Preppy Popsy
I've been having so much fun digging through all these old photographs! The ones of my dad are priceless... really a hoot! His style could grace the pages of GQ and Esquire. He exuded style. He was a formal man. (Less so these days.) I remember him always wearing dress pants. He didn't own a pair of jeans until I was a teenager. And they were his house pants. He would never dream of leaving the apartment in them!
In the picture below he's reading the paper poolside. My grandmother's pool was high in the hills of Cannes and overlooked the Cote D'Azur. I can picture it as vividly today... as if I was standing there now. The trees behind my father are mostly olive trees. The smell of the ripening olives was incredible! But I warn you, don't eat an olive off the tree! Terrible! (For more on my grandmother visit Beth's blog if you have not already done so!)
My grandmother's house was amazing. She entertained all the time and I will write about those (from a child's point of view) sometime soon. She had a garden with many vegetables. She had a small vineyard too! But this entry is about my father, Popsy.
Below Popsy's holding my hand. Love his shades, Lacoste and tight, short swim trunks! When I was really little, about a year old, my parents were headed out to a black tie affair. I tripped and fell into the pool. Dad jumped in wearing his tux to save me! Pool covers were not standard back then. My grandmother had one custom made. It looked like a fishing net. It was actually quite elegant.
Below Popsy's chilling in his dress pants and tie. They must have been preparing to go out someplace. He's got that Kenndy-esque thing going here too. Most people thought Jack, I don't know... I see a bit of Bobby/Teddy here... The olive trees are behind him in this picture as well.
This has to be one of my favorite pictures! Love the ascot! Really? What was he thinking? Hanging out all dressed up and reading the Times!
My father has tossed the ascot and doesn't walk around the house in ties and sports coats anymore. He has the best sweater and corduroy collection around. My mother usually picks out his stuff. I don't know whatever became of those one pair of jeans. Levis, of course. Haven't seen them in over 20 years. When he gets ready to mow he puts on a pair oh khakis to ride the John Deere!
My father was in the financial industry for his entire professional life. All his clients were in the fashion industry. He was actually instrumental in getting the ransom money for Calvin Klein when his daughter was kidnapped in the early 1980s. During the holidays we would get these huge, lavish, exquisite baskets filled to the brim of all these wonderful items from the King of the Tartan himself, Mr. Ralph Lauren. His clients chose well, don't you think?
My parents left the rat race of Manhattan in the late 1980s and settled in Newport, Rhode Island where they currently reside. My father had a short career in politics there as he was so fed up with the lack of progress and corruption. He switched his affiliation from Republican to Independent with the hopes of attracting more votes. He was successful at what he did, but had a hard time breaking through the brick wall that still remains. He tried. I think he switched his affiliation back to Republican. But I am not sure.
In the picture below he's reading the paper poolside. My grandmother's pool was high in the hills of Cannes and overlooked the Cote D'Azur. I can picture it as vividly today... as if I was standing there now. The trees behind my father are mostly olive trees. The smell of the ripening olives was incredible! But I warn you, don't eat an olive off the tree! Terrible! (For more on my grandmother visit Beth's blog if you have not already done so!)
My grandmother's house was amazing. She entertained all the time and I will write about those (from a child's point of view) sometime soon. She had a garden with many vegetables. She had a small vineyard too! But this entry is about my father, Popsy.
Below Popsy's holding my hand. Love his shades, Lacoste and tight, short swim trunks! When I was really little, about a year old, my parents were headed out to a black tie affair. I tripped and fell into the pool. Dad jumped in wearing his tux to save me! Pool covers were not standard back then. My grandmother had one custom made. It looked like a fishing net. It was actually quite elegant.
Below Popsy's chilling in his dress pants and tie. They must have been preparing to go out someplace. He's got that Kenndy-esque thing going here too. Most people thought Jack, I don't know... I see a bit of Bobby/Teddy here... The olive trees are behind him in this picture as well.
This has to be one of my favorite pictures! Love the ascot! Really? What was he thinking? Hanging out all dressed up and reading the Times!
My father has tossed the ascot and doesn't walk around the house in ties and sports coats anymore. He has the best sweater and corduroy collection around. My mother usually picks out his stuff. I don't know whatever became of those one pair of jeans. Levis, of course. Haven't seen them in over 20 years. When he gets ready to mow he puts on a pair oh khakis to ride the John Deere!
My father was in the financial industry for his entire professional life. All his clients were in the fashion industry. He was actually instrumental in getting the ransom money for Calvin Klein when his daughter was kidnapped in the early 1980s. During the holidays we would get these huge, lavish, exquisite baskets filled to the brim of all these wonderful items from the King of the Tartan himself, Mr. Ralph Lauren. His clients chose well, don't you think?
My parents left the rat race of Manhattan in the late 1980s and settled in Newport, Rhode Island where they currently reside. My father had a short career in politics there as he was so fed up with the lack of progress and corruption. He switched his affiliation from Republican to Independent with the hopes of attracting more votes. He was successful at what he did, but had a hard time breaking through the brick wall that still remains. He tried. I think he switched his affiliation back to Republican. But I am not sure.