New School Dandy Profile: Mark Davids

Over the past several months we have been introduced to many amazing people through our Facebook fan page. With this post we continue a regular series of profiles of New School Dandies. This week we feature Mark Davids of The True Gentleman.




Where did you grow up? The Hague, Netherlands. I was born in 1972.

Where do you live now? Amsterdam.

Where did you go to school? I went to school in The Hague, and finished my studies in Amsterdam. At the moment I’m doing a part-time study in Utrecht of "Integral Security Management".

What’s your occupation? Senior and Trainer of Security in Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

When did you establish your personal style? Was there a pivotal moment? How has it changed? In 1996 I started to collect antiques for my house and slowly over the years my house changed into kind of a living museum in the style of 1880 -1940's. Most things are 19th century. At the moment I have almost nothing modern, only a tv for old and historic films and a computer for working and to keep in contact with friends who have the same lifestyle. In about 2001 I started to dress in older clothes as well. Daily I wore a hat and I started to dress like the 1930's. At this moment I have quite a collection of clothes from 1860 until about the 1950's and I wear them daily.

How would you describe your style? Nostalgic and old fashioned.

What are your sources of inspiration? Old books, old movie's, old photo's. And my "bible", Roetzel and Beer’s The Gentleman.

What are your preferred dandy reading materials? dandyism.net.

Do you have a favorite website? Yes: http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/gentlemans.php, http://www.swingstyle.com/,
http://timewarpliving.ning.com/. And of course mine: http://www.flickr.com/photos/retro_mark/ and http://www.thetruegentleman.nl/.

What is your favorite personal item (non-clothing/accessories)? My telephone at home from 1910.

What is your favorite clothing article or accessory? One of my favorite clothing articles is a complete Victorian suit from the 1860's. I wear this for very special occasions only.

Where is your favorite or dream vacation spot? London, just in the Victorian streets of Earls Court.

Tell us the best kept secret in your city. I know many shops where they have old fashion clothes and accessories and they always keep it a part for me and hide it from the public, because they all know my style and what I am looking for and I am the only one in Amsterdam who dresses like this as far as I know.

At which establishments would you consider yourself a regular? Very regular at the Waterlooplein antique market in Amsterdam.

What would you be doing ten years from now? Probably still the same personal lifestyle. For work I hope to be the head of security in a large museum.

What is your current obsession? The Sherlock Holmes series by Jerry Brett.

Currently inspired by? Lifestyle of the 1890's.

Currently annoyed with? Bad etiquette, mobile phones, uninspired fashion.

What else do you want to tell us? My website, "The True Gentleman", is all about how a proper old fashioned gentlemen should behave, how he should be dressed, and how he should interact with other people. I think that being a true gentleman is a lifestyle to be lived 24 hours a day, it is a behavior, a passion to oneself, to other people, as well as a way of thinking and dressing.

C.H.

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