the directrice 
Many people have no trouble finding individual pieces of clothing that they like, but are unsure of what to wear with what [else]. I am planning a series of posts on this question (working title, This Goes with That!™) because there are a number of things to consider: colors (complementary, numbers, and placement), silhouette, … Read more
The Corporate Retreat. As hard as it may be to dress for work day-to-day under a perplexing Business Casual regime, the dress code becomes even more uncertain when work moves off-site. A few months ago, I published a revolutionary post on office pool parties and now I shall hold forth on retreats. … Read more
A few years ago, I participated in a panel discussion on careers in litigation at my alma mater. One of the other panelists, reflecting on how awesomely his life had turned out, told the assembled students, “You have to be in the right place at the right time.” The despair of these soon-to-be graduates … Read more
A few years ago I bought a Crewcuts skirt for a friend’s daughter: a quilted, cotton-nylon miniskirt. It was so cute I wanted it for myself, but stopped short of testing the girls’ size 14. But when you think about it for a minute, a quilted dress is really a padded dress … Read more
Although I have counseled a certain amount of caution in acquiring embellished garments, some simply cannot be resisted. Like this jacket: Jacket: Sachin+Babi; Blouse: Talbots; Jeans: JCrew: Shoes: French Sole New York; Bag: Coach
Continuing our CLE series, Directrice on Suits — which was largely initiated to prove to you that I do actually own proper suits and occasionally put them on my back — I give you . . . another suit. This is the suit I put on when I don’t want my clothes to be … Read more
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 more
Green is my favorite color and I like it in almost every shade — except mint and sage . . . which seems a little funny because I love mint and sage as flavors. You may remember my fondness for acidic greens? This fall I am craving different, clearer greens. I’ve also been … Read more
A simple dress can be distinctive if the color stands out. In case you are interested in the necklace, here is a closer view. While I’ve had this for years, some variation of it (Figaro chain, Albion pendant) is still available from David Yurman. The stone in the pendant is smoky quartz, which I … Read more
