a summer tuxedo

Barbara, this one’s for you: the ultimate sexy, kind of androgynous, (really), summer tuxedo. LOVE these separates, and thinking you would be great in them, in so many ways.

Actually, summer and beyond. Black silk blouse, wardrobe workhouse, black tie to blue jeans. Long sequin skirt? With slits? Genius. We could cook and entertain in this, with a washable tank and an apron that we whip off just before serving dinner.

Every day dress loves great separates, thank you Worth New York.

Haven’t left the house in about 48 hours, except to walk the dogs, thinking about spring and summer looks, see you later snow and single digit temps.

about the waist

Everyone’s kind of talking about it, the return of the corset, or about the waist.

We don’t go full in yet like to feel relevant, so dug out the leather obi belt from the fashion closet. Wore it with white denim, a sleeveless jacket, and then put another jacket on top. Oh, and white is in, now.

Kind of makes you sit up a little straighter, and kind of makes you do a few more sit-ups. haha.

Every day dress, about the waist. Nothing new here, just pulling on some closet basics. Off to lacrosse drive-around. xoxo

homemaking

We’ve been trying to get in the kitchen, buying baby bok choy and stuff to step up our culinary skill set. Instead we’ve been doing the school run drive around, and it’s all okay.

Husband reads all the time, and reads a lot about happiness. This morning while I was ironing he said the latest research shows that homemakers are the happiest. Can’t tell you how excited I was to not go anywhere today and just do laundry. 🙂

So, since we need to eat I’ll try and tackle that new green vegetable now. And, as we need to dress this is the look we put together today for the run around. We mixed up some floral print, a kind of conservative blue cashmere jacket, and a little camo. Momma won’t like it, she’s so over the skinny jean thing and these are in camo, yet we’re wearing good shoes.

blouse and jacket | Worth New York | camo jean | Hudson | suede boot | Christian Louboutin 

Every day dress, today it was all about homemaking. TGIF everyone, have a great weekend. xoxo

not giving up

When you put yourself out there you can get knocked around a little, whatever, we’re not giving up.

A couple of style notes:

  • bought this lace top with oldest daughter early December while in NYC. Never even looked at the label, simply liked the piece. Young, chic client came in last week and was showing me pictures of a few things she recently picked up, all by London label self-portrait. At home, checked my blouse, self-portrait. Wore it for the first time last night, felt fun and stylish, even with the ubiquitous denim. Kind of really loving their fresh, feminine vibe. Young daughters were like, ‘mom, yeah, self-portrait, they’re on SHOPBOP‘. Thinking I need to leave campus more often. 🙂
  • about that denim, can’t shake it off. While driving kids around all day thought why change what works? For now, it’s denim.
  • still love and wear all suede Aquazzura shoes we bought seasons ago, they look and feel good on the foot, and heel height at 3.5″ isn’t killer. You can find similar style here: net-a-porter, and there’s now a boutique at 939 Madison Ave, New York, NY.
  • thinking we might need a little cut and color, yet might put that off for four weeks or so. Some of the family is giving up things like wine, and chips, and we have absolutely no discipline in that area. We’re also super-inspired by one of our favorite bloggers Alyson Walsh of THAT’S NOT MY AGE. She talks about growing out her blonde on her Instagram feed, and check out her take on grey hair by clicking on This week’s style inspiration: grey hair on the cat-walk, Oxfam at fashion week and Kristin Scott Thomas. 

Every day dress, here’s to all women everywhere, not giving up. xoxo

the subtle power of good clothing

hand cut vegetables and bouquet garni

going with carnations instead of the expected roses, on Valentine’s Day

So, Tuesday night we were cooking up some short ribs, parsnip puree, green beans and creme brûlée. Wednesday night I was standing gurney side as they were about to wheel our eighteen year old daughter, fifth child, into emergency surgery at 10:56 pm.

Oh, how life can change on a dime. Picked this child up after a phone call from the school nurse, drive sixth child out to her drivers ed class and husband comes home to find fifth child on the floor, in pain. Quick trip to the ER, three or so morphine shots later and the late night surgery crew is saying ‘you look way too dressed up to be here’. We were wearing our regular stuff, yet they noticed, and took us seriously. When your kid is being wheeled in for your not quite sure what and you put your faith in the powers above, it’s a good thing to feel good in your clothes.

Wednesday office outfit that went until Thursday late afternoon

Laid down in those clothes, in the surgery waiting room. Slept in those clothes, in two chairs pushed together at the end of her bed. Woke up in those clothes and was thankful for another day, and Tim Horton’s hospital coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and a sour cream donut, we we’re running on empty.

Really, what you wear can speak volumes, oftentimes without you even saying a word. We write here about good clothes, good food, and sometimes about drinking good wine, and if it came down to the end I’d want to be wearing a good outfit, having enjoyed a good meal, and definitely a good glass of wine, all with the people I love, that’s really the gist of us here at every day dress.

