I stumbled onto Imperial Black many months ago. I remember thinking that I liked the brand's cool. It had a certain mystique. Imperial Black sells men's shirtsmade in Italy and of the buy-less-but-better genre. The company's owners seemed to fly planes, drive fast cars, and travel to farflung destinations. They were all too handsome for their own good. You know the type--beautiful manners and a little dangerous. It was all very enticing.

The problem was that I couldn't figure out how to buy my husband an Imperial Black shirt. It seemed, I had to have "a passport" to Imperial Black or be "Blacklisted". The shirts come out in small batches and then they are gone. I wrote Imperial Black and told them I wanted to crack their secret code because I needed a shirt for my guy.

That was how it started -- the friendship.

In the months since, I learned that all the things that I thought about Imperial Black were actually true. The shirts were perfectly tailored, right down to the saffron colored stitching and the notched cuffs. The packaging was an experience unto itself - so gorgeous.

So I was incredibly flattered when Imperial Black told me that they wanted to name a shirt after me: the Montague. I was on a conference call with colleagues in Cairo when the email came in and had to muffle my shriek. I was sent fabric swatches to pick from and chose a stylish small houndstooth.

The blue matches my fella's eyes

But beyond the Imperial Black shirts (and the travel luggage, striped socks, horn toothbrushes and Italian shaving cream) there is something much more. It's a sort of old school integrity in a modern package. Because in addition to the masculine chic appeal of their goods, this is a company with a big heart.

Ten percent of proceeds of the Montague shirt go to that charity I love so much - Project Soar. Also benefitting Project Soar is the Peacock Pavilions pocket square, reminiscent of the immense North African night sky above Peacock Pavilions. That's not just cool, it's stellar.

Husband Chris at Peacock Pavilions in his Montague shirt....