Town & Country articles from January 2002

Town & Country archives from January 2002

The real thing. (Editor's Letter).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Long before September 11, 2001, we began planning our second annual "All the Best" issue. Even then, I knew in my heart it couldn't be entirely about material objects. The economy was starting to dip. The dot-comers on the West Coast had begun...

Opening night glitters.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The San Francisco Opera opened its seventy-ninth season with a series of formal celebrations given by two noteworthy hosts: the Opera Guild, which provides outreach and education to the community, and the BRAVO! Club, in its tenth year as the...

Quintessential experiences: from the canyons of Chicago to the ruins of Rome, T&C recommends must-do excursions in eight great cities. (On The Town).
January 1, 2002... Sydney Although it was completed in 1932, Sydney Harbour Bridge was not opened for the public to clamber up on until 1998. Since then, it has become a must-do for Australians and foreign visitors alike. But you can't just turn up and expect to...

Warm and fuzzy. (In The Country).(Steiff animals)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... For exactly one hundred years, STEIFF has been handcrafting teddy bears that are at once collectibles and cuddly confidants. Over time, the Giengen, Germany--based company's early mohair, flexible-jointed teddy bear (it's still available) has...

Unbeatable boots. (In The Country).(Peter Limmer boots)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... If you want a pair of the hiking boots, take a number and wait--for four years. Peter Limmer is already producing as many handmade custom-fit boots (above left) as he can, and he's not about to lower his standards by hiring help. Nor will he...

Cross-country classic. (In The Coutry).(Fischer skis)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Anyone buying cross-country skis confronts an initial question--waxable or waxless? If you opt for the former, you ski the way the Norse gods intended you to, flying frictionless over the snow, skimming uphill without a slip. But first you have...

Top coat. (In The Coutry).(Filson coat)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Filson's TIN CLOTH PACKER COAT, with a removable wool liner, is hard-core--it's what cowboys, loggers and hunting guides wear. Soon after its 1897 founding, Filson, a Seattle, Washington, company, began making outdoor clothing from its Tin...

Pedigreed peanuts. (In The Coutry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The gargantuan goobers (graded Virginia Super Fancy) from Virginia Diner trace their lineage back to 1929 and a humble Wakefield, Virginia, restaurant. The recipe hasn't changed one lick since those days, except that the nuts are now cooked in...

World's best nursery? (In The Coutry).(Heronswood, Kingston Washington)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... That's easy: it's HERONSWOOD, the creation of Dan Hinkley (above), botanist and plant explorer extraordinaire. He and the nursery he founded fourteen years ago in Kingston, Washington (an hour and a half from Seattle, across Puget Sound), have...

Coolest Kayak. (In The Coutry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... If your idea of a white-water kayak is a long, slim boat with pointy ends, then it's time to get your feet wet again, landlubber. Kayaks have undergone a notable shift in design, from round to flat hulls. And the pinnacle has been reached with...

Able cane. (In The Coutry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... They don't look like much. But Leki trekking poles are the must-have outdoors accessory. The light contraptions are made of an aluminum alloy with an antishock spring system and a comfortable grip. Whether you're on a country lane or an alpine...

Plane fancy. (In The Coutry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... One week after I was born, in August 1946, a yellow PIPER J-3 CUB, registration N91948, rolled off a production line in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Twenty-eight years later I bought it, for $3,000, and flew it from New York to L.A. The trip took...

American salute. (Fashion & Style).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 1, 2002... Clockwise from top left: CATHERINE MALANDRINO silk dress ($325). LEVI STRAUSS & CO. custom-painted Easy Rider jean jacket ($165). ILLUMINATA AT FRAGMENTS crystal flag necklace ($35). ASPREY & GARRARD cuff links ($245). NOKIA 3360 wireless phone...

The genuine articles. (Fashion & Style).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... 1992 Prada Nylon Bag Just when thought handbags bags had to be heavy to be high-class, Miuccia Prada affixed her triangle logo to a featherweight fabric and created a modern must. Blue Donna bag, $660; neutral, $670; 888-977-1900. ...

Incomparably Charvet. (Fashion & Style).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The best things in life often can't be easily explained. Take Charvet, the Paris-based company known for its impeccable shirts, ties and accessories. Whether custom-made or ready-to-wear, a Charvet shirt simply looks and feels different from...

