What are the essentials of a jewelry box? And how should one acquire them? If I were following general conventions of expository writing, I would walk you through the essentials, then explain the acquisition, and then boil all of that information down to a prescriptive summation. But rather than allow a whole bunch of … Read more
Being well-dressed does not require innate genius. It is true that there are people who seem instinctively to know how to put things together or wear their clothes with originality. But there are two ways to get to a well-dressed state: indulging innate ability OR employing a combination of critical thinking, discipline and a … Read more
When I was a little girl, about 8, I had a friend who had been taught the rudiments of pattern-making and sewing by her mother. She was precocious, intense, and creative — and sent a fan letter to Priscilla of Boston, which at the time was among the country’s premier couture bridal boutiques. The … Read more
I’ve asked friends for topics that might be of interest to all of you and someone sent me a doozy last week: What should one wear to a swank cookout/pool party hosted by the boss for the whole office? What. The. Beans. First things first, let’s assign blame. Is it fair to say that … Read more
Several weeks ago we caucused to discuss stripes and their virtues. The topic was so vast and complex that I could only cover horizontal stripes in that initial post. Now we praise vertical stripes. They say that vertical stripes are thinning, or lengthening, or elongating, but I don’t really think that’s true. They are, … Read more
In my desultory survey of style books — conducted in the rather anemic fashion/style section of Politics & Prose — I have observed that most writers sketch out the basics of a minimal wardrobe that is supposed to see one through . . . what exactly, I don’t know. The size of one’s wardrobe … Read more
Have you ever gotten dressed and realized that while you look totally presentable — perhaps even good — you look a little dull? If the fundamentals are sound, you probably need just a little something to make the outfit really work. That something is often a belt, a pin or a small scarf around … Read more
When you consider your wardrobe on the macro-level, you think in terms of goals and limits. Goals probably vary significantly among us — e.g., building a minimal professional wardrobe from scratch, building a comprehensive wardrobe over time, keeping a wardrobe current with select seasonal acquisitions, or revamping one’s style completely. But our limits generally … Read more
Several weeks ago, I posted a tribute to white blouses. Today, I’d like to give black blouses their due. So why do I love black blouses? How do I count the ways? First, black blouses look extremely chic with a black suit — far more stylish than a white blouse. Same thing is true … 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