The Daily Valet. - 9/6/22, Tuesday

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September 06, 2022

Tuesday, September 6th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I hope your long Labor Day weekend was restful and that you took advantage of a few good sales.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

No White After Labor Day?

Experts agree that this, like most style rules, is bogus

The good news about the current anything-goes era of fashion these days is that it means you can pretty much wear whatever you want, whenever you want—and that includes white after Labor Day.

Of course, trends come and go. Styles change and morph—things once considered ugly or lame (say, Birkenstocks and Crocs) are suddenly cool. But fashion’s oldest (and most outdated) myth has somehow managed to prevail through centuries and countless vibe shifts, remaining one of the most Googled style questions to this day.

While it’s unclear who exactly invented this “rule,” it originated among the elite in 19th-century America. Amanda Hallay, a fashion historian, told Harper’s Bazaar, “It was a snobbish way for the upper echelons to distinguish themselves from the burgeoning nouveau riche.” Well, it always felt fussy and unnecessary ... now we know it to be true.

Even better? Some of the coolest and most stylish people in menswear advocate for keeping your snowy-hued clothing in your regular rotation through even the snowiest of months. InsideHook spoke with a slew of designers, stylists and other insiders for their take on wearing white come fall.

“This, like most sartorial ‘rules,’ is bullsh!t,” says the always dapper Matthew Hranek. “I love the way a ‘winter white’ look pairs with a charcoal cashmere sweater or Harris tweed. I love white corduroy as well and long for the first crisp day to roll them out. This Labor Day rule, like the restaurant/bar dress code rule, is outdated and should be re-examined.”

Of course, white pants can be intimidating, for sure. But GQ’s Gerald Oritz says they’re way more wearable than most people think. From bone chinos and classic white painters’ pants to off-white jeans, he rightly points out that they’re a literal blank canvas that goes well with any color and any pattern.

↦ Dig Deeper: Illustrator Ryan Cecil Smith highlights the guys who are passionate about their white denim.

Judge Grants Trump Request for Special Master

Prosecutors can’t use documents in criminal probe until examined by outside expert

A federal judge on Monday accepted former President Trump's bid for an independent special master to review nearly 13,000 documents and items seized by the FBI in the search at his Mar-a-Lago residence last month.

In a ruling that the Washington Post says could slow down and complicate the government's ongoing criminal probe, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon wrote that the Justice Department cannot continue reviewing the materials—or use them in its investigation—until the special master concludes his or her examination.

Cannon—a Trump appointee—said in her ruling that the special master should be able to review the seized documents both to address questions of attorney-client privilege and to litigate claims of executive privilege. (The DOJ has dismissed Trump's claims that the documents are shielded by executive privilege, arguing that the records belong to the government, not Trump.)

NBC News reports that Cannon did not immediately grant Trump's request to get back more of his property more quickly. Meanwhile, in a statement posted on his Truth Social website after the ruling, Trump called the Justice Department and the FBI “totally corrupt” and “being pushed to do the wrong things by many sinister and evil outside sources.”

↦ FYI: Cannon gave the DOJ and Trump's legal team until Sept. 9 to submit a filing that includes a list of proposed special master candidates.

What’s With All the Standing Ovations?

People are continually moved to their feet at the Venice Film Festival

You might've heard about or saw some photos from the Venice Film Festival over the weekend. And while, I know celebs were looking good and the films are likely fantastic, I want to talk about the standing ovations. Because they keep happening and it seems like each one is longer than the last.

Actor Brendan Fraser received a six-minute standing ovation Sunday night—for his controversial A24 film, The Whale—after making a comeback to the profession following a string personal struggles.

Timothée Chalamet’s ovation clocked in around eight and a half minutes after the screening of his movie Bones and All, about two cannibals in love. But it was Colin Farrell who score the longest and perhaps loudest standing O on Monday night. According to Variety, the 13-minute standing ovation is the longest and loudest reception for any film to debut on the Lido this season, at least based on the ever so slightly unscientific applause meter.

Podcaster and Twitter raconteur Chris Black got my attention when he asked “who is timing these standing ovations at film festivals?” It did seem rather strange. But apparently, there's a long history of protracted standing ovations at film festivals—the most famous being Cannes. The Atlantic found that it has a lot to do with social hierarchy—something that clearly runs deep in Hollywood.

↦ FYI: The practice dates back to Ancient Rome. In fact, the word ovation comes from the Latin ovo, “I rejoice”.

The ‘Affordable’ Personal eVTOL

The two-passenger aircraft has a base range of 200 miles and fits in your driveway

While we are all still anxiously awaiting the day when we can ditch our dull, grounded vehicles and switch to flying cars, more and more manufacturers are fueling our impatience by developing these so-called “electric vertical take-off and landing” (eVTOL) aircraft.

Cadillac is flirting with one. Then there is the Jetson's person-sized drone. And now, London-based start-up Skyfly wants to make personal air travel as easy as driving a car. And according to Robb Report, this is one of the sexiest and most streamlined options yet.

It has two fixed wings, which the company says reduces weight and complexity. The wings measure 16-feet across and have a five-foot-diameter propeller at each end. The minimalist cabin has two seats, positioned side by side. It may not be as futuristic as some of the eVTOL concepts we've seen, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It looks pretty clean without the extra redundant props you usually see on these things.

What's more, it can climb 2,300 feet per minute and be parked comfortably in a generous driveway. It will cruise at around 100 mph with a range of up to 200 miles. And it's considered to be one of the most user-friendly and affordable options brought to market yet. So, who wants to go in on one with me?

↦ Reserve: Skyfly is currently taking reservations for the Axe. Ifyou'd like one, it will cost about $173,000.

In Other News

↦ Liz Truss Is the U.K.’s Next Prime Minister

↦ Canadian Police Say One Suspect Dead After Mass Stabbing

↦ NASA’s Megarocket Will Head Back to Garage After Second Failed Launch Attempt

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

‘Jaws’

A toothpick crossbow

This missing Apple Watch function

Be a Master Charmer

Some may have it naturally, but it’s also something that you can develop

Charm. It's a slippery thing to try to define in concrete terms, but like pornography, you know it when you see it, don't you? It's about being engaging, memorable and likable.

In a slightly cynical view, it's like sales. It's all about making people feel good about dealing with you—be it in a business meeting, at a friend's party or simply with your Uber driver. And it can certainly serve you well in this life.

We spoke with some experts, from life coaches and dating coaches to HR pros and have put together ten surefire ways to turn up the charm at work, on dates and in general.

↦ Read: Ten ways to be more charming in your day-to-day life.

What We’re Eyeing

All you need is this T-shirt to look more like Brad Pitt. Seriously. In Bullet Train, that perfect white tee Pitt wears is a WITTMORE x Velva Sheen rolled T-shirt ($68). Cut from 100% cotton slub fabric, it's got a soft, vintage feel and no side seams, since it's made with an old school loopwheel machine. The film's costume designer Sarah Evelyn Bram said the actor was particular about getting the perfect tee—nailing the fit and fabric. And because of all the blood-splattered fighting and action in the film, they went through about 20 of them. Thankfully, you can still get one for yourself, but WITTMORE's own Paul Witt tells me that they run small, so size up if you want a relaxed vibe like Pitt's tee in the movie.

↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week