New Blog Address

As some of you may have already noticed, we now have a second home. Not only can you now find the blog from our website www.lawrencecovell.com, but you can now access the blog directly at www.lawrencecovellblog.com. For those of you that love to type in blogspot or already have us bookmarked, the current link will still work. So fear not, your home for sartorial advice will always be here.

Seasonal Dressing

Remember that as the seasons change, so must our wardrobes. Traditional weight for a summer pant is in the 250 gram range while a full winter trouser will be around 300 grams.

For this time of the year, when the days are mixtures of hot and cold, seasonal and transitional clothing work best. Currently, we are highlighting these new pants from Luciano Barbera. They are perfect for this time of the year (No linen and no heavy flannels) weighing around 270 grams.

The versatility of transitional pieces only add to their value. If you are a little cold, just throw on a Barbera cashmere tie and you will be perfect. Again, the transitionals work best this time of the year, and in our crazy climate here in Denver, they are great pieces to always have on hand.

Profile: Lawrence Covell

What else needs to be said - this gentleman started it all! It is his vision that has brought us to the forefront of the retail world. Lawrence, Lawry to his friends, is a man who dresses by his own rules and personal tastes. His style is impeccable and he always look great and ready for any occasion.

Style Icon

JFK, Sean Connery

Describe your personal style ...

I dress for the mood I am in that day, I do not fuss too much when putting an outfit together

Favorite labels/designers/brands?

Kiton, Luciano Barbera, Jil Sander

Favorite item of clothing?

I have several fall jackets that I really love. I especially love fall clothing.

Most Cherished Item?

Patek Phillipe Gondolo Watch circa 193o

Dress to Impress who?

I don't dress to impress anybody. I dress to feel comfortable for the occasion.

What would you never wear?

I would never be caught wearing a designer outfit from head to toe. I like an eclectic mix.

I never break this fashion rule ...

I do not mix seasons - no summer and winter clothes together. Other than that, I follow my own rules.

Shine your own shoes?

My background in leather work makes me appreciate the fine leather of my shoes and I find shining my shoes therapeutic.

The first thing I notice in somebody else's outfit ...

Their personal style

Most stylish city?

Milano, I feel like most everyone there has a sense of style that I can relate to

When I was younger, I wore ...

I grew up in Southern California, so while growing up, there were phases of Levis 501s and T Shirts.

Favorite place to holiday?

Paris or New York - I prefer to visit cities on vacation.

Hobbies

Golf

Favorite Restaurant?

Twelve in Denver, Mas in New York , and Le Grand Vefour in Paris.

What keeps you inspired?

I remain inspired by working with other inspired people

Recent Travels

Absurdly coincidental given the recent Denver rains and the receipt of our new rain wear from Barbera and Zegna, David (client) recently traveled to Seattle for a holiday and shared with us some of pictures from his trip.


We are blessed that our jobs involve so much travel. Honestly, it is the reason so many of us choose to work in the fashion industry. The different languages, the markets, the people, the sights, smells, etc., they all combine to shape our views of the world and often create new and diverse cultures in the process.

The ideas of fashion and style are endlessly interesting as they affect every part of people's lives. Again, many of us have chosen this life/industry because it opens us up to new experiences. As people develop an interest and appreciation for fine clothing, that appreciation will transfer into how they view the world. Next time you are around an artistic type, watch them; I guarantee that how they view the natural aesthetic of the world will be unique, interesting, and special.

Don't Be Afraid of Patterns

Take a cue from the beautiful and always chic Elle Macpherson and remember that a little pattern can add some real spark to your daily look.

Already highlighted from Luciano Barbera, we have amazing new plaid coats and vests arriving in shades of red, orange, and purple. They are easy to tone down with a vest or knit, but the best way to wear them is on there own with some beautiful Red Engine jeans and a Majestic T - very classic and stunning.

Collars and a New Tie Knot

Today we teach how to tie the Windsor Knot:

Also Known as the Full Windsor or Double Windsor, the Windsor knot is the preferred knot of owner Lawry Covell and is perfect for the spread collar shirt as shown below from Borrelli.


