10 Lessons in Great Style

I Learned from my Grandfather

By Jesse Junko Beardslee
July 7, 2015

The World just got a little less cute

last week when my Grandfather passed away. Paul Buglion was truly the cutest
man in the world, and thats not even close to being the greatest thing about him.
For the sake of sentimentality and tears however, Id like to share with the rest of
the world some style notes I picked up along the way from this great man.
My Grandfather had exquisite taste in everything, no surprise manifesting itself in
great style. Even in his signature overalls he exuded classic intellectual fashion with
the most charming warmth and approachability.
1) You can be stylish when dressed comfortably its more about you than what
youre wearing in fact, if you have good style but are uncomfortable, it can
easily ruin your style, especially if a rock collecting granddaughter is
involved.
In retrospect, the first style lesson I learned from him was to allow yourself to be
comfortably dressed. There was never a moment he didnt pull off great style, even
in pajamas he just had it. He had a way of arranging his situation, words,
thoughts and dress to always achieve his best look.
Ive been a rock hound my entire life, incapable of leaving stones unturned and
shells unpicked wherever I go. The earliest memory of stone collecting involved my
grandfather. I dont remember how I convinced him to, or why I thought it would
even be decent to request, but I had my Grandpa lug a giant piece of granite, with a
small (yet remarkable) burst of quartz, up an enormous hill and all over a waterside
park. Beckoned by my desire, just to ensure that special rock would be mine, he did
so dutifully. (It was more like a boulder, I have it to this day and just weighed it at
13 lbs!) Now, Im certain he took breaks to puff a stogie, but, if he had been in illfitting pants or insensible shoes, he wouldnt have pulled this act off (albeit an
unfair test!)

2) There are uncommon opportunities all around us to aide in clothing

customization. Creativity and stubbornness can be a very fashionable
couple.

To understand my Grandfathers style, his size is also important. Now Paul Buglion
was a great man a gravelly booming voice that could erupt in explosive debates, a
howling woof that graduated to whole body laughter, and carefully orchestrated
tales as tall as a mountain; But, he himself was not a tall man. Much like other
Buglions before him, he grew less and less tall with age.
I learned my very first alteration technique from my grandfather. Anyone else
whos vertically challenged can understand the frustration of too long pants legs on
every single pair of pants off the rack. Some creative problem solving and clever
engineering resulted in my Gramps commonly stapling his pants to the right length
hem.

3) Dress your finest for important events.

My favorite moment of fashion for my grandfather was my high school graduation.
He was perfectly dressed in a crisp pale suit with a deliciously colorful necktie supreme. He could turn it up at the drop of a hat. Although he didnt always dress
up in a suit and tie he knew when to break out his best.

4) Style is also what you know, not just what you wear. To understand and
appreciate the world around you and the history of its great thinkers dresses
you with an aura of cultured sophistication.
Grandpa was always there for me and my brother. Growing up we lived less than
two hours away from him, pretty much everywhere we lived. Our father died when
we were young, and Gramps always took care to share special days with us when he
could. My Grandfather and Step-Grandmother flew down to Tampa, FL for my
college fashion show, loud and hectic, but they did it because it was important to
me. All throughout my life I have great memories of plays and museums and long
conversations about the cultural and social heritage of our great country. He wore
his heart on his sleeve and was so wise and educated and eager to share.

5) A great signature scent paired with authentic personal style is the perfect
recipe to becoming unmistakable and unforgettable. May we all have the
good fortune of discovering our perfect complimentary scent, with silage in a
room as well as a memory.
Although I no longer condone it for anyone else (Gramps was my only exception),
my Grandfather often had a long cigarette of his favorite pipe delicately balanced
on his slightly curled back and elegant thumb. That pipe smoke has been and
always will be one of my most favorite smells. Im heartbroken to know that scent

will never be emitted by him again. Scent is the strongest sense that connects us
to memory. Have you ever gotten a whiff of your childhood best friends out of
nowhere? When we pick up a scent tiny particles of what we smell are physically
entering our body through the nostrils. Perhaps this and the proximity to our
brain/memory maker has something to do with the lingering stamp certain smells
have on our psyche.

