Channeling a little Daft Punk, helmet and hat have been the favorite fashion accessories of late, head-gear when it’s cold out there is a very good thing.
Today was the sixteenth day of below freezing, we are still thirty days away from the record of forty-five days.
Head-gear everyone. When you can’t beat it, join it. We’re not kids anymore, cover up.
Every day dress, skiing upstate. Fur hat when you what you really want to do is stay home all night, and leather long-sleeved tee, black jeans and a little black suede bling belt underneath it all.
Without apology, today’s work outfit started with the ‘I have no idea what to wear, I’m driving 75 miles each way and it’s a freezing polar vortex’. Of course, all black ponte. Pièce de résistance, the kind of aggressive four-year old black pebbled leather Loeffler Randall boots.
Photos taken with the iPhone, and yes, total selflies. Kind of aggressive, I agree. My photographer daughter, who was in school, tells me, ‘Mom, you have a really nice camera’. I know, left that at home, was kind of in a hurry.
Every day dress, kind of aggressive. Stay warm friends.
My best dressed clients and colleagues shop early. They order their things before the season hits so they are wardrobe ready to greet all life’s happenings.
We’re now on the road doing Spring Trunk Shows. Helping women build their professional, philanthropic, and casual clothing looks.
Here’s my first pick for Spring 2014: Forest Green and Clover Leaf Skin Print Off the Shoulder Blouse. Kind of a mouthful but I can see this being worn now through September. The bodice is lined, arms are covered yet sleeves are sheer. Most of us still have great shoulders so this is a good first pick for many women craving something a little new. 100% Silk, Easy Fit, XP – XL.
White jeans? Unlike all of your black those should be fresh, a first pick too for the new season ahead.
These photos taken same day as the head to toe black with fur look. To get good wardrobe results it helps to think, plan, and shop ahead. Every day dress.
Super low temperatures, white out driving conditions, and the need to get out of the house during the month of January calls for a uniform of sorts. 95 percent of the women I’ve seen in the last two days have been dressed pretty much in head to toe black. Totally on board with that, to add an extra layer of warmth searched out fur collar and cuffs that were purchased many seasons back and added them to today’s ensemble and last nights, not together of course.
Today did Wolford black tights, super old black turtleneck that’s been resurrected from the closet archives, new long black knit zippered skirt, wide black belt, stylishly odd glittered hair calf ankle boots. Added the silver fox fur cuffs to wear while working a Spring Trunk Show. Total dichotomy. It’s more fun and motivating to wear the new Spring line while working with clients but just couldn’t do it. We have space heaters plugged in at the show space and to get a coffee at two buildings away you have to basically scurry. Went with what some would call the granny or librarian look but I when I put my glasses on to read fabric contents in the fine print I felt both smart and stylish in an odd kind of way. Smart and stylish is good, even when odd. One of the clients we saw today thought my skirt length was particularly dowdy, we’re honest with each other that way, I was liking it. Heck, it’s cold out there.
Last night for dinner out wore a variation of the same: black Wolford tights, those are the best, black leather skirt, same black turtleneck as today, silver fox collar, and liquid metal silver cuffs. Might as well keep the cool tones going as the temperature is only about 10 degrees.
Fur’s not for everyone, but if you have some pull it out now and mix it in with your day-to-day look. If not when it’s this cold in January, when?
Every day dress pulls out the stowed away fur accessories. Now’s the time.
Alright people, life is not always fancy and sometimes you just want to tuck in with a big bowl of pasta. Husband requested fish tonight. When at the market thought no freaking way, it’s in the single digits out there and I don’t think I can look at or prepare a piece of cold stinking fish (only kidding), these days in the single digits can get to you.
Fell back to the Braised Turkey Meatballs with Quick Tomato Sauce that I picked up from Chuck and one of his recipes in the Williams-Sonoma catalog. This works every time and is adaptable to all situations. Doubled it, added 1/2 cup ground organic beef, used fire roasted tomatoes instead of San Marzano, dried sage tonight instead of fresh, they were all out and there was no way I was going to any other market to secure the fresh stuff.
Photo taken with the iPhone, and, truth be told, violated all principles of every day dress: worked at home all darn day and did a little run-around. Never showered until dinner, never dressed until dinner, and never put on lipstick until dinner. Life happens all around us.
2 cans (each 28oz.) whole San Marzano tomatoes, with juices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
Grated Parmigiano-Reggaino for serving
In large saute pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. oil. Add onion and carrot, and a few pinches of salt; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, let cool. Add ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, sage, t tsp. alt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, gently mix well with hands. From into 12 meatballs. In same sauce pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. oil. Brown meatballs 1 minute per side. Transfer to plate.
