1920's: The Vanderbilts and Velvet ~ freshandpreciouser

m- An inspiring afternoon. Sometimes I have the ability to get lost in my superlatives and hyperboles and sometimesssss I can never find the right words to express the beauties before me...and this just happens to be one of those times. I have been so blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel over the past couple of years and with these travels I've seen a fair share of grand estates. I'm so lucky to have experienced the massive towers of the Neuschwanstein castle in the German Alps...the breathtaking Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles...the infinite gardens of Austria's Schonbrunn Palace, all of which have housed the great elites in our history. This was no exception. Every time that I take a step off whatever tour bus I embark, or every time I round the corner of some European ally and stop and stare at the incredible structures that royalty and the worldly elite once inhabited, my heart can't help but miss a beat. When you take a second and really attempt to imagine what it felt like to ride up to something as impressively grand as the Biltmore Estate, you can't help but feel overwhelmed. This kind of life seems unimaginable.

Within the first five minutes of gawking at this estate, I lost my ticket inside. Typical. Although I dreaded the walk back to the car, I had some quality time in the thick forests of the Biltmore grounds and then I reconsidered my complaints. With retrieved ticket in hand and my camera ready for some action, I walked in the grand front doors, after saying hello to my lion greeters, and got to taking pictures. After three wonderful shots of the interior I was informed pictures were a no-go. An obstacle for sure.

No pictures means iPhone pictures right? Wrong. Got yelled at again post-hunting room-visit but still managed to sneak some good ones. Obviously I was drawn to the clothes in the manor. This garment is clearly a perfect representation of the times and we love the classic ivory and black that is often affiliated with the 1920's. The Vanderbilts really knew how to party and with this...they knew how to dress. Taste can go a long way and this American Royal family was certainly not short of it.

Every since I was little, I fantasized of glorious celebrations in my stately manor...much like in Great Gatsby and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. There is something about Southern royalty and class and taste that I can't get enough of. A southern gentleman by birth, I had no other option to be nothing less...by the hands of my Nana and Boobah (Southern royalty in their own right). This being said, bowties, suits, and dapper attire is in my blood. This house was out of this WORLD with southern fashions.

Tweed vest from Target circa freshman year in high school. Wowsahs, I tried to pull in the colors from my favorite room in the house..chocolate and navy...into my outfit and I think it was successful. Thie navy skinny tie from Topman compliments this chocolate vintage Michael Kors collard from Goodwill for three bucks. The textures of the hounds-tooth trousers, tweed and silk vest, and M.C. Escher-esque Michael Kors were a little bit of a risk for me but I think these leather oxford peds pull it all together.

Mens Fashion, 1920s Men Fashion, Fresh and Precious, houndstooth trousers, Great Gatsby, Biltmore Estate

Mens Fashion, 1920s Men Fashion, Fresh and Precious, houndstooth trousers, Great Gatsby, Biltmore Estate, Vintage Shoes

Note the hound's-tooth. It's even fun to type. Hounds-tooth.

The Vanderbilt's at home for the holidays circa 1992. The 90s are back ladies and gentlemen.
Accept it.

I feel like I should have a disclaimer...this is not a tire swing to Courtney's dismay. This is a Vanderbilt's view through window mesh and blinds pull string. What a view.