How modern preppies got the style but forgot the values. by Susan Cheever. Published in Newsweek on August 6, 2012. SUMMERING used to go with trust funds and prepping at St. Paul’s and double-barreled names that ended in Roman numerals. These days summer at the beach has become an American right that we hold to be self-evident. … More Speaking of Values, Susan Cheever
Life is like a restaurant. When you arrive, the place is already up and running under written regulations and unwritten rules that you may never know and that are unlikely to ever change. You enter and are probably treated as politely as you treat those who run the place. You are judged to a certain … More Life is Like a Restaurant
One of the small pleasures I have enjoyed over the years is turning to the obituary page of the New York Times and reading about the life of some accomplished individual. There are always the film stars and politicians of note, but often the person in question is unknown to most of us, but not … More The Doing of Life
In The Old Money Book, I detail the values, priorities, and habits of individuals and families who’ve enjoyed wealth and privilege for three generations or more. Not by accident, the book begins with Old Money Values. If you don’t know what’s important–to you or someone else–mimicking certain behaviors will be a short-lived endeavor with hit-or-miss … More How Old Money Lives
Photo courtesy of Manshion
A friend of mine who lives in Los Angeles is a chef. Some of her clients are very successful in the entertainment industry, and a few are celebrities. In order to retain these well-known clients, she must respect their privacy: dishing the dirt on a client after dishing the filet of sole in their kitchen … More The Help Knows
A year or two ago, I was in Florence, being a flaneur. I got lost. How? Good question. Florence has always struck me as a small town. One with great art, stunning architecture, jaw-dropping history and wonderful people, but small nonetheless. Somewhere behind the Santa Croce, I was wandering helplessly in a labyrinth of cobblestone and … More Etiquette, Italian Style