For that, you must spend a little time in his closet. Which, is exactly what my friend Kaisa and I did recently. As we made our way to his closet, I was transported back to my days of living in New York City, feeling the vibe of dark-lacquered hardwood floors and the Louis Ghost Chair perched at the desk. Paging Carrie Bradshaw! Every detail was impeccably executed. Mirrored sliding doors, designed to give the closet a clean, uncluttered feel, slid back and forth on smooth metal tracks.
When designing the closet, Burt made certain that his luggage could be neatly stored and easily accessible, as traveling is a passion that he and his partner Dean Hamric share. They returned recently from a two week journey through France that began in Paris and led them to the French Riviera. They stayed at the always urbane W Hotel in Paris a personal favorite of mine as well. They found it charming that French men wear scarves all year round. How chic is that?
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And while they found the Parisians fashion forward, at the top of their style list was the city of Avignon. It was here that Burt bought a beautiful Hermes belt and a well-fitting, aqua colored, terry polo shirt by Vilebrequin. Loving the juxtaposition of the Hermes belt and the playful, bright shirt that he bought in the south of France, I had to ask β where did Burt get his sense of style? He said that it was an evolution really. But his first memory of falling in love with fashion was when he was about eight years old.
He recalls shopping with his mother in Atlanta and desperately wanting a pair of white pants that had brightly colored dogs printed all over them. And that was it.
That spark of confidence; the je ne sais quoi that defines personal style. Some people never get any. Burt got enough for two people. He modeled a bit, which exposed him to cool designers β including Ralph Lauren. After graduating, he made his way to New York City. He found a job and befriended polished, well-dressed people, who also influenced his style. These days, he is a portfolio manager in Tampa Bay.
