well, this is interesting

last weeks travel outfit, all black, add boots (or Birks with socks), and jacket for

upstate New York

Woke up Saturday morning after a month of being on the road and dutifully weighed in, yikes. Number was up, and couldn’t fit in shoes, (obviously, double foot surgery 7 1/2 weeks ago), or clothes, (can’t do the minimum 10,000 steps a day, and lots of restaurant dining), and thought, hmm, well, this is interesting. So, we’ve been back at the gym, every week day since.

Zero complaints, we’ve got two legs and two arms and a head that works. We’re simply doing what we do, eating protein at breakfast, making the bed, walking the dogs, getting out of the exercise clothes, putting on make-up, making dinner, spending time with those we love, and enjoying a glass of wine. We’re also dressing women, and cleaning up the garden.

In our conversations with our women it’s so often about ‘I’m on a diet’. Sorry, really don’t agree. Keeping your weight down by moving and whole foods, yes, some weird of the minute diet, so no. Like, wtf is Keto? I remember my grandmother Lottie being on Atkins and the pee strips in the bathroom and that was double decades ago, and she never lost any weight. If there was a diet that worked there wouldn’t be any new diet, so there, just saying.

The scale is our compass, simply guiding us, and when to pay more attention.

Every day dress; well, this is interesting, always. xo

 

an easy dress

Recent Instagram posts feature a dress and a tee by JCrew, a brand I haven’t worn in years. JCrew used to be our family go-to for outfitting five of our six kids, one just didn’t get it and still doesn’t and probably won’t ever, talking about you, Booie. As it often goes we’ve circled back. During holiday time oldest daughter and I stepped in to their Madison Avenue boutique and picked up some sweaters, one cashmere, one not, and both of those sweaters have been regular players in each of our wardrobes. The recent purchases they made quite easy, with an email online thing offering a discount of I think 20% or 30%, so picked out a few things and hit submit. The box with a few tees, a dress, and a pair of sunglasses arrived a few days later.

Their tees don’t need any double thinking, they can be worn out, to they gym, and for coffee in the morning, and really don’t impact the clothing budget or the overall aesthetic. A dress, however, can be a game changer, and a commitment. Wasn’t sure I was going to keep it or not, and threw it in the carry-on for little Florida getaway.

Late yesterday afternoon we headed to St. Petersburg, and the dress offered the ‘what to wear’ solution, thank you, JCrew. In my idealized world I’d be living in the Tuscan countryside and wearing Cucinelli, yet in the now we’re living in upstate New York, wearing most often Worth New York and W by Worth, and traveling wherever, and life is good.

So, we kept the dress, because it was easy. And wore it with leather. A dress is one and done. We’re heading home tomorrow, and moving into trunk show mode. Here we come Worth New York and W by Worth, we’re so looking forward to our women and some new season spring clothes. Trunk dates: tomorrow, Friday, February 23rd – Thursday, March 1st, and Tuesday, March 6th – Monday, March 12th.

An easy dress, and so many good dresses to come.

xo

 

 

 

a new suit

Four daughters will buy suits in multiples, me, not so much. I’ll do one at a time, maybe two. Husband and I dropped oldest at Tampa International Airport, and then stopped at International Plaza to run in and return a broken belt buckle at Louis Vuitton, and to pick up a new suit.

Two things about this quick visit, Louis Vuitton handled the repair with grace and courtesy, and will be shipping out a new buckle in a few weeks. Nice, good things go on. When I started this site seven years ago I thought I was starting a site about fashion for the over forty set, and now it seems it and I have evolved to more about style, not necessarily fashion, and style with respect to clothes, food, make-up, life, and perhaps not that age specific. Fashion to me can feel exhausting, and endless. Style feels like it can be cultivated and counted on for the long run. That Louis Vuitton belt and buckle will endure.

Now, secondly, the suit: we’re in Florida for a little so obviously spending some time poolside. I brought a classic black Eres tank suit, (actually gifted to me by the husband a few years ago), and a Dolce & Gabbana floral bikini I picked up last summer in Portugal. The Eres suit is as classic as classic gets, and fourth daughter likes to wear it as a bodysuit with her denim. With proper care it will last a good, long time, yet it’s not a piece I like to wear when sitting pool side, it’s a little hot. I wanted to add another to the rotation, and prefer a two-piece for pool time, and don’t care about maybe a two piece is not the best look for women my age in some opinions, in my upstate New York State of being. Truth: last summer posted to Instagram while wearing a white Eres bikini, outdoors in the country side cooking for the family, our dog in the background, and it was reported, and deleted. Come on, really? Is that why I get seated in the backside of the restaurant for breakfast when dining alone yet when I return with the twenty-something daughter the very next day we are shown a table up front and center? Yes, this is a tangent, and probably worthy of more space yet simply had to get it out there. While traveling in Europe I never feel or sense this ageism, two piece suit or not.

