From the Archives: The Duke of Windsor

Tropical weight wool and two-tone sport shoes: a lesson in warm weather elegance from the Great Duke of Windsor, pictured here in Lisbon shortly after the outbreak of World War II. Notice also the four-button stance of the double breasted suit jacket with the lapel rolling to the bottom button, thereby enhancing the height of a man not terribly statuesque. DBs with fewer than the traditional six button arrangement are suddenly back in style, though the modern versions hardly have the aplomb of Edward's wardrobe.

Channeling Gable & McQueen

I recently had a chance to take the wicked new 2010 Jaguar XK roadster - 385 hp, 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, F1 paddle shifters and all - available this August for a spin and had a bit of fun channeling Steve McQueen (with his D-type, bottom) and Clark Gable (XK-120, below) along the way.

While in possession of the ragtop I stopped by a painfully hip art opening on the beautiful Bard College campus - shades of Bennington and VAPA circa 1993 - and checked out the recently-reopened Rhinecliff Hotel for drinks on the bluestone patio by the Hudson River.

That's a Leica M8 I'm holding, in case you were wondering, while sporting a Brooks Brothers driving cap, Paul Smith shades, Tod's moccasins, Etro jacket, RL linen pants, Turnbull & Asser scarf and the trusty GMT Master II. Perhaps a bit Bertie Wooster but it was fun while it lasted. Check out the whole shoot here.

Must Have: Steve McQueen's Rolex Submariner

Included in Antiquorum's Important Collectors' Wristwatches auction on June 11 in NYC is the King of Cool's 1967 Rolex Submariner. McQueen wore the watch for many years (right) and it can be seen on-screen in his very last movie, 1980's The Hunter.

Years ago I switched my Submariner for a GMT Master II, in order to add a dash of color, but I would gladly trade it in for this one. Antiquorum has a ludicrously low estimate of $10,000 - $20,000 on the watch; I wouldn't be surprised if it fetched 10 times that.

Also included in the sale is the 1969 Heuer Monaco chronograph McQueen wore in 1971's Le Mans, a pretty iconic watch in its own right, as well as a vintage 1929 Scott motorcycle customized by Von Dutch.

How to Drive a Speedboat Without Spilling Your Drink

As demonstrated by Fiat heir Lapo Elkann, photographed for a Vanity Fair portfolio titled "Fortune's Children." Not everyone is enamored of Lapo, but few can deny the man has sprezzatura to spare. Here he is dressed to the nines while piloting the tender of his famous grandfather Gianni Agnelli's yacht, the Stealth, off the coast of Cannes.

On the few occasions when we've hung out with Lapo, he has always been charming, entertaining and of course terribly well dressed. His manners are impeccable, and if he strikes some as a trifle arrogant, well, who gives a damn? The man has true style, for which we're even willing to forgive that little incident with the transvestite hooker.

Portrait of an A$$hat

The kids at Gawker went crazy for our "World's Richest Asshole" nominee, Germany's Prince Marcus von Anhalt, though some quarreled with our nomenclature; "World's Biggest Asshole With Money" was one of the kinder emendations. Whatever you want to call him - The Prince of Doucheness springs to mind, though he prefers to be known as "Prince Germany" - there can be no doubt that the demonic flesh-peddler has captured the hearts and minds of lesser mortals from Central Park to Park Slope.

We hereby present the definitive Prince Asshat gallery, including some NSFW selections, possibly taken at the Villa Fantasia, one of Marcus' better-known brothels in Munich. FYI, Marcus' brothers also bought titles - kind of like when Ralph Lauren's brother Jerry decided to ditch Lifshitz as well - and are now known as Prince Oliver von Sachsen-Anhalt and Prince Michael von Anhalt. We'll save them for further installments of the Asshat Diaries. You may now scroll down after affixing Band-Aids to your eyes.

The World's Richest A$$hole

To be sure there's plenty of competition for that title, but we think Germany's Prince Marcus von Anhalt (above) has a pretty clear shot at it. Born Marcus Eberhardt in 1969, he started out as a butcher, went into the brothel business, did some time for tax evasion and human trafficking, then bought himself a title (from Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband): Prinz von Anhalt, Herzog zu Sachsen und Westfalen, Graf von Askanien. Now the SOB's latest stunt is driving around in this Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe covered in a Louis Vuitton multicolored monogram print.



Last year lobster boy started the Royal Race - he likes to think he's royalty - a sort of Gumball 3000-style exotic auto rally for equally egregious eurotrash. He claims to be a millionaire "in the three digit range", says he owns 20 brothels and 26 cars, has a portfolio of luxury real estate in Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Germany, Switzerland, Dubai and Monaco, and to claims to have a retinue of 12 bodyguards and 25 servants. Can the International Criminal Court please indict this douchebag for crimes against taste, nature and the fairer sex?

Live Next Door to J.D. Salinger

Chaseholme (above), a beautiful and historic estate adjacent to reclusive Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger's compound in Cornish, New Hampshire has just come on the market for $1.15 million. Salinger, 90, has not published any new work since 1965 and has not been interviewed since 1980, but according to his biographer Paul Alexander he's been known to take an interest in local affairs.

Chaseholme is quite a bit nicer than Salinger's (by all accounts) dreary contemporary bunker. Built in 1797 and expanded over the years, the Federal style house has seven bedrooms and eight fireplaces, while the 13-acre property includes a heated pool, bath house, greenhouse, tennis court and barn. Plus you get to borrow a cup of sugar from Holden himself. Check out more pix here.

Must Have: 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 Le Mans

Is this the time to buy a $10 million Ferrari? Well, yes, because it's only in times like these that people need to unload such things. Otherwise they'd never sell, because ultra-rare Ferraris are one of the few things guaranteed to increase in value. On May 17, RM Auctions, in association with Sotheby’s will be selling this 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 at its Ferrari Leggenda e Passione event in Maranello, Italy.

Regarded as one of the greatest sports-racing prototypes ever designed by Ferrari, the 330 P4 is one of only three ever built. This example has a distinguished racing pedigree including a win at the 1000-kilometre Trofeo Filippo Caracciolo in Monza and a third overall finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967. The May 17 event marks the first time it has come to market in 38 years. Plus, it's fucking beautiful. Get on it.

Welcome to Madonna's New $40 Million Mansion

Continuing on our celebrity real estate kick, we now present to you the $40 million Georgian-style brick townhouse Madonna just snapped up on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Reminiscent of a London townhouse, the 26-room classic Georgian residence is notable for its extraordinary 57-foot width, making it one of the widest houses on the Upper East side, its 3000 sq. ft. garden bordered by tall trees, rhododendron and roses, and its double-car garage, a rarity for the neighborhood.

The 4-story townhouse has approximately 12,000 sq. ft. of living space, including a 38' x 22' drawing room with tall south windows overlooking the garden, a paneled dining room off the garden terrace, intimate library, 13 bedrooms, 11' ceilings, 9 fireplaces, Georgian staircase, elevator, and wine cellar with a grotto. Feast the eyes: