On 17th May 2019 The Chap publishes its 100th edition. This landmark special anniversary issue features all-time Chap icon Terry-Thomas on the front cover, with an in-depth look at the actor and bounder’s life and career, with some never-seen family photographs kindly provided by T-T’s niece. Our main interview is with another bounder/actor Leslie Phillips, whom Chris Sullivan met at his home to chat about his 100 films. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall both feature as the ne plus ultra of Hollywood style, while Holly Rose Swinyard looks at how Chap style has influenced everything from blockbuster cinema to video games.
A gallop through the last twenty years of The Chap is provided via an interview with editor Gustav Temple (not by himself), while erstwhile amanuensis to Sebastian Horsley, Alexander Larman, provides a fittingly fulsome tribute to the last of the libertines. We look at the soul-boy style of Laurie Cunningham, the first black footballer to play for England, and also at the style tribes over the last few centuries that have looked to the past for inspiration. Our fashion photo shoot collects the best-dressed folk from Britain and the United States under one tripod, while Nick Ostler trains his binoculars on the birds of Britain.
Olly Smith takes a centenary approach to his column, by listing the 100 best things about drinking, from obscure liquid concoctions to Roger Moore’s tipples. Noel Shine recounts an extraordinary meeting with author JP Donleavy at his home in rural Ireland, while Ben Schott reveals how he tackled the mighty estate of PG Wodehouse while wearing red socks. Chris Sullivan takes a stroll along Savile Row’s history, while Darcy Sullivan looks to the future of fashion and what a gentleman could wear during the Apocalypse. Our reporter from Los Angeles sings the praises of the straw boater, while David Evans of GreyFoxBlog extols the virtues of living an analogue life. All this, plus antiques, success stories in the Am I Chap pages, a sartorial primer reminding us why the Rules of play are still worth observing, a visit to the Savoy Restaurant, make this edition truly worthy of its 100th incarnation.
Chap 100 is on sale in WH Smith from 17th May. Order a copy here
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Absolutely brilliant