August 19, 1883
Happy birthday to Mademoiselle Coco Chanel, a woman who revolutionized womenswear and redefined luxury. Coco Chanel, always the image of pure sophistication, showed us that impeccable style, like good taste, will always be timeless.
Mademoiselle, we applaud you.
Yours,
Connetiquette.
We’re Going on a Trip and We’re Packing Our Manners
It’s about that time for a respite from the drone of our air-conditioned office and an escape from the routine of the 9 to 5. We’re in that post-Fourth of July, pre-Labor Day slump and we’re ready to indulge in a little getaway. In a flurry of seersucker and sunscreen, we’ve packed our bags for a week of luxury in the Caribbean.
Not to be caught without airplane literature, we’ve included a frequent read of ours, appropriately titled How to Behave: A Guide to Modern Manners For the Socially Challenged by Caroline Tiger (Quirk Publications, Inc. 2003.) Having been gifted this little paperback several years ago, its pages are a reliable resource whether enquiring about the proper “sweatiquette” at the gym, navigating your shopping cart in the produce aisle, or how to suitably handle your overserved party guest, How to Behave eloquently lays out the rules in a manner of which Emily Post would approve.
When trapped in a cramped compressed air chamber traveling at 30,000 feet, there are several pet peeves that one will undoubtedly encounter: that overactive child punting the back of your seat, the lady with the bladder the size of a peanut continuously climbing over you, or the gentleman who can't seem to share the armrest. In an attempt to maintain some in-flight sanity, we're consulting How to Behave's wise words regarding how to cope with such tribulations. Chapter One outlines some mass transportation etiquette, such as advice for dealing with those who ignore even the most basic social norms when it comes to such things as armrest decorum, maintaining air silence, dealing with less than comfortable seating arrangements, and navigating narrow aisles. We are especially fond of the below excerpt which aptly offers a solution when you have exhausted all other polite methods of quieting your fellow traveler's excessively boisterous musical activity.
- Place yourself directly in the offender’s line of vision.
- Tune into his music and begin to mouth the words suggestively. (This works especially well with boy band ballads.)
- Like all good entertainers, make use of your hands to express such lyrics as, “Do you think I’m sexy?”—e.g., pointing toward him at “you,” then gesturing toward yourself at “I’m sexy,” and following up with an arch of the eyebrows.
- Groove in your chair, making sure to employ some really obnoxious dance moves, including “shopping at the supermarket,” “raising the roof,” or “the white man’s overbite.”
- The key to this method is to dance to the beat of the music the offender is listening to, so he recognizes that your odd behavior is linked to his own.
How To Behave is the the ideal guide for the “socially challenged”, including many of those unfortunate enough to have been birthed in one the other 49 undoubtedly less civilized states. We leave you with an appropriately themed etiquette tip, one we will be employing while poolside this week.
Lotion Duty and How to Evade it
- Review the ingredients list on your own lotion bottle and find a substance that pretty much all lotions share—aloe, PABA, etc.
- Ask the person who wishes to be lotioned, “Does your lotion have PABA in it? Because I’m allergic to that.”
- Let them read the ingredients on the back of the bottle and confirm that the allergen is indeed in there.
- Apologize for not being able to apply lotion to the “spots they can’t reach,” but you would break out in hives if you let the allergen come in contact with you.
Happy travels.
Yours,
Connetiquette.
A Western Land of Flying Fish and Bubble Gum
Having thoroughly documented our love of travel previously, we feel no need to further indulge ourselves. So without further ado, our latest adventure: a voyage to a quite unexpected place. Though the west coast of our nation holds a dear place in our hearts, given a two year stint in the great Bear Flag Republic, it's easy for those of us here in the most civilized state to forget about the sparsely populated lands of the northwest.
A newly migrated (and very surprised) best friend and the object of her affection became the ideal impromptu tour guides, opening a Connecticut Yankee's eyes to Washington's beautiful city, Seattle.