6) Great style is best complimented by other skillful methods of personal

communication. Dressing is just another method of communicating ourselves
to our community.
Grandpa was a great thinker and speaker and author. His command of the English
language (and many others) was easily recognized upon meeting him. He took
delight in communicating and connecting with everyone. He was very thoughtful
and considerate with his words. Taking long pauses and puffs to collect this
thoughts wasnt common, but crucial to conversation. I always took great pride in
awaiting his next phrase, knowing it had been skillfully arranged just for my ears.
My Grandfather was also a man of many pens. When wearing overalls he was sure
to have a grand collection of pens in the front pocket. He always had a pen, and I
have inherited his affinity for a great ink pen. The pen truly is mightier, and he sure
could wield one.

7) Great personal style must be authentically you in order for it to work. Take
care in how you select signature items, knowing you will want to wear them
for many happy years.
As I have mentioned several times, my Grandpa could often be spotted in overalls.
He wore them with a proud utility and universal sensibility. Paired with beautifully
crafted fishermens sweaters and a woolen beret, his signature style was specific,
suiting, simple, and composed of long lasting, well-made, quality pieces. He
dressed professionally and snappily in suites and ties, but the overall signature
look was how I most often saw, and will always remember him.

8) Style takes time, and fashion deserves practice and trial. Before establishing
your signature look be sure to test it out in a controlled environment with
people whose opinions you value.
Some of my most favorite family memories were with my Grandparents on Long
Lake at a family home of my Step-Grandmothers affectionately known as Toad
Hall. The magic of this place is truly remarkable. As a young child, through
teenage years and up to my most recent trip in 2011 (too many years ago) with

my husband Brett and my brother Arlo as adults, every visit there with my
Grandparents was magical. One year they allowed me and Arlo to take separate
trips with two friends each.
Although I wasnt there, I could still smell the brut leftover from the boys trip. My
trip was a frenetic whirlwind of glitter and giggles. It takes a very brave man (with a
patient and generous woman behind him) to invite three pre-teen girls into the
Adirondack Mountains! The pristine and isolated lake was a safe haven for us to
experiment with hair and makeup and tiny tops without abandon or fear of
judgment. The freedom they entrusted us with gave opportunity to canoe down
past the summer camp - host to cute boys who we were proud to parade
unabashedly in front of from across the water. We ourselves actually did look pretty
cute, I have some photos to prove it- considered as a rough draft towards our
eventual personal style.
Im sure theres still glitter in that cabin. Im pretty sure that was my Grandfathers
closest interaction with glitter too!

9) By being true to yourself and understanding what is important to you daily,

your personal style will emerge over time and evolve to aide you in comfort,
protection, and communication.
If being on a farm is important to you it will ultimately reflect in your perfect
personal look If you can hone in on your authentic style over the years that
which is important to you will not define your look, but you will rather
redefine how people think about the things that are important to you.
Paul Buglion raised six daughters (including my mother) and one son. He was a
volunteer, a radio voice, he worked in theater, was a cat lover, avid reader,
crossword expert, tinkerer, farmer, engineer and great orator, among many other
things at different points in his life. My Grandpa had a professional life I knew little
about, he was in his 50s when I came around as his first grandchild. Ive only seen
childhood photographs of him, never a 20-something picture or anything like that.
He took careful consideration in all things, so I can safely assume his personal style
developed slowly and thoughtfully. His dapper persona was no act, many years
afforded him the wisdom to so fully embody his impactful style so true to his spirit
and values.

10)
You dont have to
be rich and famous or a supermodel to be iconic, you just have to be great at
communicating your story through the many angles of style.

Fashion is a tool at everyones disposal that can be used to communicate our

unique personality and lifestyle. When someone does that as well as my
Grandfather did thats what great style is. Some may think a Grandfather to be an
unusual source of style education. Ive always sought inspiration from unlikely
places, perhaps because I had such a great source in Grandpa Paul.
Women worldwide would benefit from the style knowledge Im not certain my
Grandpa knew he possessed. Fashionistas would have bottled him up if a style
serum could be crafted. Paul Buglion may be an untraditional choice, but he is a
fashion icon that will live forever in my heart.