Put tomatoes and juices in food processor. While pulsing, slowly stream in 1/4 cup oil through feed tube until tomatoes are pureed but still a bit chunky. Stir in garlic and oregano, season with salt and pepper. Pour tomato sauce into same pan, warm over medium heat. Add meatballs. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 3o minutes. Divide meatballs and sauce among individual bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Serves 4. Or 8, if you double, which I always do.
Tonight I added pan sautéed local chicken sausage, 6 links, cooked, then cut in half. Gave it a nice kick.
To get good results we all know it’s the work up front that delivers. Sometimes years, sometimes weeks or months, and oftentimes because life moves so darn fast it’s a super concentrated six hours.
Here’s what happened yesterday at every day dress:
Saturday morning wake up, drink coffee, decide what to serve for dinner at seven for eight. All good friends, all part of what’s turned into our yearly wine tasting trip. Two times to California, last trip to Italy, and up next France September 2014. Make a list, hit the gym, make and serve breakfast for six, we now have two Costa Rica exchange students in the house, and off to the market by 1 pm. Plan a French Bistro style menu: Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic, Moroccan Couscous, Salad with Warm Goat Cheese, Chocolate Orange Mousse. Actually wanted to do and bought the ingredients for Cheese Straws and Rosemary Cashews for hors d’oeuvres but never got there so fine wine was the only precursor. All recipes adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris.
Bring the groceries home and don’t leave the kitchen except to set the dining room table until 6:55 pm. At 6:55 pm run upstairs, take off the apron and throw it on the floor and slip on black one shouldered knit sweater with the skinny blue jeans that were worn all day, and the day before that. Light the candles, open the wine, guests arrive, and we all talk travel plans for our upcoming trip. Ed and Liz, Pat and Jennifer, we missed you guys, we look forward to more dinners like this with you when in France.
Decided on sunflowers for the table and cut them short and stuck them in three blue and white pots, anchored with believe it or not wine corks. Last minute decision, didn’t have any floral form or tape. We’ll be staying in the French countryside so wanted to set the mood. Was really getting into the wine theme as I hung actual grape-vine leaves that were preserved and dipped in copper, silver and gold on the chandelier and used them at the last-minute to serve as napkin rings. Picked those up in December at the fun and delicious winery Gundlach Bundshu in Sonoma CA. If you like them here’s the link: Grape Leaf.
When it’s prep work like this, it’s not really work at all.
One Shouldered Sweater with Cuff | looks great, feels good, easy to work in
Not fashion thighs, lifestyle thighs. They’ve been written about before, and yes, they stay. Women, love your body.
They’ve run and walked miles, been the base for carrying children and many things great and small, and hopefully have a long and strong history in front of them.
I’ve dressed women for over a decade and before that led infinite exercise classes. Your body is a very good thing. Love and respect, in every form, oh, those thighs.
Yesterday, Monday, the last thing I felt like doing was cooking dinner for six. What did I do? Made it happen and cooked dinner for six. (Thinking I completely understand the need for animal hibernation during the month of January).
Women, I know, make it happen. After a full day of work and the runaround, roasted pork tenderloin, asparagus, red potatoes, caesar salad and cinnamon applesauce. Finished it off with a cake, birthday celebrations can go on all month, right? Wanted to do chicken parmesan with house made blue cheese sauce but for some reason there’s been a run on the organic chicken breasts. Pivot, pork tenderloin it is.
When you feed and clothe those you love, they’re yours for life. Go on out and make it happen. After the inertia it’s a good thing.
Primrose and votives on the table and the day is good. Every day dress. All photos courtesy iPhone.
Resolved: during the work week getting out of the blue. I’ve kicked the yoga pant habit for the runaround, now it’s time for the blue jeans.
Working from a home office is the ultimate luxury. And, when your day’s not full of client meetings but more administrative, it’s easy to get into the blue jean habit. I know only too well.
So, for 2014 trying for a bit more of a work look. Gray ankle trouser is just as easy as a black denim skinny and really looks and feels a bit more professional. My beautiful clients dress Monday through Friday, so should I.
Many clients tell me I’m not buying one more black dress, jacket, skirt, pant, whatever it may be, I’m not doing it.
My thinking? If it works, why not refresh? Black dress, jacket, skirt, they are all good things. We’re not talking people, relationships, etc., simply the stuff you wear.
If it works, refresh. Shoes shown were worn with love and believe it or not chewed by the dog, gotta love him. The replacement? Purchased on sale, last month.
Leopard print flats, same designer, many years later. Wardrobe neutral, every day dress, refresh.
Channeling a little Daft Punk, helmet and hat have been the favorite fashion accessories of late, head-gear when it’s cold out there is a very good thing.
