The Golden Bowl

Gerald & Sara Murphy knew how to live. Swimming at Eden Roc, summering at Cap d'Antibes, befriending Cole Porter, Scott & Zelda, Dorothy Parker, Dos Passos, Picasso, Isadora Duncan, Hemingway, etc etc etc. They started the fashion of sunbathing on the beach (tho it eventually turned out the stylish look was a beauty crime). They inspired Dick & Nicole Diver of "Tender Is The Night," & possibly the young, carnal couple of Hemingway's "Garden of Eden." They are also the explicit subject of two of my favorite titled books of all time, "Everybody Was So Young" & "Living Well Is The Best Revenge." Their charmed lives, style & Gerald's paintings, including 1929's "Wasp and Pear" below, are now the subject of a retrospective in Williamstown, MA.

Sara's smooth, aristocratic beauty & signature strand of pearls made her an icon of her day, but Gerald is clearly stealing her thunder in the picture below. The classic striped nautical jersey, the waist-slung belt, the ropey sandals, the chic headscarf & that bamboo cane!

When the Murphy's two sons died a year apart, the couple eventually broke down & moved to New York; the fête had come to an end. Said Fitzgerald, "The golden bowl is broken indeed, but it was golden."

Let's Get Nautical

The old reliable nautical look is about as hardy a trend as you'll find in fashion. & yet this shopworn story is almost always dredged out for spring. Leave it to Wendy Mullin to do nautical with a twist, by showing it for fall. & I love that she's using Robin Tunney as a model again this season. Note to self: queue up The Craft to see if it's as fun as you remember.


Anyway, the fall merch is just starting to trickle in at Built By Wendy (click here for the lookbook & available styles). I think their stuff can be overpriced, but since it's all got that very recognizable Wendy look, it doesn't really go out after a season. & their sample sales are a for-sure score, every time. Now, whatever happened to Fairuza Balk?

Work It Out

My boyfriend swears that the main reason he never goes to the gym is that he can't find the right bag. I am partial to American Apparel's old-school nylon bags. They are cheap, colorful & cute. I have the yellow one, but I think the black & silver version is a sleek choice for the fellas.



But, after careful deliberation & a characteristically circumspect consideration of the American Apparel bag, the b.f. gave it a pass. He didn't like the idea of having to carry it awkwardly over his shoulder or worse have to hold the straps with his hand. A backpack was out, too, because it would have to be removed when he sat down on the subway (or stood on a crowded train).

At Flight 001, we both fell for a shoulder bag from Yohji Yamamoto's collaboration with Mandarina Duck. But it was expensive & not quite right (nor, unfortunately, is it pictured anywhere online). The salesman advised we check out Filson, whose high-quality sportsman's gear (their slogan is "Might As Well Have The Best") has been around since 1897 but has only recently been scooped up by trendy boutiques like Steven Alan & Opening Ceremony. I scoured their site & thought this bag fit all the criteria -- & looks amazing.



My boyfriend hates it. He thinks I'm a sucker for "buzz." I think this bag is classic, rugged, masculine, & has a little bit of quirky luxe, like a rich eccentric. What do you think?