the directrice 
On our last day in Argentina, Luján — knowing my interest in clothes — arranged for me to meet a designer whose atelier was close to our hotel: Francisco Rojas of Design Maker Lab. This is the scene. Here, I am clearly rhapsodizing about seaming, darting, and exterior scaffolding. Francisco told me the … Read moreVisit to an Atelier, and Suitcase Post-Mortem
I don’t think of black as funereal or grim. There are days when unrelieved black is a cozy blanket to wrap oneself in. Combining black pieces of different fabrics and textures — remember, variations in the shade of black don’t matter when you do this — makes for easy outfit construction. Blazer: … Read moreThe Black Widow Goes to Work
All good things must come to an end! This necklace and other works by MPR are made of precious and semi-precious metallic wire, worked into geometric shapes that are then linked into kinetic, mobile designs. The wire is very light, so the pieces are essentially weightless. The closure is a pair of tiny magnets, … Read moreBack to Business
After several days incommunicado, we can tell you where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing. In case you haven’t previously had cause to ponder the enormity of South America, allow me to share some useful information. It’S HuGE!! Keep in mind, we started in Buenos Aires, which is roughly midway between the … Read moreBig Boat, Little Boat — And Penguins!
The last thing we did before leaving Buenos Aires was withdraw a ton of Argentine pesos from the bank . . . forgetting that we would shortly be in Chile where Argentine pesos are not legal tender. Oh no. We found that in this modern age, you can manage for a week in a … Read moreA Remarkable Spot
All that’s come before was merely prelude to the main event: gLAcIeRS. That’s why we’re here.* After a few days in Buenos Aires, we boarded a plane and flew south and west to a Patagonian town called El Calafate. El Calafate (pop. 23,000 according to our guide) is in the Argentine part of … Read moreBig Ice
The Photographer worked with Jacada Travel* to arrange our trip. Jacada does a great job of listening to a prospective traveler’s interests, hopes, and needs and then turning it into a detailed itinerary that meets all three types of expectations. We like talking about politics, culture, and history and they’ve found the best … Read moreOut and About in Buenos Aires
The Photographer and I like guided tours when we visit a new city. So much to see and we like the insights and background that only a resident can provide. For our second day in Buenos Aires, we spent half the day with an anthropologist from the university who took us on a graffiti … Read moreThe Immense Seriousness of Art*
To celebrate my fiftieth birthday, we are taking a trip! After a day of rest and light exploration of our hotel environs, our sight-seeing started in the Cementario de La Recoleta — a vast cemetery of mausoleums with crypts beneath them. This started as a public cemetery in the early 19th century, but … Read moreWe’re Off!
I published this post in 2015 but have updated the photos and products to things that are currently available. The advice is as good now as it was then. And it was very good then! A winter coat is a big investment and if you live in a climate where winter lasts a … Read moreA Refreshed Post: Winter Coat Decision Tree