Sea, Style, and Self: Living with the Spirit of Cary Grant & other gentlemen

Written By C.J. Navarrete

How Does One Get Cary Grant and Sean Connery on Their Newsfeed?

Well, the story begins in Capri, Italy, June 2025.

I was having lunch at a mountainside restaurant, the kind where the view of the navy blue sea makes you pause. At one point, I stepped away to use the facilities—and when I opened the door to leave, there it was: a poster of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Grace Kelly walking the very same streets my lover and I had just wandered. The photo captured something timeless—not just in fashion, but in feeling. A sense of love and ease. Of style and story.

That image stayed with me. It made me pause—look inward, look in the mirror. Why do I gravitate toward that kind of love, that kind of style? Maybe it’s all in God’s timing. I returned to the table with this quiet reflection, knowing we still had to head down the mountain for a boating trip. But something had shifted. I wanted to live in a way that carried the same breath of air, that same kind of grace, perspective, and presence.

And by starting with that feeling, I began learning more about the men behind that style. George Clooney, Sean Connery, Ernest Hemingway, Matthew McConaughey—they’ve found their way to a sort of mental boardroom I keep. Each one moved with a certain purpose. Their stories weren’t the same, but there’s a common thread—an authentic love and style to how they lived.

Writers like Jake Ehrlich and Danny Crivello on RolexMagazine.com capture this well. In describing what James Bond would really be like, they wrote:

“He would be tall, dark, handsome, debonair, articulate, stylish, athletic, elegant, and very masculine. Most of all, he would be a gentle man—and Cary Grant was the perfect gentle man. Many people mistake gentility for weakness, but the truth is that it takes great strength to be gentle. Anybody can be rough, but not everybody can be gentle.”

Reading that... I got it. Cary Grant inspires me. And because of him—and the others—I’ve decided I’ll live my life that kind of way.

So how does one start?

Not by copying. That’s the thing about all these men—they wanted to be themselves. And maybe that’s one of the greatest challenges we face: becoming the most refined version of who we already are. But what a challenge worth pursuing.

And while you’re on the journey, why not watch the classics that shape that spirit?

For early spy-style elegance:

  • Notorious

  • To Catch a Thief

  • North by Northwest

  • Charade

For wit, charm, and range:

  • Houseboat

  • His Girl Friday

  • Arsenic & Old Lace

  • Monkey Business

And for something lighter later on:

  • Father Goose

As for Sean Connery—he popped into my mind while boarding a plane. I imagined how he’d travel. Why not be a gentleman on a flight? Manners still go a long way. But again, I’m not him. I’m me. Influenced, inspired, but not imitating. I get to set the tone. I get to enjoy who I am, and who I’m becoming.

And really, what a challenge worth pursuing.

C.J. Navarrete