Young Buckleys
Growing up, the only time I heard of William F. Buckley, Jr., was when I overheard people telling my stepfather how much he looked like him, and how they had the same "Long Island lockjaw" accent. It wasn't until I was older and read the newspaper regularly that I got my own sense of who William Buckley was. There's no doubt he was a talented writer and an influential political figure, as all the obituary writers celebrated when he died a few weeks ago, but what they failed to mention was how stunningly well dressed he was. Upon first glance you may just think, "Oh--classic preppy WASP," but actually his style was more nuanced and subtle than any simple classification would suggest. Yes he was preppy and classic and WASPy, but he had the knack for wearing one thing to give an outfit some personality (plaid shorts or a striped tie) without adding anything to distract from that (no monogrammed belt to match). Today many preppy guys I see in Palm Beach, Southampton, or Greenwich wear old school classic pieces as status symbols, like logos. They'll wear the Ray-Ban sunglasses with the Nantucket Red shorts with the yacht club belt with the polo shirt with the braided rope bracelet. Yikes! In my twenties I decided I really hated the preppy look for men--it had become about overstatement instead of understatement--but I realized recently that I just hate what it has become. If we could get the preppy look back to the elegant restraint of Bill Buckley I'd be proud to say I was a fan.
William F. Buckley, Jr., at home in Stamford, CT, August 1965. (Photo: Getty)
I love this guy's understated outfit, and I've been waiting to find the right place for it in a blog. When I saw the above picture of Buckley, I knew I'd found a home for it. It's hard to imagine socks and shorts going well together in theory, but the pairing certainly works well here in reality. Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, August 2007.
Apart from a suit and tie, Buckley's clothes move seamlessly between downtime and athletics. Aboard his boat, August 1965. (Photo: Getty)
My stepfather, Will, looking and dressing and sailing eerily like Buckley. Long Island Sound, 1955.
Andy Spade channels Buckley's understated preppy look. Gramercy Park Hotel Rooftop, September 2007.
Buckley in his usual dark suit, white shirt, and signature striped tie. Date Unknown. (Photo: Corbis)
I can handle a blue blazer only if it's worn without a tie, as Dana Vachon demonstrates at the release of his novel Mergers and Acquisitions at Bar Marmont in L.A., CA, April 2007. (Photo: Getty)
Buckley on his yacht. New York, NY, 1966. (Photo: Corbis)
This guy gets the concept of mixing sporty clothes with traditional basics for everyday life. Ludlow Street, NYC, June 2007.
This might be my favorite photo of Buckley. It could be from almost any decade. New York, NY, 1966. (Photo: Corbis)
This is the Easter version of Buckley's above outfit. The color is almost too much for me, but the dark suit and neutral shoes tone it down just enough. Midtown Manhattan, June 2007.
Buckley and his wife, Patricia, wait on the deck of their 75-foot sloop Cyrano as the Coast Guard docks the disabled vessel. Miami, FL, August 1972. (Photo: Corbis)
My stepfather, Will, again echoing Buckley's sporting look. Portugal, 1978.
Buckley sports one of his many sailing looks at Malcolm Forbes's 70th birthday party. Tangiers, Morocco, August 1989. (Photo: WireImage)
My assistant, Caroline, gave me this photo of her friend David Branson Smith. I like how he wears floral shorts with a simple Brooks Brothers polo shirt in a dark color--there's a Buckleyesque sense of restraint. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. March, 2006.
Buckley, left, takes a break from skiing near Gstaad with Harvard economist John Kenneth Galbraith. LOVE the red parka. Switzerland, Feb. 1977. (Photo: Getty)
Another scaled-back preppy look. I like that the moccasins are the same dusty color as his pants. Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, September 2007.
Buckley shows he's casual not only in his clothing style but also in his demeanor. 1965. (Photo: Sam Falk, New York Times)
Who knew so many Brooklyn guys had the Buckley vibe? This is another photo I've been longing to find a home for. It shows how great classic clothes can look entirely on their own with no bells or whistles. Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, August 2007.
William Buckley was not a person anyone should emulate, unless you want to look like an inbred, crypto-fascist, corporatist, right wingnut, preppy, alcoholic, effeminate, and virulently anti-freedom and anti-American jerk off.
And he had the absolutely worst posture of anyone on the planet, although that could of just been all the alcohol he drank.
Give the man some credit! Like or dislike him, he had style and that's what this blog is about.Not his politics(I can't even go there,it makes my head hurt) And his son is a hell of a writer too.