The takeaway? Women, wear what you want, and feel good. I’ll upload the photo of the suit I bought as a flat-lay, yet not going near the body in the suit, at least for now. Think I’ll wait until I’m sixty or seventy or eighty something, when I/we really look good feeding the family at the country house with the dog in the background.

Every day dress, a new suit, and it’s a two piece.

let’s love ourselves now

self-portrait and recommitted to wearing a little make-up

we’re in FL and off-shoulder dress with pockets is two years ago new

Regular readers, you’ve probably noticed a drop in postings, we’ve been in one of those lulls that happens when you live for a while. Triple decades of marriage, six great kids, and tons of travel have been on our mind. We’ve been self-cleaning our house, literally and really. Also, our first wedding, for oldest daughter.

As for the blog we’ve thought we need new gear, or a new look, a fresh jaw line, and some new clothes. And when you’ve lived for a little you begin to learn you don’t need all that new stuff, we really need to self-teach ourselves to love ourselves now. You know how when you might find a photo or yourself from maybe five years ago and you think, damn, I look pretty good? And you might look at an image of yourself now and think it’s just not good enough? This post is about let’s love ourselves now. If not now, when? And also how?

black leather jacket, denim, and one-shouldered washed silk

The new camera will wait, the jaw line, whatever, and the new clothes are coming. I’m simply going to jump back into this blog thing and write, and post, and hope to help women feel better, and perhaps be inspired so that we are all the very best versions of ourselves, today.

Every day dress, and let’s love ourselves now. xo

by appointment

adore a nice room in the city, one night went to bed at 9pm and slept through to 8am the next morning, pure luxury

second daughter scrolling through her phone

leather pant, lace tunic, black sneaker 

I do think women like to know possibilities of what to wear

For three nights second daughter and I camped in at The Nomad, and for three days second daughter, first daughter (bride-to-be) and I shopped out by appointment various atelier for the precious dress.

Leanne Marshall

second daughter considering wedding party dresses

black cropped denim, oversized sweater, silk blouse underneath

It was sublime, and close to perfection. Each morning we started with eggs and avocado in The Atrium and then walked, taxied, and ubered around town for dress appointments. There was champagne, and chardonnay, joyful tears, and honestly plenty of burgers, and fries.

We took a million iPhone photos, and at the end of it all decided to keep those albums private. Sharing here are a few photos from the Canon Rebel, with none, by design, of the bride to be.

on the floor at JFK while charging the iPhone

feet up on the carry-on, glitter socks, a tote, and a bag

the bag goes in the tote for boarding

Every day dress, shopping, by appointment.

xo

a white suit

Snowing again, and we’re totally jazzed by the idea of a white suit, or really anything all white.

Here we go, writing and posting at the end of the day, and not very first thing, as we had researched about habits, and productivity. There’s always tomorrow, that’s what we really love about the every day.

In a few days second daughter, or now MOH, (that’s Maid of Honor in wedding lingo, something I had no idea about), travel to NYC for a round of white dress look sees with first daughter, bride to be, (or is it BTB?). Obviously there’s been a lot of dress looking, for the bride and the wedding party online and on Pinterest, (another social site we’re just not that good at), and this has us thinking about a lot of white.

So, above you see some looks I’ll be working with this spring/summer 18 for clients, and myself. Our spring selling season opened today, I was in the studio wearing not yet a white suit, but white denim. I was cleaning, and prepping the show calendar, and organizing. A white suit for so many women sounds amazing, particularly in the middle of winter, yet for now we’re going with white denim (yes, white denim for sure in winter), and the standard but luxurious black turtleneck sweater. No photo, simply imagine the simplicity.

Over the weekend we we’re thinking about what it is that we really do, and why. We like to help answer the professional question ‘what to wear’, and the personal question ‘what to eat’. We love good clothes and the start of a new season, and we’re always honestly thinking about our next meal, truth.

We kind of wore a suit over the weekend, denim on denim while out in ski town, and last night upon arrival city-side cooked up a quick delicious batch of The New York Times Creamy Pasta with Smoked Bacon and Peas. Anyone that’s not eating vegan, or gluten-free etc. should have this in their repertoire, it’s a supremely good basic. All ingredients can and should be pantry staples. Add a green salad and dinner can be on the table in about twenty-five minutes.

What to wear and what to eat?

At the end of January it’s denim, of course, blue, black, or white, and lots of black knitwear. Moving towards spring, a white dress, and a white suit.

