Would the Empire have been half as great without braces? Would the thin red line have held, the battles been won, the treaties signed, the ruled cowed and decorum maintained if, at the decisive moment, a Chap had lost control of his trousers – laying bare, before an unsuspecting world, the lily white and withered… … Keep Reading
Nathaniel Adams: Oscar Wilde, writer, raconteur, gay icon, large of girth, lust and ego, bottom wobbling provocatively as he climbs the social ladder from the gutter to the stars, then falls back into the muck with a splash, is arguably the most famous dandy ever. In Oscar Wilde, dandyism found its apotheosis, and after his… … Keep Reading
Join Gustav Temple on a magical journey into the heart of sartorial splendour, commencing at the Idler Academy. Mr. Temple has created a series of four lectures on how to dress properly, and which include informal dress, formal dress, clothes maintenance and buying bespoke and vintage garments. Assisted by the Chap’s very own valet in… … Keep Reading
Tom Cutler: I have a confession to make. That’s the thing with confessions, you have to make them; you can’t just take them off the shelf. But confession can be dangerous, resulting in severe injury to the owner-up and the recipient alike. Take the chap who, in a fit of bravado, admitted to his wife… … Keep Reading
Steve Pittard: England slow bowler by day and gentleman thief by night, A.J. Raffles, is cricket’s most enduring fictional character. His exploits shocked late Victorian society, who found it unthinkable that a burglar might play cricket – a sport synonymous with ‘fair play’. A.J. resides in bachelor chambers at Albany (just off Piccadilly). He can… … Keep Reading
“Inspired by the Olympiad,” writes Mark Skinner, “I have taken my first faltering forays in Chapdom. Any hints that I am heading in the right direction?” Sir, you are standing far too close to a market stall selling T-shirts to be heading in the direction of Chapdom. A true Chap would steer well clear of… … Keep Reading
The Chap, in collaboration with expert cook Clare Gabbett-Mulhallen, has written a cook book aimed at reviving the lost art of British cookery. Cooking For Chaps trawls through the greatest British recipes from the last 200 years to bring you the finest selection of meals to prepare for breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, high tea,… … Keep Reading
Following a 43-date UK Tour and sell-out run at St James Theatre, European Arts Company is delighted to announce that The Trials of Oscar Wilde is transferring to Trafalgar Studios for a strictly limited four-week run. The production will open on Monday 13th October, in celebration of Oscar Wilde’s 160th birthday that same week, and… … Keep Reading
The Umbrella Shop Official suppliers of rain cover and jousting equipment to The Chap Olympiad, this formidable company deals in sturdy brollies of all prices by mail order only, thus maintaining competitive prices. Some of their brollies are aimed at commissionaires and doormen, but since these days a gentleman is often left to fend for… … Keep Reading
Nathaniel Adams: You might be surprised by how well crickets pair with brie. Wrapped in a sushi roll, their carapaces’ pleasant crunch counterbalances the creamy squish of the cheese. I’m not a foodie – the only celebrity chef I admire is John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. Yet there I was, munching away on exoskeletal… … Keep Reading
A group of American schoolboys all wore suits, ties and hats as a show of support to a younger pupil at their school who was being bullied for his speech impediment. Danny Keefe, aged 6, has a condition called Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), a motor speech disorder that prevents his brain from coordinating properly… … Keep Reading
Nathaniel Adams: There are placards, designed in a Charles Rennie Mackintosh Glasgow School-style font, placed near the entrances to Disneyland in Anaheim California, which read: “Warning: The Disneyland Resort contains chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.” The claim of a state with so many… … Keep Reading