Truman's Swans

Now, I am going to tell you about Diana Mitford, and don't you dare pretend you've heard enough, because nobody ever has, not really. Not the whole glittering, catastrophic, morally indefensible thing so sit down and order something strong. This will take a moment. She was born in 1910, the third of the six Mitford girls and when I say "girls" I use the word with the same unearned tenderness one reserves for hand grenades. Their father was David Freeman-Mitford, the second Baron Redesdale, a man of tremendous mustache and minimal patience, who believed that the primary purpose of daughters was to be beautiful and then married off before they caused trouble. He failed, darling, on the second count quite spectacularly. Their mother, Sydney Freeman-Mitford, Baroness Redesdale (nee Bowles), was the kind of Englishwoman who believed that children were best raised like rare orchids, admired from a distance and never over-watered with affection. The result, predictably, was ...

Darling, let us address a small but persistent tragedy of modern life: the graceless disembarkation. It’s not a scandal in the grand sense—no diamonds missing, no society marriages collapsing, but rather a quiet, recurring catastrophe played out in parking lots and curbside drop-offs everywhere. A flash here, a fluster there, and suddenly one’s “unmentionables” have made an unsolicited debut. Now, everyone, regardless of pedigree or postcode, ought to know that exiting a vehicle is not an athletic event. It is a performance. A brief one, yes, but no less deserving of rehearsal. You do not tumble out like loose change from a handbag. No, you compose yourself. You gather your things, your wits, and most importantly, your hemline. The trick, my dear, is choreography. First, swivel—gracefully, deliberately—so that both legs arrive together at the door, like well-behaved guests. Knees remain politely acquainted, never estranged. One hand may secure the skirt, the other the doorframe, and ...

The Plaza was never so pleased with itself. On the night of Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball, it glittered with a kind of aggressive elegance, as if the chandeliers, having overheard the guest list, decided to outshine it. Every social ambition in New York arrived lacquered, pressed, and faintly trembling. Titles brushed against bank accounts, and both pretended not to notice the difference. And then, naturally, came Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow—a pairing so improbable it felt more like a social experiment someone forgot to end. Frank, as subtle as a switchblade, in a tuxedo that behaved better than he ever intended to. He had that look in his eyes. Half boredom and half ownership, as if the evening was a nightclub he might close early out of spite. Compact, controlled, and carrying that particular voltage of a man accustomed to being both adored and obeyed, conversations adjusted themselves. Laughter recalibrated. Even the orchestra, one suspects, felt a slight obligation to behav...

Grace Kelly is all smiles, posing for the cameras at the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, France, 1955

"I’d rather have bad things written about me than be forgotten" Pamela (Digby Churchill Hayward) Harriman

Darlings, it's just one of those things. Everyone needs to know how to properly open a champagne bottle. Champagne moments tend to be a pretty big deal, and who wants to feel extra nervous and uneasy when there is a potential for exploding corks and a shower of bubbly that is not as glam as one might think. But before we even get to the mechanics of the opening, there are a couple of things to take note of that are key to the smooth moment. Champagne is much like a beautiful French girl with a secret; neither should ever be agitated. Make sure the bottle has not recently been rattled during transit or that it hasn't been shaken by the self-titled 'funny guy' in your party. Ideally, your bottle should have rested for at least 30 minutes before trying to open it. An agitated champagne bottle will never, ever be your friend; trust Tru on that one. Your champagne should also be chilled; room temperature bubbly is never in vogue. Step 1 Remove the foil that envelo...