Rhyme and Reason

  For reasons I don’t entirely understand, I was issued a credit rather than a refund from MatchesFashion.COM several months ago and my repeated emails to customer service did not yield a proper refund. Because I love MatchesFashion.COM — a love that may not be reciprocated — I let the issue go and have been … Read more

In Which The Directrice Extends Her Holiday

  Hello!   Just dropping you a line to let you know that I have unilaterally extended my holiday and expect to be back on-line April 25th.   During my break I have been pursuing new interests, like knitting and Poldark. Knitting is very relaxing, so peaceful and rhythmic. But of course it can also … Read more

And Now for Something Totally Different

  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

I Can See Clearly Now

  Thanks to sunblock and exercise, our forties are not our grandmothers’ forties. But there is one part of the body that has continued to age as it did, unswayed by lifestyle choices: the eyeballs.   In Q3 2015 I went from being a person who wore reading glasses for ease to being a person … Read more

A Micro-PSA

  I don’t normally post on the weekends, but wanted to bring these two dresses to your attention because they are (a) on sale and (b) available in a range of sizes at present but perhaps not for long. From Avenue 32, I give you: You may now resume your weekend.

Top Hat

  I grew up in northern New England (the southern part of northern New England, if you follow), which means that I spent my youth in cold temperatures. My mother dressed me appropriately in snowsuits, boots, and hats when I was little, but as soon as I was a teenager, I followed the local custom … Read more

The Directrice Resolves

  Happy New Year, dear readers!   Instead of pictures of me in my old clothes, today the staff at Directrice Global Industries Ltd. are sharing their New Year’s resolutions.   In my experience, the key elements of a winning New Year’s resolution are attainability and impact. You want to resolve to do something you … Read more

The Year’s Best

  As 2015 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look back.   The year’s posts — which number 137 — are sorted into pedagogical categories like Dressing and Planning, but I thought you might be interested in seeing which are my favorites and which appear to be your favorites.   Thank you … Read more

In Lieu Of

  Although this might seem odd, even implausible, to you . . . I don’t actually like having my picture taken. C’est vrai! I am also certain that you must want relief from pictures of me periodically. (The conceit of this conviction is comical because, um, if you need a break from seeing pictures of … Read more

Taking Care of Your Shoes

  Today, the most prosaic of topics: proper maintenance of shoes. I will pepper this post with pictures of exciting shoes to compensate.     There are, however, a few steps you can take to slow their degradation.   On a fairly regular basis, you should wipe the interior of your shoes with diluted isopropyl … Read more