Today we speak to Chris Rovzar, one of the wittiest and most wonderful editors in New York. Chris is launching a new luxury site we are eager to hear more about; but for now, he regales us with his exciting career path and deep rooted preppyness.
I’m originally from Maine, so my style is—fortunately or unfortunately—formed by L.L. Bean boots, buffalo check, ribbon belts, and boat shoes. For a while this was the prevailing trend at J.Crew and other major mall brands, so that was convenient. Now I think the New England fad is dying down, but here I am still with my gingham shirts and Vineyard Vines anchor ties. Oh well. It’ll come back again—preppy always does.
I went to a boarding school with a dress code, so my instinct at work tends to be to wear a tie, even if it’s under a sweater, or with a shirt with the sleeves rolled up. (Actually, I have a lot of trouble finding shirts off the rack with the right length for my arms, so unless I’m wearing something that was made-to-measure, usually the sleeves are rolled up.) Otherwise I’m always in jeans and a t-shirt or polo.
I just started at Bloomberg LP after two-and-a-half years editing Vanity Fair’s website. We’re going to be launching a new luxury vertical later this year—think food, wine, fashion, travel, shopping, cars, real estate, watches… All the fun stuff I love reading about in my spare time. Bloomberg has these incredible resources, and thousands of reporters all over the world, so it’s really exciting.
Before I was at VF, I worked at New York Magazine for four years, building their Daily Intel blog and writing about entertainment, culture and politics for the magazine. It was my first time writing directly for the Internet, and I loved the immediacy of it. It was like I was having a conversation all day, every day, with these funny, weird, politically savvy readers who kept me on my toes. I’ve never laughed as much as I did during that job, and it turned me into a digital person for life.
Before that I worked at the Daily News, the massive tabloid in New York, where I wrote for a gossip column and did features stories. This was the best education a journalist could ever have—at the gossip column I wrote about celebrities, politics, business, real estate, and basically everyone that made the city tick. Sometimes I had to ask horrifically personal questions (“Hello Mr. Famous Evening News Anchor! Is it true you are getting a divorce because your wife cheated on you?”) and it trained me to be a tough, compassionate reporter. I wouldn’t do it again, but I also wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Jeans: I find that I wear a pair of jeans until the crotch blows out. I don’t know why that always happens, but I can’t be the only one who constantly has to get his jeans patched in the inseam. Anyway, after destroying probably a dozen pairs of expensive jeans, I’ve switched to Uniqlo dark wash skinny denim. The pants look good, they fit incredibly well and are very comfortable, and most importantly it doesn’t matter if I wreck them. There’s always another $40 pair.
Shirts: Like I said above, I have a terrible time with sleeve length. So I go to Tom Davis at Brooks Brothers on Madison Avenue every year or so and get a whole bunch of shirts made. They are great quality and they fit absolutely perfectly. I like the selection, and every year I get new colors and patterns. (This year I’m thinking I’ll just get an all-white batch. I always forget about white!) For casual shirts I love Club Monaco—but I need to get everything tailored.
Pants: I’ve had a lot of luck with Theory and Reiss dress slacks. My khakis are Uniqlo again, I must admit.
Suits and Blazers: I have some bespoke blazers from Mister Ned, an incredible tailor in the Flatiron district. The experience there is so great, you choose all the fabrics, buttons, liners, and they cut it exactly the way you want it. They’re pretty traditional, but somehow you leave looking clean, modern and impeccably suited. My tux and several of my suits are from Hugo Boss and Theory. For my upcoming wedding, I have my eye on a Paul Smith windowpane suit that I’m hoping I can pull off.
Shoes: My go-to-work shoe is a black Ferragamo loafer, and my go-to casual kicks are Sperry topsiders and Ralph Lauren sneakers. The cobbler that I think makes the most incredibly comfortable, lovely shoes is To Boot New York, which is exclusive to Bloomingdales, I think. I would wear my To Boots like slippers if it didn’t look a little creepy.
Accessories: I’m trying to expand my watch collection, but my day-to-day is a Tag Heuer. My luggage and messenger bags are usually by Coach, although I’m experimenting with switching to a Herschel backpack because I have a tricky shoulder. I find it very comfortable, but it kind of makes me feel like a little kid. (My weekend bag, the Coach Leather Transatlantic Carryon, gets tons of compliments.) My sunglasses are Maui Jim, although I left my favorite pair at a friend’s in Miami, and they are being held hostage.
Outerwear: My outerwear is all over the place—I try to get new stuff every year, which means a lot of collecting at Zara, Top Man, and the department stores. For skiing I’m addicted to North Face. For boots I of course have a pair of Bean boots that I love for bad weather, but I actually find that in the deep winter I prefer my REI hiking boots to get around the city.
App: I definitely use Instagram, Google Maps, and Facebook the most, but I’ve become completely addicted to Wunderlist, which I have synched with my desktop at work. It’s changed my life, organizationally, and now I remember everything I have to do—which is a blessing and a curse.
Technology: It’s boring, but my iPad is definitely my favorite piece of technology. I walk around the house with it while I’m cleaning or doing laundry, and I binge-watch shows like Sherlock, Parks and Rec, and Top of the Lake.
Next Tech Purchase: I know this sounds ridiculous but I think we’re going to get an iPad mini to control the Sonos we have in our apartment, which is a little hard to use with our Verizon Fios. It’ll be the apartment’s third iPad but… the more the merrier, I guess.
