Search form

Scroll To Top
Live The Life

Live the Life: Noël Coward

Livethelifenoelcoward

Polymath English playwright No'l Coward's greatest production might have been himself. Born to a middle-class family in a London suburb in 1899, Coward was soon carried to the English demimonde by his innate genius with words''' -- he wrote more than 50 plays, musicals, novels, and revues -- and his flamboyant style. 'I'll go through life either first class or third,' he once said, 'but never in second.' By the time he died in Jamaica in 1973, Sir Coward had ensured it would be first all the way.

 

Photography by Greg Broom

 

1. Word robe

Coward cultivated an air of nonchalance, but beneath his soft silk was a studied and severe wit. Gray silk robe by Tom Ford, $4,890

2. Interwarmth years
West End theaters were notoriously drafty; as a habitu', Coward knew how to keep warm. White Sagissa silk scarf by Yves Saint Laurent, $195

3. Into thin Hair
Coward owed his suave mien in part to a mane combed to slick submission and Brilliantine shine. Detangling comb by Mason Pearson available at F.S.C. Barber, $26

4. Comic Timing
Timing, as any fan knows, was Coward's best friend. Square case watch with leather band by Kenneth Cole, $150

5. Drag Queen
A plume of smoke is the best punctuation to a Cowardly bon mot. Silver brass cigarette case by Dior Homme, $240

Live The Lifenoel coward
Be sure to follow Out on your favorite social platform

Latest Stories

Out.com Editors

Read Full Bio