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To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting upon going to Monaco last week. I tagged along on someone else’s trip and explored the one square mile country. I’m not sure what I was expecting, maybe a constant resemblance to the Tuileries but no, a lot of it felt like an (expensive) resort island during the offseason. That’s not a negative review, it’s just to convey that the country is so small that you don’t have to seek out activities.

Geographically, the country is best known for the fact that it is smaller than Manhattan’s central park, but before going there, it’s important to know what that feels like, especially if you plan to do a lot of walking (which I highly recommend). The city is actually built on the side of a hill, so there are very few straight routes; however, one great city work which I had never thought necessary, and which can be found with some little difficulty, is the elevator from one sidewalk to the next. There are many and they will save you time, not because you avoid stairs, but because often, they keep you from having to walk half a mile around a highway to find the curve leading you upward. Another important facet of its geography is its separation into four main districts. Each focused on a different part of the country, one is the old city, which, perched high above the rest of the majority of the rest of the country, includes the Palace and Oceanographic Museum.

The palace alone makes the trip worth it. The Monagesque monarchy is one of the most well-known in the world, particularly to Americans, as one of the most beloved princesses (as a principality, the prince and princess are the ruling body), was an American movie star and Oscar winner, Grace Kelly. Though many of my friends (myself included) knew the family best through Prince Louis, the supposed heir to the throne, Princess Grace is known and beloved throughout the world, and to be fair, Blair Waldorf was more of a queen than a princess #ripgossipgirl.

In Gossip Girl, you may have noticed that Catholicism (primarily, an affair with a Catholic priest, and Regina George somehow convincing others that she, too is a priest in spite of the fact that there aren’t female priests in the Catholic Church? but that’s a problem for another day) is important to the Grimaldi family, the Monagesque ruling family, who have held a claim to the land for almost 800 years, and Catholicism is the official national religion. When visiting the palace in the old city, make sure to step into the Saint Nicholas Cathedral and visit Princess Grace’s tomb. The Cathedral is largely reminiscent of cathedrals built during the Florentine Renaissance, but construction didn’t start until the end of the 19th century, and the building was consecrated in 1911. Besides serving as the Royal tomb, the church also celebrates Saint Nicholas’s (ie Santa Claus) annual Saint Day, and has been the site of most royal weddings, the glaring exception being the current prince and princess, Albert and Charlene. The prince and princess got married at the royal palace, which is where the civil portion (not the religious portion) of every royal wedding, takes place and is certainly worth the (albeit labor intensive) hike.

The palace is the true star of the old city. If you are there at 11:55 AM, you can watch the changing of the guard, though I recommend being there a bit earlier to get a good view.

Within the palace, you will be directed upstairs above a small fountain into the second story of the main courtyard, through an impressive atrium to look over impressive and bright frescoes (many of which are currently under construction). You are then led by the complimentary audio guide into a series of official rooms, including a room where George III of England’s brother, the Duke of York, died after becoming ill after a ball in Genoa. Personally, I believe that the most beautiful room is the Mazarin room, named after a cardinal, who after the 30 Years War became the de facto ruler of France, and had a close family relationship with the Grimaldis. The ceiling and walls of the room are covered in beautiful frescoes. Another wonderful room is the throne room, the walls of which are decorated with family portraits throughout history. In the center of the room, there is a display of photos taken by members of the Grimaldi family, particularly under Rainier III and his wife, Princess Grace. Much of the signage description is in French, so it might be worth it to get a translator app on your phone like google translate, that translates photos. Within the palace, photography is also prohibited, so I have no photos. I have attached some from the palace’s website.

  The Mazarin Room

The Throne Room

The Hercules Gallery

The Louis XIII bedroom ceiling

The Louis XIII Room Ceiling

  Up near the palace, in Monte Carlo City, there is also a famous museum, the Oceanographic Museum, founded by Albert I, known as the scholar-prince. The museum was wonderful, but the aquarium was actually phenomenal. I have been to a few aquariums in my team, and I often find them sad and boring, but this one, with its incredible array and interesting curation (ex, not just labeling fish, but, in the dangerous tank, talking about their poisons, spears, and so-on). There was also tanks of infant fish, which I have rarely seen.