Caffe Ladro
Espresso Bar and Bakery
Granted that the birthplace of Starbucks was in the heart of Seattle, we are all pretty familiar with the desensitized mass consumer palette of the conglomerate’s brew. But that shouldn't be misconstrued; no coherent sentence is uttered in many cities and towns throughout America (ours included) prior to a grande skinny vanilla latte. Yet there is something to be said for the individuality found only in a quaint coffee shop. If there is one area of Seattle to compare to Connecticut civilization, it’s the picturesque Upper Queen Anne neighborhood. This charming movie-quality neighborhood is the home to the first of 13 Caffe Ladro locations in and around Seattle, but the coffee shop actually serves as a small respite from suburbia. The interior is creative, artsy, and visually stimulating with intriguing architecture and artwork, and the atmosphere is inviting. Only Fair Trade, Organic, and Shade Grown coffee is used by the chain, an attractive feature in line with Seattle’s overall environmentally friendly attitude. Caffe Ladro also boasts as the winner of Best Coffeehouse of 2007 in the Seattle Weekly Reader’s Poll. Their vanilla latte was a welcome retreat from our standard Starbucks go-to.
Bainbridge Island
A scenic thirty-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle, Bainbridge Island is a lush and beautiful isle in the Puget Sound full of rustic charm. Seattle’s typically dreary weather was on our side, showering us instead with sunlight as we enjoyed the outdoors. Lunch on the water’s edge at Doc’s Marina Grill offered a crystal clear view of the marina, the perfect backdrop for sipping a mid-afternoon Blue Moon. Several small wineries litter the island, and one in particular that deemed itself alluring was Eleven Winery. A very petite winery living in a small 1970’s era house abides by the mantra that wine tasting should be enjoyable and friendly.
Pike Place Market
Overlooking Elliott Bay in downtown Seattle, Pike Place Market has existed as one of the most well known public farmers’ markets and crafts fairs since 1907. Open daily, the Market is home to countless vendors, most notably Pike Place Fish. The fish stand is an obvious tourist attraction, as employees hurl three-pound slimy fish across a seafood-laden ice barrier to one another as customers place their orders. According to the Market employees, this became tradition out of pure laziness; fish-tossing is faster than walking around the ice. If you’re lucky, you can even catch a giant salmon from behind the counter too.
The Gum Wall
Believe it or not, a wall covered in used chewing gum is a local landmark that happens to be situated in Post Alley below Pike Place Market. The creation began in 1993 out of boredom when theatergoers waiting in line for Market Theater stuck their sticky gum to the wall. Now rated as the world’s fifth germiest tourist destination, displays of gum artwork can be found on the 50-foot brick wall. While utterly repulsive, the masterpiece is equally impressive. We even found a poor soul’s credit card stuck to the wall with squishy blue gum.
A surprise weekend in Seattle barely pierced the surface of the rich culture of Seattle's countless restaurants, bars, and shops. The close proximity of the lush vegetation in the surrounding area and the sweeping mountain range, including majestic Mount Rainer, gives Seattle a bit of the best of both worlds. It’s a life we could get used to, a city dweller one moment, with an easy escape into the wilderness that only requires a sick day. You might consider becoming an expat from the East yourself, as long as you can get used to the thought of unearthing an old Kurt Cobain poster. We’re on the plaid bandwagon, but believe us, in Seattle, grunge lives strong.
Yours,
Connetiquette.
Happy Birthday, America.
On July 4, 1776, our nation not only received its independence, but it embarked on a lifelong practice of epic celebrations. Rich in patriotism and tradition, the 4th of July commemoration will always mark a day in which one indulges in only the most civilized way. History has stated that when Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence, bonfires blazed in the streets of Williamsburg, gunpowder exploded in the gutters, and bells rang from the highest towers. John Adams famously wrote that the Fourth of July "...ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other...". So set forth the tradition of celebrating this day with a display of ostentatious fireworks, campfires, and hot July barbecues.
This 4th of July weekend we kicked back on the Connecticut shore, grilled up some burgers, dripped melted butter on our lobster rolls, and raised a glass of Planter's Punch to America. We packed up a picnic and tossed down our blanket among the countless others littering the beach, laden with spreads of potato salad, watermelon, and summer lemonade. The Good Humor truck lingered nearby, reminding us of childhoods spent licking melted Klondike bars from our fingers and running like banshees waving sparklers. The medley of smells wafting over the beach were a combination of smoky Weber grill charcoal and airborne citronella to fend off the ever-present New England mosquitos, meshing with the salty sea air. The humid night grew near as the sky turned pink, signaling friendly waters for tomorrow's sailors. Pink sky began to blend into blue-gray waters, until the horizon line grew so dim that the two looked one in the same. The water lapped at the sand's edge, teasingly revealing a rocky shell and seaweed covered shoreline. Gleams of light glinted in the dark as children raced across the sand, waving glow sticks twisted into jewelry.
