One of the more pleasant aspects of being a resident of Paris is the exposure to people whose lives and accomplishments seem to sit on an island, divorced and distanced from their egos. By this I mean that I’ve encountered a number of Parisians who know exactly who they are and what they are. This … More Divorcing Your Ego
I’ve made it my mission over the past few years to articulate the fundamentals of the Old Money culture. The way we dress, the way we spend (or, more often that not, don’t spend), the priorities, the values, the habits. There’s another aspect that I touch on a little less often, and that’s the obligations … More Noblesse Oblige: A Working List for the Low Key Rich
“When you choose your friends, don’t be short-changed by choosing personality over character.”
I graduated from law school wanting to help people. I started practicing in a rough neighborhood, representing people who otherwise couldn’t afford a decent attorney. I ate at the local cafe and engaged people socially and tried to become part of the community. It wasn’t working. I’d been raised in New Haven. I was young … More Old Money: In Their Own Words
David, one of our long-time community members and frequent finder of thought-provoking articles for this blog, sent me this story recently. I think it’s quite interesting, and I’d love to hear some experiences you’ve had with this issue. That is: how do you handle developing and maintaining friendships with people who have a very different … More Friends and Money
We frequently discuss clothing here–timeless style, function over fashion, style icons, back to school basics–but more often than not, we’re circling the issue of how your clothes reflect your values. What I don’t know is if we’ve ever explored this angle: do clothing choices come from certain (Old Money) values, priorities, and habits? Or can … More Clothing and Character
“Bonjour.” “Bonjour.” “J’adore votre ensemble. C’est tres elegant.” “Merci beaucoup.” “Vous habitez a Paris?” “Oui.” “Un Parisien, tres bien!” “Non, je suis americain.” “Oh, okay. Hi. Me, too. I’m visiting for Fashion Week.” “That must be interesting.” “It is. There’s so much going on. I was just wandering about your outfit. It’s so retro.” “Thank … More Conversation From The Twilight Zone
I was waiting at the Batobus* station recently, and struck up a conversation with a gentleman from Cleveland. He and his wife were visiting London, Paris, and Rome over a month. Art and culture were the focus of the trip (not their first here), and the conversation eventually turned to what I was doing in … More The Irony of It All
Bonjour, etudiants! It’s that time again…time to put the summer clothes away and assess what you need to acquire (or locate in the back of the closet) in order to be appropriately dressed to go back to school. If you’re a long-time reader, you’ll probably have a vague recollection of us going through this exercise … More The Annual Back To School Wardrobe List
The moment one enters a dining establishment is the moment the person dining there accepts that he or she will always be ‘wrong’ that evening. What do I mean by this? I mean that you, as the customer, are going to accept responsibility for any misunderstandings that occur with the restaurant staff that evening. The … More Old Money: In Their Own Words