Jewelry 101: a history lesson. (Jewelry).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... BULGARI It's no secret that the woman who wears Bulgari jewels loves yellow gold. Since the 1970s, it has been the Italian jeweler's metal of choice because of its warm, solar color, which tones down stones and makes them instantly wearable....

Photography: a T&C guide. (Connoisseur's World).
January 1, 2002... Photography, long regarded as a minor art, is now coming into its own. There's a sense of discovery about the medium. No matter that, the work of old masters like Nadar and Carleton E. Watkins is well known to insiders; for the rest of Us, it...

A grand old resort: Florida's Gasparilla Inn is an old-fashioned American resort where cocktails and Cole Porter are as sacred as golf and tennis. (Traveler's Notebook).
January 1, 2002... The first people to enjoy the considerable bounties of Florida's Gasparilla Island were the Calusa Indians, beginning around A.D. 900. Then came the Seminole Indians, the Spaniards and the pirates (for two of whom, the ferocious Gaspar...

The one and only. (Traveler's Notebook).
January 1, 2002... PARIS | Cozy and comfortable yet uniquely elegant: the PARIS RITZ remains the real thing, indomitably the world's most legendary hotel. From the moment you enter what feels like a princely private residence, staying here is enchanting. The...

Rough and real. (Traveler's Notebook).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... When backpackers Mark Ellingham and his partner, Natania Jansz, traveled after college, they were so disappointed with inadequate guidebooks that they decided to compile their own. Twenty years later, the Rough Guides encompass more than 150...

Still going strong. (Traveler's Notebook).(Louis Vuitton leather steamer bag)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Exactly 101 years ago, Louis Vuitton introduced the leather steamer bag. Designed to hold laundry for passengers on ocean crossings, the soft-sided sack ($1,620) has outlived its original purpose but remains a favorite with fashionable...

Ivy's League. (Traveler's Notebook).(restaurant The Ivy)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... L.A. | In the movie Get Shorty, when John Travolta's charming hit man with film-producer aspirations books a Hollywood power lunch, he picks THE IVY. There is no irony in his patio table's being surrounded by English bric-a-brac, blossoming...

Suite sheets. (Traveler's Notebook).(linen bed sheets from Frette)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Fifteen years ago, FRETTE, the Italian linen company, introduced its Hotel Collection sheets. Frette's stores and the hotels that used Frette linens had been besieged with so many requests for the sheets that the company launched a retail line....

Five fragrances that changed the world. (Beauty Mark).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... You recognize it instantly when you pass a woman in an elevator, at a cocktail party, on your way to your restaurant table. It's unmistakable; it's... fill in the blank with one of these five fragrances: Shalimar, Fracas, Chanel No. 5, Opium...

Super naturals. (Beauty Mark).(natural cosmetics)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... What's the "real thing" when it comes to cosmetics? At first that struck us as a trick question, practically an oxymoron. The beauty industry exists because we're committed to enhancing what we're born with. So we're interpreting "real"...

Tried and true. (Beauty Mark).(cosmetics and toiletries)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Cosmetic technology has made huge leaps in recent years, spawning high-functioning products that intrigue us all, but there's no ignoring certain established brands to which women cling--out of nostalgia and an appreciation for the basics....

The best medicine: the evidence is in: walking--daily and briskly offers a trove of benefits to body, mind and spirit. (Health).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... "There is a strong chain of evidence showing that walking is absolutely the best form of exercise for the vast majority of Americans," says Mark Fenton, a former national racewalking team coach and the author of The Complete Guide to Walking...

Design classics.(home furnishings and tableware; includes note on walking as exercise)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 2002... Six indulgences you'll never regret: 1. Pauline de Rothschild's memorable Paris apartment was papered from floor to lofty ceiling with life-size chinoiserie trees, flowers and birds; GRACIE sells an exquisite hand-painted interpretation....

What's really important: after the tragic days of 2001, T&C surveyed some of its friends -- writers, designers and other tastemakers -- about life's true necessities. (Social Graces).
January 1, 2002... Victoria Mather, columnist, The Daily Telegraph, London: We all need to be at home now, to be with one another, to value small things: roast chicken for kitchen supper; a log fire; to be snuggly-buggly under comforters in the lamplight. One...

A little paradise mustique.(travel and tourism)
January 1, 2002... In my travels, I've fallen for a lot of Caribbean islands, but none has so bewitched me as Mustique. Others are terribly pretty: St. John, Virgin Gorda, Jamaica, Parrot Cay. Some, like Necker, Musha Cay and Little St. James, have astounding...

