Savoir Faire in the Sac

I remember the first bottle of perfume that I had ever bought my mother. It was a bottle of Christian Dior’s Miss Dior Parfum in a little ‘atomiseur pour le sac”. When I was 16, my father had taken my younger brother and I to Hong Kong for a holiday, and it cost me the princely sum of $69 HKD which was about $11.50 AUD in 1978. I still have the bottle and the original box floating around somewhere, and it was exactly the same as the one pictured below.

I always think it is important whether you are a man or a woman to carry around some form of scent, for a little refresher during the day. The thing I don’t like is either having to carry around a full size bottle of cologne, or one of those tacky little sample vials that you receive gratis if you are lucky. Not only do you have to forsake your favourite scent and carry around a substitute, but invariably they get lost in the depths of your bag.

I like the idea of carrying around a little scent in a bottle or atomiseur specifically for that purpose. Major houses used to produce these ‘flacons pour le sac’ and every woman had one or two. Invariably they were paired down cylinders or replicas of the original flacon encased in a little fabric or leather pouch to protect them.

Lanvin pulled out all stops when it commissioned Cartier to design a little gold cylinder to encase their perfumes for the woman on the go. Simplicity within itself with its ribbed sides, Greek key design and Lanvin logo on the top.

Carven produced little ribbed glass cylinders, mimicking the stripes on the boxes, encased in green and white silk drawstring bags.

Bourjois for “Soir de Paris” added a black silk tassel to the bottom of their little midnight blue flacons, for an extra little bit of glamour.

Invariably these fell out of favour as time went on however Guerlain still produce little gold sprays as pictured below.

Missoni has issued these wonderful gold tone cylinders with silk tassels that give them the unmistakeable Missoni mark.

Chloe have done one better with this fabulous little leather carrying case for their perfume.

So, for some scented savoir faire on the go hunt these out and if they are vintage refill with your favourite perfume or cologne.

Cocktails Au Go Go

I just love the fact that these travelling cocktail cases just exist! Nothing could have said savoir faire more than pulling up by the side of the road in your Hispano, and whipping out said cocktail case and mixing a martini for yourself and travelling companions! One question is what did they do for ice?

Obviously nowadays drinking and driving is a big no no, however on your next road trip make sure you have a dedicated driver. Otherwise these would go fabulously with your outdoor picnic set for a picnic!

I just couldn’t resist showing this wonderful set in the form of a chemistry set. Mixing cocktails is like chemistry, they have to be just right, however in this case it gives the phrase “name your poison” a whole new slant!

Firey Savoir Faire

I love fireplaces, having grown up with them for most of my life, I find them incredibly welcoming and dare I say it ‘cosy’. Traditional fireplaces are wonderful especially if they have the original mantles, and accessorised with a wonderful pair of classic andirons.

Now, it is also no secret that I love hotels as well, and a fireplace in a hotel lobby or room, is a nice reminder that you are somewhere warm and inviting and not necessarily in a hotel. Whether being traditional or ultra modern I love the examples below.

The Crosby Street Hotel in New York has created an almost David Hicks like interior with the deep purple walls and the stark white fireplace in traditional style. Other classical elements in the room such as the chandelier have been updated to a more modern look.

The 101 hotel in Reykjavik is super modern and this has been offset with traditional and natural forms of furniture such as the chairs and the woodblock coffee table.

Who can go past the wonderful free flowing Art Nouveau fireplace in the Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco? It is all about the shape and the accessories here and it does not need much else.

I am also taking the liberty of actually adding to some of the ultra modern examples below with andirons. I do like the stark simplicity of these however the decorator in me just wants to add something else, not too much mind you.

I would love to team this fabulous white and green marble faced fireplace at the St Paul in Montreal with these wonderful art deco glass and brass horse shaped andirons.

When it comes to this example in a bathroom I think these classical gladiator andirons would just push it over the edge of fabulosity.

The fireplace at the Distrito Capital Hotel although sheer brilliance in its simplicity, could be even better with the brass andirons below.

The nickel plate andirons below would look great against this stainless steel wall.

This fireplace in a hotel in Luxembourg would definitely stand out with this Asian motif inspired andirons.

And just because it is fabulous, the outdoor fireplace around the pool at the Island Hotel in Newport is somewhere where I want to be!

Do you agree with my pairings?

Lip Service with Savoir Faire.

When we think of fashion and surrealism we all immediately think of Schiaparelli. No one mixed the two more perfectly than Schiaparelli. However, other couturiers of the era also dabbled, if not half heartedly with the two.

Lucien Lelong was always known for clothes of simplicity and understated elegance. Lelong also had an incredibly profitable perfume and cosmetic business as well, and this is where he dabbled with surrealism.

