Greetings, Directorate! And a Happy New Year to all of you! I am sorry to have fallen silent for several months. I’ve been preoccupied. But I’m here now, returned to you with the full capacity of my brain and heart focused on the important business of getting dressed for work.
I have resolved for 2023 to have more fun getting dressed for work. When I tried to boil that down to a quantifiable goal, it came out of my mouth as “I’ll wear two interesting things every day” — and unfortunately there were two witnesses to that ambitious statement. So here goes!
What inspired this rash resolution?
A major closet-cleaning. My closets were at capacity (CNN Fact Check: her closets were past capacity), which required a difficult pruning. I had to get rid of things that were: in good condition, fit well, and were liked by me. That’s a painful undertaking and required looking at everything carefully. After culling 10 percent of the inventory, it was time to re-organize, too.
The “tops” that were previously just organized by sleeve length, color, and fabric type are now further divided into “apron-like things,” “sculptural,” “bustiers,” and “general tops” (which includes camisoles, shirts, and blouses).
With more space for viewing and better organization, I was able to see how much fun I have been leaving in the closet.
Stay tuned. Today, here I am wearing some things that were already top-of-mind as fall acquisitions.
I love these shades of yellow-orange.
Dressed in slight variations of the same color, I look 10 feet tall. And you know that I am only a shade over 5’2″ — according to the nurse at my last physical.
I love bias cut skirts and now that formal/evening wear is well-established as a daytime look, satin goes to work.
Let’s tote up the fun, shall we?
The shoes (from last year) are certainly fun.
And if you’ll join me in a quick walk around m’self, you can see the sweater is fun as well.
And for extra-fun-credit, this plump denim bag.
I used to carry one large leather bag — a satchel or smart tote. Among the many pandemic adjustments in my life, I now almost always carry a small handbag (they keep getting smaller) and a large canvas or nylon tote. My “office” laptop and papers go everywhere with me.
For an extra-layer of warmth indoors, or as outerwear in the fall, a denim jacket finishes things off.
Remember: The key to layering is to make the layers smaller as you move out from the body so that the top/outer layers reveal the layers below. All the layers need to show — otherwise, the layers are just bulk. It’s all explained here.
Sweater: Marques/Almeida from The RealReal; Camisole: Vince; Skirt: Vince; Bag: Weekend Max Mara Pasticcino Bag
And as a special New Year bonus, this recent portrait of our rescue cat, Philo. The Photographer has captured Philo’s resting face: a little anxious, a little pert, and so, so dear.
Oh my goodness, I was looking at that exact sweater in another color on the store website. Thank you for modeling it. You look wonderful in the layered, monochromatic look. I have a thing for asymmetry. 🙂
Soo nice to have you back! And the orange is gorgeous!
Happy New Year to me, cuz The Directrice is back! And looking fabulous, of course! I am also fond of a bias cut skirt, but the weather up north has pushed mine to the side for now. I love that sweater, too.
xo
Philo does look a little anxious! He often has a doubtful look on his face. He spent his kittenhood in a hoarder situation (so we were told by the rescue organization), so maybe he still can’t quite believe his luck at living in a calm home with two loving humans, another friendly cat, and regular meals. You can see his left ear is tipped, which signifies that he went through a trap-neuter-return program, which means that at some point he was considered a feral cat. But there’s nothing feral about this guy. He’s a sweet, intelligent, loving cat.
If you don´t mind, I´ll share Philo´s photo with my vet. I´m involved in trap and neuter, and our vet does an ear tip that looks like another feral cat has bitten a chunk out of the kitty´s ear. Philo´s ear tip is understated and elegant, but gets the don´t-trap-me-again message across. Thanks.
my two kittens Frodo and Moo were supposedly “feral” but they are as sweet as can be. When I told my sister I had rescued two kittens from a group called The Feral Cat Society she reared back in horror, as though I was proposing to bring grizzly bears into the home. My kittens — and Philo — have proven her wrong. They are delicious and utterly tame, an endless source of delight.
It’s not a purse, it’s a pocketbook. The clasp on the top makes it so.
I had no idea of how the distinction should be drawn. Thank you, Amy!
Yes, but it has a strap. Pocketbooks do not have straps, as they are made to fit into a pocket (generally of a purse which would have a strap). Maybe it’s a “pocketbag”?
Absence makes the heart grow fonder!
And the satin skirt as daywear is seriously interesting.
How lovely to find you brightening your corner of the internet in beautiful saffron. I think the mix of textures: satin, knit, denim, shearling… also amp up the fun factor. Happy 2023 to you and The Photographer (who has just enlightened me on the practice of feline ear-tipping!).
Gorgeous layering, Directrice and the individual components are marvellous.
Lovely to see you again, and I appreciate the bonus cat content!
Loving everything about this!
Philo the rescue cat looks curious about the clothes culling & sorting while sitting upon his elegant scratching rug.
I’ve missed you! Thank you for returning and giving us cause to rejoice in wardrobes! It’s the little things… This outfit is lovely.
So I took my son to the dr this morning and the PA we saw was so elegant – gorgeous dark hair, dressed in matching black pants and a beautifully-shaped beige sweater. I was dressed in awesome clothes, an almost magenta shirt layered under a (smaller!) almost fuschia sweatshirt-shaped boiled wool top with wide-leg jeans and garnet earrings but she made me wonder if all the colors were just too much? Thanks for the reminder: NOPE
Carry on, Erika Otter! Carry on! Even I, a person who could outfit a large bridal party in grey and black dresses (if it were a business casual wedding), know that color truly brings joy. I expect the PA was delighted by your appearance, just as you appreciated hers.
That’s it exactly. Color brings joy.