The fireworks' first blast raised a joyful cheer from the hundreds on the beach, waiting anxiously for the show to begin. Children's shrieks echoed off the water and mirrored the boom of each explosion. With each brilliant blaze of light, the memories flooded back of each year's July 4th night, as we lay under dark navy skies and watched the fireworks explode above our heads.
Here in our civilized state, we pride ourselves in being one of those 13 original colonies able to celebrate our independence since that fateful day in 1776. From Westport, Connecticut to Kennebunkport, Maine we celebrate our independence in way that, for centuries, only New England has. Happy Independence Day.
Life Magazine July 4, 1955
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New Canaan, CT. July 4, 2009
New Canaan, CT. July 4, 2009
New Canaan, CT. July 4, 2009
Westport, CT. July 4, 2010
Westport, CT. July 4, 2010
Westport, CT. July 4, 2010
Westport, CT. July 4, 2010
Westport, CT. July 4, 2010
Westport, CT. July 4, 2010
New Canaan, CT. July 4, 2010
New Canaan, CT. July 4, 2010
Yours,
Connetiquette.
Style Mishaps on the Tarmac
One of our greatest passions here at Connetiquette is travel. No person may consider themselves a member of civilized society without the desire to explore, learn, and immerse oneself in a strange culture or philosophy. We relish in the mystery and discovery of embarking upon new journeys and have traveled to locales as distant and remote as Africa and southern Italy. Yet every trip, one constant pervades: the countless hours spent in an airport.
Once one has exhausted the circuit of petrified muffins and burnt coffee, then waded through the entire repertoire of magazines at Hudson News, there is only one reliably entertaining activity to turn to: people watching. Whether stranded at an airport with a delayed flight, sunbathing in Central Park, or sipping a latte on the Starbucks patio at the corner of Park and Elm, people watching is mankind's most natural pastime. Better yet, people watching at an airport ranks highest on the scale, in part because one may survey all walks of life, but also view the glorious atrocity we’d like to call airport fashion.
One thing must be made perfectly clear; we are familiar with the exhaustive nature of travel and the desire for comfort. There were no selvage denim and lace up booties on that 23 hour 30 minute voyage to Johannesburg. This does not mean, however, that one may throw caution to the wind and dress as though you had hired your blind grandmother as your stylist. There are simple ways to dress for the comfort of flying and still look chic. A few fleeting thoughts, if you will:
An easy elegance for both men and women takes the form of the blazer. Opting to throw on a blazer over jeans is an effortless, timeless style. For most men, wearing your sport coat or suit jacket on the plane avoids the pestering wrinkles that come when packing it in your luggage and nixes the need for a garment bag. Women's blazers is a favorite trend right now, and one that should be wholeheartedly embraced. A well-fitted blazer simply screams polish and style and is such a simple way to pull an entire outfit together.
When debating footwear, choose shoes that are simple to take off and slip on before dealing with the security line. It will spare you the venomous glares and heavy sighs while you delay the queue with the struggle to take off your shoes. Save the intricate laces and painful toe crunching heels for your destination and opt for something comfortable like a driving moc, ballet flat, or simple dress shoe. This may be the only place in the universe the Ugg is permitted to exist, but please, avoid the unnaturally harsh pink and metallic versions.
Also, the year 2003 called, it wants its velour Juicy tracksuit back. Don't look around like we're talking to someone else, we know who you are. Any girl who reached adolescence between 1990 and 2000 has a pair of Juicy sweatpants kicking around the closet left over from their heyday. But this by no means justifies the desire to embrace your inner J.Lo and wear that matching zip up hoodie. News flash, even she has shed the look. We’d prefer to see a legging paired with a luxuriously drapey sweater. If sweatpants must happen then the sweatpants that leave your house should (of course) be sans elastic waist and ankle band and paired with something more formal on top, not an equally sloppy sweatshirt. As for gentlemen, just keep your sweatpants at the gym; it’s rare this look can be pulled off by the male species.
