of the house, and Palladio used it to great effect on both the front and back of the villa.<br /><br />It's a highly impressive device, signaling the importance of the house and its owner to the rest of the village. But it does more than that. It visually pulls together the upper and lower floors of the house into a unified whole. It's also practical, creating a comfortable, shady space.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyAPxtyVqI/AAAAAAAAAeo/c79KG6hj77E/s1600-h/villa+cornaro+ext.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyAPxtyVqI/AAAAAAAAAeo/c79KG6hj77E/s320/villa+cornaro+ext.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272730272275781282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Image from <a href="http://www.boglewood.com/">www.boglewood.com</a></span><br /><br />This was absolutely radical when Palladio used it here for the first time. It has since become such a standard architectural device that it's easy to forget the significance of Palladio's invention.<br /><br />Many of the grand antebellum plantation houses in the South were built in a Palladian style, and the two-story portico and loggia was a recurring motif. This is a particularly fine example: Drayton Hall, in Charleston, South Carolina, built in 1742.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyHuWNzprI/AAAAAAAAAfA/UpDYoSXc8Tk/s1600-h/drayton+hall.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyHuWNzprI/AAAAAAAAAfA/UpDYoSXc8Tk/s320/drayton+hall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272738494051231410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Palladio's design is hugely flexible and adaptable. Drayton Hall took it largely verbatim from Palladio, but with a pair of steps leading up the the portico instead of the single wide set of steps on the Villa Cornaro. However, here's another version of the same motif, which has been adapted extensively but where Palladio's influence is still recognizable. Here, the portico is curved, with no pediment. There's a single run of double-height columns instead of the separate columns on the first and second floors. The White House, south facade. Built 1792-1800.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyHuAPQslI/AAAAAAAAAe4/qCbmzBCawyA/s1600-h/white+house.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSyHuAPQslI/AAAAAAAAAe4/qCbmzBCawyA/s320/white+house.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272738488151749202" border="0" /></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-26932163434322475732008-11-24T11:27:00.000-08:002008-11-24T11:45:05.001-08:00Made in England?The standards for labeling products as "Made in England" seem to be amazingly loose.<br /><br />The John Lewis department store has just withdrawn from sale a GBP 350 suit that it advertised as "Made in England." The suit was made by Wensum, a UK-based suit manufacturer.<br /><br />Turns out that the suit wasn't really Made in England. Apparently, only the sleeves and buttons were sewn on here - the rest of the suit was made overseas. When this came to light, John Lewis did the right thing and pulled it from sale.<br /><br />Incidentally, Wensum is little-known to consumers, but it's a major producer of men's suits. It makes a lot of the made-to-measure suits sold by by UK retailers - from the very high end stores down to the lower end shops with a M-T-M offering.<br /><br />From the Daily Telegraph - <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/3507546/John-Lewis-drops-misleading-Made-in-England-suit.html">John Lewis drops misleading "Made in England" suit</a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8649998555110344694.post-13820689429357253102008-11-20T12:32:00.000-08:002008-11-20T13:20:24.372-08:00Villa Poiana<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSXJpnWcTMI/AAAAAAAAAeI/hPN5xDOM-Kc/s1600-h/villa+poiana2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSXJpnWcTMI/AAAAAAAAAeI/hPN5xDOM-Kc/s400/villa+poiana2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270840655681965250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Image by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:VillaPoiana_2007_07_06_2.jpg">Hans A. Rosbach</a></span><br /><br />After the <a href="http://manofmode.blogspot.com/2008/11/villa-saraceno.html">Villa Saraceno</a>, another of Palladio's smaller villas.<br /><br />This is another early design from Palladio, from 1548-49, and is perhaps my favourite of all his buildings. It's a very restrained, even spare, classical design. It's so stripped back that it almost looks modern - or even postmodern, with its exaggerated use of simple shapes.<br /><br />The only decorative element on the facade is the central arch with five oculi above the doorway. It's a simplified version of the design that Palladio frequently used for windows, with an arched central light flanked by columns or pilasters and a light on either side. Palladio used it so often that, even though he didn't invent it, it has became known as a "Palladian window".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSXOdF0T7HI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/ncFJfkiqym8/s1600-h/Palladian_window.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSXOdF0T7HI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/ncFJfkiqym8/s320/Palladian_window.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270845938080148594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As an example of Palladio's enduring appeal, here's a house in California directly inspired by the Villa Poiana.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSXT5ttykEI/AAAAAAAAAeY/LL-aA6r1FtI/s1600-h/inspired+by+villa+poiana.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xzlBDiyiKEY/SSXT5ttykEI/AAAAAAAAAeY/LL-aA6r1FtI/s320/inspired+by+villa+poiana.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270851927384690754" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://davidpiercehohmann.com/Projects.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">David Pierce Hohmann architects</span></a>Sir Fopling Flutterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17682136001703653592noreply@blogger.com1