Spring cuisine

As a little blast from the past and, of course, to balance Paolo's unhealthy ways of eating a bit, here are some of the dishes I cooked this spring, when we had more green asparagus and ruccola in the garden the we could possibly eat. Enjoy.

Firenze — Paolo sighting!

As a more flamboyant dresser (most of the time) than yours truly, Don Paolo keeps attracting the eyes (and lenses) of fashion bloggers all over the world. Here is great example from tetinotete's tumblr (which happens to float around a couple of other blogs including my very own one, too) showing him in exquisite summer getup and signature greasy hair, donning one of the most photographed accessories Pitti Uomo ever saw: the red briefcase.

Stupid grin, new haircut and a bow tie

I am away from the South-German Suitorial Headquarters also known as Munich for some days, recreating and concentrating on a paper I have to hand in shortly. The picture above was taken after a three hour drive through the bavarian countryside (hence the picturesque backdrop) and may very well be the last photo of yours truly sporting any form of proper neckwear for about the next fourteen days (neckerchiefs might show up from time to time, though). I am glad I chose a new number made by Drake's of London for the occasion. Other elements include a stupid grin and a new haircut. You may or may not ignore these.

Decisions, decisions...

Choosing a shirt collar is not exactly as was as you might imagine — at least it isn't once a shirtmaker tells you he (or, in this case, she) can basically make any collar shape for you and doesn't have predefined patterns to choose from. Of course, for those of you who can appreciate a fully bespoke process, this is the only way to choose a shirt collar at all! In the picture: Some sample shirt collars made by my Munich-based shirtmaker. For the record: I have never limited myself to any of these but designed several shapes on my own since I have been using the firm. Two of the collars in the picture were made upon my suggestion for clients I introduced to the small, family-owned business the picture was taken at.

Trial and error. And trial.

I was at my shoemaker the other day for a re-fitting of an already finished pair which proved to be too short overall. My last will be tweaked accordingly, with a longer toe box. Additionally, I expressed my desire for an even narrower bevelled waist and rounder toe shape. All changes have been marked directly onto the shoe and in about four weeks I will be able to see whether or not the changes were worthwhile. Another four weeks from the trial shoe to the finished product and I am ready to go (again).
By the way, I also brought a friend with me for a fitting of his first bespoke shoe (trial stage). Pictures of his shoes may or may not come up here in the following days.