I just love the below mink covered lipstick tube from Lelong. Definitely an object deluxe with an edge.


With references to Méret Oppenheim’s fur covered cup and saucer, this lipstick has been elevated to something far more superior than its humble cousins produced by other companies.




The packaging itself signifies that this was something more than your average lipstick. With nothing written on the box except Lucien Lelong if presented with this you would be wondering what treat laid inside. Gold and white is always a classic elegant combination, which is reflected in the gold of the tube and the white of the mink.

Probably not an object for the handbag, but something to rest on your Hollywood Glam dressing table. However if it was something that some young savoir fairee would be carrying around, can you imagine the looks she must have received in the powder room when whipping this out of her handbag!

Stunning Savoir Faire

It is no secret that I like Art Deco, Architecture and good cuisine. I have always been impressed by the grand dining salons that graced the great ocean liners of the period between World Wars I & II, not only by the their stunning design, but also for the reputations they had for being some of the best restaurants of the world. It was said that more seagulls followed the French Liners than any other ships, just for the scraps that were thrown overboard.

I have always longed to dine in such spaces that take us back to another era. In Montreal we have Eaton’s 9th floor restaurant, which is sadly off limits to the public, just waiting for someone with the imagination and funds to turn it into something truly spectacular. See http://david-toms.blogspot.com/search/label/Eatons

While visiting Australia in March this year, the opportunity to dine in such a space escaped me as I just ran out of time. Neil Perry of Rockpool fame opened his new Rockpool Bar and Grill in the City Mutual Building in Hunter Street Sydney.


The City Mutual Building is an incredibly fine example of Art Deco Architecture in Sydney, considered one of the finest in the country, and the transformation of the interior into the Rockpool is nothing short of fabulous.

The space is pure elegance and Art Deco fabulosity, framed under two-story marble columns with stained glass windows, all trimmed in dark wood panelling. This space recalls the almost shrine like atmosphere that reigned in the dining salons of the Normandie and Ile de France. The space is also a thrilling mix of art-deco savoir faire with sleek understated modernism, enhanced by the sculptural display of thousands of Reidel glasses.

One of the highlights definitely has to be the ceiling in the main space and the bas relief which copies the sculpture from the entrance of the building of a couple sheltering themselves from the ashes of Pompeii. (Rather apt as City Mutual was in the Insurance business).

I know next time I am home in Australia I am making a bee line to this temple of cuisine, to savour my surroundings over a good glass of wine.

Suited Faire

Nobody does men’s suits better than the English. With the strong traditions of Saville Row backing you up, you can’t go wrong with a suit from the world’s capital of tailoring. Whether it is bespoke from Gieves and Hawkes or off the rack from Austin Reed you will always stand out as a gentleman.

Here are a few looks to get your work week started, including some shirts from Thomas Pink, because every good suit needs a good shirt and tie to do it justice.

*Gieves & Hawkes

*Gieves & Hawkes

*Turnbull & Asser

*Alfred Dunhill

*Duncan Quinn

*Paul Smith

*Austin Reed

*Thomas Pink

Savoir Faire and The Travelling Blues

Well, the weekend is over and I have the travelling blues. I am in need of a vacation; however I do not have the time available to take one. So hence the travelling blues.

Here are some blue destinations that might just happen to satisfy your travelling blues.

Nobody does blue better than the Greek Islands. Whether it be Mykonos, Santorini or countless other islands, the blues are fabulous. From the water, to the sky to the painted doors and shutters against the white stucco, the blues are stunning.

While having never been to the Blue Grotto in Italy, it looks fabulous. I can only imagine what it would be like swimming in the ethereal blue space in crystal clear water. (Just hoping that it is not too overrun with tourists)

For those that feel a bit of a blue Scandinavian vacation, taking the waters at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland might be just the thing, and besides you could be helping Iceland with their economic blues.

Moving further east to Istanbul the Blue Mosque is just wonderful. While only having blue domes, it conjures up all the mystique and exoticism of the East.

Moving down south to the Southern Hemisphere, travelling through South Africa on the Blue Train, will definitely recharge your batteries watching the landscape just slip away.

Lets zip across the Indian Ocean to good old Australia, where a stay in Sydney at the Taj Blue Hotel will definitely chase those blues away. Built in an historical finger wharf jutting into Sydney Harbour it has the best views of the harbour and surrounds.

Just a short 2 hour drive out of Sydney are the Blue Mountains, so called as they appear blue. The blue tinge is caused by mie scattering which occurs when incoming ultraviolet radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere creating a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds.

How do you escape the travelling blues?