Comments on: A Guide To Wearing Men’s Bracelets (Tastefully) & The Bes

How IWC Schaffhausen Immortalised An Icon Of The Skies With The Silver Spitfire

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="230627" img_size="full"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/6"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]This feature has been produced in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen

Not many aeroplanes hailing from the 1930s can lay claim to...

↬ Click here to view the full article/gallery on D'Marge

The post How IWC Schaffhausen Immortalised An Icon Of The Skies With The Silver Spitfire appeared first on D'MARGE.

The Ghan is the most luxurious way to see the Outback

While Outback glamping retreats like Longitude 131 are beginning to capture the credit cards of millennials and Generation X, The Ghan’s hospitality attendants’ attention to detail, as well as the convivial atmosphere, live music, top-notch dining (and the ability to experience all this when you would otherwise be on a coach, yet to arrive where you want to be) mean The Ghan is, in my eyes (and evidently in Baby Boomers’ too), still in pole position when it comes to Outback luxury.

The Ghan facilitates socialisation like no other holiday

Evolutionary biologists say a person can only sustain an intimate relationship with five people, have a strong friendship with 15, and decent rapport with 50 before the brain fizzles. Much the same way, when on holiday, you don’t want your socialisation opportunities to be too intimate (read: limited). However, you also don’t want them to be too large, and not get to know anyone properly.

Thanks to the clever layout of the train, The Ghan strikes a perfect balance, seamlessly facilitating natural interactions between you and the other 20 guests in your compartment of the train, with whom you socialise before and after each meal in the lounge dedicated to your carriage (then being taken through to dine with whoever you happen to be chatting with that day).

Even better: the staff have an uncanny ability to pick who you want to spend time with, giving you a chance to escape a rambling conversation, or commit to a three-course meal with someone you have hit it off with.

While this is an obvious drawcard for older generations, for whom making friends over beer and wine is a more attractive proposition than hiking through Kakadu and zonking out in a private tent, I also found it refreshing, as it gave me the chance to get to know people in just the right amount of depth (if you didn’t click, you moved on; if you did, there were many opportunities to spend more time together).

Also, while you might get something like this on a cruise too, many pensioners (and cruise ship connoisseurs) I spoke to said they’d never experienced a more natural opportunity to make friends than on The Ghan.

The Ghan may look glamourous on Instagram, but not everything is effortless

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by In Bed With (@inbedwith.me) on Jul 14, 2019 at 10:36pm PDT

The only (minor) downside I found to The Ghan was that, after luxuriating all evening in the spacious lounge, I had to endure one of the most unforgiving environments in the world: the Gold Cabin bathroom — a place which made my cramped Sydney flat’s restroom feel like the Taj Mahal (think the Cameleers had it tough? Try having a shower in a 0.5 x 0.5m ‘space’ as the train rounds a bend).

Call me precious, but unless you pay the $1,000 difference to book a Platinum Cabin (which sell out quite far in advance) then you better be ready for three days of wet shower-curtain slaps and close-quarter interaction with your partner (the Gold Cabin bedroom is beautiful and heritage-rich, but not exactly spacious either).

The Ghan proves ‘boring’ holidays are actually… fun

From entitled businessman demanding more business class privacy to millennials worrying more about the ~optics~ of their holiday than enjoyment, we can all learn from what retirees seek on a trip. It may seem simple, but switching off your phone (there is no wifi and little to no phone coverage on the Ghan) and devoting your attention to eating, drinking and socialising is a recipe for holiday success that rarely fails.

On this note, the lack of shame many of the older generation on The Ghan exhibited when it came to singing and dancing to the live entertainment, whilst initially confronting, turned out to be quite freeing as I (first cautiously, then — as I realised I was the only one who cared what I looked like — enthusiastically) joined in.

The Ghan gives you a delicious, unearned sense of achievement

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Scott A. Woodward (@scottawoodward) on Jul 31, 2019 at 12:26am PDT

Imagine the following. You are sitting in the Outback Explorer Lounge, sipping an ice-cold beverage and picturing the early settlers trudging through the dust, as you fly by at 85kmph (the average speed of the train). You then think: “Is this really an authentic Outback experience?”

