the directrice 
I was taking stock of my fall/winter clothes this weekend, and feeling a little sad that so many of them may not see any wear in 2021. Although I’ve fallen out of the habit of commuting to work and wearing real shoes all day, and am a little apprehensive about doing these things again … Read moreTip-Tops: A Pair
Earlier this year, The Directorate celebrated the acquisition of the perfect (for me) cropped white denim and off-black denim. I thought you might like to know how the denims have been doing. * Sometime, long ago, we discussed natural, aluminum-free deodorants. After trying several, I settled on Schmidt’s, which comes in several appealing … Read moreVariations on a Theme
Do you know about Universal Standard? If you visit Universal Standard, be sure to check out the Erdem collaboration. Just search for “Erdem” and you will see charming floral blouses and denim pants. Dress: Universal Standard Santorini Fine Cotton Shirt Dress, currently on FINAL SALE
It’s very hard for me to resist stripes. Even loud, horizontally striped jackets, which, according to many style authorities, ought to be a non-non in any language. Stay tuned for the second half of the Berkshires trip later this week! Also forthcoming soon: a post on Universal Standard. Who’s already on-board the Universal Standard … Read moreThe Rainbow Plays
Rather than make you guess, I’m just going to tell you where The Photographer and I are. We are in the Berkshires, escaping the heat of Washington, D.C. for a few days. We are staying in Pittsfield, at a hip hotel — Hotel on North — which puts us in easy striking distance of … Read moreThe Directrice’s Go Bag
As previously discussed on this blog, as recently as last week, I set some Spending Guidelines at the start of the pandemic that were intended to make my Pan-Spend meaningful (supporting artists and small businesses) and rational (not much need for new clothes to wear to the home office), without allowing unintended consequences to … Read moreAn Ordinary Day at the Home Office
I love the expression, “When you’re a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” I hope it doesn’t describe my approach to legal problems, but I think it does describe one aspect of my pandemic wardrobe. If one were only to have one pair of sandals, I have to say that black sandals with a … Read moreEverything Must Go With Black Sandals
At the start of the pandemic, I — like many — had an initial instinct to reduce spending and economize as a hedge against uncertainty. Within a few weeks (early summer 2020), it occurred to me that I had a duty to spend like a Keynesian economist on shore leave — meaning that I … Read moreThe Directrice Hearts Art Jewelry
Do you remember one of the first principles of The Directorate? That if you find something that fits perfectly and suits you perfectly and it comes in two colors, you should buy both? Be forewarned that a color change sometimes means a fabric change, so I did check the fabric content to ensure the … Read moreTwo Colors, One Denim . . . Allegedly
Stripes are always right, right? We’ve talked about horizontally striped jerseys, vertically striped shirts and tops, and pinstriped pants in all seasons. But blue and white stripes seem especially right to me in the summer. Agree? Disagree? Remember this dramatic shirt, previously seen here, here, and here? It’s seen today with cropped white … Read moreStripe Makes Right Again