''The Chap'' is a British humorous men's lifestyle magazine published quarterly. It was founded in 1999 by Gustav Temple and Vic Darkwood, and is still edited by Temple.
The magazine proposes that men everywhere return to a more gentlemanly way of life by rejecting modern vulgarity and careless, shabby or faddish dress sense through the restoration of the lifestyle, habits, manners and traditional fashion sense of a mid-20th century (or earlier) British ''chap''. Thus it advises men to wear traditional British suits and other similar well-tailored clothing, especially those cut from
tweed; to keep their trousers sharply
pressed; to be impeccably
groomed; to wear quality handmade shoes, brightly polished; and to return to the everyday wearing of hats.
''The Chap'' has a comic and
eccentric twist on this. Tongue firmly in cheek, it espouses its own unique lifestyle philosophy called ''
anarcho-
dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance. A dandy could be a self-made man who strove to imitate an aristocratic lifestyle des ...
ism'' and has its own 10-point manifesto, ''The Chap Manifesto'', which mandates that a ''chap'' is to
smoke a pipe, is to
doff
Cornelia Hubertina "Neel" Doff (Buggenum, Netherlands, 27 January 1858 – Ixelles, Belgium, 14 July 1942) was an author of Dutch origin living and working in Belgium and mainly writing in French. She is one of the most important contributors ...
his hat when good manners require, is never to wear what it calls ''
pantaloons de Nîmes'', and to sport a
moustache
A moustache (; en-US, mustache, ) is a strip of facial hair grown above the upper lip. Moustaches have been worn in various styles throughout history.
Etymology
The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian ''mustaccio' ...
(''never'' a beard), among others.
Content
While ''The Chap'' appreciates British culture and loves tradition, it is strongly rooted in the
Situationist
The Situationist International (SI) was an international organization of social revolutionaries made up of avant-garde artists, intellectuals, and political theorists. It was prominent in Europe from its formation in 1957 to its dissolution ...
strand of
anarchism with more than the occasional nod to
Dada
Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (Zurich), Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 192 ...
. It is also indebted to the
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
as well as comedy greats such as the
Monty Python
Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over fo ...
s,
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, comedian, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishme ...
,
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...
and
Viv Stanshall.
''The Chap'' is a mixture of articles on clothing, footwear and headwear; on sport (mainly cricket and horse racing); on moustache grooming; on polite manners and traditional British
etiquette
Etiquette () is the set of norms of personal behaviour in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviours that accord with the conventions and norms observed and practised by a ...
; and on pipes and tobacco, all written in an
anachronistic
An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...
late-Victorian to mid-20th Century British style, interspersed with humorous jokes. For instance, the "Am I Chap" section sees people sending in photos of themselves dressed in vintage attire, to which the magazine's editors almost always comment on derisively in a very withering, but humourous, fashion.
''The Chap'' also features articles on a diverse range of things related to ''Chappism'', such as tales of First World War and Second World War military derring-do, stories or tips on unusual ways to travel when abroad, or the late Victorian and Edwardian martial art of
Bartitsu
Bartitsu is an wikt:eclectic, eclectic martial art and self-defence method originally developed in England in 1898–1902, combining elements of boxing, jujitsu, cane fighting and French kickboxing (savate). In 1903, it was immortalised (as "barit ...
.
The magazine has often been very satirical or whimsical, with content such as a series chronicling ''"A Year in
Catford"'' and ''"Amusing Monograph as to the Various Pleasures and Diversions Afforded by One's Valet"''.
Notable contributors to ''The Chap'' include
Michael "Atters" Attree who conducts interviews with those known for their gentlemanly or
dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance. A dandy could be a self-made man who strove to imitate an aristocratic lifestyle des ...
ish ways, and
Miss Martindale
Marianne Martindale (also known as Catherine Tyrell, Mari de Colwyn, Mary Scarlett and Mary GuillerminHuddersfield Daily Examiner'','' https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/history/goddess-worshipping-womens-cult-once-25553157) is an English writer ...
, a prominent spokesperson of
Aristasia
Marianne Martindale (also known as Catherine Tyrell, Mari de Colwyn, Mary Scarlett and Mary GuillerminHuddersfield Daily Examiner'','' https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/history/goddess-worshipping-womens-cult-once-25553157) is an English writer ...
, who from 2003 to 2005 wrote the Ladies' Column. Its current literary editor is the author and historian
Alexander Larman.
Publication history
The magazine is printed in
B5 format, and originally was published in that format as well. In May 2009, the magazine nearly closed due to financial issues arising from moving from B5 to the larger
A4 format. To keep going ''The Chap'' asked its readership and subscribers to donate funds. Additionally,
Viz Magazine
''Viz'' is a British adult comic magazine founded in 1979 by Chris Donald. It parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably '' The Beano'' and '' The Dandy'', but with extensive profanity, toilet humour, black comedy, surreal h ...
financially supported the magazine. It returned to B5 to reduce printing costs.
''The Chap'' was published bi-monthly from 1999 to May 2017.
From issue #92 published in May 2017, the magazine has been published quarterly, has double the number of pages, and has been graphically redesigned. On this "relaunch" the editor said:
Chap events
''The Chap'' used to host the annual summer ''Chap Olympiad'' which was normally held in
Bedford Square
Bedford Square is a garden square in the Bloomsbury district of the Borough of Camden in London, England.
History
Built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area, the square has had many distinguished residents, inclu ...
Gardens in London.
The magazine has also conducted a number of
balls called the ''Grand Anarcho-Dandyist Balls''.
Chap protests
The magazine has also organised several serious and semi-serious protests, all conducted in the unique
tongue-in-cheek
The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner.
History
The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scot ...
''Chap'' style. These include:
* in 2003, the ''Chap Uprising'' – against what they see as modern living's vulgarity in general;
* in 2004, the ''Victoria & Albert Museum Protest'' – a protest "against the pointless intrusion by
contemporary art pieces into public areas";
* in 2004, ''Civilise the City'' – a walk through central London whose aim was "to draw attention to the appalling lack of gentlemanly services available on Britain's high streets";
* in 2006, the ''Tate Modern Protest'' – against
modern art
Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradi ...
installations; and
* in 2012, the ''Siege of Savile Row'' – against the proposed opening of an
Abercrombie and Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on casual wear. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three other offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of Feb ...
store at the centre of traditional English gentleman's tailoring,
Savile Row
Savile Row (pronounced ) is a street in Mayfair, central London. Known principally for its traditional bespoke tailoring for men, the street has had a varied history that has included accommodating the headquarters of the Royal Geographical ...
.
Chap publications
In addition to the magazine, a number of books have been published by ''The Chap'' over the years: these include ''How To Be Chap''
and books both on cooking and drinking for "chaps".
References
External links
Official website''The Chap Olympiad'' official websitefrom
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
BBC News coverage of the ''Chap Olympiad'' 2006from
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
from 2003
''The Vulgarian Invasions'' - interview with Gustav Templefrom
3:AM Magazine''Well Trousered, Sir: Gustav Temple Talks All Things Chap''from the
Sabotage Times
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chap
1999 establishments in the United Kingdom
Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Men's magazines published in the United Kingdom
Humor magazines
Magazines established in 1999