Despite my willingness to embark on what might seem to be a gratuitous frolic-and-detour in the pursuit of a non-essential prize — see, e.g., Monday’s post — I am a fairly practical creature and have limited interest in taxing my ingenuity with the maintenance of clothes. In general, I prefer things that I can … Read more
If you told me that you were going to pare your closet down to one bag for work — a large shoulder-bag, satchel, or tote — I would tell you that it should probably be black. But most of us are not quite so spartan and have a two or three worky bags to … Read more
September 1st seems like a dividing line each year between summer and fall — even though, technically, Labor Day can fall anytime in the first week of September and the autumnal equinox is not until September 23rd. September 1st says back to school for me and that means summer dressing is done. But in … Read more
A couple of months ago, we discussed wardrobe priorities and I posited a theory that jackets are the foundation of a professional wardrobe. But if you were paying close attention, you may remember that I said a great blouse could fill the same function at a fraction of the cost. If any of you … Read more
A lot of people avoid black in the summer. Scientifically speaking, it is true that black absorbs light, but whether that absorption turns into heat depends on the fabric and the cut of your clothes. Personally, I think of black as an ally in the summer because it hides perspiration better than any color. … Read more
I promised a hagiographic post about YOOX a couple of months ago, and here it is. Over the last few years, I have purchased a significant, and growing, percentage of my clothes from YOOX. What is this YOOX that has inspired such loyalty and affection? In the words of YOOX itself, “Shopping on yoox.com … Read more
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
When deciding whether to buy something new, I always think about utility: How often I am likely to wear this? Utility is often connected to versatility: a jacket that goes with more things, will be worn more. And a jacket that can be worn through more than one season is bound to get more … 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
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