The Aquarium

The Museum

From the roof

On the upper floors, there was a giant cabinet of curiosities, a giant room reminiscent of the New York Natural History Museum’s Whale Room, and a panoramic view of the country. Monaco city is the most clearly definable, largely because it is the most removed, district, and is a lovely place to walk around, with brightly colored buildings, (relatively) cheap Italian restaurants, and chocolate shops.

Besides the palace and Aquatic Museum, another one of the museums most associated with the royal family is the Car Collection, which is the personal collection of the Prince and contains race cars, classic cars (including some of the earliest car models), and limousines. The Car Collection is in the Frontville District, known as the business district, which also includes the famous Princess Grace Rose Garden. I have never seen such a variety of any type of flower in my life, let alone roses. Many of the flowers are named after actresses like Monica Belucci (one of my all-time favorite Bond girls by the way) and of course, the legendary Princess de Monaco rose, the Princess Grace Rose.

From Broketourist.com

Very close to the Princess Grace Rose garden is the other Saint Nicholas church, which though not very famous, is a striking salmon color and well worth a few minutes. Just outside the church, there are a lot of lavender plants, and there is a large, quiet, courtyard.

Baptiste Riviere c 2005 

In one of the older and larger districts, La Condamine, you will find another manifestation of the intelligence of Albert I, Les Jardins Exotiques, the path to which (wonderfully) is well marked. It can be a big effort to get up there though because, especially if you are staying close to the water, where the majority of the larger, (fancy and less-so) hotels are. What I love about the Exotic Gardens is the view, which is incredible, and is probably one of the few places where you can look down onto the palace.

If you do walk to the Gardens from Monaco City, you will pass what I now consider one of the world’s best children’s parks. It includes a petting zoo, (well goats, but still), a mini half pike, a well-maintained kid’s soccer field, basketball courts, and multiple playgrounds. All of this is free by the way. I even saw some kids playing in a tiny waterfall. The entire complex is known as the Princess Antoinette park.

From Marie.mc

From Marie.mc

The most famous district is the Monte Carlo district, which is known around the world for its glamorous casinos and nightlife. It also two very different luxury shopping centers; the first, classic building is Le Metropole, which houses luxury clothing stores as well as pharmacies and bakeries. It really is very glamorous complete with marble and chandeliers. The other shopping center is the Monte Carlo Pavillions, in which every top designer has a store (Chanel has two), It’s made of five space age-y white kidney bean-shaped pods which each have three stores.

From Affine Design

Nearby, is the Casino de Monte Carlo, which you have to pay 17 euro to even enter, and honestly, looks like a Vegas casino on the inside. I didn’t gamble, and if you do it might be fun, but if you don’t, it’s not worth it. It really is impressive enough from the outside. On the other side of the Casino is the Opera and Ballet Building, which has a wonderful view of the ocean. Near to the Casino is the storied Hotel de Paris, which has a fantastic(ly expensive) restaurant called the grill. But if you don’t want to saw off a limb to pay your bill, go for dessert, the restaurant is well known for its delicious medicine ball sized souffles, which they make in five different flavors. Across the roundabout is the famous Cafe de Paris (not in the Hotel de Paris) which is the ultimate people-watching hotspot.

The Chocolate Souffle at Le Grill by Johnny Jet

Below the area that is truly considered Monte Carlo is the long beautiful public beach. On the banks of the water is the Grimaldi Forum, which I never entered, but which is very close to the exceptional Japanese style Gardens. They are a beautiful place to read or to admire the array of koi fish.

