the directrice 
I complain every spring and fall about the difficulties of transitioning to a new season when the weather isn’t quite there yet. Jacket: Anthropologie; Sweater: JCrew; Blouse: Elie Tahari; Pants: JCrew: Boots: 8; Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Satchel
Is it strange to plan an outfit around a relatively small piece of jewelry? Did you realize that Harrison Ford is the star of both Blade Runner and Witness? Brooch: Mirjam Heller from Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h; Top: DSquared2 from YOOX (Warning: DSquared2 runs very small; I am wearing size L); Pants: JCrew Campbell pants; … Read more
When I told friends that I was launching a style blog in February 2015, many of them told me that I should, instead, blog about interior design. My first reaction was: YOu dOn’t LIkE mY cLOthEs? My more reasoned, less paranoid response was: Absolutely not! Those interior design bloggers work hard. They’re fixing up … Read more
We’ve discussed the virtues of dresses before. The ease of wearing a dress (efficiency, comfort) has caused me to allocate a substantial percentage of my wardrobe budget to dresses. I write that as though I actually have a clothing budget that is diligently planned and then executed. Non, non. It is more accurate … Read more
I love end-of-the-season sales. Have you ever noticed how things you’ve never seen before suddenly appear in the end-of-season sales? Or we could compare, side-by-side. Who Wore It Better? Sweater: Nanette Lepore; Charcoal shell: Brooks Brothers; Charcoal pants: Eileen Fisher; Grey shell: JCrew; Grey Pants: JCrew Campbell cropped pants; Shoes: French Sole New … Read more
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 more
When I found myself in possession of an unexpected (i.e., unbudgeted) windfall, my thoughts tend to drift toward jewels . . . I don’t live in the realm of precious jewelry, by which I mean pieces made of precious metals and precious stones that cost thousands of dollars. My interest is designer jewelry made … Read more
During the cold weather months, I wear lots of dark, neutral colors. One of the great things about neutral colors — and they have many virtues — is that neutrals can be combined very easily. A few combined make a sophisticated (though understated) palette. Sweater: Tory Burch; Blouse: JCrew; Pants: JCrew; Shoes: French Sole … Read more
If the first principle of being well-dressed is selecting clothes that are beautiful and flatter your figure, surely the second principle is putting those carefully selected clothes to work in numerous outfits. As The Directrice passes its one year anniversary, we will be cycling through the seasons for a second time. This means … Read more
On more than one occasion, we’ve talked about the benefits of sweater dressing. There is something very comforting in wrapping oneself — cocooning oneself — in soft warm wool clothes. If you have experimented with sweater-coats, or can recommend a current season sweater-coat, please chime in! Sweater-coat: Theory; Striped jersey: Ann Taylor; … Read more