June 2013 – Beauty The Guide
Gentlemen’s Club - Actor Simon Baker and Givenchy make a case for the return of gentlemanly behaviour.
Captions:
"I wouldn’t say chivalry is dead, but I think it is a bit lost”
"I think the concept of the gentleman is timeless”
"My character, Patrick Jane, is a con man who practices sleight of hand. So I thought the idea of wearing a waistcoat lent to that nicely. I took the idea from Charlie Chaplin’s character”
Page 1:
In the age of cyber dating, virtual offices and TMZ, is chivalry dead? Is the simple act of giving up your seat on a crowded subway for a woman, holding the door for a stranger at a busy restaurant or keeping an elevator door open in a business tower a thing of the past? "I wouldn’t say chivalry is dead, but I think it is a bit lost”, says Simon Baker, star of the CBS drama The Mentalist.
Baker, wearing a trim two-button chocolate brown Givenchy suit, has just entered The London Hotel in West Hollywood. He stops to thank the doorman for holding the door open, greets the concierge and smiles at the desk clerk. "What I love is the response you get from people when you do something kind for them. It’s almost like they are taken aback. They don’t know how to react when someone does something selfless for them”.
Notoriously private, Simon has agreed to meet with a handful of journalists to explain his role as the face of Givenchy’s latest fragrance called "Gentlemen Only”. It’s a masculine, woody-aromatic fragrance based on a trio of classic notes: vetiver, patchouli and cedarwood. It’s the kind of scent you’d expect modern-day ‘Mad Men’ advertising executives would wear. And the entire concept is based on a new generation of gentleman.
Page 2:
non Simon-related part of the article not transcribed except for:
Five Ways to Recognize a Modern-Day Gentleman
1. When he’s with you, he doesn’t check his Blackberry or send text messages.
2. He knows how to say "thank you” in four languages.
3. He keeps a tuxedo in his wardrobe and knows how to tie a bow tie.
4. He is always punctual.
5. He knows how to prepare one gourmet recipe.
Page 3: Simon Baker: The Interview
Marcello Mastroianni was the actor I most admired growing up. The guy was just so cool – even when he was being humiliated in a movie. Jean-Paul Belmondo was also innately cool. I looked to European actors for inspiration. I think part of the appeal was that I was an Australian lad watching a foreign film with subtitles.
The three-piece suit look that I wear on the show is something I came up with myself. My character, Patrick Jane, is a con man who practices sleight of hand. So I thought the idea of wearing a waistcoat lent to that nicely. I took the idea from Charlie Chaplin’s character. The costume designer on the show has all the suits made.
I think the concept of the gentleman is timeless. When I was growing up, the only way to become a gentleman was to be born into an aristocratic family, but these days anyone can become one. For me, it’s aspirational. As a child, I was taught respect, manners, courtesy, humility and that was the way you approached life, what you aspired to be. I think that now the idea of fashion and masculinity successfully meld together.
My grooming regime is very streamlined. I don’t take a lot of time to get ready in the morning – say 15 minutes. As butch as I may seem, I spend most of my day in a lot of makeup. So I’m careful to clean my skin and moisturize at the end of each day.
I like classic design with a healthy dose of rebelliousness and audacity. I like to look presentable. There’s a sense of self-pride when you dress well. A man should wear his clothes, the clothes shouldn’t wear the man. He should find clothes and fragrance that underlines the essence of who he is. A scent that represents him in the manner he wants to be presented in.
The most memorable smell from my childhood is zinc cream. I grew up in Australia and we always wore zinc cream when surfing. To this day, the minute someone removes the lid on a tube of it, I’m immediately reminded of my childhood. It’s the same with Veggie Vita-Weats.
When I’m not working (which is rare these days), I love to spend time with my family. My kids love to play tennis. And my youngest son is into making stuff so we spend a lot of time in the garage taking apart things. I love it.
I admire how actors like Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart dealt with press and their image. It was a simpler time back then and actors could present an image of ease, elegance and grace. What I particularly liked about Jimmy is that he felt authentic all the time. You always felt that he was being true to himself. That’s something I really appreciate. But I don’t fall for nostalgia. I never try to mold myself after anyone.
I feel chivalry is a little lost these days. If you accidentally cut someone off in Los Angeles, they hang out the window and swear at you. But if you offer to help someone, it’s remarkable the reaction you get. It’s so not expected.
Being included in ‘People’s’ Sexiest Men list doesn’t mean a thing to me. It has nothing to do with me. I don’t show my wife, wink and say "Ready for bed?” All I can say is I’m glad this didn’t happen to me when I was 21.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned in Hollywood is fame is fleeting. I’ve been in this business long enough to know that all of this is fleeting. What’s important is that I’m comfortable with myself – that I’ve been straightforward and honest with everyone.
Good manners are very important to me. And I think Canadians and Australians are a little more polite than Americans. If a Canadian says he’s sorry, he looks you in the eye and means it.
The most important lesson I’ve learned so far in life is to be patient. I kind of feel like I spent most of my twenties being impatient. Now that I’m in my 40s, I’m more accepting of the quiet times. It’s okay to be patient.
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