Creamy Pasta with Smoked Bacon and Peas, and tonight’s it’s scratch chicken pot pie from the freezer, it’s Monday after-all.

xo

professional images Worth New York

 

at the hip

We like to be fuss-free so today tied a scarf at the hip. Super easy, and these photos don’t do it justice: it was literally freezing outside and daughter and I spent less than four minutes snapping these pics at an industrial site that is a walkable distance from our house. That scarf rode up on the hips a bit after the quick car ride. Simply needed a little tug, and we were cold.

This was our outfit of the day, and the two nights before, without the scarf. Simple sleeveless turtleneck sweater and some leather front pants. The boots are Birks, that’s all I got clearance for and really all I can manage. Wore this to the women’s club I joined a year ago, and brought ‘the mom’ with me, for a Thomas Jefferson architecture lecture followed by lunch. After the lunch went directly home and feet up, again. It was a day.

same outfit, different nail color, really liking the red now

A few women have asked me, ‘foot surgery?’, and ‘both feet at once?’ Asked the doc at consultation that if it were his wife or his daughter what would he recommend and he replied yes, both at once. Kind of like wearing a dress, one and done. Really couldn’t imagine doing this recovery thing twice, we’ve already watched every episode of The Crown.

Essie ‘lacquered up’

With the cut hair we’ve also been into some short red nails. Picked up this Essie polish for $9, and it kind of feels right. Good news- laptop arrived today, woot woot.

We’ve also been reading, and prowling the internet. We’ve read things about creativity, and being productive, all from the couch, really a good feeling, not really. Thinking about changing the routine up, and posting in the morning, instead of late day. We googled ‘how to quit Facebook’, and then decided we’re probably not quitting Facebook, even though we don’t know how to really do Facebook. Social media is good, and then it’s bad, and we’re really exploring balance I guess.

After all this thinking we’re coming back to this: we want to write about two simple yet two absolute every day topics, what to wear and what to eat, for women and those they love. Please know we’ve missed our time in the kitchen, and please know we’ve read tons about food, and cookery.

Enough of the ramble, wishing you all good health.

Every day dress, at the hip. xo

seeking style

Trying to stay somewhat style relevant while getting decades older and hanging with people decades younger, hello good-looking children, fiance, and girlfriend: challenging, even on a good day. As mentioned, we’ve been thinking about life, and the blog, and the business, and while we’ve committed to helping our clients look great, we’ve gotten a little lost along the way.

We’re working our way back, this morning hit the gym for 30 minutes on the rowing machine, can’t really use the feet yet, and then booked a onsite immediate haircut. Took about four inches off all around; looking for a little style in our day-to-day look.

Still in recovery mode, and was gifted this ‘vodka, sweatpants, and a billion dollars‘ tee by second younger daughter and second son’s girlfriend. Vodka in a good bloody is a yes, sweatpants will do as long as their black, and luxurious, and the billion dollars will just have to wait. We’re just seeking style.

Had a sweet phone call with a client in her just eighties, she does Pilates several times a week. She said, ‘keep on pushing through’. Good counseling.

xoxo

 

bringing it in

Big city shopping, small city shopping, card writing, candy store, toy store, post office. Like most women we’ve been here, there, and everywhere. Can’t really think of outfit combinations, simply relying on a steady stream of our favorite, all black, kind of. Kind of because the pants are navy with a black turtleneck, and we cinched a red scarf around the waist to break up our column.  We’re also all about a nude lip when we’re busy, and that seems to be most days, any obvious color on the mouth and we just can’t keep it straight.

All photos from the iPhone, and three of four posted to Instagram. Outfit pics while standing in the stairwell of The Surrey. We were on the 4th floor, and rather than wait for the elevators we constantly took the stairs, one of those every day dress moves.

One holiday party, and we wore a taffeta ball skirt, with same red scarf, this time tied as bustier, and photo again, in the stairwell, where we like to hang, other than with family and friends.

We’re working on bringing it in for the holiday, and getting all things up and out. Cookie baking has taken a back seat this season, no one seems to eat them anyways.

Wishing everyone the mojo to get it done, hustle hustle, merry merry.

xoxo

hey there, 155

Tenth month of this two thousand seventeenth year hit a personal all time high, the exception of being with child, and that was for the first time almost thirty years ago, yikes. These years creep up.

We get this, we’ve worked with women in wellness and wardrobe for decades now, and with four daughters in tow have pretty much seen it all, the highs, the lows, and the every day.

The face is full, and everything else. This ring around the middle has got us. We’re off to the gym, sometimes for double sessions, we’ve re-engaged our MyFitnessPal app on our phone, and we’re trying to be chill. We can’t say too much, we’re basically fit, and have an ongoing and probably never-ending love affair with good food, and great wine.

So, hey there 155, nice to know you, and hope to see you later.

Peace and love to all women everywhere, with each of their own struggles, we know it’s real.

xoxo