Calgary lawyer hits the right notes
Contemporary flair meets classic delivery
There’s something rather refined about watching a well- dressed man passionately playing classical piano. Maybe it’s the formal background training that makes Greg Shannon a bit of a throwback to old- school sophistication — even referring to his piano room as “the parlour room.”
Shannon started classical piano at the age of four. “I took part in many royal conservatory concerts and competitions in Vancouver,” says Shannon, who left British Columbia for Calgary in the late ’ 90s.
Piano will always remain his passion but law is his profession. Shannon is a Tax and Corporate Finance partner in the Calgary office of Miller Thomson. He has worked in both Canada and the United States, where he also practises in the areas of franchise sports and entertainment law.
“I first became interested in fashion probably when I lived in California and started working in a Laguna Beach law firm in 1990,” says Shannon. “We wore suits like Corbin Bernsen — remember L. A. Law? Not our best fashion era.”
Since that time, Shannon’s style has evolved into a mixture of West Coast playful meets Calgary conventional.
“Calgary work wear seems to be more conservative,” says Shannon. “The West Coast is probably more hip. I like to mix it up a bit and bring in colour, puffs ( pocket squares), cufflinks and scarves — business modern. Casual Friday I normally wear a nice sport coat and no tie. That’s about as casual as I get in the office.”
Here is more of Shannon’s take on style:
Q How would you define your personal style?
A Modern classic with a contemporary sporty attitude.
Q What is the most prized possession in your closet?
A My classic Duchamp London rainproof tweed sport coat.
Q Do you have a favourite designer, brand name or label?
A I enjoy wearing Bugatti, Marco Donateli, Tallia, Ted Baker, John Varvatos and Versace.
Q Who makes your favourite footwear?
A Mezlan for dress shoes. Bacco Bucci for casual shoes and boots.
Q Who makes your favourite suit?
A Hepburn Gayle and Worth ( exclusive to The Place For Men) and Tallia for business suits and Luigi Bianchi Montova for outerwear/ overcoats.
Q What is your favourite brand of jeans?
A Jacob Cohen and also Rock Revival ( boot cut).
Q Would you say your closet is streamlined?
A For sure it is — shirts and suits and are organized from light to dark colours and from business to casual wear. Sport coats hung from casual to formal.
Q How often do you purge your closet?
A About every year or so ... Canadian Diabetes Association and Salvation Army are recipients of my gently worn, used or next to new pieces.
Q What is your rule when
deciding whether to purge something?
A If I have not worn it more than twice in the past year or if it’s out of fashion now, it’s passed on.
Q What is your greatest extravagance?
A I have a few ... My collection of Mezlan shoes, my Berend DeWitt cufflinks and also my Versace scarves.
Q What coveted item is currently on your must- have list?
A A designer collector Piaget Polo watch ( circa 1981).
Q Are there any celebrities whose style you admire?
A More so characters come to mind versus celebrities — Michael Clayton ( a. k. a. George Clooney) and Gordon Gecko ( a. k. a. Michael Douglas) as they both dressed sporty, business contemporary and classic formal when required.
Q What is your favourite magazine?
A I have a lot but top three would be: Architectural Digest, Pacific Yachting and Vanity Fair.
Q Is there a health or beauty product you can’t live without?
A Yes, my Crew hot shave oil and after shave cooling lotion — all my Crew hair products.
Q Who is your hairstylist?
A Rob from The Signal Hill Barbershop — all great guys there!
Q Do you have a signature scent?
A Hermes ( Terre D’Hermes) and also Chanel Bleu.
Q What are your favourite shops in Calgary?
A Gios Collections for Men
— great personal attention and service from George. Also, The Place for Men — Ellen ( owner) has a firm grasp on fashion and understands her clientele and their respective needs.
Q Do you shop online?
A Generally no, I instead prefer the in- house shopping experience and care and attention of the various shop owners/ proprietors.
Q What are your favourite sites?
A Flipboard and Videofashion.
Q What are your favourite restaurants?
A Osteria de Medici, The Belvedere, Caesar’s Steakhouse, Ki and Hana Sushi. For a cocktail, Kensington Winebar.
Q What is your favourite cocktail?
A Calera Jensen 2005 — Pinot Noir ( California). Yes, I am a Pinot hound!
Q Brew or buy? What’s your coffee stop of choice?
A Caffe Artigiano ( Americano Misto) — the best coffee! It’s great to see their expansion into Calgary.
Q Can you share a hidden lifestyle treasure in the city with us?
A The Esther Honens piano festivals including the Amateur Piano Competition ( in which I competed in back in 2005) and the world famous Honens International Piano Competition held every three years. It’s this fall 2015 ( www. honens. com).