Breakfast of Champions
Van de la Plante thinks a proper gentleman should dress the part.
“In L.A., the more you’ve ‘made it’ the more you wear board shorts and Abercrombie gear,” de la Plante said from the old-school comforts of his new vintage eyewear shop, Gentleman’s Breakfast. “If you step out of a Lamborghini you’re probably dressed in a baseball hat and Adidas track pants and flip-flops. But if you’re dressed really nicely, you’re probably a working stiff at some retail store. I don’t like how there’s that separation.”
So de la Plante decided to take his plight for more serious sartorial offerings to Echo Park, where he opened up a tiny shop filled with everything any man needs to, well, look like a man. Albeit a man from a different era — one where men go for quality over quantity, don't worship trends and take pride in their appearance. Perhaps they even open a door or two.
“People like to come here, put on a sport coat and handsome up,” de la Plante says of his "clubhouse," which is named after the informal group where, for the past seven years, he and his friends have put on a sport coat to shoot the shit and, well, eat breakfast.
With de la Plante's vast selection of rare, vintage, logo-less frames, handsoming up isn’t hard to do.
Here's what we found when we stopped into Gentleman’s Breakfast at dinner time.
The Structure: De la Plante’s goal was to create a “clubhouse for men." The tiny structure — housed in a former newsstand/garage — is painted Hershey bar brown, features rich wooden display cases and even has a nice decanter of scotch to whet visitors' taste buds. A throwback to a more elegant era, the spot also features an old-school telephone, vintage wall photographs, oil paintings and the type of music you’d expect your grandparents to slow dance to during World War II.
EYE SPY: Aviators mingle with prison-issue frames and deadstock Norman Rockwell specs.
The Finds: Despite the shop’s small stature, you could spend hours trying on every pair of de la Plante's meticulously curated collection of yesteryear specs. Among the more exotic are a pair of 1980s, red lizard skin frames by Parisian designer Emmanuelle Khanh, Ferrari’s gilded “sleazy record producer” aviators and a pair of rare Alain Mikli shades that are in the shape of a musical note and were once owned by a Pointer Sister. A bevy of colorful metal frames by Jacques Fath ($150) sit near a small but extremely mighty selection of vintage women’s styles by Diane Von Furstenberg and Gloria Vanderbilt — most priced under $200. You’ll also find an offering of various gentlemanly accoutrement including cuff links, neckties and vintage sport coats by the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy. Ascots are due to arrive any day.
The Staff: Plainly put, de la Plante is a doll. He will offer you scotch, a smoke and a comfortable place to sit. He will also sound like a real live eyewear documentary as he talks about products in his store (“Did you know that Jacques Fath was Coco Chanel’s nemesis?”), making for an extremely interesting visit. He also happens to be a licensed optician (and has been for over a decade) and can put custom, prescription lenses in your frame of choice. And he won’t allow a frame out of the store without being custom fitted and bent to your face, first. You won’t find that kind of service at the vintage sunglass stand at the flea market.
GENTLEMANLY PURSUITS: Van de la Plante at the entrance of his shop, Gentleman's Breakfast.
The Parking: Mohawk Street is a nice residential enclave with plenty of non-permit street parking. Don’t be afraid to drive up the hill a little bit in order to snag a spot.
The Standout: For the ladies, a pair of thin metal, oversize shades from the Sophia Loren eyewear collection ($190) are so cool, they could make one plotz. For the gents, check out a selection of authentic prison-issue glasses from the 1960s ($150), which slightly resemble a pair of Retro Super Futures with a couple key differences: They’re made out of nylon and don’t contain the piece of metal that typically runs through the side of frames. Apparently this kept inmates from fashioning shanks out of their eyewear. Eerily awesome.
1101 Mohawk St., Los Angeles. (323) 306-6766. Tuesday through Saturday noon to 7 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m.; Monday by appointment. Gentsbreakfast.blogspot.com