Fewthingsaretrulytimeless.Martinis,TheBeatles,bespoketweed...and,ofcourse,GaryCooper.PerhapsthenonpareilofGoldenAgeHollywood’sgentlemen,GaryCooperwasabelovediconofmanlinessandstyleinhisprime--andhasagedlikefinewine.Heisthedefinitionofclassic,hisstylereminiscentofasimplertimeinlifeandfashion.Theseintimatefamilyscrapbookphotosfromhispersonalcollection,curatedbyhisdaughter,showusGaryCooperwaseveryinchandstitchtheelegantparagonoff-screenason.Dresseduplikeamillion-dollartrouperTryin’hardtolooklikeGaryCooperSuperduper--“Puttin’ontheRitz,“IrvingBerlin(revisedlyrics,1946)1940sheartthrobGaryCoopernevergoesoutofstyle(justaskyourmotheroryourgrandmother).He’sgotthatstraightforward,honest,effortlesshandsomeness.Nomatterthecostumehedonned,heownedit.Thecameralovedhim,andsodidtheboxoffice.Thiscollectionofimages,takenfromhispersonalscrapbook,provesthattheGaryCooperweknewandlovedonthesilverscreenwasasmuchastyleiconofftheredcarpetashewason.HeperfectedhisowndebonairstylebycombiningaperfectlytailoredEuropeanwardrobewithall-Americancasualsportsweartoproducethefirst--andstillfinest--exampleofelegant,international,masculinestyleofthe“AmericanEveryman“ideal.Fromthemostlaid-backactiveweartothemostceremoniousofcoatandtails,Coopercarriedhimselfwithuncontrivedconviction.AninspirationtothelikesofRalphLauren,Cooperwascasualandputtogether,ruggedandclassic,andaltogethertimeless.Andwhenyoulookatthesephotos,youcan’tevenhatehimforit,becausewhatshinesthroughmorethananyamountofstarpowerishisunequivocalauthenticity.GaryCooper:EnduringStylegivesreadersalookatalarger-than-lifeleadingmanandthereallifeheled.Thephotosyou’llseeweretakenprimarilybyhiswife,Rocky,andincludesnapshotsofhishomelife,hiseasystyle,andtimespentwithhisfriends(which,ofcourse,includeartistarchetypesCaryGrantandErnestHemingway,amongothers).Regardlessofplaceorpresentcompany,Cooperhadthemodeloutfitforeveryoccasion,embodyingatypeofrefinedmasculinityrarelyseen--thoughalwaysinhighdemand--tothisday.
IDEAL honest COOPER international