This in mind, you cross out the Alice Springs “helicopter ride” from your activity form, and circle “camel riding,” which — along with the Simpson’s Gap hike and (to a lesser extent) the Katherine Gorge Rock Art River cruise — enables the Outback to work her dominatrix magic on you in a controlled environment, with the safe words being, “Please, take me back to the train,” or, “May I please have an iced tea.”

The Ghan lets you experience a lost art…

Had enough adventures for one day? Head on over to the Bollinger & Brims carriage, where you can embrace your inner rancher, sip some of the world’s finest champagne and be expertly fitted with an Akubra, in a never-zone where neither calories nor BAC count.

The Ghan crams three weeks of decadence into three days

For the $2,889 it costs per person for a Twin Gold Cabin (or the $4,199 it costs per person for a Twin Platinum Cabin) on The Ghan’s two-night adventure, one could get almost three weeks of decent accommodation at a sunny beach someplace else. In other words: the Ghan crams about three weeks of decadence into just three days, in an eerie parody of modern life (work yourself silly ’til you’re 60, then juice your twilight years for all the free-time they’re worth).

The Ghan lifts the lid on the Australian Dream

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VisitCentralAus (@visitcentralaus) on Jun 23, 2019 at 12:34am PDT

If Las Vegas symbolises the American Dream then The Ghan does the same for Australia: we want to feel like rugged settlers — without skimping on the Shiraz and Barista-standard coffee.

Sure: it’s easy to be cynical about this. But it’s uplifting: the Ghan gives people who are too frail to really do so the chance to feel like they’ve faced nature. And while this delusion is just as self-indulgent as Hunter S. Thompson’s, there’s a certain understated pride in being able to say, “I travelled 2,979km in three days instead of buying a new hip (or a plasma TV).”

All up? It is a uniquely Australian affliction to seek nature’s whip, even when you’ve been working your whole life to be decadently couriered above it. So: even as smartphones and electric cars take over our lives, Australia’s cathartic affair with The Ghan is not going anywhere soon.

Breaking It Down

Not really a blazer/chino kind of a guy, nor someone who takes things too seriously, it is all or nothing with Cooper’s style. That is, either rugged, confident, stylishly dishevelled or sleek and slick in a suit. And for the latter, it doesn’t matter what style (single and double-breasted or tuxedo and three-piece) but with Mr. Cooper, the trick and talent is in how the suit fits – snug, sharp and suave.

The Perfectly-Tailored Tux

Cooper wore a dark tuxedo suit with a wide black lapel courtesy of Tom Ford back in 2013, and at 2014’s SAG Awards it was all about simple charcoal and white with a Gucci tux and black velvet notch lapel. The common factor between the two? The fit. Perfectly tailored, the jacket lays un-pinched across Cooper’s broad chest; the shoulders remain flat on top and cut sharp down the arm; while the trouser leg sits perfectly in length to the ankle. Given Cooper isn’t stick thin, a well-fitting suit is a perfect match to streamline any bulk.

Overcoat Trouble

Cooper is an overcoat king and makes the rather posh jacket look easy and carefree. Double-breasted and always wool, his favourite coat often comes with a fur-lined collar, worn with a casual look consisting of a sweater, plaid shirt and black jeans. When suits are involved the knee-length overcoat is more subtle, acting cape-like in black over a matching three-piece suit – ready for business.

Plaid All-Rounder

The cowboy check plaid works well with Cooper’s off-duty and television appearance wardrobe. Working the rules of plaid, Cooper chooses bigger, bolder squares for casual shirts – unbuttoned, sleeves rolled and untucked. The micro-plaid print offers subtle personality and texture under a smooth, wool suit. Donning this tailored masterpiece, Cooper is anything but a tacky cowboy from the Wild West.

Seventies Moods

Cooper loves to go retro, especially when it comes to suiting. His sense of humour speaks through tailoring with bold colour choices – oxblood and burnt orange, making for a 70s feel. Paired with a light blue Oxford shirt (always unbuttoned at the neck) and dark chocolate derby shoes, the anti-black outfit drips in nostalgia.

