the directrice 
The irony of being asked for the secrets of my beauty routine is profound. While I am good at picking out clothing, I am hopeless with hair and make-up. Totally hopeless. Therefore, I have boiled hair and make-up down to the essentials. I hope you won’t be too disappointed. So here is the daily … Read more
As we head into 2017 — a year so far in the future that I never even imagined it as a girl — it’s a good time to look back. Focusing on the positive, I’ve pulled together my favorite posts of the year. The six (could not limit self to five) best High … Read more
I received an urgent email from Ursula in Cadiz two weeks ago, directing me to an interesting top at COS. So unhip am I, I was unfamiliar with COS . . . which I know now is H&M’s high-end line. Is this a reverse-diffusion line? A concentration line? A top this voluminous (even … Read more
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
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 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
As if my complex relationship with printed fabrics weren’t a heavy enough burden . . . now is as good a time as any to confess my weakness for brocades. Would you like to see the piecing and asymmetry in this skirt? Should I turn to my left? Skirt: Hache from YOOX; Sweater: … Read more
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
As we have previously discussed, the physical laws of the natural world — time and space — put limits on the size of our wardrobes. This means that each piece in the wardrobe should have multiple uses. The most extraordinary garments belong to more than one genus (e.g. it’s a dress, a sleeveless coat, … Read more
I was in Santa Fe last week for a hearing and had the luxury of a little time to walk around and see the town. Perhaps I have the typical Easterner’s romantic fascination with the West . . . but Santa Fe has so much beauty to admire. I was pleased by everything … Read more