Across from the beach and near the gardens is my favorite restaurant in Monaco, Avenue 31, which seems expensive, but compared to many of the other restaurants in the uber-wealthy country (they are first in median household income) is very reasonable and delicious. It serves Italian classics with a beachfront view, but view-wise you can’t go wrong anywhere. Even on my hour-long walk from the train station to my hotel (complete with luggage), I came across incredible views. Though the country may be small, it packs as much of a punch, culture, and beauty wise, as some of the greatest cities in the world.

              Monaco Guide

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4/10

I have two words: “what” and “happened.” It was almost two years ago now that I say Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first offering as creative director of Dior, at which time I was utterly enamored with her tulle, patchwork, and delicate floral designs. Unfortunately, I think that after two years, the Dior curse has caught up to the incredibly talented Miss Chiuri. I’m sorry to report that the illness, caused by a) putting out eight (yes, EIGHT) collections a year and b) not being Karl Lagerfeld struck quickly and mercilessly. Her lovely showing two months ago for the cruise line continued her promising turn as creative director for the storied maison, but this hideous collection reminded me why we need critical reviews. People get lazy if they can buy your love, which a @dietprada on instagram pointed out, ruined Vogue Runway’s review.

Look, not everything in the line was a bust, indeed some pieces were fine, but they were no where near pieces of art. They were more the type of thing you buy at J Crew than Dior.

I usually start off with the bad to get it out of the way and because it doesn’t dominate the review, but my god, the good is just going to be so brief that I might as well do it here. To be fair, there were many redeeming pieces in the collection, they just can’t make up for the champagne-colored bridesmaid party that began the show. (Dear Diet Prada, don’t come for me for using the comparison, I thought the same thing when I saw the show). So, first off, there was a lovely navy coat which had an interesting silhouette and seemed to be a modern interpretation of the iconic 50s Dior skirt suits. Indeed there were a few skirt suits in the show that seemed to draw from the same design and without fail are crowd pleasers. Another redeeming piece was the whimsical floral ball gown, the pattern of which I hope is used again in the future. I think it’s worth mentioning that another problem with the show was that it felt like Chiuri was relying on successful pieces of the past (not signature pieces, just her own, ballet dress style), which are charming with embroidery, but when plain, look like a dress to buy at Anthropologie. These are not couture; they may be lovely but are certainly plain.

  Alright, now for the bad. First off, the disaster of sending bizarrely colored, uninspired, ball gowns down the runway. That would be bad enough style-wise, but some of the dresses and pieces appear to be fit improperly. I mean how did that happen? Who let these pieces down the runway? Truly, I don’t believe all of these dresses are ugly, but there is nothing couture about them.

  A Review of Dior’s Couture Show

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9/10

 This morning, Chanel’s annual couture show took place to much fanfare. The show, which took place at the Grand Palais (a location in which Karl Lagerfeld has shown many collections throughout his tenure), and which he utilize as a stage, upon which he would show a play, than a set itself. This play was about Paris, a city synonymous with Chanel and its history. Today, the set was the Institut de France, which, when built in the 17th century, educated students from territories linked to France during the reign of Louis XIV. Like those students, Lagerfeld adopted France as his home. Indeed, it’s oddly poetic that Lagerfeld moved to Paris at the age of eighteen, an age which is commonly considered the beginning of adulthood; his first independent choice was to move to Paris. It was clearly meant to be. The staging also included the stands along the seine, called “Bouquinistes,” which are known for selling a variety of vintage posters, magazines, books, and cartoons. The bouquinistes are open from sunrise to sunset, and thus see a day of Paris in all its glory. It’s worth mentioning that Karl Lagerfeld’s young godson, a regular feature at a Chanel show, manned the book stands throughout. The detail of the set was, as always, incredible, down to the oxidized copper color of the stands.

From the Chanel News Blog

From the Chanel News Blog

       This green color, along with the greys of the institute, and blacks and greys associated with Paris, largely guided the collection. Though frankly, the best pieces were those that moved away from those colors. And though the collection was, as always, extraordinary, it was not without fault.