Oh, and one last thing...designer luggage. They can go one of two ways: beautifully and fabulously chic or despairingly tacky. There is a mountainous difference between a well-loved vintage Louis Vuitton trunk and a Canal Street knock off duffle littered with screamingly mismatched LV’s. Understandably, the gargantuan cost of a piece of genuine designer luggage can make anyone have heart palpitations, but there are plenty of tasteful and fun alternatives out there. Not only is purchasing a knockoff simply wrong, but a bad knockoff, now that’s just a crime. If it’s a brand name image you want, do yourself a favor and save up for the real thing. Here at Connetiquette, we've been trusting in this Jump Luggage for years and couldn’t be more pleased with the cheerful hue and stylish design.
If it were possible for us to explore, discover, and engross ourselves in nearly every country and culture in a lifetime, it would be wonderful. Since this is not realistically achievable, let us all do we can to make the trips we are able to take as pleasurable as possible for all by sparing the world from the eyesore that can be airport fashion.
Yours,
Connetiquette.
Hamburger Mecca
In faith, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great significance. Sometimes it is an inner spiritual journey, at others it can consist of travel to a shrine of great importance. Those who participate in such excursions are called pilgrims. This is the tale of Connetiquette’s pilgrimage to Louis’ Lunch, the shrine of the original hamburger.
Those of us who have been raised here in the most civilized state likely know that Connecticut has produced many important firsts. These achievements and inventions include the first written constitution, vulcanized rubber, lollipops, frisbees, and wiffle ball. Another Connecticut first, every bit as important, is the same delectable creation that has become the American trademark food - the mainstay of bourgeois barbecues and elegant restaurant tables across the Union - the hamburger.
Having run the gamut from hole in the wall diner food to high-end gourmet Kobe beef, the hamburger has been known to take many forms. Today, a burger can come with many garnishes, be made from different meats (or veggie and tofu if you insist) and it is constantly reinvented in an attempt to explore the limitless possibilities of the simple yet sublime dish. So, in light of this 110-year love affair, a few of us here at Connetiquette decided to take advantage of our opportunity to become acquainted with this culinary superstar’s humble origins.
It is said that one fateful day in the year 1900 a man hurried into a small New Haven luncheonette and asked for meal that he could eat on the run. Louis Lassen, the purveyor soon to become culinary demigod, hurriedly made a sandwich that consisted of a broiled beef patty sandwiched between two slices of white bread and sent the customer on his way with America's first hamburger. It was one of those moments that would change the gastronomic future of a nation and, in truth, the world.
On one brisk February morning, our journey took us to Crown Street in the city of New Haven in search of the birthplace of that culinary sensation where we might finally experience the greatest sandwich that this planet has ever known in its purest form. Many had heralded the establishment’s storied past, and yet we remained skeptical despite our eagerness to experience this proud Connecticut cultural institution. Upon arriving at the pocket-sized brick building, we were not surprised to be confronted by a file of people waiting patiently for a bite of this culinary legend. We waited for upwards of half an hour, and eventually found ourselves basking in the dimly lit décor among dark wood furnishings riddled with decades of carvings etched by late night Yalies looking to make a lasting mark. We understand that the line is typical for a Saturday afternoon, the building being packed with patrons filing in slowly and expectantly to satisfy their desire for Louis’ flame- kissed beef.
Our order consisted of two “cheese works” (a burger topped with cheese, tomato, and slice of onion), an order of “Potatoe Salid,” and two Foxon Park sodas (bottled in neighboring East Haven). A word to the wise: “no true connoisseur would consider corrupting the classic taste with mustard or ketchup,” according to the establishment, and thus condiments are not offered, in fact, they’re banned.
On a busy afternoon like this one it seemed many people opt to indulge in their side dishes and drinks while they wait. We took the opportunity to check into a local café, Soul de Cuba, to bide the time while our burgers were cooked (you’ll be hearing about them soon). Upon our return we received our burgers in much the same fashion as the burger’s very first consumer did - to go - and we strolled down the streets of New Haven, enjoying our fresh, vertically-broiled culinary icons. The experience was entirely worth the wait: the burgers at Louis’ Lunch, while simple, are delicious. The quality of their beef is apparent due to the rich, perfect flavor of their unadulterated and condiment-free sandwich.
For all the burger lovers out there, when in New Haven, stop by Louis’ Lunch, bow your heads and pay homage to this most civilized and historic sandwich.