That outfit gave me strength. She’s on the mend. xoxo

what we wore on Friday, for four hours at the office, when what we really felt like doing was never leaving the couch

Every day dress, the subtle power of good clothing.

loving a little pink

small bouquets for a small dinner

from our summer country garden 

Some self-promotion here, I’ll be working spring trunk two weeks straight starting tomorrow, February 14th, (Valentine’s Day!), so let’s talk a little pink:

  • Wall Street Journal calls it Spring Fashion’s Biggest Trend, read more here at Making Peace With Pink. (simply click on the link, I like to hyperlink when I can to make it easier for you all).
  • Years ago I bought a pale pink Chloé (if you click here Chloé the model has on an amazing pale pink something) bag and spent more than I should have yet loved that thing dearly and now second daughter keeps and wear it, LOVE.
  • Pink for us here at every day dress is more like nude, a neutral, and easier to wear than some of its brighter counter colors. Red on the body can make us a little nervous sometimes, pink, not so much.
  • J. Crew‘s archive includes 226 shades, that’s a lot of variation, something for everyone.
  • For my only sisters’ wedding (going on thirteen years ago this October) bought a pale pink Zac Pozen dress, again spent more than I should have, yet I still love that thing and wore it with many happy memories last summer. That’s what we love, invest well, wear often, and long.

So, click on this link, Making Peace With Pink, believe that you are an interesting and smart person, and come see me over the next two weeks to see what Worth New York has in mind for when it comes to loving a little pink, there’s a shade for us all. This is when I take off the chef’s apron for a little and slip on some fancy shoes. 🙂 Call or text for your pink fix, 716-445-3033.

Every day dress, loving a little pink, forever and always. xoxo

Professional Images | Worth New York

 

spring shirting

Wall Street Journal ran a great article about how to look relevant, by simply wearing a shirt. Couldn’t agree more.

As I spend a good part of my day in denim and a striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up above the elbow, kind of loving this spring fashion trend. It’s a good look for all women, no age requirements, and beats the runaround gym look in yoga pants. How easy is it to wear a real pair of pants and a proper, maybe deconstructed, shirt.

Here’s how I wore it last summer, connecting through the Detroit airport, (always with a carry-on and a tote, wherever I go and only), and still wearing this shirt today. Might have to try the mismatched button thing. 🙂

Trunk opens Tuesday, excellent shirting options, for work and play. xoxo

professional image | Worth New York

on rotation

we love this easy day look 

Seriously need to get the stylist shoes on, trunk opens next week Tuesday and we’ve been doing other things, like solitary slicing carrots into all different little cuts.

two bunches organic carrots

a few hours and just about a bottle of wine later

And the thing is, I’m really good at styling women, yet honestly would rather weed the garden, even in winter, than doing what would make me really successful. 

Had two conversations today; one with a potential client, and she was talking about how she needed some solid investment pieces in her wardrobe, for her to put on rotation.

The other conversation was with my momma, and we were talking about the necessity of doing things, getting out of your comfort zone, being engaged, or you just kind of wither and die. (not really, but sort of). 

So, for the balance of this month of February, I’ll be on rotation as stylist, and try to curtail my home culinary activities, or at least a more balanced combination.

Every day dress, on rotation, being a life long learner, always. xoxo

a few simple style notes:

  • when it’s not snowing or raining, we like to wear white open toe shoe boots with a block heel in winter.
  • black leather jeans and a black cashmere turtleneck can take you just about anywhere. Thinking the only thing that might be better than a black cashmere turtleneck would be a black cashmere v-neck. The one shown here is two years old, and yay, it has a few pills on it, but that’s okay, the face and body do too. 🙂 We like it that way. Investment dressing. 🙂

paris and me

Last day of the first month and honestly we’re having a hard time leaving the house, yet leave the house we do: there’s travel, and work, and life, and a fun little coat.

We like to share resources, and one nice find was a boutique in Coronado, CA, Paris & Me. A mother and daughter team, we love that, with great little European inspired pieces, at great little prices. Lizzie and I were out there sourcing colleges, and of course had to source some new clothes.

Picked up this black sweater for moi, and the fun white coat for her, which we borrowed today for the office run. LOVE both, she also got a fun pair of faux leather lace-up leggings.

Check out their site here, Paris & Me, or better yet, stop in when you’re day tripping, :), the on site collection is quite nice.

We’ve talked about our go-to column of black, and while not original it get’s us out the door.

over time and distance

So, the closer to fifty-two than fifty-one year old face/body looks (and feels) a bit different from that forty something year old face/body that we started with that April day about five years ago when we put up our first every day dress post, and that’s okay.

We’re doing many of the same things, making the bed, eating protein at breakfast, getting out of the yoga/workout clothes, putting on some makeup, walking the dogs, making dinner, spending time with those we love, and enjoying a glass of wine (or two).

We’re also cooking more, and reading more. We’ve become protective of our time in the kitchen, and choosing our food more carefully, and with consideration.

Our feelings towards clothing for ourselves and our clients is kind of the same: careful, and considerate, especially over time and distance.

We love a base of black and denim, totally gets us around. The scarf was collected in France, the bag in northern CA years ago, and the jacket from a client. With days getting longer we can do more outdoor outfit stuff, still not used to shooting style indoors.

Every day dress, over time and distance. xoxo