Tie knots should compliment the collar being used - meaning that the wider the spread or gap on a shirt collar, the tie knot should possess a similar width. The four-in-hand taught a few weeks ago is the perfect knot for a sport or button down collared shirt. However, the Windsor is at home when the collar is wide. The multiple layers of the Windsor create a wider knot which compliments the width of a spread or even semi spread shirt. The knot is perfectly at home walking around the streets of Milan or the boardrooms of Denver.

October 22nd ...

will be a big day for us at the store.

First, we are moving Third Thursday for October to October 22nd.

This makes it easier for our clients as the 22nd is also our Caruso and Taste of Parma event. We will have wine and cheese from Parma and the Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy. We will also be hosting Enrico di Giovanni from Caruso as he explains and presents the new suitings from Caruso and the current changes happening at the company.

Caruso is one of the finest suit makers in the world and have recently made it a goal to be even better. This night will be one to not miss, so please mark your calendars now.

Trunk Show

Last weekend's Barbera and Bontoni trunk show was a big hit and we must thank everyone that came out. The new pieces from both companies are incredible and highlight the progress going on in menswear. Water resistant vests layered with coat fabric, cashmere/flannel dress shirts, green shoes, menswear does not get much better.

Michal Sestak of Barbera USA cutting samples for clients

New fall merchandise from Luciano Barbera fronted by flannel shirt and techno water proof vest

Luciano Barbera fabric samples

Bontoni Shoes

The Raincoat

Fall is here!! As Denver is experiencing a nice cold and some needed rain, it reminds us of a great quote from a past Luciano Barbera catalogue:

"It is the sad fate of the raincoat to come out only when no one can hang around and see it.

Why give in to this tragedy?"

Great Quote! But today is more like ...

Trunk Show Possibilities

One reason to stop by and see Michal and Lewis at this weekend's trunk shows are the endless possibilities available to the customer. For example, the beautiful jacket seen below:


It is a beautiful piece of sartorial perfection. However, the details are what make it special. This was a trunk show order, where dreams are the only real limits. As such, Andrew went a little crazy and made something very self inspiring:

... a jacket lined with the Italian flag.

Again, whatever you want, whatever inspires you, stop by this weekend, it will be fun.

Paris 1962

No one can argue that Paris is a stylish city, Joe Covell may even say it is the most stylish city in the world.

Jerry Schatzberg's book Paris 1962 only lends credibility to Joe's argument. Set against the backdrop of old and glamourous Paris, this coffee table book is full of beautiful and inspirational images from Schatzberg's 1962 trip to photograph the French Haute Couture shows. Although this is not necessarily a fashion book, it is a wonderful invite-only look from a photographer's perspective into the 1962 era where grace and elegance remained supreme.

The book is available from Tattered Cover and has remained Joe's preferred coffee table book since it's release.

Ties Equal Smiles

Why are these two smiling?

Because of their great ties! The Miller brothers know that a great tie can really make for a great day. Ties are one of the few places a gentleman can add a personal touch into a wardrobe. Whether it be a pink Kiton tie or a navy Barbera tie, a tie adds a little color and sprezzatura to your daily look. So next time you get dressed or come into the store, remember what the simple necktie can do for your attitude - ties equal smiles.

Potager Restaurant

Part of the fun of blogging is the ability to share our passions with our clients and friends. Since mentioned in Cathy's style profile, we have to throw a recommendation to Denver favorite Potager. www.potagerrestaurant.com

Located at 11th and Ogden, Potager specializes in fresh French/American cuisine. The menu consists of local and in-season ingredients and is changed on a monthly basis. The herbs and spices are grown on site and the additional ingredients are all purchased from local farms. Fresh and organic ingredients are key to Potager, where the belief is that food is part of the soul.

Potager is closed on Sunday and Monday and does not take reservations. Let them know Lawrence Covell sent you, you will really enjoy it!

Potager Interior

Transitional Women's Wear

As the seasons change, remember what clothes work best for the still warm days and cooler nights. New for us - a wool Barbera coat, light weight Rivamonti knit, and always appropriate Henry Beguelin flats. The Barbera coat, shown in red, is also available in a purple check. It is the perfect piece for now, and will work great with some Barbera or Cucinelli Cashmere trousers come later this fall.

Kiton is the best!

We certainly believe so; how can you argue with a company that has the internal motto:

"best of the best plus 1"

Still handmade in Naples, we have received beautiful new ties from Kiton. Act fast, as we only have 2 of each style and color, so take pride in knowing you will never see these ties on anybody else.

