Click above for high res image gallery and full credit info. Photographed by Adrianna Ault for Luxist.
Welcome to the first in a new series of exclusive photo features showcasing seasonal style essentials inspired by classic icons of elegance, sport and design, photographed with the most beautiful and coveted cars on the road. The emphasis is on luxury of course, but of the timeless variety as opposed to mere extravagance. In our recent
Classicist column on the 2010
Jaguar XK convertible coming out this August, we remarked on the sleek new cat's stylistic heritage dating back to 1948's
XK120, as driven by the likes of Gary Cooper,
Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, as well as later models like the
D-Type (or XK-SS) made famous by the great
Steve McQueen. The first in our new series of exclusive shoots is inspired by them and stars the XK in homage to these stylish icons, both man and automotive (read all about the new XK
here).
In particular, the influence of
Gable (with his XK120 in 1954, top right) and McQueen (with his XK-SS, center right) can be seen in the summery style essentials we've assembled for this shoot. For the pastoral setting we drew on another classic Jaguar reference, an image of writer
Truman Capote in a Jaguar
XK-E, the model most closely aligned with the new XK, in the
Hamptons in 1965 (bottom right).
In the spirit of summer we've chosen a classic combination of navy and white, popular as fashionable resort wear for a nearly a century and still going strong in the right circles. While navy blazers of the type shown here originated as part of English cricket club scenery and other elegant sporting occasions such as the
Henley Royal Regatta, without gold buttons it needn't be unnecessarily nautical or costume-y.
The jacket shown here, in tropical weight wool with soft shoulders by the dashing Italian house of
Etro, references its sporting antecedents with grosgrain tipping on the lapels, pockets and cuffs; however, since it is finished in the same color as the jacket the effect is a subtle one, while the slim cut updates the look with Italian flair. A cream linen camp shirt by
Paul Stuart and white linen pants by Polo
Ralph Lauren round out the rest of the ensemble.
As an alternative on cooler days or evenings - which we've certainly had plenty of this summer - we've also included
a variation of the navy blazer by
Brooks Brothers made of butter-soft goat suede with spiffy sporting details including a throat latch, stand-up collar, action back and pure Irish linen lining, which calls to mind the jacket worn by Gable above.
While a polka dot foulard silk scarf by the venerable British clothier
Turnbull & Asser (shirtmaker to the
Prince of Wales) provides not only another classic touch and added dose of
sprezzatura, it also protects against the elements while piloting the XK with the top down at serious speeds. A hefty dose of McQueen meanwhile can be seen in the rakish cap, sunglasses and watch. For the feet and the road,
a pair of pebble-sold leather driving moccasins by
Tod's keep the
haute Italian vibe going.
The checked linen driving cap -
this model is made by Brooks Brothers - of the type favored by McQueen has no brim to collide with a car's headrest, and is infinitely more elegant than a baseball cap. Also on view: iconic Italian
Persol sunglasses, in particular
the model made famous by McQueen in
The Thomas Crown Affair. Starring in this feature are a foldable version of McQueen's faves, as well as a couple of other killer Persol models; all are available at
Ilori. Also included is a pair of shades by
Paul Smith. The watch is a classic and vintage stainless steel
Rolex GMT-Master II, available at
Tourneau, of a similar design to the Rolex Submariner model favored by McQueen (and which recently fetched a
record price at auction). Read on for details of the rest of the accessories after the jump.