    The greatest abomination was the shoes, which were in a round shape, which I call witch-y style, with a low heel. They reminded me of an an unfortunate choice my history teacher wore frequently in a brown color. The other choice, which again I personally dislike, was the grey, which was often a lifeless grey, which reminded me not so much of classic Paris as a dismally drizzly day in London. Though it must be said that these pieces were obviously expertly and beautifully structured creating the lovely architectural, pointy shapes reminiscent of 1950s Dior. The contrast, therefore, of the 80s hair and makeup was most welcome.

     One of the clear standout pieces of the show was the bridal gown, the closing piece (worn by the second ever black woman to close a Chanel show), featured a thigh-high slit, delicate but architectural ruffles, and a contemporary, elegant silhouette. Rather than a blushing bride, the look’s suit style and two-piece design showcased the modern woman – business first, bride second.

     Another lovely piece which featured a bustier embezzled with purple, magenta, and black sequins, was lovely. My personal favorite, however, was the metallic, Chinese inspired robe with a red silk lining, I feel confident that it will be worn in some way at an awards ceremony this coming awards season.

    Yet another lovely facet of the collection was the variation shown. It never ceases to amaze me that Lagerfeld devotes himself to a variation of fabrics in each and every show. Of course, he brought back the classic tweed look, which was a signature of Mademoiselle herself, but he also always uses tulle in a classic, gothic ballerina sort of way (not an Oklahoma pageant girl sort of way), velvet, sequins, brocade, satin, and leather. There are about a dozen looks in this incredible runway, which at first glance appears to be a bit bland, but upon careful examination of each piece, is actually quite lovely. There are no boring blacks or suits; he is committed to creating not only a coherent collection but also unique and individual works of art.

A Few Standout Pieces:

Vogue.com

Vogue.com

Vogue.com

Vogue.com

Vogue.com

Vogue.com

Vogue.com

Vogue.com

A Review of Chanel’s Couture Show

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Though Clare Waight Keller has long been a famous and well-respected designer in fashion circles, yesterday’s announcement that the new creative director of Givenchy had designed the wedding dress of Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex, for her marriage to Prince Harry of Wales, now Duke of Sussex, catapulted her on the World’s stage. Seven years ago, when it was announced that Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, had made Kate Middleton’s ode to lace, she achieved universal name-recognition, and even now, after all this time, “she designed Catherine Middleton’s wedding dress for her wedding to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in April 2011” is the second sentence of her Wikipedia bio.  

  Clare Weight Keller by Theo Wenner for Numero Magazine

     Waight Keller previously worked at Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein as a stylist before joining Gucci (under Tom Ford) as director of accessories. Following her stint at Gucci, she was made the artistic director of Pringle of Scotland, a truly iconic British brand, where she brought an edgy look to the knit brand. She then worked as artistic director of Chloe, which with now iconic handbag designs, she brought to a higher tier of French fashion. I bought my first Chloe bag, a cobalt colored Drew bag, after reading her “list” interview in the Harper’s Bazaar January 2015 issue. One thing came across very clearly: she, like Meghan Markle, is an international woman.

  Karlie Kloss in an Advertisement for Pringle of Scotland by Waight-Keller

     Born and raised in England, she now splits her time between Paris, where she works, and the UK, but she visits California fairly frequently. She has not completely assimilated to French culture, sometimes feeding her children “peanut butter sandwiches” and other times “pain-au-chocolat or a baguette with Nutella.” She eats at 1:00 PM, which is when all French people eat lunch, but she plays tennis every Saturday morning, a very English practice, not to mention that she loves to surf. She hasn’t eaten red meat in more than 25 years, another somewhat American practice. And she eats a lot of vegetable and farrow based foods, which to me seems like a Californian practice, but she never drinks coffee and always drinks tea, the epitome of Britishness.

