The Classicist: The Year's Best Luxe Books
Followers of The Classicist, the weekly column devoted to timeless style, enduring elegance, and true, built-to-last luxury as opposed to mere extravagance, are familiar with the fact that we take pains to search out every season's most luxurious books and bring you exclusive glimpses. 2010 was a particularly good year for top-drawer tomes; if you've any space left in your library we suggest you stock up on the following titles which we declare to be the best of the best from those that made our grade in 2010. Featuring our favorite subjects ranging from Savile Row to classic Louis Vuitton luggage, high equestrian style to high society, and classic architecture to the perfection that is is Porsche, this is a chance to catch up on the must-have volumes you might have missed.
Topping the list are our two favorites, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks (Abrams) and Bespoke: The Men's Style of Savile Row (Rizzoli), both dealing with icons of luxe style, the first a legendary French luggage firm, the second a street synonymous with the world's best men's tailoring. Can you imagine anything better than a suite of Vuitton trunks full of Savile Row suits? Didn't think so. While you're busy assembling a collection these books are the next best thing. Men's style also comes into play in two other titles on our can't-miss list, the bible of Ivy League style Take Ivy (powerHouse) and We Want Miles: Miles Davis vs. Jazz (Skira Rizzoli). They're more closely related than you might think; the jazz legend had a not-so-hidden passion for preppy finery in his early years, while Take Ivy's title is a reference to jazz.
Porsche is the subject of two separate titles, Generation Porsche and The Porsche Book (teNeues) as befits the famed German sports car marque that revolutionized the automobile industry and recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. The latter is available in a limited edition including an original photo print. Great architecture, be it Parisian, Scottish or equestrian, features in the next three books on our list – Historic Houses of Paris: Residences of the Ambassadors (Flammarion); Highland Living: Landscape, Style, and Traditions of Scotland (Flammarion); and Stables: Beautiful Paddocks, Horse Barns, and Tack Rooms (Rizzoli). Diplomats, aristocrats and thoroughbreds live in extremely stylish surroundings, naturally. So of course, do socialites; or rather, they did in the good old days before reality TV, as seen in the glorious 40 years covered by Café Society: Socialites, Patrons and Artists 1920 to 1960 (Flammarion). Happy reading.
