When I decide on a goal, I can pursue it very single-mindedly . . . well past the edge of reason and good sense. Remember Operation YeLLoWbAG? As you can see above, all of the lacing is done on the model. I, however, just wanted to use the lacing to cinch the blouse above … Read moreCasual Friday: A Professor and A Pirate
Last fall, I showed you — in all seriousness — how to wear a bustier to work as part of a Business Casual outfit. I also promised to show you how I have worn it on Casual Friday and on the weekends. Let it never be said that The Directrice doesn’t honor her promises, … Read moreThe Go-Anywhere Bustier
Last summer I posited that a crop top could be worn to work professionally — i.e., to a workplace like a P.L.L.C. or similar association by a woman who is dressing to meet with colleagues or clients — when paired with a skirt and blouse or jersey. Bear in mind, I did not … Read moreThe Crop Top Goes to Work
I occasionally buy glossy fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. The clothes shown in these magazines are beyond the reach of most mortals, so I don’t read these magazines like catalogs. I am just looking for ideas — mostly, color combinations and new silhouettes. Even if I am going to reject the new … Read moreBlack and Blue and White
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 moreBrace Yourself
I am such a fan of sweater dressing. Beloved knits! When I started working at my firm (now 15 years ago), I invested in a few knit jackets and knee-length skirts from Eileen Fisher. I am still wearing them today. They aren’t on the cutting edge, but with a great pair of boots, … Read moreSweater Dressing
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
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
You may remember my enthusiasm for Marni? The volume, the pattern-mixing, the extraneous flaps? While this trick (belting to add definition) usually works best with fluid or light-weight fabric, I think this Marni jacket looks great belted, even though it’s made of a stiff cotton. Belting causes the jacket to bell out from the … Read moreFrankenstein’s Jacket
In some of my favorite comfort reading (books by Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Georgette Heyer) the female characters extend the lives of their clothes (and hats) by remaking them periodically. I’ve always found this concept charming (although for most of these fictitous practitioners, it was a measure of harsh economy) and at the … Read moreSmall Changes, Big Difference
