Let us make one thing crystal clear: we are not speaking of the contemporary hipster. While jazz-jumpin’ chaps from the mid-twentieth century were sometimes referred to as ‘hipsters’, we are going to use the term ‘hep cat’ to distinguish this stylish breed from their bearded millennial counterparts. Chaps who favour the forties may be perfectly… … Keep Reading
Chris Sullivan revisits what was once a den of vice, pleasure, danger and high thrills in the docklands area of Cardiff, and meets the residents who recall Tiger Bay’s glory days In the 19th Century, the moniker ‘Tiger Bay’ was used in popular literature and slang (especially by sailors) for any dock or seaside neighbourhood… … Keep Reading
Gustav Temple and Alexander Larman grab a final Tier 2 repast before the nation’s second lockdown M’colleague is nothing if not optimistic. When Larman suggested dining in the heart of Mayfair just as London limbers up for Tier 2 of pandemic measures, I thought he had lost his Elgin marbles. Infected by his gung-ho enthusiasm… … Keep Reading
This was one of the last interviews given by Leslie Phillips before his death aged 98 on 7th November 2022. Chris Sullivan met the great bounder at his Maida Vale home to discuss his entire career and reflect on his wartime days and his rise to fame as an actor in the 1950s. I must… … Keep Reading
A central hotel that provided a haven for guests during WWII proves a more than suitable billet for a visit to coronavirus London Upon our return from a three-day visit to London during the coronavirus pandemic, I asked my teenage children what their favourite part of the trip was. “The hotel!” they both said in… … Keep Reading
A handy guide to understanding what people are communicating via their choice of face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic. When a new item of clothing enters the field, chaps are not normally consulted for their views, because for chaps there is no need for any new clothing items; they are still busy rediscovering things like… … Keep Reading
Gustav Temple takes a highly educational sartorial stroll around the West End of London with professional city tour guide Russell Nash We meet on the steps of the Athenaeum Club and head along Pall Mall towards the bottom of St James’s Street, where Russell pauses outside the fabled gables of London hatters Lock & Co.… … Keep Reading
A short videogramme showcasing the splendid contents of our latest edition, available now in all good newsagents and from here The latest edition of The Chap is so packed full of stimulating content that we felt it could only effectively expressed via the medium of video. In this one-minute snapshot of our 164-page Autumn issue,… … Keep Reading
Hot on the heels of Flaneur comes a new gentlemanly scent that is more appropriate for night mischief Last year The Chap released its first fragrance for men, Flaneur, which was designed to be worn during daytime strolls about town in flannels and straw boater. Now comes a brand-new scent to be worn by gentlemen… … Keep Reading
Gustav Temple finds that, forced to eschew the pleasures of a European city break, Oxford delivers just as edifying an experience Taking one’s annual summer holiday during a global pandemic produces one or two changes to one’s usual habits. Images of the azure skies, Gothic cathedrals and café terraces of Europe and beyond are somewhat… … Keep Reading
On National Tequila Day, Gustav Temple samples a new tequila that lays to rest the drink’s association with sombrero-wearing roustabouts “Hey, Rosita, come quick/Down at the cantina they’re giving green stamps with tequila!” For some, the song Speedy Gonzalez by Pat Boone (1962) may have been one’s first introduction to Tequila, for others another song… … Keep Reading
A decade after Sebastian Horsley’s death, Gustav Temple recalls the decadent flash of dandyism that was extinguished on 17th June 2010 Dandyism is a setting sun; like the declining star, it is magnificent, without heat and full of melancholy. Charles Baudelaire, 1863 On this day ten years ago, Sebastian Horsley died aged 47 of a… … Keep Reading