Summer Bullet Points

The summer issue of Wm Brown is out! I am here in Rome and have finally seen and held the issue in my hands--and I have to say it is chock full of good summer tips from shoes to skin care. (If you don’t have it already, you can buy it from our site directly, or a stockist near you—we have them all listed here.) Also, I am currently stationed in the European bureau/HQ for the summer, so I’ll have plenty of time to report and post more regularly on some of my favorite things from the Eurozone, including food, drinks, travel destinations and finds. I get a lot of DMs via Instagram that often get lost, so while I am here (and focused) I am happy to take on some of your questions about Italy and France in the comments section below. With many of you now enjoying the freedom of summer travel I have put a quick list of some of my favorite things to consider for the summer travel season:

The Watch

I don’t like to travel with many watches (too much to keep track of) so I usually narrow it down to just one or two watches. I will always have a plastic Casio (for timing my runs and to wear in Naples) in my dopp kit, but I also like to wear a watch that has style as well as utility. Since summer means spending as much time as I can on, in or near the water, I like to wear a watch that I don’t have to be precious with, which means most of the vintage collection stays locked up in the safe for the summer. Oris has a few great options for summer travel that fit my criteria: I like the Classic Diver Sixty Five for the pool and sea and their latest Pro Pilot x Calibre 400 in titanium--a watch rugged enough to take a few hits, yet elegant enough for Spritzing at the hotel pool. 

The Drink

The Spritz has been a big summer drink here in Italy for ages, and has definitely found its way to the States. Those of you that have not enjoyed the pleasures of this joyous effervescent cocktail, the Spritz is a drink made up of a bitter liqueur, sparkling wine (like Prosecco), a splash of soda, and with a garnish of orange served in a giant, stemmed, bowl of a glass with ice. The classic (and now widely popular) Spritz is made with Aperol, which I like on occasions (like poolside in Italy for the first early afternoon drink of the day), but my favorite Spritz is made with a red bitter like Campari. I have also found that Select--though slightly sweeter than Campari (and not my favorite for a Negroni)--makes a great Spritz. My recipe for the Select Spritz is as follows: Take a big stemmed glass, fill with ice, fill half the glass with Select, fill the rest of the glass with prosecco, top with a splash of soda and garnish with an orange slice. Salute!

Style Note

I have recently discovered the versatility of the linen suit. I used to be very precious with them thinking that the crisp linen needed to start that way and stay that way. Well, that is not the case, as Yolanda has proven with the double breasted brown linen suit made for her by our friend J. Mueser. The more she wears the linen, either as the full suit or separates the better it looks. I’d find it thrown on a chair, rolled up on the floor or pulled out of a stuffed bag--and the damn thing just looked better and better when she wore it. So I am following her technique for my linen suit (also made by J.Mueser), which has transformed the linen suit into my ideal summer travel garment that can easily be packed without a worry. Like my wash and wear seersucker I have embraced my inner rumpled Southern lawyer while I sport it.

The Shoe

Summer shoes can be tricky--the latest issue takes a deep dive on the subject. I am big slip-on shoe fan and wear lots of loafers that can often be too hot in the summer, or just not casual enough for some summertime activities and destinations. (I’m talking beach and pool here.) I have found the slipper (not the hotel giveaway variety)--I am talking the formal slipper--that has traditionally been worn with a smoking jacket or tux to be a great alternative for summer wear. Brands like Stubbs and Wootton or Belgian make terrific versions that don’t take themselves too seriously (at least Stubbs doesn’t) that look great with everything from linen pants to swim trunks. And if by chance you have packed your tuxedo for a spontaneous black-tie affair, your shoe choice is sorted.

The Luggage

I am asked with frequency what luggage I use and let’s say I tailor my luggage to the trip—the mode of transportation I am using, variety of gear or wardrobe I will need, and how long I will be on the road. So, the breakdown is this…for car travel I use lots of totes- canvas totes mostly from Orvis, Filson or L.L.Bean. I will also use duffels for car travel and trips that may require soft luggage due to space restrictions or inevitable overpacking from shopping etc.. my favorites are ones from Filson, Orvis, The North Face, Eddie Bauer, REI, Porter and Patagonia. I DO NOT have a problem with roller luggage like one of my friends (paging David Coggins)—I think for heavy luggage and gear they are great for speedy exits from airports and trains. I particularly like a cabin roller bag for short trips or additional camera gear that I maybe schlepping along. The brands I own in aluminum and composite are Rimowa, Tumi, and a French brand called Delsey. Eddie Bauer also makes a roller duffle that has a hard bottom shell with a zipper compartment and soft duffle top that I will use for my adventure trips that involve extra boots and gear for fishing, hunting or skiing. It just has two back wheels, so you are kind of just dragging it behind you but I find these wheels very helpful for example, when you are changing terminals with a tight connection, in some god forsaken third world airport to get to another plane to your adventure location. When a bag is chock full of gear, that wonderful invention of a wheel is a godsend and all those guys schlepping their heavy gear laden duffels by hand can eat my dust!