The Register - November edition

The Register - November edition

Welcome to The Register, our new monthly review of our favourite reads, finds and styles. From here on in, we'll be directing our collective gaze towards all things stylish and culturally rich, with a few curve balls thrown in for good measure. With illuminating long-reads from some of our favourite titles to operatic treats on Youtube and the lowdown on the very best events to attend (when, of course, everything is back open), The Register will be a veritable smorgasbord of stories and style to take you through the weekend and beyond. Enjoy!

The original Gossip Girl Aileen Mehle

The Long Read

What the original Gossip Girl, Aileen Mehle told Vanity Fair before she died.

At the height of Aileen Mehle's society sleuthing, the gossip columnist was read by some 30 million Americans across 90 different newspapers and magazines. Writing under her pen name 'Suzy', Mehle gained unprecedented access to the rich and famous and spilled the beans in glorious prose each day. She moved among them like one of their own, with slicing wit and impeccable charm combined with a persuasive natural beauty. The excellent Bob Colacello, writing for Vanity Fair, was granted Mehle's last interview before she passed away in 2016 and it's an absolutely fantastic read. As she put it herself in a lecture she gave in 1978 at the Society of the Four Arts, in Palm Beach, “Being a bitch in print is the easiest thing in the world. I may nick a little here and nick a little there, but none of the wounds ever require sewing up.”

The Smoking Jacket in 2020

Style Notes

The Smoking Jacket in 2020

The Smoking jacket has long since given up its perfunctory duty as smoke catcher, and yet it persists as one of menswear's most iconic garments. Here at Favourbrook, we're not surprised about its enduring appeal, because as we've known since we began, timeless style is like a good recipe - you can embellish it here and there, but the basic ingredients are what makes it live through the ages.

NAVY VELVET COTTON DOUBLE BREASTED SMOKING JACKET

NAVY VELVET COTTON 
DOUBLE BREASTED 
SMOKING JACKET

BURGUNDY VELVET COTTON SINGLE BREASTED GROSVENOR SMOKING JACKET

BURGUNDY VELVET COTTON 
SINGLE BREASTED GROSVENOR 
SMOKING JACKET

OLIVE VELVET COTTON SINGLE BREASTED GROSVENOR SMOKING JACKET

OLIVE VELVET COTTON 
SINGLE BREASTED GROSVENOR 
SMOKING JACKET

The Smoking jacket's role these days is typically as an elegant piece of eveningwear on those occasions that are deemed more casual than would require black tie, but ceremonial enough to keep a sports jacket out of the reckoning. One might conclude that with lockdown 2.0 now keeping us housebound, that the more formal end of the menswear spectrum would be pushed to the back of our collective wardrobes, but in fact we think the situation provides even more reason to make an effort! To bastardise the pithy war-time idiom, "Keep smart and carry on!"

Puccini's Gianni Schicchi opera

The Tube

Puccini's Gianni Schicchi

If you can't go to the opera, then let the opera come to you! Lockdown may have prevented us from enjoying the sheer joy of going to the Royal Opera House, La Scala, The Met... you name it... but we needn't be deprived of our favourite performances. Youtube has a wealth of full-length operas hiding amongst the ASMR and make-up tutorials, and we've picked a delightful Puccini number to watch this weekend. Gianni Schicchi, which premiered at the New York Met in 1918, is a short (its one act is less than an hour long) but hilarious tale of death, fraud, and one of Dante’s circles of hell. Like most of Puccini’s work, Gianni Schicchi is littered with fantastic music and is easy watching. A delightful interlude to a day stuck in lockdown.

 

Carnaby coat in Parkhurst crepe de chine by Favourbrook Womenswear

Style Notes

Shine in Crepe de Chine

Chinoiserie is a style we love here at Favourbrook - it's delicate, traditional, ornate and exceptionally feminine. This season we've referenced the style to create a very unique piece: our Carnaby coat in Parkhurst heavy crepe de chine. Crepe de chine is a light and fine plain-woven fabric produced with an all-silk warp and weft. It has a beautifully soft handle with a lovely natural drape. We've cut it in our Carnaby coat silhouette this season, which is an elegant shape that finishes below the knee.  What starts at the collar as a classic chinoiserie floral motif evolves into a bold geometric print quite unlike any other. There's no better way to make a statement this season.

