It's become my Labor Day, my summer's end, my last ditch effort to let it all hang out of my seersucker trousers—the annual Harriman Cup. Rain or shine, throngs descend upon the Meadowbrook Polo Club from Manhattan and surrounding bed and breakfasts. Sam, Shane, and I roll in off the LIRR in a blaze of vintage Lilly, Ralph Lauren, and Brooks Brothers—the usual suspects. Usually falling on or around the last week of summer, this alumni polo match between Yale and the University of Virginia is the tailgating event of the summer for the prep set (last year's Cup was a ball). Of course, awards are given out for such displays of leisurely grandeur. Best dressed, best hat, best tailgate, and so on. Max Sinsteden has just rolled out his generous tattered oriental rug under his champagne bucket stand and various hor d'oeuvres. It’s a nice spread. However, a neighboring goldenrod Land Rover with blonde hair, blue-eyed college alum promises to be stiff competition. Their snacks are nothing more than finger sandwiches and pretzels, standard fare. Turns out it's Sam's tailgate...and we discover we work together at Ralph Lauren. That's the nature of the Harriman Cup, you’re two degrees from anyone in a navy blazer.
Vintage Lilly Pulitzer, patchwork madras, seersucker
Van, Cooper, Max, and me
Allegra stomping divots between chukkers
Thanks to Town & Country, I spend most of my time in and out of the VIP tent this year, and frankly, I am quite spoiled with the experience. Booze, food (I go back for seconds on the pulled pork—shameless, I know), the deceptive feeling of self importance—all on the house thanks to the handful of sponsors like J.Mclaughlin, Knockaround, Vitamin Water, and many more. Seriously though, the best time to be had is mingling from tailgate to tailgate while only casually glancing at the match between cocktails.
Dan left a comment on 3/18/2013 at 2:25 AM:
Guys should learn a thing or two from this intelligently-attired lady: a jacket should have drape and swells. She is barely even wearing that coat, and yet it is still a fully three-dimensional garment.