Yours,
D. Martinez, guest blogger.
All About Alice
It is daunting to even describe the spectrum of vivid colors, but it shines and sparkles, blindingly brilliant and gaudy. Like a disco ball, it shimmers when struck by each beam of light. Flakes of crimson reds, watery blues, evergreens, and metallic golds and silvers reflect in an explosion of glitter. Three coats later, “Mad as a Hatter” is just about the perfect color of nail polish. A close second, “Absolutely Alice” bathes the nails in bright aqua and gold, impeccably embodying the iconic blue Alice dress. Rounding out this limited edition OPI collection are “Off With Her Red!” and “Thanks So Muchness!”, both liquid blood reds, wonderfully reminiscent of the villainous Queen of Hearts.
Alice in Wonderland, a story equal parts trippy cult classic and innocent Disney favorite, is getting a campy and hallucinogenic makeover, with the quirky Tim Burton at the reins. The literary nonsense novel, written by Lewis Carroll circa 1865, tells the tale of Alice, a bored little girl, who quite literally falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world. Her journey is rather physically demanding, during which she grows and shrinks to odd sizes, meets a hookah-smoking caterpillar, attends an emotionally unbalanced tea party, and is tormented by a deck of cards.
Tim Burton’s reinvention of Alice combines both Lewis Caroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and tells the story of Alice Kingsley’s return to Wonderland ten years later. The movie depicts how Alice must slay the dangerous Jabberwocky and save Wonderland from the terror of the Red Queen, who has taken over and tortured the land since Alice left. Alice is reunited with her old friends and confidants, including the Mad Hatter, eccentrically played by Johnny Depp. She is also introduced to new allies, like the idealistic hippie White Queen, portrayed by Anne Hathaway.
This ingenious and inventive tale has been wildly inspirational and omnipresent in pop culture, becoming a Disney staple and Alice, a household icon. In December 2003, Annie Leibovitz photographed Natalia Vodianova in the most incredibly gorgeous Wonderland-themed Vogue spread featuring some of the world’s most influential designers. Elaborate haute couture gowns in dramatic lace and azure are perfectly paired with Natalia’s glowing blonde locks and swimming pool baby blues.
Disney Consumer Products has commissioned Tom Binns, 2006 CFDA winner and eclectic trendsetting jewelry designer to design an Alice-inspired collection. The pieces are eccentric, yet stylish, imaginative, and yet timeless. Binns skyrocketed to stardom immediately after drenching the chic Mrs. Obama in his regal jewels. Joining Binns in the creation of Wonderland goodies are Stella McCartney, Sue Wong, and Swarovski, all of whom will be looking to Burton’s Alice for inspiration.
On March 5th we will be seated in plush chairs, 3D glasses at the ready for the viewing of this most epic reinvention. It will be a visually stimulating, rollercoaster ride of an event, one that we will are looking forward to with the utmost anticipation. It is one very important date that we certainly won’t be late for. Until next time, we leave you with the eternal words of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs:
“Off with your head
Dance ’til you’re dead
Heads will roll
On the floor”
Yours,
Connetiquette.
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler: Mardi Gras
Having hoped to indulge in the mayhem of Mardi Gras for quite some time now, we finally made a most timely visit to the extraordinary city of New Orleans, Louisiana. A city full of such life, culture, and debauchery plays a natural host to we of the northeastern states. Having become well versed on local customs and traditions, such as what time of day to begin imbibing mass amounts of libations and what dish is best served with absinthe, we have decided to included a few of our Mardi Gras Dos and Don’ts, a brief Connetiquette guide one might reference for the next round.
DO sing karaoke on Bourbon Street. If you have long hidden an undying passion to sing karaoke at least once in your life…do it at Cat’s Meow, during Mardi Gras. While one may act a fool, it will be a most enjoyable experience and chances are, the only memory of the incident will be a picture on one’s digital camera the following morning.
DO NOT wear nice shoes! While often the most important article in a most fashionable outfit, it would be highly recommended to take Mardi Gras as an exception. Wear only shoes you wish to replace at the end of the week. Walking on Bourbon Street equates to walking through inches deep streams of stale beer, soggy beads, bodily fluids, among other mysteries. You will not like the looks of your footwear, or your foot for that matter, in the event one makes the most terrible mistake of all: wearing
DO NOT forget that while NOLA is home to one of the most decadent and uproarious celebrations in history, it is also a city steeped in rich culture and antiquity; such as this establishment that one may stumble upon down a cobblestone passage called Pirate Alley Café and Absinthe House, just off Jackson Square. The bartenders are entirely knowledgeable, friendly, and were appreciative of our slight obsession with the establishment’s surprisingly quiet aura and authenticity. This immensely welcome reprieve from the frenzy of bourbon street would make any traveler eager for some absinthe tasting, the Pirate way. The bartender recommended Lucid, the first brand legalized in the US, while providing a full history of the liquor, from its late 18th Century Swiss roots, the rise in popularity in French culture during the 19th century, as well as proper absinthe etiquette. And no, there were not little green fairies scampering about.