   To me, she seems to bring her different cultural practices to her designs too. While at Chloe, she used a lot of romantic, flowy silk and chiffon pieces, which scream California but also brought in some French staples like leather mini skirts and structural coats. Her collections represented the initial goal of Chloe, “luxury pret-a-porter.” In a November 2016 interview with Numero magazine, she talked about navigating the would-be cliché result of remaining steadfast to Chloe’s Bohemian 70s look. She understands how to embed the mood of the company, the free spirit, the stylish comfort, into creative and thoughtful looks.

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    When she began at Givenchy earlier this year, she brought a lot of her international sensibilities but once again stayed true to the Givenchy brand with darker colors and edgier silhouettes. Meghan Markle is herself modern, but not severe, just like Givenchy under Wright Keller. Moreover, she is known for her international style, wearing a combination of Canadian, American, and English designers.  

Givenchy by Claire Waight Keller

Givenchy Couture by Claire Waight Keller

Givenchy Couture by Claire Waight Keller

   Together, the two women made a great pair in creating HRH the Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress, which reminded my friends and I a great deal of the style of Audrey Hepburn, who, like the two women, was known for her international style and manner. It had sharper, more modern lines, then previous royal wedding gowns but was not angular. The boat neckline showed a bit more skin than we’re used to, but, like royal tradition dictates, she wore long sleeves. It was tight to her body, but not figure hugging, which shows a more American bridal style. My favorite part of the look was the veil, which features the flower of all 53 commonwealth nations as well as the golden poppy, the flower of California. If that doesn’t scream international, I don’t know what does, and there is no better choice than Waight Keller to create the symbol commencing the new life of this very international princess.

Sketches of the Wedding Dress

Sketches of the Wedding Dress

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  Who is Clare Waight-Keller, The Designer Behind Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress?

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A Guide to Crashing the Royal Wedding

A Guide to Crashing the Royal Wedding

First and foremost, please know that I am neither condoning royal wedding crashing, nor planning to crash the wedding myself. This is purely tongue-in-cheek. That said, here is TheTrimMag’s official guide to crashing the wedding of Miss Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Look the Part: this may seem like obvious advice, but it works. You may remember a couple of years ago when Michelle and Tareq…

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Some Updates... Letter from the Editor

Some Updates… Letter from the Editor

Hi Everyone! As you may know, I’m in my senior year, and it’s like climbing Everest (or what I assume climbing Everest is like, I don’t climb mountains), but I’ve definitely grown from the experience. All my apps, letters, and willyoupleaseacceptme pies are in, so I’m ready to return to the site with more consistency. I then thought, what better time than now for a face lift, and after I…

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The First Trim Original Personal Essay, by Yours Truly Will Be Published This Friday ✏️

The First Trim Original Personal Essay, by Yours Truly Will Be Published This Friday ✏️

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Announcing The Trim's Museum Podcast Series 🖼

Announcing The Trim’s Museum Podcast Series 🖼

The Trim is so excited to announce the launch of the Tre Trim’s Museum podcast series. Over the next five months, we will be premiering a new episode on the first of the month. Each episode will delve into the past, the present, and the future of different museums in New York. We hope that we will also be lucky enough to hear from museum experts in each episode.       image credit: timeout.com

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Hockney at the Metropolitan Museum

Hockney at the Metropolitan Museum

David Hockney (November 27, 2017 – February 35, 2018) (more…)

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All images via Marcus Tondo for Vogue

Alexander Wang is well-known for his emphasis on black and white, kinky accents, and fun accessories, and while he brought all of these signature elements to his F/W 18 show, this collection seemed to be more serious than those in the past. Perhaps, after last fall’s Wang Fest (Alexander Wang’s wild post-show party) eclipsed the clothing itself. This collection was extremely mature: there were no t-shirts or fun hats. It was all about the clothing.

