I seldom go without a suitcoat or jacket of some sort. I just feel incomplete without one. But it’s been hot here. Really hot. Gold Bond cooling body powder hot. And today, while I swealtered in an unconstructed, unlined, linen and cotton sack coat over an open collar dress shirt, my architect friend looked fairly comfortable and still stylish…. How’d he do it, you ask?

He knows his own style, and in summer he invariably wears well-cut, well-worn, pressed khakis, Belgian shoes, a dress shirt, Ray-ban aviators and… a perfectly worn crocodile belt. Or maybe it’s alligator? Whatever, they’re a great shade of golden brown — bordering on a malt whiskey. The belts have either an engraved sterling silver slide buckle (like the Trafalgar belt and buckle by dann-online.com shown above) or gold “regular” buckle.

It’s a winning combination. Simply by owning them for as long as you have, they acquire patina and something of you. Call it throw-away elegance. Or an “old money” look. Non-chalance. Ralph Lauren has mined this look, repackaging English country and American Preppy and re-selling it (sometimes with frayed cuffs or the odd hole) to us lock, stock and both bespoke barrels. What my friend has mastered is the ability to look as if you’ve always had wonderful taste and live in clothes that look like they were made for you alone. Although in his case, that would be true.

So, invest in quality articles, and wear them ragged. They’ll serve you well. And you’ll look even better for it.

One of the great advantages to being next to the ocean is the abundance of really fresh seafood. One of the disadvantages to being in a rented house is having to use the ubiquitous electric stove. I perfer gas, if only because it is very forgiving for the amateur cook. So after the first day and night of burning food and boiling over the potatoes, I decided to do something cold for the next evening’s dinner. Luck was with me and the Seamark grocery store had a quantity of sushi grade tuna for sale. Since I didn’t have sticky rice for the sushi, I opted for a dinner of Tuna Tartare. Delicious! It would have been even better made with smoked sea salt, but the salt air from the ocean was the best stimulant for the appetite and I don’t think that anybody noticed my omission.

This would make an easy and elegant centerpiece for a buffet table or a great starter for a small dinner party.

Herewith: Tuna Tartare for Four.

3/4 to 1 lb. of sushi grade tuna, chopped.

Juice of 1 lemon

1 TBS of Olive Oil.

2 TBS. of Red Onion, minced.

4 fillets of anchovies, minced, smashed or otherwise pulverized.

1 tsp. of capers.

6 cornichons (or other small dill pickles), chopped

Sea salt or smoked sea salt to taste.

Fresh cracked pepper to taste (I like a generous sprinkling.)

1 TBS of fresh parsley, finely chopped.

1 clove of garlic, split in two.

Rub the inside of a salad bowl with the split clove of garlic. Discard the clove. Pour the olive oil, salt and pepper into the bowl and mix. Add the other ingredients and toss to coat. Form into a mound in the center of the plate. Serve with toast points or rye bread or crackers. I also added steamed edamame with Garnish the plate with lemon wedges if you’d like.

Goes wonderfully well with a rosé sparkling wine like Cristalino Roseé Cava.

Well, We’ve returned from the beach to our little city. Actually, the bronzed and wind-blown Mrs. E and I returned to a hot house. 95ºF. The air conditioning upstairs was on the fritz. Two sweaty days later the relative cool and comfort has been re-established and it now only falls to me to try and reintegrate myself back into my “easy and elegant” routine.

But first things first. I’ve got to make a mental adjustment — what Jimmy Buffet would call the “change in lattitude, change in attitude.”

We’ve been back for 48 hours and have attended two parties and have a third tonight. I have two free-lance assignments waiting for me. And have just finished unpacking (mostly.) Oh, and we’ve got another house showing in about an hour. That’s the third in two days, too. Yikes. So how does one shift from mental “island time?”

Ignore the sunsets and concentrate on the city lights.

Cue a little mood music.

In this case I plan on playing a few select and sophisticated playlists. Notably, Frank Sinatra (”Fly Me to the Moon” leaps to mind), Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music (most of “Country Life” and some of “Boys and Girls”) and … what?

Oh, right… the religious wearing of long trousers for day and evening. But there’s still time to wear your white linens and spectators.