the directrice 
Several months ago, I was musing about the revival of crop tops and suggested that they might actually be useful layering pieces. Please note: You may think this looks like fur, but it’s not. Coat of an unkempt yak? Quite possible. The content is largely wool, with some synthetic fibers mixed in. … Read more
Today is my birthday and I am 46! For any younger women reading this blog, let me assure you that good things come with age and that your 40s will be a terrific decade. Just be certain to wear sunblock while you wait for the wisdom and confidence that come with experience. … Read more
I started drafting this post more than a year ago — long before I launched this blog. My feelings about skinnies are decidedly negative, but I’ve had some difficulty wrestling them into a coherent statement until now. After a year of thinking, here it is: Skinnies are not flattering. Let me explain. I was … Read more
You know that expression, “the heart wants what it wants” — which people use to justify everything from the purchase of faux fur ear muffs to yachts? Perhaps you need to step back for perspective: It started with a fixation on the over-sized pockets, and grew to encompass the whole dress. You may justifiably … Read more
Many people have no trouble finding individual pieces of clothing that they like, but are unsure of what to wear with what [else]. I am planning a series of posts on this question (working title, This Goes with That!™) because there are a number of things to consider: colors (complementary, numbers, and placement), silhouette, … Read more
The Corporate Retreat. As hard as it may be to dress for work day-to-day under a perplexing Business Casual regime, the dress code becomes even more uncertain when work moves off-site. A few months ago, I published a revolutionary post on office pool parties and now I shall hold forth on retreats. … Read more
A few years ago, I participated in a panel discussion on careers in litigation at my alma mater. One of the other panelists, reflecting on how awesomely his life had turned out, told the assembled students, “You have to be in the right place at the right time.” The despair of these soon-to-be graduates … Read more
A few years ago I bought a Crewcuts skirt for a friend’s daughter: a quilted, cotton-nylon miniskirt. It was so cute I wanted it for myself, but stopped short of testing the girls’ size 14. But when you think about it for a minute, a quilted dress is really a padded dress … Read more
Although I have counseled a certain amount of caution in acquiring embellished garments, some simply cannot be resisted. Like this jacket: Jacket: Sachin+Babi; Blouse: Talbots; Jeans: JCrew: Shoes: French Sole New York; Bag: Coach
