The Twofer: Be a Bratty Bomber in a Benz

A fancy jacket and an elegant convertible in look-at-me paint.

byBen Keeshin|
The Twofer: Be a Bratty Bomber in a Benz
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Gucci/MrPorter.com

Sometimes, you have to be a little obnoxious, a little showy, to truly enjoy yourself. There are myriad private pleasures—reading, writing, macramé—and just as many that require a little exhibition for max fun. Walking a basset hound is a delight in itself, but fielding the compliments from passers-by—what ears! such sag!—yields deeper joy. If you fell a tree in the woods and nobody's around to admire your strength, stamina and execution, why did you go to all that effort? We use oil furnaces these days, buddy.

To start down the road of tastefully conspicuous consumption, guide you arms into the lined sleeves of this Gucci bomber jacket. While the original bomber was designed to coddle World War I soldiers as they winced into mighty headwinds from the unheated, open-air cockpits of their Bristol Fighters, this Gucci update is more for civilians in the soft current of a perpetual tailwind. The storm-blue twill marks this as pleasure wear, and the shearling collar keeps your ears warm and ready to accept compliments.

Replicate the plein air experience of the jacket’s original wearers in a machine much more grounded, at least in the literal sense. The Mercedes-Benz 230SL was introduced in 1963 as the replacement for both the curvy 190SL and race-ready 300SL, and was dubbed “Pagoda,” after its square, slightly concave hardtop. This car has its demure, Paul Bracq-penned shape lacquered in pale yellow over green, a frightful/delightful combination that will regardless leave you looking like the playboy scion of the John Deere family.

Plop your basset in the passenger seat, and drive.

Hyman Ltd.
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