Call or email and we are happy to send to you.

The Rake

For all of our stylish and well-heeled clientele, we are excited to announce we just received issue 4 of the Rake and it is incredible. I posted a breakdown of the current issue above. We have been fans of the rake for awhile now and will use any excuse to promote such a great magazine.

The Rake (http://www.therakeonline.com/) is a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to classic styles and timeless icons. This is no flimsy magazine, each issue is a few hundred pages and full of iconic images and ideas. The photography is breathtaking and at the end of every issue, the reader feels inspired to dress. Come into the store, have an espresso and check it out, you will not be disappointed.

Evening Dress

If you are going out this weekend, add a little pep to the evening and get dressed up. A beautiful Pauw velvet jacket and Dries Van Noten heels paired against an Etro suit and Kiton tie is the perfect way to make an ordinary night extraordinary.

Dogs add style to any look - store dog Foo always makes the sales floor a bit more elegant.

A Little Positive Press ...

Although from last year (we just found the article in our archives), we are very proud that we were called one of America's 10 best boutique men's stores by Best Life magazine.

Click to Enlarge and Read

Reminder: Barbera and Bontoni here next week ...

Third Thursdays

Reminder:

We are only one week away from the beginning of our Third Thursdays series. Stop by the store this Thursday, Sept 17th, from 5 to 7 to enjoy some billiards, cocktails, stories, and to simply have a good time.

Don't forget to check the old posts

Since some of our clients are new to blogs and have asked, we wanted to remind everyone that at the base of each page, there is a link to our older posts. Since we update the blog daily, we are starting to create some great archives and hope everyone will look over our past work when they have time.

Thanks

How to Tie a Bow Tie

A reader of the blog recently emailed us and asked how to tie a bow tie. Since fall is fast approaching and the holiday season will be here soon, this is the perfect time to start practicing your bow tie.

Ultimately, we are here for our clients and readers. If there is anything or any question someone would ever like answered, please feel free to email us (andrew@lawrencecovell.com) and we are happy to help.

Style Profile: Cathy Covell

As one of our founders, we thought it was important to get a better feel for Cathy Covell. Cathy is as chic as they come and a constant style inspiration. She seems to always be at the store, be it 8 in the morning or 8 at night and no matter the time of day, she always looks amazing.


Personal Style Icon?
Audrey Hepburn

Describe your personal style ...
Understated

Favorite labels/designers/brands?
Dries Van Noten, Luciano Barbera

I feel best wearing ...
Narrow pants and a jacket or coat

Favorite item of clothing
New green wool coat from the Dries Van Noten Fall 2009 Collection (Seen in photo)

Most Cherished Item
Gold bracelet from Lawry (husband) purchased at Pomellato in Milan

Dress to Impress who?
Myself

What would you never wear?
Pastels

Your next "must have" purchase?
Henry Cuir Handbag

I never break this fashion rule ...
Rules change, so I'm flexible, but in general I never dress too casually

The first thing I notice in somebody else's outfit ...
I notice everything

Most stylish city?
Paris

When I was younger, I wore ...
In high school, it was the typical New England preppy fare; in college (the 60s) it was jeans and army jackets

Favorite place to holiday?
Isola d'Elba, off the western coast of Italy

Favorite Restaurant?
Potager in Denver and Mas in New York

What keeps you inspired?
There are always new challenges and goals. That's what keeps me inspired.

Happy Labor Day

No posts tomorrow, enjoy the holiday!

Quote of the Day

Photo Credits: Luciano Barbera

We are here, on this planet, at this moment for reasons we can not even imagine.
And every day we make choices, countless choices about how to become who we want to be.
No one thinks clothes makes the woman or the man, yet when we think a moment more on it, yes they do matter.
Why is complicated, oblique, and certainly connected to both our sense of ourselves and our hope of finding that other.
Luciano Barbera makes some of the most beautiful clothes in the world.
Wear them, mix them, match them, get them dirty and wrinkled.
Otherwise, what's the point?

Barbera S/S Catalogue

Think, Enjoy, Have fun!

How to Tie a Tie (Part 2)

We hope you enjoyed the tie pic from yesterday. Today, we will show you the real way to tie a "four in hand" knot. The four in hand is the most basic of knots and appropriate for almost anything.

