Beyond Repair? There was a time when Nike could put a Swoosh on damn near anything and we wanted it. Jordan. Agassi. Bo Jackson. Tiger. Kobe. Serena. Nike didn’t participate in sports culture. Nike owned it. Today, the Swoosh looks less like a symbol of athletic dominance and more like something hanging over the clearance rack at an outlet mall. So what the hell happened? Let’s Start with the stock. A Big Dunk Nike shares have collapsed roughly 80% from their pandemic-er

CIGARS, STYLE & THE LUXURY OF KNOWING WHO YOU ARE Delicia Silva Long before every person with an iPhone, a ring light and 10,000 followers decided they were an “influencer,” Delicia Silva was doing something considerably simpler: she loved cigars, knew something about them, and enjoyed talking about them. Cigar Vixen grew from there. Today, Delicia is one of the more recognizable female personalities in the premium cigar world, but what makes her interesting isn't simply that

Dressing for work used to be relatively simple. Suit. Shirt. Tie. Decent shoes. Done. No Matter Which Guy You Are, Look Good! Not anymore. Today we have two very different professional animals. Guy #1 is in the office five days a week. He sees senior management, sits through meetings, entertains at business lunches and occasionally goes straight from the office to cocktails. People see him…constantly. Impression matters. Guy #2 works primarily from home, appears in the office

Alcohol Sales Are Falling. Maybe the $38.00 Martini Finally Did It. Sticker Shock Yes, us. The country that perfected the three-martini lunch, tailgating, bottomless brunch and the idea that bourbon somehow tastes better with a good cigar. According to IWSR, total U.S. beverage-alcohol volume fell 5% in 2025. Beer and wine each dropped 6%, while spirits fell 4%. Gallup reported in 2026 that only 54% of American adults say they drink alcohol, tied with 2025 for the lowest leve

Sometimes a compliment runs deep inside of you. For me, this is one. Thank You BASTA! I’m incredibly thrilled (and genuinely honored) to have Va Bene Style recognized by BASTA!, an Italian Lifestyle Newspaper. Any recognition is gratifying, especially when you’ve poured your personality, opinions, time and probably too much espresso into building something. But when that recognition comes from Italy, it carries a little extra weight for me. I am enormously proud of my Italian

It's taken a while, but the turnaround is happening Starbucks,Meet Your Customers For a few years, Starbucks seemed determined to prove it could destroy one of the greatest consumer concepts ever created. It had coffee. Comfortable chairs. Good music. Friendly baristas. That wonderful smell. And millions of customers happily paying six bucks for something that costs roughly eleven cents to make. Naturally, they screwed with it. Under a hand-picked CEO. who told staff that his

It's quite a time in Luxury. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? There is a lot to talk about Wintour blew it. Saks went bankrupt. Lululemon needs rescuing. Quince is coming. Used is cool. And Ralph Lauren may be the sanest guy left in the room. Fashion and luxury are having one hell of a moment. Unfortunately, much of it resembles a very expensive cocktail party where half the guests are drunk, nobody knows who's paying the bill, and Anna Wintour is still shuffling place cards. Let's

There are reservations, and then there are reservations. One is something you make on an app three weeks in advance, selecting 7:15 because 7:30 mysteriously disappeared while you were typing in your credit card number. The other begins with, “Hey, it’s Joseph. Any chance you can squeeze us in around eight?” “Of course. Come on by.” That is the glorious little world of being a regular, and I’m convinced it remains one of life's most underrated luxuries. Being a regular isn't

A New Money Gathering in The Hamptons Ah, the Hamptons. That magical stretch of Long Island where a $38 lobster roll is considered casual dining, a rented Range Rover qualifies as generational wealth, and everyone you meet is either launching a magazine, hosting a “private” party or desperately trying to get invited to one. Welcome to summer in the Hamptons…America’s most expensive high school cafeteria. Once upon a time, the Hamptons were genuinely understated. Old families.

