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Meet Mr. Theodore Nittis (@alifeinobjects), a former lawyer turned Insurance Broker, living in Bloomfield Hills, MI, a suburb just outside of Detroit.
Theodore, what does it mean for you to be a Modern Gentleman?
I think Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem “If” does a fairly nice job of encapsulating what it means to be a gentleman at almost any point in history. The beginning of the poem is my favorite part . . .
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too.
I may not execute Kipling’s instructions all the time, but the spirit of it is something that stays with me.
When it comes to style, where do you mostly get your inspiration from?
A lot of different places, but most common are yesterday’s film actors, Cary Grant, Alain Delon, Steve McQueen, you know, the usual suspects. But I also really draw from the gentlemen on the old international best dressed lists; the Duke of Edinburgh, Porfiro Rubirosa, David Ogilvy, the Duke of Windsor, etc. Some of the current sartorial writers like Bruce Boyer and Simon Crompton provide some much-needed modern inspiration as well.
I’m a frequent visitor to London and find that the city influences my style in many different ways, including how I dress for business, my casual wear and even the everyday objects around the house that I surround myself with. I often come back either with an article of clothing that I hadn’t really considered prior to seeing there, or with something new on my list to pick up; most recently it was a solid navy seersucker suit. A morning walk down Jermyn Street, Piccadilly, and Savile Row, looking in windows with coffee in hand, can certainly inspire and influence a man.
What’s your personal style signifier?
My personal style is sort of a mashup between French Ivy and Savile Row, with a bit of rural America thrown in. That probably sounds like an odd combo, but it’s actually fairly harmonious as long as I dress for the occasion. There are certain things I wear or use that seem to show up regardless of the formality of whatever I’m wearing and show up nearly all of the time; my Rolex GMT (most often on a black NATO strap), my Persol 714s, J.M. Weston 180 loafers, button down collar shirts in royal oxford (never worn with a tie), my leather Ghurka No.2, or my aging Barbour Gamefair.
What are your favorite wardrobe essentials?
Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I still include a good peak lapel dinner jacket as a wardrobe essential, along with a navy or dark gray business suit that fits you very well. White spread collared shirts for work and white button-down collars for play. Plain crew neck Shetland sweaters make the cut as well for those of us in colder climes. In terms of footwear, I think that the discussion has to include black cap-toed oxfords for work and loafers in chocolate box calf or suede for play.
What are your main passions and how do you cultivate them?
I’m passionate about books, cooking, wine, and outdoor pursuits that involve fine shotguns, birds, and bird dogs. Collecting books is easy, finding the time to read them is a bit more of a challenge. I’m fortunate enough to have a superb dog, and I try to spend as much of my Autumn as possible in the forests of Northern Michigan chasing Grouse and Woodcock.
What does your ideal Sunday look like?
Assuming I’m home in the Detroit suburbs, I like to wake up early and take a long walk to my favorite French bakery and coffee shop, Cannelle – I’d stack their croissants up against anyone’s. After that, if my kids would agree to head to the Detroit Institute of Arts with me, it would be amazing. I’d follow that up with some al fresco dining with a small group of close friends who like food and wine as much as my wife and I do.
Describe an interesting trip you have taken and tell us and what’s the next destination on your bucket list.
One of the best trips I’ve taken was a family trip to Iceland. We went when Iceland was a hot tourist spot, and I wasn’t expecting much more than tourist traps and driving through vast expanses of nothing. To the contrary, it was an absolutely lovely country with great activities that appealed to not only my wife and I but also our two children. The food was excellent, and the landscape was breathtaking . . . made all the more fun to traverse in the Defender 110 that we rented.
In terms of what’s next, a few places come to mind; I would like to get to Champagne soon, and Tokyo is perennially on my list. But probably the next place will be returning to my late father’s home island of Cyprus, where I have not been in many years, despite spending many of my summers there as a boy.
Tell us what can never be missing in your liquor cabinet.
Nothing can ever be missing from a liquor cabinet! A well-stocked bar is essential, and one of life’s reassuring pleasures. High on the list of things not to run out of would be a quality London dry gin; I happen to prefer Sipsmith, but there are so many great ones. Good tonic water, exceptionally fizzy soda, quality sweet vermouth, a number of types of bitters, and a host of Continental aperitifs (Campari, Select, Aperol, etc.) would also make my “essentials” list. Good glassware and proper bar implements are an often overlooked component to a great home bar setup. My preference is for sturdy but not overly heavy cocktail glasses, and delicate wine glasses . . . both with thinner lips. I use cocktail shakers quite a bit; the Parisian style is my favorite but a Boston style one will do in a pinch.
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