Pontificating

Sundresses are the easiest way to get through the summer. But if you aren’t a dress enthusiast, or if you want a little more variety than wearing a dress everyday, an interesting top and neutral pants are the simplest alternative.

  Earlier this year, The Directorate celebrated the acquisition of the perfect (for me) cropped white denim and off-black denim. I thought you might like to know how the denims have been doing.   * Sometime, long ago, we discussed natural, aluminum-free deodorants. After trying several, I settled on Schmidt’s, which comes in several appealing … Read more

  While noodling around on the Internet last week, an article grabbed my attention: I Work from Home and Only Wear Sweatpants from These Seven Brands.*   Think about all that is embedded in that title. The author has at least seven pairs of sweatpants. The author has bought so many pairs of sweatpants that … Read more

  To celebrate my fiftieth birthday, we are taking a trip!   After a day of rest and light exploration of our hotel environs, our sight-seeing started in the Cementario de La Recoleta — a vast cemetery of mausoleums with crypts beneath them. This started as a public cemetery in the early 19th century, but … Read more

  I occasionally wonder whether being “properly dressed” is determined by reference to normative standards or relative ones. As with many legal questions, the answer is, It depends. While there are normative standards for attire, at the end of the day, proper dress is about respect for your host. You should dress the way that … Read more

  Perhaps some of you have, at one time or another, taken a step back from your surroundings and asked, “How did I come to be here?” Admittedly, one is most likely to ask this question when something significant has gone completely sideways, but self-reflection should not be undertaken exclusively during dark moments!   This … Read more

  To cross the Rubicon is to take a bold, intentional step from which there is no turning back.   Mother, Desh: Look away! You won’t be able to unsee what follows.   Everyone else, settle in and feast your eyes.   This dress is, unquestionably, the most advanced thing I’ve ever put on. It … Read more

  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 more

  For many people, clothing is medium of artistic self-expression. Clothing can also be a way to express, and advance, your values — and given that clothing might be the largest discretionary line-item in your budget, that’s worth thinking about. What do I mean? I am not talking about wearing slogan t-shirts. (Remember: Legible clothing … Read more

  Approximately one year ago, I was musing about how quickly the styles of the 90s and 00s had been recycled and I thought, Thank God crop tops haven’t come back. They were too awful even for fast fashion to resurrect. Those thoughts had barely formed in my head when crop tops started appearing in … Read more