Has anyone noticed? From the Wrangler x LoveShackFancy Campaign On paper, this collaboration should have been a runaway success. Wrangler, an American icon with nearly eight decades of authentic Western heritage has teamed up with LoveShackFancy, the darling of feminine florals, vintage romance and Instagram-worthy style. Sure, seems like the perfect marriage. Denim, embroidery, boots, lace, bows and a touch of ranch life? What's not to love? Yet somehow, the Wrangler x LoveS

Some of the Best Luxury is about choosing objects that improve the way you live, travel, entertain and experience the world. The finest products become companions rather than possessions. They are pieces that earn their place through exceptional design, flawless craftsmanship and everyday usefulness. These are the items I continually return to because they represent exactly that philosophy. GUCCI The Gucci x FPM Bank Cabin is, in my opinion, one of the most desirable pieces o

Watery Blues Capri, Azure, Coastal and Aqua Have Become Luxury's Defining Color Family Every few years, fashion crowns a color that seems to appear everywhere at once. Not because designers secretly conspire behind closed doors, (the mills do that!) but because the mood of the moment changes. Summer 2026 belongs to blue. Specifically, that brilliant family of shades somewhere between the Mediterranean Sea and a cloudless Caribbean sky. Call it Ca

It's not what you think, and not from who you think either Fast At Idle There is a moment in every luxury market when someone mistakes more for better. More horsepower. More screens. More carbon fiber. More square footage. More places to put drinks you'll never finish. The boating industry has become particularly guilty of this disease. Every year another builder unveils a floating condominium with enough outdoor kitchens, LED mood lighting and hydraulic beach clubs to qualif

Smart Hacks For Living Better After 60 Face the sun. Everyday Growing older is inevitable. Looking and feeling old? That's increasingly optional. Today's healthiest men and women over 60 aren't chasing youth. They're investing in longevity (the science of extending lifespan) but the real goal should be healthspan: the number of years you remain active, energetic, mentally sharp, and independent. The answer lies with consistent habits backed by solid research. Here are some of

Cool Summers In Aspen Let's settle something right now. Aspen is not cool because of the skiing. The skiing is excellent, of course. Four mountains, legendary powder, spectacular terrain. Wonderful. Congratulations, you have arrived. Strap on a pair and head for the back bowls. But there are plenty of places with great skiing. Utah has snow. Montana has snow. Vail has snow, hell, even Vermont (eweee) has snow. What those places don't have is a billionaire in Brunello Cucinell

Friday nights in Palm Beach require planning the right look Friday Night Lights There are Friday nights, and then there are Friday nights in Palm Beach. The difference, of course, is that in Palm Beach the room is watching, even if everyone pretends they are not. That means showing up in gym clothes and a quarter zip should be punishable by deportation. Start with the foundation: a pair of crisp white jeans. Why white? Because it's Palm Beach. White jeans signal confidence, o

A cigar born from adversity Amar by AJ Fernandez When a devastating fire tore through AJ Fernandez’s flagship factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, in 2025, millions of cigars were lost and a significant portion of the operation was damaged. Rather than simply rebuild, Abdel “AJ” Fernandez chose to create something meaningful from the experience. The result is Amar, one of the most anticipated cigar releases of 2026. It’s a blend that serves as both a thank-you note to the cigar comm

Eight Luxury Destinations Worth the Airfare There comes a point every summer when the fortunate begin their annual migration. The private terminals get busier. Linen gets whiter, Rosé consumption reaches medically questionable levels, and a familiar parade of entrepreneurs, financiers, celebrities, polo players, and well-heeled escape artists disperses across the globe in search of sunshine, scenery, and a table that was booked six months ago. From the cliffs of Italy to the

Our Favorite Lights Cartier Panthère de Cartier Lighter The Panthère is Cartier’s version of black-tie. Elegant, architectural, and impossibly refined, it looks as if it belongs in the pocket of someone who owns both a château and a vintage Ferrari. The clean lines and lacquer finish make it jewelry disguised as a cigar accessory. Does it light a cigar? Absolutely. But its real job is making everyone at the table ask, “What is that?” before you even strike the flame. S.T. Du

High Maintenance or Necessary? Plan Your Trip Traveling to Aspen for the summer is an odd sport. You’re up at 4AM and it’s a Florida 80° out before the sun shines and by noon, you’re drinking coffee in an airport lounge wearing cashmere. Nine hours later, you’re on your balcony at 8,000+ feet wondering why your lips resemble drywall and you have a headache. This pile of gear is less “packing” and more “survival kit for someone with standards.” Lets dig in. Start with the Zeg