“Hairstyles after the mid-1780s dispensed with the pig tail and used the man’s own hair carefully cut short and styled. The wind-blown look was the most difficult to achieve. Byron slept on curlers to achieve his famous hairstyle. The Classically influenced Titus was cropped short everywhere but at the front with curls combed forward onto the forehead to resemble the Roman Emperor Titus. A hairstyle known as the Brutus was even a bit more clipped than a Titus.” — via GeorgianIndex.net

The time is right.

There are many little rituals which give pleasure, make civilized life more enjoyable and above all, help you feel more human.  An aperitif is the appetite building combination of a small snack and a drink before a full meal.  Its origin is mysterious and according to wikipedia it seems we may credit its invention to either the French, Italians, or ancient Egyptians.  The important thing however is that the practice remains a tradition.

The aperitif is a time to get creative.  You can experiment with all sorts of combinations of drinks and snacks.  Banana chips?  Just about anything can work… Many cultures have their own favorite combinations of drink and snack, but l will share some of my favorites.  

Lillet on the Rocks and an Orange Peel, served with shrimp and cocktail sauce (or cheese and crackers)

French.

Campari and Soda, served with chips and salted nuts

Italian.

Can of Budweiser, served with cheesy corn and salted nuts

Brooklyn Bodega Style.  

Note you must pay for all of the above in quarters or smaller denominations to be truly authentic.  You also can never go wrong with beer and wasabi peanuts.

I would guess the ancient Egyptians were drinking beer as their aperitif so this might just be the overall most authentic route (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Pastis and Chilled Water, with cigarettes?

French.  Obviously this image is completely sacrilegious, ice cubes shouldn’t be anywhere near the water you already chilled in the fridge.

A favorite of Bob le Flambeur.  Can’t go wrong with Pernod brand.  I drink it all the time but never with any comestibles.  

Cigarettes or good cigarillos (sounds like a future blog post) make a great pairing with any of the above aperitifs.

Do your part to bring back a little bit of leisure to modern life — and enjoy!

As a side note: I prefer arak and ouzo as digestifs.

Wearing a dark colored shirt with a suit isn’t easy.  Here is some inspiration.

Jean Gabin as a notorious jewel thief, Pepe Le Moko (1937).  Of note: he’s actually wearing a button down collar.

Charles Boyer, Algiers (1938).  In the American remake, Pepe Le Moko seems to have lost the tie.

Oh and here’s…

…doing much the same thing.  Proof that it can be done (and in my opinion) tastefully.  Adapt it to your own style and wear it with a jacket or risk looking like a fascist.  A bright tie seems to be key.

As for a specific color?  Though basically black in the photos, we seem to be dealing with a very dark blue (at least in Pepe’s case).

Note: I have no way of knowing whether or not these shirts are actually black or midnight blue (or something else).  If someone knows for certain, let me know.

Canali

Michael Caine

Various double breasted suits from Carlos (2010). In the business of styleblogging, the above image is referred to exclusively as a “detail shot”.

Various Yemeni men, not all of whom are wearing double breasted jackets.  Most are chewing qat (see: cheek-bulges).  Last image credited to Oliver Brouwers.

Charlie Parker, double breasted.  The above photo also features a very young Miles Davis.

In my mind the double breasted jacket evokes travel (and like Yemen, a certain timeless mystique).   I see it as one of the few sartorial items which must be earned through life experiences, something like a tattoo — it must come to you naturally as a result of specific life events.  Or perhaps it merely requires a shift in character…

It may be worn open or closed (but with regards to the former, it may help to have a large blade, a saxophone, or at least some swagger). 

Tokyo Drifter

Ferragamo

Lupin III

J.Press

I approve of the red sport coat.  So does Sarah Palin, but what can be done…

There seems to be a Japanese connection, though I can’t say for sure.

Waiting for the J.Press to go on sale.

I might as well address this now and provide some advice:  certain items you put on will make you feel self-conscious.  This might be one of them.  The only way to get over it is practice.  In other words, wear things which make you uncomfortable frequently.  It may take six months, but at some point you (and everyone else, in your mind) will get over it.  Of course, none of that is worth it if the item itself is unappealing to you.

In my mind, the only worry is being mistaken for one of the lobsterbacks.