the directrice 
I bought this jacket years ago, at a time when appliqués and ruffles were on everything: blouses, sweaters, trench coats, oven mitts. Would that be c. 2010? So, I envisioned an afterlife for the jacket: I could remove the origami-ruffle-appliqué trim and still have a useful little jacket. Sheila Bridges, the interior designer, urges … Read more
In some of my favorite comfort reading (books by Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Georgette Heyer) the female characters extend the lives of their clothes (and hats) by remaking them periodically. I’ve always found this concept charming (although for most of these fictitous practitioners, it was a measure of harsh economy) and at the … Read more
Every woman needs at least one striped jersey in her wardrobe. That may seem like a strong proclamation, so you are owed an explanation. Horizontal stripes are a simple graphic and always look terrific with jeans and khakis for a casual look. During the warmer months, a striped jersey looks smart on Casual Friday … Read more
Conventional wisdom tells us that we should: (1) shop with clear purposes in mind (I need a black jacket!); and (2) add garments to our wardrobe only when we have satisfied ourselves that they will relate to some arbitrarily-selected number of garments already in our possession (This jacket must go with three other things … Read more
I often dress in one color, or shades of one color, from head to toe. I like to think this is slimming. But monochromatic dressing, if it doesn’t involve contrast in texture (combining, for instance, silk georgette and wool boucle or satin and linen), can present a somewhat lifeless effect. Witness: Perhaps you are … 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
It may seem early in the life of this blog to be self-referential, but you may remember that I wore a Shadow Dress a few weeks ago? And have advised you to buy a dress in more one than one color if it fits you perfectly? The ivory and grey seemed perfect for spring … Read more
Summer has stolen a march on Spring in Washington, D.C. It’s hot and I am not ready for heat — physically, psychologically or sartorially. But one change that is fairly easy to make is switching from my winter bag[s] to my summer bag[s].[1] I use my black bag[s] year-round, but in the warmer months … Read more
Nothing looks fresher in the spring than navy blue. It’s a universally flattering color (which must be why it’s commonly used in uniforms), so it’s almost certain that you will look good in it and possibly even great. Be assured: no one looks like death warmed-over in navy blue. Whenever you buy a new … Read more
Stripes are always fresh, the perfect thing for Fridays. I poked around a little on the Internet looking for a current season jacket like this one and didn’t see anything that was quite right — but trust me: white/navy, ivory/navy, and navy/white stripes are a classic combination and pop up every spring/summer. So … Read more