Some Days The Directrice Is Slouchy

  Although I was a teenager in the 1980s, I have no loyalty to the clothes of that era. I resisted the revival of oversized and unstructured clothes when they first began to appear in late 2014/early 2015. A final thought for you to consider: I have worn the cloud sweater with the poplin tunic. … Read more

A Zip and a Pop of Red

  I bought a cotton jacket last winter (off-season) and shared a picture of it with you in December. N.B.: We are having a little trouble with our email function, which is why you haven’t been getting email notifications from The Directrice lately. We will fix it sooner or later. Jacket: Pianurastudio from YOOX (still … Read more

Sleeves: A Worthy Quest

  Finding a dress with sleeves is easier said than done. Which means . . . when you find a dress with sleeves that looks good on you, you really should buy it because who knows when you’ll find another. Brooks Brothers is having a sale — ends today (May 16) — that includes several … Read more

Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object

  Blurry, abstract prints are an exception to my general rule about print dresses. If the print is blurry and abstract enough, it’s really not a print at all. It’s an uneven solid. Hmmmmm. So it isn’t really a dress. It’s an overdress. And I need to wear it over something that isn’t see-through. I … Read more

A Stroke of Luck

  I’ve been looking for the perfect pair of cropped jeans: dark rinse, slight flare at the hem; mid-calf length. This may be an impossible quest for someone of my height. Thinking that I could solve my problem by throwing money at it, I ordered a couple of pairs of Point Sur jeans from JCrew … Read more

Olé: It’s Casual Friday

I am not entirely certain what guiding principles a reader of this blog will have extracted after reading the first 180 posts. One concept that has been repeated numerous times relates to layering: that outfits are more interesting and more sophisticated when a few pieces are combined — layered — to create a silhouette, to … Read more