Boots and Suits

From press conferences to Hollywood parties, Cooper doesn’t mind a bit of inter-occasion mixing. Dressed in a slick charcoal suit, the actor often opts for designer boots instead of dress shoes to base out formalities. To not run the risk of ill-chosen footwear, the vintage leather boot in tan and metallic hardware is paired with the more casual lilac shirt and striped tie, signifying Cooper is confident in his move of not being too serious.

Essential Cooper Fashion Items

Shirts

Cooper looks to independent brand Candy & Caviar specifically for his casual plaid shirts, while Canali’s blue slim-fit business shirts slip well under a suit jacket – the spread collar detail allowing for no-tie etiquette.

Jackets

The bold designs of Vivienne Westwood are Cooper’s favourite for overcoats, in an array of colours: wine, charcoal and royal blue. The shiny jacket he loves wearing around NYC is a Parajumpers Gobi bomber. Cooper’s satiny, nylon cropped zip jacket comes from Dolce & Gabbana. Another bomber go-to is a navy and beige jacket from Salvatore Ferragamo.

Suits

Cooper is a chameleon with his suit types and cuts, and shifts through a few top designer brands. He likes Tom Ford for a luxe three-piece suit and keeps him on speed dial for a customised tux. He favours the Dsquared wool two-button suit and a blue mohair number from Salvatore Ferragamo.

Knitwear

It’s all about the cashmere sweater for Cooper, which he slips over button-up shirts with jeans for the day or chinos at night. If you’re trying to dress like him, go with one from Acne Studios for a structured look or Balenciaga for super-luxury materials.

Shoes

Going hybrid, Cooper pairs Red Wing’s Iron Ranger brown boots with two-piece suits for a heritage-meets-hiker look. Cooper’s more traditional oxford shoes, worn with a tuxedo or three-piece and usually in dark brown, can be found at shoemaker George Cleverley and Italy’s Berluti.

Accessories

Cooper never wears a suit or tux without a nice timepiece on his wrist. His go-to? An IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch. He loves a minimalist tie – he doesn’t go for big patterns. He’s been known to travel with a sports-look carryall. Opt for the Herschel Supply Co. Strand Duffle bag for overnight travel if you want to travel like he does.

Jeans

Seldom in basic raw denim, Cooper likes to keep casual gear retro with vintage wash jeans. The finish remains clean, often with multiple pockets and utilitarian zips for a bit of ruggedness. Worn day and night, the versatility of Diesel’s 5 pocket denim Safado in faded, sheen black is the actor’s favourite.

When you’re celebrating 15 seasons of one of the most successful television shows in the past two decades, you’re allowed to wear whatever you want. American actor Jensen Ackles did exactly that at the press conference for the final season of ‘Supernatural’ ever — and he did it with a highly sought-after Rolex Submariner ‘Hulk’ edition.

Seated alongside his partner in crime Jared Padalecki at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles this week, Ackles donned a AU$4,000 white knit jersey jacket from Gucci complete with contrasting lapel and pocket piping for one hell of a summer look. That’s not all though because Ackles pinned the whole look down with white jeans, a green printed silk shirt and the aforementioned Rolex ‘Hulk’ on his wrist.

This is a rather daring look on Ackles considering the man has been rocking dark denim jackets, flannel and regular cut jeans for the better part of fifteen years. But what a welcome change it is.

The jacket’s striking embroidered cotton construction paired perfectly to Ackles’ floral print shirt and bright green Rolex Submariner Date in stainless steel. The watch itself has a RRP of AU$12,000 from Rolex but given the long wait times and availability, you’re looking more at double the price on the second-hand market. We can’t stress enough how hard these pieces are to wear but the 41-year-old American actor made this look way too easy.

If this is what happens after the send off to a long-running show then we’re keen to follow this new journey into retirement.

Ackles didn’t stop there though. That following night Ackles traded up the white blazer for a monochrome look which featured a fun pineapple print shirt in black and white paired to a black blazer with matching polka dot pocket square. Black suede chelsea boots polished things off to perfection along side the same white jeans. Two wins in one day? That’s definitely a supernatural effort.

The Ghan is the most luxurious way to see the Outback

The Ghan facilitates socialisation like no other holiday

The Ghan may look glamourous on Instagram, but not everything is effortless

The Ghan proves ‘boring’ holidays are actually… fun