Chef Bobby Flay’s recipe for looking tailored
Chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay, 52, often appears on television in his chef coat, but off screen, he’s found a reliable style that’s part cosy, part tailored. It helps that he stays trim, too, which is no small feat for a chef who travels so much. His secret? Healthy cooking, of course, which is also the topic of this latest cookbook, “Bobby Flay Fit: 200 Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle.” Here, Flay shares his recipe for fashion, including “brunch sweaters,” Filson bags and Brooklyn sneakers.
1. Shirt: I’ll wear a T-shirt under a buttondown shirt sometimes for that layered look, which is not always easy to accomplish because sometimes it just looks bulky. For button-downs, I usually wear either J. Crew or Club Monaco. I have a lot of plaids in every colour and iteration. I also have a bunch of solid ones, too — shades of blues and purples and charcoal. My skin tone is very light. I have to be sure there’s contrast. But what I want to buy all the time are what I call “brunch sweaters.” I don’t get many days off, so brunch is a luxury for me. For me, it’s a sweater that means “not at work.” They’re a little big and comfortable. I’m not trying to make a fashion statement.
2. Jeans: I’m mostly in jeans. I’m wearing J. Crew and J Brand at the moment and in darker colours. I have what I call “the airport look”: jeans, boots, a sport coat with a shirt. It’s buttoned-up, but casual. I’m on planes a lot because I have restaurants in different cities. I just got back from Las Vegas.
3. Suit: The majority of my suits are either Paul Smith or Hugo Boss. Paul Smith always has that extra pop of style — maybe a detail on the pocket or in a colour that no one else has. Hugo Boss is more classic, but it fits my body type well. I’m a runner. I’m constantly battling the calories of my restaurants.
4. Shoe: I used to wear a lot of loafers, but the people that I trust in terms of style told me I shouldn’t be wearing those, and I should be wearing boots. So I’ve been wearing these brown Donald Pliner boots that have a lace up, but there is a zipper on the side. Also, there’s a sneaker company I’m obsessed with. It’s called Greats, and I discovered them a year ago by accident as I was browsing in Williamsburg (Virginia).
5. Accessories: I have a couple Shinola watches I like very much. They were both gifts. I wear hats, too. I go to a place called JJ Hat Center. It’s two blocks south of the Empire State Building. I wear fedoras in the wintertime, and I’ve been wearing a bunch of those “Peaky Blinders” hats. They’re not quite newsboy, because those don’t look good on me. They’re a little bit bigger and puffier. Also, because I’m constantly going from place to place, I use Filson bags to carry my stuff around. I have two: One is an army green canvas one, and I also have a black one.