Takeaways:

Wang did not give up his signature colors and styles in favor of bright colors and and gems like other designers. Moreover, he did not appear to focus on the “instagrammability” of a look; he focused on cut and artistic quality. He did, however, incorporate lots of fabrics into every look.

He continued the The Matrix trend prevalent in the fashion world today with the Matrix style glasses and black duster coats.

Almost every look either had a cinch built-in or was belted. Though a cinched waist is always fashionable, belts haven’t been seen much on runways recently.

Every it-girl is going to want some of those Alexander Wang high waisted underwear. These seem to be Wang’s response to Dior’s underwear and bralettes last year, and while Dior’s pieces were lovely, Wang’s was edgy and cool.

It evoked YSL by Hedi Slimane. After Slimane’s departure from YSL last year, every collection from every major designer seems to have been focused on the Whimsical. Wang kept his own dark, edgy look but used some of Slimane’s signature 80s look. It’s rare to see 80s done in black and white but Wang pulled it off flawlessly.

Alexander Wang Show Report and Takeaways 👗

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Perhaps after the ridiculousness (the feathers, the neon, the plastic) of the early 2000s, we needed a change, and so came along the age of minimalism: white t-shirts, converse sneakers, and black leggings were the starring features of every woman’s closet. Perhaps it spear-headed the fitness movement and the hygge craze, but now it’s time for a new era, an era reborn: MAXIMALISM.

As the saying goes, give credit where credit is due, and in the Maximalism trend, credit is due to Gucci and Allesandro Michele. Michele rarely turns to black and white, loves loud colors, and is a master fabric mixer, and maximalism in fashion is owed to many of his techniques. If you want to be a maximalist in 2018, it’s all about wearing lots of layers, mixing floral patterns, and albeit surprisingly, loud, almost tacky sunglasses. If you want to dip your toe into maximalism, sunglasses are a great place to start.

Gucci, $1380

Takesh Eyewear, $169

For years, maximalism has been making a comeback in the world of interior design, and if you want to try incorporating maximalism into your living space, you just need a few floral cushions and stacks of books all over the floor. Though it would help if you could get embroidered chairs from different sets. 

If you need some help with inspiration, look no further than the queen of maximalism herself, Leandra Medine, the very pregnant man repeller.

If this skirt doesn’t define maximalism, I don’t know what is.

Some people avoid maximalism because it’s scary, but if you just start with jewelry, sunglasses, or shoes, you can quickly work your way up and you will find compliments at every turn. Case in point, this morning I want to glossier wearing a very frilly brown maxi skirt, with a black and white striped shirt, jacquard slides, a lavender quote, and heart-shaped sunglasses; I got three compliments on the street, two from other customers, and three from people who worked at the store.

What do you think of maximalism?

Back To The Not So Basics: Maximalism is Back (and Hopefully Here To Stay) Perhaps after the ridiculousness (the feathers, the neon, the plastic) of the early 2000s, we needed a change, and so came along the age of minimalism: white t-shirts, converse sneakers, and black leggings were the starring features of every woman's closet.

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The Best Movies To Watch (Alone) on Valentines Day

The Best Movies To Watch (Alone) on Valentines Day

(more…)

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Call Me By Your Name Review 🎬

Call Me By Your Name Review 🎬

  Call Me By Your Name, the awards season darling that has shot Timothée Chalamet to instant stardom (along with Lady Bird of course), is beloved for a reason: it is a stunning, intimate, and honest look of two lovers living in a rapidly changing society. Though the film is ultimately, at least partially, sad, it’s impossible to not be jealous of the main character: teenage Elio is a wealthy,…

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The Site Will Be Down Until Sunday Night For Construction!

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  Don’t get me wrong, I love New York, but it’s flipping cold here right now. And it’s supposed to snow tomorrow, so I’m currently praying that we get a snow day.

When it’s extra cold, I like to *visualize* by going through photos of warmer times, and I came across some pictures of my last trip to Palm Beach and decided to make a city guide.