 CARNABY COAT BLACK PARKHURST HEAVY CREPE DE CHINE

CARNABY COAT BLACK
PARKHURST HEAVY
CREPE DE CHINE

Cary Grant and his acid experiences written about in vulture.com

The Annals of the Weird and Wonderful

Take a trip down Cary Grant's memory lane.

Cary Grant is widely known as one of the most stylish men to have ever graced our collective screens, but did you also know that he was a pioneer of LSD therapy in the '50s, introduced to it by his then wife Betsy Drake. Vulture.com's Stefanie Cohen reveals what went down on the couch of Beverly Hills doctor Mortimer Hartman in the Hollywood heydays. “For many years I have cautiously peered from behind the face of a man known as Cary Grant,” said Grant himself. “The protection of that facade was both an advantage and a disadvantage. If I couldn’t see out, how could anybody see in?” Grant spoke often about his LSD experiences and with much candour. The article also traces the experiences of Grant's contemporary, actress Roberta Haynes, providing fascinating insight into a branch of psychotherapy that was at the time unregulated and experimental.   

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Blooming Elegance: Dressing for the Chelsea Flower Show

Blooming Elegance: Dressing for the Chelsea Flower Show

The Chelsea Flower Show is the most prestigious horticultural event of the year anywhere in the world. Officially, it's a celebration of flora and fauna...

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The Four Horsemen - George Boughey

The Four Horsemen - George Boughey

Part of our Four Horsemen series in the run-in to Royal Ascot, we spent some time getting to know the brilliant race horse trainer George...

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The Four Horsemen - Billy Jackson-Stops

The Four Horsemen - Billy Jackson-Stops

As part of our Four Horsemen series, we recently chatted with the accomplished bloodstock consultant Billy Jackson-Stops to understand a little more about his part...

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The Four Horsemen - Harry Charlton

The Four Horsemen - Harry Charlton

Part of our Four Horsemen series leading up to Royal Ascot, we caught up with renowned race horse trainer Harry Charlton...

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The Four Horsemen - Ed Walker

The Four Horsemen - Ed Walker

With Royal Ascot galloping round the bend, we were honoured to welcome into our Pall Mall store four gents at the top of the horse...

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The History, Traditions, and Legacy of Royal Ascot: A Sartorial and Social Spectacle

The History, Traditions, and Legacy of Royal Ascot: A Sartorial and Social Spectacle

Since its founding in 1711 by Queen Anne, Royal Ascot has stood as a pinnacle of British heritage, blending equestrian excellence with unparalleled style and...

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How To Dazzle At Summer Weddings

How To Dazzle At Summer Weddings

Stunning floral dresses and elegant linen coats are on the menu for a busy summer of weddings.

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Fundamentals of Formalwear: The Morning Coat

Fundamentals of Formalwear: The Morning Coat

We examine the heritage and how-tos of the most formal garment of them all - the morning coat.  

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Demystifying Dress Codes

Demystifying Dress Codes

Dress codes can sometimes be confusing. They needn't be. Follow our guide and you'll never fall foul of the rules.

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The Côte d’Azur Cruise Suit

The Côte d’Azur Cruise Suit

Two new silk cruise suits defy definition, offering bold statement looks inspired by the glamour and colours of the Côte d’Azur.

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Dressing For A Royal Garden Party

Dressing For A Royal Garden Party

Over 30,000 people are invited to the Royal Garden parties each year. If you've been lucky enough to get an invitation, we'll show you how...

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The New Waistcoat Slip: Reviving the Regency Style

The New Waistcoat Slip: Reviving the Regency Style

Discover our new waistcoat slip: a Regency gem of understated elegance. Explore its history and charm in this deep dive into a forgotten but now...

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