Brighter Than The Sun

  If only it were always sunny on Casual Friday. For days when the weather is not cooperating, or the sun is setting early, we can inject the sun through clever costuming. Have a fantastic weekend!   Jacket: RedValentino; Turtleneck: JCrew; Jeans: JCrew; Bag: Orla Kiely; Watch: Michele Urban with grosgrain band; How closely are … Read more

A Classic Sweater Dress

  Sweater dresses seem to be very in this year. I am a big fan of sweater dressing generally — see, e.g., Working in Pajamas and Sweater Dressing — but I did not own a sweater dress until very recently.

The Directrice Coming and Going

  The social contract! It binds us all and enables us to live in some approximation of civility if not harmony.   The social contract, like any Terms of Service, is a long (though incorporeal) agreement with many sections and paragraphs, but not all of them are equally important. For instance, Taking Care of the … Read more

Creature of Habit

  This post is my 250th! Is it fair to say that 250 posts is a body of work? An oeuvre? I think so. Perhaps this is a good time to spring for a Pop Quiz, to see what teachings have been distilled from all these photos and words.   HeRE iS thE PoP qUiZ. … Read more

Whispering Autumn Flowers

  Sometimes the allure of a print is too powerful for me to resist. Apparently, the earliest Vlisco fabrics were printed more cheaply than traditional batik (roller printed instead of block-printed) and were intended to be an affordable alternative for Indonesians. The Indonesians literally weren’t buying it; they did not care for the Dutch innovation/intervention … Read more

Could Go Either Way

  I wore this outfit during the last week of October. Lesson No. 2: A distinctive blouse with a pair of old khakis and smart flats is a chic outfit. Isn’t that good to know?   Blouse: Vanessa Bruno; Khakis: Ann Taylor; Bag: Car Shoe; Shoes: Coach; Jacket: Anthropologie