DO accept any and all exchanges of gifts of Mardi Gras paraphernalia from strangers who quickly become friends. We returned from our festivities each night with a collection of various colorful beads, peculiarly shaped hats, purple, green, yellow sunglasses, and glittering masquerade masks. During Mardi Gras, the city of New Orleans is full of extremely sociable people, natives and visitors alike, who love to meet and make new friends and enjoy the infectiously jubilant atmosphere. While flesh-flashing is optional, it is oddly satisfying to gaze up at the balconies on Bourbon and have strands of beads thrown down to you; even more so, spending a night on one of those balconies, tossing down beads to those hoping for prizes of their own.
Now fully recovered, we recommend that you take the opportunity at some point, to head down to New Orleans and let the good times roll, or as they might say in Louisiana, “laissez les bons temps rouler.”
Yours,
Connetiquette.
Photos courtesy of Lara Moczydlowski.
Special thanks to Dana Rashidi and Patrick Healey for serving as our excellent tour guides and for exposing us to the vivacious New Orleans lifestyle. Mardi Gras 2010 was an unforgettable experience and we are thankful to have been able to cross this one off our bucket list.
A Day Of Snow And Cinema
Seeing as it appears we have been snowed-in here in the civilized world, we at Connetiquette have decided to seize this opportunity to take a most elegant journey into the past with a film viewing of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Great Gatsby, starring Robert Redford.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (the novel upon which the film is based) is celebrated as one of the greatest American novels of all time. The story is a foray into the sordid and dramatic lives of 1920s high society, complete with clandestine extra-marital affairs, corruption, and an emerging underground rebellion of the law. The book chronicles and tacitly critiques Midwest transplant Nick Carraway’s hot pursuit of the American Dream, and unfortunately for him, the rocky and often morally dubious road toward achieving his version of it.
The era of Gatsby, the roaring 20’s, was in fact quite roaring; and in every sense of the word. Yet as any scholar duly notes, the decade skidded to a—literally—crashing halt in the year 1929, but not before the previous nine years impacted this nation’s culture more than any other decade on written record. These were times of immense economic and social progress as seen in the fortunes earned by countless individuals, the constitutional rights earned by America’s women, the flourishing of the arts in the forms of jazz and art deco, and the development of an opulent and lavish sense of style and fashion.
Which brings us to the reason the 1920s is an ultimate interest of ours. Twenties fashion was arguably one of the most interesting and fabulous, not to mention ground breaking, periods in the history of fashion. A departure from the constricting ways of victorian life, the twenties inspired freedom, rebellion, and sex appeal, and in many ways could be seen as a precursor to the 1970s.
Flappers, as they were known, were a new kind of woman: newly liberated from their victorian corsets they—gasp—flashed a forearm or knee. Flappers embraced slinky and shiny fabrics, raised hemlines, and turned elaborate up do’s into short bobbed hair. Women dripping in pearls and feathers could be found at secret speakeasies, drinking, smoking, and even driving. The Twenties was also the height of Coco Chanel, who relaxed women’s fashion and introduced practicality to a woman’s wardrobe.
Post World War I, men took a fresh approach to fashion also, doing away with the formality of changing clothes more than twice a day and instead embraced the wearing of a suit in a more relaxed manner while retaining the tuxedo for more formal events. The Great Gatsby’s take on men’s fashion in the Twenties is delectable in its depiction of the mysterious and moneyed Jay Gatsby entertaining guests on what was then high-rolling Long Island; clad in creamy suits, wingtips, and cable knits.
For those of you interested in a little throwback Twenties fashion for an everyday elegant look, we find some inspiration from the gentleman who wears his cable cashmere while playing a game of tennis (see this version by Ralph Lauren), or of course there’s the young lady who drapes her neck in long strands of pearls while enjoying cocktails among friends (this beaded update brought to you by Bloomingdale’s).
