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David J. Reardon

There’s a quote from Miles Davis that I love and pretty much captures how I view the world: ‘for me, music and life are all about style.’ I live each day as an opportunity to embrace, explore, and enjoy style in all shapes and sizes – from the perfectly dimpled knot on a four-in-hand to a thoughtfully-plated meal for me and my wife, Tara; from an expertly garnished handmade Old Fashioned to my two year-old daughter’s adorable yet stylish denim jacket.

David J. Reardon

The Art of Cocktail Hour

David J. Reardon·
“This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when affections glow and valor is reborn.” This beautiful line is the greatest in Bernard DeVoto’s The Hour, at once capturing the romance and the sublime of this everyday routine that is anything but mundane.
Drink

What Fatherhood Teaches You About Being a Gentleman

David J. Reardon·
Three years ago today, I became a dad.  It was one of the most profound, charged, and poignant experiences – a moment that immediately changed the priorities, trajectory and outlook of my life.  Three years later, I’ve learned so much yet also realize that every day as a father will be filled with learning and with growth.  And that’s the first parallel to being a gentleman – as with being a father, being a gentleman is about an understanding that one is never done learning, that there are always more opportunities for growth, and that the journey can be just as valuable as the destination.
Fatherhood

How Many Ties Is Too Many?

David J. Reardon·
It used to be a running joke: I owned 77 ties.  According to my girlfriend (now wife), that was too many for a 27-year-old to own. Ever since then (nine years ago), I’ve stopped counting – mostly out of fear of coming clean with my wife – but I would bet my life that number has climbed. But really, how many ties is too many?
Menswear

A Summer-Weight Blazer Cures All Woes

David J. Reardon·
Four years ago, I was having a bad day. (While I won’t go into details, the fact that I can remember the circumstances many years later is an indication of just how bad.) I’m not sure how I decided this – maybe I had something to return? – but I found myself at Suitsupply.
Menswear

The Case for a Wood-Burning Fireplace

David J. Reardon·

When looking for a new home, we all have a list of our “must haves”.  For some, it’s an open-concept living room. For others, a kitchen with lots of counterspace or a location that’s a short walk to public transportation, good schools or hip bars and restaurants.

For me – as odd as it may seem for someone who’s lived in large cities all his life – it’s a wood-burning fireplace.

Lifestyle

The Four Seasons St. Petersburg

David J. Reardon·
Staying at the Four Seasons anywhere is (for all but the wealthiest) a privileged treat and while the brand is consistent across the world, certain properties – whether due to architecture, management, or the local neighborhood – are better than others. And it’s hard to imagine many surpassing the elegance and beauty of the Four Seasons St. Petersburg where a stay harkens the great Amor Towel’s novel A Gentleman in Moscow in which a life of “house arrest” actually seems enviable within a glamourous and opulent hotel.
Travel

The Greatest Jazz Album Ever Made

David J. Reardon·
While I’m in no way an expert on jazz, I’ve been listening to the genre for over two decades, ever since my godfather gifted me “Kind of Blue”, Miles Davis’ infamous album, for my thirteenth birthday. And, 23 years later, that album still stands as my favorite jazz album ever made, one of the greatest in the world as a Google search quickly proves.
Music