Sprezzatura

Gianni Agnelli

Photo Credits: Life

The word Sprezzatura first made an appearance during the Italian Renaissance in Castiglione's The Book of the Courtier. It is defined as “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it.”

Luciano Barbera thinks of Sprezzatura as quiet confidence or low key style. Descriptions like "detached confidence", "nonchalant elegance" or "effortless" are also common. Either way, gentleman like Gianni Agnelli and Agnelli's protege Luca Cordero di Montezemolo of Ferrari (pictured below) are often used as models for Sprezzatura.

Gianni Agnelli (Andrew's personal fashion icon) is often considered the best dressed man in history. Everything he did was intentional, but it all looked so easy, so natural - the tie pulled to the side, the watch over the cuff, the unbuttoned collar points, the longer back tie blade, the list goes on. But everything was done in such a natural way, it never looked odd or affected. It was perfect, it was Sprezzatura!

As classic as Luca looks, notice the unbuttoned collar - Sprezzatura

In the end, you should have fun with your clothes. The idea should be to look good, have fun, and feel good. Sprezzatura is great because it gives a little personal freedom to your clothing. So next time you get ready for the day, think about Luciano Barbera's advice and face the world with Sprezzatura.

How to Tie a Tie

As previously mentioned, we want the blog to be a place where our clientele can continue their sartorial education.

Today, we present how to tie a tie.

Culturata

Fall Deliveries are continuing in both men's and women's. In men's we recently received new shirts from Roman shirt maker Culturata. Made in Italy and very well priced ($175 - $195 depending on fabric), Culturata was recently featured in Women's Wear Daily.

Women's Wear Daily, or WWD for short, is the industry magazine for men and women and was kind enough to mention Lawrence Covell as one of the exclusive sellers of Culturata. Again, great colors, great prices, great feel - Great Shirt.

Andrew's Colorful Shoes

Self admittedly, Andrew is a bit of a Dandy. He seems to really take to color, maybe it is his Southern roots, or maybe his obession with Italy. Either way, with fall fast approaching, Andrew has decided to wear as much color as he can while summer is still here.

Today consisted of Red drivers - very fun, very cool, and a little flash - sums him up perfectly.

Luciano Barbera Quote

"What is my message? Simple ... that style is not about what you have but what you do with what you have. When people ask me how they should dress, I tell them don't worry. Take care of your life. Your clothes will follow."

Luciano Barbera

Again, Michal Sestak, Luciano's son-in-law and head of Barbera US will be here Sept 18th and 19th for a men's trunk show. Michal has style in spades and is full of great stories, so be sure to come in for an espresso and a peak at the new fall Barbera merchandise.

Bontoni Shoes Featured in NY Times

Our friend and owner of Bontoni Shoes, Lewis Cutilo, was kind enough to share this recent article from the NY Times.

http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/fancy-footwork-bontoni-bespoke-shoes/

As a reminder, Lewis will be in store Sept 18th and Sept 19th and will be able to provide you with these incredible bespoke offerings.

Dries Van Noten

New Dries Van Noten for Fall - Faux Croc also available in Skirts and Coats

We just received our final Dries Van Noten shipments for Fall. Dries Van Noten is considered one of the last relevant designers to come out Belgium and the original Antwerp 6. Vogue has commended Dries Van Noten and his designs with the description ""poetic, ethnic-eclectic" aesthetic."

The new line is highlighted by prints with luxurious shades of indigo, purple, camel and black. We also have some beautiful new heels and outerwear pieces as seen in the camouflage and black cocodrilo.

Please stop in to see the new collection and as always, we are happy to send pictures or answer any questions.

303.320.1023
info@lawrencecovell.com

Rick's Inspirational Quote

Rick, one of our men's experts, relayed his favorite quote to me this morning and it is absolutely amazing.

Found in the inside of an Oxxford Clothing matchbook:

"The Well Dressed Man has the Advantage."

He certainly does!

Busy September in Men's

Just a quick reminder to mark you calendars for the upcoming month in Men's.

Sept 17 - Third Thursdays event series begins
Sept 18 - Luciano Barbera and Bontoni Trunk Show
Sept 19 - Luciano Barbera and Bontoni Trunk Show

It will be an exciting few days. Please mark it down, you will not want to miss out.