Get Your Glad Rags On!

Hello my lovelies,

Feeling rather relaxed after a wonderful week away. We flew first class. The weather was hot. The Duchess and I sat on a terrace at sunset, listening to the sea and sipping cocktails. All the best things in life are fleeting. Otherwise, they would become ordinary! Goosebump-inducing bliss.

Christmas is almost upon us. The crisp air and bright sunshine are certainly most amenable to shopping. Every day in Mayfair, the wealthy hordes arrive in their nice cars, to shop until their personal assistants drop. The glittering streets of the West End hum with the sound of thousands of sybarites in search of their daily fix. Savile Row appears to be busier than ever. The big luxury brands reap ever-growing annual profits.

What is so baffling is that one rarely sees anyone wearing these beautiful clothes! I fear that the enormous sartorial decline in Britain has made some people too shy to wear elegant clothes in public. The last time that I had afternoon tea at Claridges, I wore a bespoke sports jacket and trousers with shirt and tie. Nothing showy. I almost felt overdressed. Few men had bothered to wear a jacket and even fewer had put a tie on. The ladies were a shambles. Sad indeed. Such architecture and such service deserves more.

Still, 'tis the party season so let's hope that there's some snappy dressing on display in the coming weeks! Here are the best places to don your glad rags over the festive season and beyond:


The Ritz Hotel
Opulence, glamour and history. This is surely the place to dress up to the nines.

Dress code:
Restaurant/ Palm Court (Jkt and tie required). Rivoli Bar ('Jkt only required, not tie')

Claridges Hotel

Art Deco temple of understated glamour, elegance and refinement. It's as if the Jazz Age never ended.

Dress code:
Restaurant ('Smart. Jkt preferred'). All other areas ('Elegant smart casual. No shorts, vests, sportswear, flip flops, ripped jeans or baseball caps').

The Savoy Hotel

Stunningly refurbished. Magnificent. and palatial. Royalty, Hollywood. Every notable has stayed here.

Dress code:
Savoy Grill ('Smart casual. Smart trainers and denim acceptable'). All other restaurants and bars ('Smart casual. No sportswear').

The Royal Opera House

Culture and glamour. Beautiful architecture. A wonderful place to spend an evening. Two restaurants and three bars (including a Champagne bar).

Dress code:
None. Dress can vary widely between those in the grander seats and those up in the Gods. However, many of those who attend like to dress elegantly for the occasion.

These are by no means the only places to dress up. One can, and should, also hold black tie dinner parties at home and throw small, elegant soirees whenever it takes ones fancy, my dears. Let's take the fight to the dishevelled, crumpled masses!

More anon

The Duke of Snarlborough