We can dream of the day when our world is restored to that proper balance of elegance and progress, but for now we’ll just have to wait for the Baz Luhrmann remake. We hear rumors of a Leo lead. In the meantime, you find us at the nearest speakeasy, martini in hand. Who’s ready to dance The Charleston?
Yours,
Connetiquette.
Trials & Percolations: Blue State Coffee
“Civilization in its onward march has produced only three important non-alcoholic beverages - the extract of the tea plant, the extract of the cocoa bean, and the extract of the coffee bean.” -William H. Ukers, All About Coffee
Truer words have never been written. Thus, we begin the account of our trials and percolations - in search of the most perfect exemplars of these drinks that human civilization has ever developed. This post will be the first installment of many, continuing in perpetuity, until we finally lay at rest, glorious cup of perfection in hand.
We begin our journey in the City of New Haven; among the ivy, stone, and steeples that comprise that fair city en route to the subject of today’s installment, Blue State Coffee.
Approaching the shop we beheld the quite inventive sign, an artistic rendering of a vertically draped American flag with the stripes drawn as though they were steam rising from the cup beneath - a perfect preparation for what we were to find within. Upon entering it was immediately reminiscent of a new café on Pennsylvania Avenue (SE, of course) with politicos gathered, MacBooks in lap. Whitewashed walls are livened up by framed photographs of famous politicians of yore, whose names you can likely guess based on the naming of the establishment. The ceiling was lined not with a crown molding, but rather with a serpentine chalkboard that encircled the room and prominently inscribed with a quotation by the current President of the United States, Mr. Obama. Such a flagrant display of political preference is normally considered poor etiquette in our circles, but there are exceptions to every rule. While perhaps not proper etiquette, we did not find the intent to be in poor taste, in fact quite the contrary.
A brief conversation with Sean, the apparent first-among-equals at this egalitarian establishment, enlightened us as to the muses and motives of the shop and it’s owners. It can be put most succinctly this way: Blue State Coffee believes that their coffee should be as great as the relationships they build in the process of purveying it. From personal relationships with Costa Rican and South American farmers, to their ecstatic attitude toward their roaster, New Harvest (located in Rhode Island), and donating 5% of all sales to charities selected by customer ballots, Blue State is a model corporate citizen that we in this most civilized state are privileged to frequent. They even have a helpful chalkboard menu that illustrates the coffee-to-milk ratio of each drink, decrypting the Italian language for those not fortunate enough to have studied it. First impressions were good on all accounts, now on to the coffee.
The ground rules were simple: one shot of espresso and one cup of the house’s specialty drink, both to be served in ceramic. This test was chosen for its simplistic ability to test the quality of the coffee and equipment, as well as the skill of the barista, ours being an amiable lad named Ryan. The blend is not espresso proper, as the blend is not all espresso roast. This is an increasingly common tactic to lure Americans with improving palates to regular espresso drinking. However, as Sean noted, it is sufficiently strong for a true espresso drinker due to an Ethiopian bean, which gives their espresso its signature kick. The espresso is smooth and strong, not quite Italian, but perfect for an enlightened American palate and has no bitter or metallic aftertastes. Impressive.
The latte was their choice for house drink and we are told it is the most popular. It arrived in a massive white ceramic cup and with a beautiful design created by pouring the coffee atop the foam. The latte was rich, milky, and luxuriant, with a light foam. It was a perfect drink to last the course of a rainy afternoon reading the classics, a long conversation among old friends, or perhaps political operatives. By all accounts this would have to be one of our best experiences in the realm of fine non-alcoholic beverages and Blue State will be a frequent stop on return trips to its fair host city.
A kind thank you to Sean, Ryan, and the entire staff at Blue State Coffee for a wonderful coffee experience. In the mean time we have a request: caffè shakerato (shock-air-ah-to). Look it up, we think your establishment should be the one to bring this Italian summer staple to the Elm City, it would fit on the board just beside the caffè freddo.
Yours,
Connetiquette.
@connetiquette
- City High is on the radio. Whoa, flashback 1 week ago
- Working on some image management. Who needs 1,537 tagged pictures on Facebook? 1 week ago
- I spy leaves already getting brown and crackly on the ground. Connecticut fall, you're just around the corner 1 week ago
- @SNCarpeaux happy bday :) 1 week ago
- Yum. RT @CTBites: Great deals to be had at Westport Restaurant Week. See what's cooking: http://ow.ly/2tJdF 1 week ago
- More updates...