Start your day at the ever swanky (and ever expensive) apincSant Ambroeus which is doubtless the best Sant Ambroeus (purely from an interior point of view). It’s also a perfect location to start the day, as it is in the Royal Poinciana Plaza, one of the coolest malls that I have ever seen because it is outside and filled with flowers and sculptures.

Photography taken by Nicole Franzen for Architectural Digest

After breakfast (or brunch depending on what time you get up in the morning), explore Royal Poinciana Plaza, which essentially describes itself as quaint luxury.

In the plaza, you will find luxury stores, like Hermès as well as lovely (but still pricey) stores, like Kirna Zabete, which carries luxury brands (like Gucci, Chloe, and Valentino), as well as random nick-nacks, like feminist pencils and byredo perfume.

Kirna Zabete Palm Beach (taken by Dorothy Scarborough)

Kirna Zabete Palm Beach (taken by Dorothy Scarborough)

After Kirna Zabete, go over to The Flagler Museum (a ten minute walk), and look at one of the most beautiful historic homes in the area. At The Flagler Museum, you can have a fabulous tea, depending on the time you are there, but the real draw is the train. The previous occupant of the house was an oil and railway magnate who also started the famous Breakers Hotel, and he was extremely wealthy. As such, he had his own train car built for when he traveled, and it’s on display at the museum.

From the Flagler Museum’s Website

A picture of the train car (Credit: Dov Makabaw sundry/Alamy)

After going to The Flagler Museum, stop at the true icon of Palm Beach, The Breakers Hotel. Start off by walking around and exploring (which you can do even if you aren’t a guest). It has beautiful grounds and a lovely view of the beach. At the hotel is the famous Seafood Bar, an absolutely incredible (and incredibly pricey) seafood restaurant.

The Breakers Hotel, taken by Dorothy Scarborough

The Breakers Hotel, taken by Dorothy Scarborough

The Seafood Bar; photo taken by Dorothy Scarborough

The Seafood Bar; photo taken by Dorothy Scarborough

After lunch, go over to to one of the most famous areas of Palm Beach, Worth Avenue, another beautiful shopping area, but one with mid-priced shops like Kate Spade and Vineyard Vines as well as Tiffany and Co. and Gucci. My favorite spot without a doubt is Raptis Rare Books, which is a used book store, but not just any used book store. They have first editions of The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby, signed James Bond books, and a countess’s copy of Love in a Cold Climate. 

Raptis Rare Books; Photo by Dorothy Scarborough

Raptis Rare Books; photo by Dorothy Scarborough

While in Worth Avenue, do some more shopping and explore. Though it’s a bit of a walk (off of Worth Avenue), there’s a wonderful store called C. Orrico which sells Lily Pulitzer everything (bikes, yoga pants, whatever you can think of). Nearby, go to The Church Mouse, a vintage store selling every perfect maximalist beach item you can think of, selling every brand from Jimmy Choo to Land’s End. It’s also in a lovely neighborhood (see pictures below), that looks like it was designed from a model of the Mediterranean.

Finally, for dinner, try Palm Beach favorite, Buccan, a small plates, lively restaurant a block of C. Orrico. 

Buccan, from an article by Sonia Tita Puopolo for Hauteliving.com 

Palm Beach City Guide Don't get me wrong, I love New York, but it's flipping cold here right now. And it's supposed to snow tomorrow, so I'm currently praying that we get a snow day.

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Celebrating Great African American Artists

Today, the United States commemorates African-American excellence in every field. One field in which African-Americans have been criminally under-celebrated is the visual arts. Of course, there have been a few artists like Basquiat who have received their rightful share of attention, but infinitely more have slipped through the cracks. Though there are too many to possibly make a full list, here…

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As season two of the brilliant tv show, The Crown, comes to Netflix, we invite one to test one’s knowledge of the royal family.

  👑 Question 1. Which was not a name of one of Queen Elizabeth’s corgis?