The chanel suit: always in style.(fashion)
January 1, 2002... What makes a Chanel suit like no other? Is it the fabric--the soft tweed or silk--the coordinating trim, the lining, the tailoring, the gold chain inside the jacket? Or is it something else altogether? * On the Rue Cambon in Paris, inside the...

Surpassing the test of time: Patek Philippe.(watch manufacturer)
January 1, 2002... On the early-morning flight from Paris to Geneva, I'm plunging into the substantial dossier on Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe when my seatmate introduces herself. A French fashion executive and a recent Patek owner, she can't resist proudly...

A four-wheeled wonder: the Bentley Arnage.(automobile)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Hi-fi cognoscenti who want the warmest sound insist on hand-wired vacuum-tube amplifiers. Photographers who look for the most precise workmanship reach for the microchip-less, relentlessly mechanical Leica M6. And sporting drivers who revel in...

The Taj Mahal: monument with a soul.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Taj is not a soaring monolith like a Gothic cathedral. Most people are surprised at its modest scale. They even start to say, "I thought it would be bigger," but they stop because they are captivated, and a little teary-eyed at the sight,...

In a class by herself: Catherine Deneuve.(actress)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... CATHERINE DENEUVE started out charming audiences very early in her life, at thirteen, to be precise, and she has continued to enchant us much longer than anyone could have anticipated. Merely beautiful women, after all, can be easily supplanted...

Love: ... and work and patriotism and decency and compassion--what matters most now.(life conduct after terrorist attacks)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... What matters most to me are the things that have mattered for a very long time: work and love. Work should be the kind you care about with virtually every cell of your being; passion would describe what you bring to it, satisfaction what it...

Historian with a heart: Doris Kearns Goodwin.
January 1, 2002... Doris Kearns Goodwin may be the only public figure left who is famous first for her brains and then for generously sharing them. Animated and accessible, petite and blonde, she is redefining the image of the tweed-and-pipe historian for the...

Courage: it's the mother of all virtues and the maker of heroes.(use of word courage after terrorist attacks)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... No matter what the dictionary suggests, courage is not a neutral quality, applicable to any motive or purpose. In the aftermath of the September II attacks, a few prominent people were saying just that, and worse. It was wrong to apply the word...

Well made in America: Hinckley.(yacht manufacturer Hinckley Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Why would anyone spend eighty to a hundred hours patiently buffing by hand a stainless-steel stem iron, the hefty metal cap of a yacht's bow that could conceivably collide with a dock or another boat--a part almost destined for abuse? To make...

Downright and down east: L.L. Bean.(clothing manufacturer)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Boots. Totes. Coats. Three short words are all it takes for many Americans to identify one of their favorite institutions, L.L. Bean of Freeport, Maine. The one-syllable simplicity of the company's most famous products embodies its original...

The glory of wood: Nakashima.(George Nakashima, artisan)
January 1, 2002... The furniture made by the Japanese-American artisan George Nakashima (1905-90) is so pure and simple, it grabs your heart like a cry of elation. While his contemporaries fiddled with stainless steel, Formica and molded plastic, Nakashima worked...

The rarest of bears: Giant pandas.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... It is one of nature's most exquisite artifacts: a bear like no other, honed over eons of evolution into perfect attunement with its habitat. And of all the animals, it is the one most miraculously suited to please human fancy. Possessed of a...

Straight from the grape: Domaine Gramenon.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Years ago, I asked Joel Robuchon--now retired from the Paris restaurant that bore his name, yet still considered the very best chef of his generation--"How does it feel to wake up every morning knowing that everyone considers you THE BEST?" ...

Tops for skiing: Whistler.(Whistler, British Columbia)
January 1, 2002... What makes a ski area so great that skiers will cross continents for it? Whistler has always been a winter destination wrapped in superlatives, but at age thirty-six, this resort, set in British Columbia's rugged Coast Mountains seventy-five...

Weddings.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Dr. and Mrs. William Duggan deBuys (Dr. Paige Ann Heimann) Cincinnati, Ohio [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Edward Years (Kirsten Lynn Mello) Vatican City [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. and Mrs. Joseph David Vaccaro...

Horoscope.
January 1, 2002... January Capricorn December 22-January 20 The planets are friendly this month, and with the Sun and Venus in your sign, you appear to be right in your element. Especially between the 1st and the 14th, you'll profit by nurturing new...