the directrice 
Despite my willingness to embark on what might seem to be a gratuitous frolic-and-detour in the pursuit of a non-essential prize — see, e.g., Monday’s post — I am a fairly practical creature and have limited interest in taxing my ingenuity with the maintenance of clothes. In general, I prefer things that I can … Read moreDurability
Since I often show clothes that have been altered or re-purposed — sometimes, significantly — I thought it might be helpful, or at least interesting, to see what these treasures look like before those radical changes are implemented. Here goes! I like colorful tops to wear underneath jackets and sweaters. Even though they may … Read moreIn Which the Directrice Borrows Trouble
Bonjour, mes amis! It’s le weekend, as they say in France, and we are heading into my favorite time of year: fall. It’s still a little warm in Washington, but cool enough for long sleeves, if one is so inclined. The bandana-print is so naive that it has some chic all on its own. … Read moreCasual Friday: Two Fabrics, One Blouse
In the District of Columbia, registered voters and licensed drivers are summoned for jury duty in the Superior Court every two years, almost like clockwork. As you can see from the pictures, I am completely respectable in Business Casual, but I’m not that dressed-up. Out of a pool of 100 prospective … Read moreWhy We Should Dress Up for Jury Duty
A few weeks back I posted some pictures of a Marni jacket that I had belted in an attempt to manage unanticipated volume. A number of you suggested that the jacket might look better with skinny pants and a couple of you said “boots.” I’ve never had a pair of short boots like this … Read moreFrankenstein’s Jacket: The Crowd-sourced Version
My unbounded enthusiasm for stripes is no secret. I found this top a few months ago; the designer showed it with a matching skirt, but that seemed like a little too much stripe to me. The top is fabricated from an incredibly heavy viscose/nylon/elastane blend, which is a little perplexing because it was sold … Read moreCasual Friday: Showing My Stripes
Despite wide variations in the way Business Casual is interpreted across the city, I think we can all agree that strapless tops are verboten . . . . unless you wear something over them or under them. If you wear a jacket over your strapless top, it’s no longer a strapless top, is it? … Read moreA Navy Suit with a White Blouse
A couple of years ago, I got on to a partly-full Metro car and found myself sitting next to a man who began to engage in what the police call “lewd behavior.” Ugh. It seemed to me that the least confrontational way to deal with the situation was to get off the train at … Read moreStanding Out in a Crowd
If you told me that you were going to pare your closet down to one bag for work — a large shoulder-bag, satchel, or tote — I would tell you that it should probably be black. But most of us are not quite so spartan and have a two or three worky bags to … Read moreThe Surprising Utility of a Yellow Bag
September 1st seems like a dividing line each year between summer and fall — even though, technically, Labor Day can fall anytime in the first week of September and the autumnal equinox is not until September 23rd. September 1st says back to school for me and that means summer dressing is done. But in … Read moreTransition to Fall