A) Monty                                     B) Sherry

C) Oxo                                           D) Emma

Fun fact: The Queen’s corgis are carried off of her private plan after travel.

🇬🇧Question 2. Which of the following buildings is not a royal residence?

A) The Palace of Holyroodhouse

B) Blenheim Palace

C) Hillsborough Castle

D) Birkhall

  👑 Question 3. At what age did age did Queen Elizabeth announce that she would no longer answer to the name Lizbet?

A) 11                                       B) 13

C) 15                                        D) 18

🇬🇧Question 4. Which cocktail does the queen drink every day? 

A) A Cosmopolitan                        B) Rum Punch

C) Pim’s Cup                                      D) Gin and Dubonnet

👑 Question 5. Which country has the queen never visited? 

A) Japan                                           B) Greece

C) Nepal                                            D) Ireland

🇬🇧Question 6. In what outfit did the then 3-year-old Prince George meet President and Mrs. Obama? 

A) A soldier’s uniform                                     B) A Superman cape

C) A robe and slippers                                     D) A dress

👑 Question 7. How much did Princess Charlotte’s yellow sweater, worn in a birthday portrait taken by her mother Kate Middleton, cost? (In dollars, not pounds) 

                 A) $23                                B) $47

                 C) $112                                D) $242

🇬🇧Question 8. Which of the queen’s children has never been divorced? 

A) Prince Charles

A) Prince Charles

B) Prince Edward

C) Princess Anne

  D) Prince Andrew

  👑Question 9. Who did Margot Robbie think Prince Harry was when they first met? 

A) Kit Harrington                              B) Ed Sheeran

C) Prince William .                             D) Chris Martin

🇬🇧Question 10. At what ages did Charles and Diana respectively, marry?

A) 32 and 19                                 B) 41 and 18

C) 26 and 42                                 C) 30 and 29

    Answer: C) Oxo — This is a bit of a trick question because though the Queen did not have a corgi called Oxo, she did have a cocker spaniel called Oxo. Read this fantastic wikipedia page about the queen’s corgis, appropriately called “Queen Elizabeth’s Corgis,” here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth%27s_corgis

Answer: B) Blenheim Palace — Blenheim is the home to the Dukes of Marlborough (who are very closely related to Winston Churchill). It is the only non-royal residence which carries the title of palace.

Answer: B) 13 — Apparently, at 13 Elizabeth made a grand declaration that she would only answer to Elizabeth from now on.

Answer: D) Gin and Dubonnet — The Queen drinks a lot, like a lot a lot. Like three drinks before breakfast a lot. Besides her Gin and Dubonnet, she drinks a glass of champagne before bed, a dry gin martini in the evening, and wine at lunch. Of course she drinks her gin and dubonnet in the morning.

Answer: B) Greece — Due to complex international relationships relating to the Queen’s husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was born a prince of Greece, the Queen is not allowed to visit Greece. Fun fact! For similar reasons, she also has never visited Israel

Answer: C) A robe and slippers — Prince George famously deigned to visit the Obamas while he was about to go to bed. He wore a robe and slippers.

 Answer: A) $23 — Charlotte wore a $23, that’s right $23, sweater from English high street chain, John Lewis. However, when the pictures were released, the sweater sold out instantly.

Answer: B) Prince Edward — Edward and his wife, Sophie, have been happily married since 1999 and have two children. Edward is also the youngest of the Queen’s children.

 Answer: B) Ed Sheeran — Actress Margot Robbie confused the two famous gingers when she and Harry first met at a party in London. The two are now good friends.

Answer: A) 32 and 19 — Charles was almost thirteen years older than Diana when the two married. Interestingly, Kate Middleton and Prince William are almost exactly the same age, with Kate being a few months older (well they did meet in college after all).

  How Well Do You Know the British Royal Family? As season two of the brilliant tv show, The Crown, comes to Netflix, we invite one to test one's knowledge of the royal family.