The White Album, Issue Two, September 23rd
The last day of summer has officially come and gone and today marks the beginning of the autumnal equinox. To us, it feels like the real new year. A fresh start with fresh books and a magical, shadow-casting sunlight that only seems to happen right now. We’ve been thinking about clean slates and how white is such a cleansing color for fall. There’s something so striking about wearing all white when the weather cools off, or laying a spare all-white table, or throwing a thick ivory wool blanket over starched white bedsheets. That’s why you’ll notice a lot of wonderful white things in this issue—and also some others we just couldn’t resist. Here’s to howling at the harvest moon!
You’re out in the elements, enjoying every last minute on the water before the big chill. It’s salty and sunny, but you’re perfectly shaded. THE OYSTERMAN HAT from Quaker Marine Supply Co. has a water-repelling patent leather bill that’s 50 percent longer than average, providing an extremely stylish canopy that was beloved by Ernest Hemingway—he wore it fishing in Cuba and duck hunting in Idaho—and Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who wore it with a white cotton turtleneck while windblown on Martha’s Vineyard. (We also remember our parents wearing this style in the ‘80s!) The company, which initially sold marine hardware and clothing, was founded by a Coast Guard officer in 1949, and this canvas cap is still made by hand the same way it was back then.
The house is quiet and the light outside is still blue. You sit down at your table to read the paper and pour yourself a steaming cup of coffee. It’s a humble everyday ritual that can be transformed into a moment of elegance with this PORCELAIN COFFEE POT and CUP from the Austrian porcelain maker Augarten Wien in Vienna. The 300-year-old house’s Mellon Mocha Service was first designed by architect Josef Hoffmann—co-founder of the Vienna Secession Movement—in 1929. Once you pour from the glossy ribbed pot and raise the delicate porcelain cup to your lips, you’ll understand why we sent you.
Crisp and unflappable, it is the ultimate classic—and paired with a spritz of Chanel No. 5 and a slick of red lipstick, indisputably chic. The perfect white shirt can transform your everyday uniform and there is none better than Alex Eagle’s BEAU SHIRT, made in England from Italian cotton with a casual dropped shoulder, pointed collar and oversized boyfriend fit. Alex—a designer, creative director and owner of wonderful boutiques in London—loves wearing it with vintage 501s, a tailored suit or on holiday with nothing but a swimsuit underneath.
It falls perfectly at your solar plexus, a protective talisman that, when pressed to your heart, reminds you of the ones you love. This QUARTZ CRYSTAL LENS PENDANT by the Hudson Valley jewelry designer Gabriella Kiss, reminds us of long Victorian necklaces and monocles. The 18k yellow gold chain is 16 1/2” long and the crystal, set in a scalloped bezel with a diameter of 1 5/8“ x 1 1/8” (nice and big!), can also be used as a magnifier for reading menus, texts or love notes.
**Update** The large pendant is now sold out! But the smaller version is still available here.
Your grandmother had one for every bed, neatly tucked in over ironed sheets and under a coverlet. John Atkinson’s WOOL DUCHESS BLANKET hand-edged in satin binding is what childhood memories are made of. Time may have forgotten this style in favor of the duvet, but like most things the greatest generation swore by, the quality and warmth of these blankets is indisputable, spun with soft merino that has been blended and woven entirely in-house at the company’s mill in West Yorkshire, England for the past 237 years. Embroider a corner with your initials or a favorite family flower and hand it down to the next generation.
It goes on easy over just about anything, especially on a golden September Sunday, running here and there. We love a barn jacket (and so does Prada, as of earlier this week), but what could possibly top a white—we repeat, white—Barbour?! The ASHBY JACKET in ‘mist’ is a similar shape to the outfitter’s iconic waxed army green version, with the same hand-warming pockets, cozy corduroy collar and indestructible zipper, but is cut in a heavy 100% cotton. It’s made for men, but we ladies want to wear it too, with a big chunky turtleneck, corduroys and some ballet flats.
A precious little token that sits by your bedside or on your dressing table. Inside is whatever you don’t want to lose, or something you might want to hide away. Alix D. Reynis’ PILL BOX, hand-made by one of the last porcelain setters in Limoges, France is an usually beautiful place to store your jewelry before you go to sleep— or any other small pleasure. Her atelier will paint the top of the box with custom letters or a monogram script in pure gold.
It’s time for a drink. But your body needs a break from all that summer fun. CRANBERRY BITTERS from Fee Brothers, a fifth-generation company from Rochester, N.Y., is here to save the day with a thirst-quenching (almost) non-alcoholic spritz! Grab your largest red wine glass, load it with ice, splash four dashes of bitters, squeeze some lime (key limes if you’ve got ‘em), and fill to the brim with your favorite soda water.
The morning is cloudy and your face is a mess. You’re rushing out the door in whatever you’ve thrown on. How do you look instantly polished, ‘70s glamorous…famous even? Throw on Celine’s fabulously bug-eyed SUNGLASSES with yellow gradient tinted lenses that are light enough to wear even in stormy weather! They are just the thing for hiding in plain sight—and are not half bad with a cocktail dress and a very, very cold martini either.
The sun is setting, the night is chilly and your guests are about to arrive. You survey the table you’ve laid: a stark white tablecloth, white china and in lieu of a floral centerpiece, the simple glow of the most exquisite cloud white DINNER CANDLES, anchored in glass holders. We first discovered Bougies la Française—a fifth generation French candlemaker whose mixture of vegetable and mineral waxes create extra lustrous sticks that don’t drip or smoke—at Pentreath and Hall, a UK-based shop (if you’re in the USA you can buy them here) that gives wonderful tips on how to care for your candles, including storing them in the freezer before each use to prolong their burn time and polishing them clean with a ladies stocking.
It looks as beautiful blowing in the wind on a city sidewalk with a creamy Shetland sweater and cowboy boots as it does with a camisole and heels. This pleated LONG TENNIS SKIRT, made from lined cotton jersey, is a surprising and truly seasonless staple, especially because it comes from Purdey, the English hunting brand established in 1814 and favored by the British royal family for generations. Style it up, style it down, roll it up and pack it in your bag for any kind of trip.
You keep it just above the stove, a little glimpse of beauty when you’re in the zone, chopping root veggies for a sheet pan dinner or frying up an egg over-easy. The MONSTER PINCH from interior designer Beata Heuman provides a very basic function—easy access to your table salt or fleur de sel—but does it with such whimsy. Poured, glazed and fired in Stoke-on-Trent in England, this softball-sized earthenware vessel will look so cute in your kitchen you may just have to buy two (monsters need friends, too).
It's that time of year again. Back to school, back to work and back to getting the sniffles. We are certainly not doctors, but in our personal experience we have never, ever encountered an herbal supplement that works this well at playing defense…or quelling a cold when you feel one coming on. We don’t know why SUPERLYSINE IMMUNE SUPPORT works for us—the blend of licorice, propolis and odorless garlic must have something to do with it—but we recommend you try some tout suite because, well…winter is coming.
