It’s Monday and we heard it’s snowing again up northeast and we’re wondering what to write on the blog that might inspire, so we’re going with some year-round classic basics, white things, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
We love white denim twelve months a year, and grilled cheese. Here we added spinach to get those greens in and sliced figs to a simple green salad. We always love a tank; white, black, or even silver.
White flowers are also are go-to. Husband and daughter are convinced these ruffled tulips are past their prime yet I’m holding on. Wrinkles and imperfection have got to be okay.
White denim and tweed from Carlisle | Per Se, heading back to work trunk show later this week.
Every day dress, white things and grilled cheese, our favorites. xoxo
If I could I might spend forever living in the Italian countryside wearing only clothes by Brunello Cucinelli, cooking and eating pasta with family and dear friends all the while drinking Brunello di Montalcino.
For now (or the month of March) I’ll live and be in Saint Petersburg FL, work and plan for upcoming trunk show, cook and eat pasta, maybe drink a beer, and perhaps gift my husband with a cashmere sweater or two, because I always borrow. Husband’s cashmere sweaters from Cucinelli are always the best.
Every day dress and a great pinstriped dress. xoxo
You took creative control of the House of Chanel in 1983, the year I graduated public high school, age seventeen. Honestly, I had no idea who you were, and really didn’t know the brand either. That was their plan, you were brought in to resurrect all that Coco did before, and you did.
BAM, at eighteen I wanted a bag, and at nineteen I bought lipsticks, the only part of the brand I could afford. On my lunchbreak from work I would walk to the department store when department stores were still a thing, put down a day’s pay for that tube of color with the interlocking double C’s. Oh, how I felt fancy.
Fast forward marriage, and kids, and I still wanted a bag. Now I can’t even remember how I got it, the classic black 2.55. It had a separate lipstick pocket in that gorgeous dark red leather interior, genius! A little impractical, where was I going, and I usually had diapers. I had to have that bag. It started a thing for me, collecting bags. They were like jewels, a piece of art, a thing to acquire, a Chanel bag was the ultimate.
Over the years I watched you from afar, the man and the legend. Chanel ready to wear was fantasy, and haute couture out of this world. I would buy bags, and shoes, and makeup, and those accessories gave me access to that rarified French air.
I remember you going on a diet, that was when I too was all about diets, and you lost a zillion pounds, 93 to be exact, so that you could wear the look and the clothes you held in regard, Hedi Slimane. We are all mere mortals, I suppose.
A decade goes by, and now four daughters are all about bags too. What is it about a Chanel handbag? High-end luxury. By carrying a luxury bag, we can easily identify (forget about the mortgage payment) with a luxury brand. Share with the world our supreme good taste, however simply symbiotic that may seem.
That first 2.55 has been re-furbished at The Leather Spa and passed onto the babe of the family, Mimi. Your legend lives on in the arms of my eighteen-year-old.
Mr. Lagerfeld, you the multi-hyphenate; creative director, fashion designer, artist, photographer, and caricaturist, worked into your 85thyear. You could be critical, who really calls Adele out? Yet your uncompromising pursuit of excellence made things like that seem somehow forgivable.
Mr. Lagerfeld, like that first long-ago bag I had to have it was you that I wanted to wear for our family’s first wedding. Your waterfall collection was unveiled October 3, 2017, I was completely mesmerized.
Look number 57 of 90, oh, it was you. Husband and I traveled to San Francisco last June and at the Chanel Union Square I found you. Not you exactly Mr. Lagerfeld, but your dress, your design. My very first piece of Chanel ready-to-wear, it was completely transforming.
I’ll never forget how great I felt, wearing that dress, that August afternoon.
Thank you for creating so much of what modern women aspire to. Thank you for creating things of beauty, and dreams. Your Fall 2019 Collection was unveiled yesterday, posthumously. Your work will forever be in our hearts, and with a little luck, a lot of determination, and a large amount of bank, in our arms, and on our bodies.
Oh, The Dress. Okay, so the blog here is called every day dress, so you know even though we wander we’re kind of all about the dress. Caroline has been looking at wedding dresses for as long as I can remember, even before the man entered the room. I think the dress was the very first thing that was decided on, and after that it was all systems go go. Caroline, working and living in NYC, set up 7 or so bridal appointments, Sarah and I flew in for one wonderful weekend. She spread the fun out over three days, on day one she kind of had two picked out, on day two at Amsale she and we knew, she had her dress. She put that gown on and tears came, champagne was poured, it was that good. Of course it was a little over budget, she would figure it out. Day three of appointments we politely thanked and cancelled. Oh, that dress. I’ll never forget her in that dress. She absolutely beamed walking down the aisle and the entire, glorious day. After all was said and done the next night she put the dress on with bare feet, hair up, and celebrated again under the brunch tent during an impromptu all-hands on deck pasta dinner. It really doesn’t get any better than that, the bride doing dress repeat.
My family knows that after coffee the first thing I think about in the morning is what’s for breakfast, after that it’s what’s for lunch, and after that it’s obviously what’s for dinner. As the family cook and entertainment provider, my vote for food, drink, and service was heavily weighted. We considered two options, yet even before going into the process my mind was on Giancarlo’s. They’ve been in our city house and office serving up parties for years now, they always deliver. The family card helps too, Ethan played basketball with Anthony all while growing up, Maxwell and Anthony graduated from high school together, Gabriella is always delightful and professional, their staff is young, good looking, and energetic. We were planning a party where every last thing needed to be brought in to a sloping country grass field, huge responsibility, yet I just knew they would provide the experience we were looking for. And they did; a seamless, sophisticated cocktail hour, an elegant, unpretentious seated dinner for 212 guests, fun, spicy stuff for a boozy after party. This didn’t come without a cost, honestly when the quote first came in I was thinking of cooking that chicken dinner. Husband even offered me $15k (that’s a lot of new shoes) to take it on. Bride and groom weren’t biting, Giancarlo’s it was. They were superlative.
Caroline’s best friends mom has her hand in wedding planning, she was the hero in referring The Digs, thank you Marilynn. They were extraordinary. Caroline and Sean were adamant about having a great band, we all know that can make or break a good party. Bride, groom, and siblings listened to play tapes, watched videos, and it was their decision to book this Toronto, Ontario phenomenon. Coming from Canada we needed to provide hotel accommodations, a green room, and two kinds of dinner, vegan is a thing with musicians. Again, over budget, absolutely worth every dollar spent. Dance floor was jammed from first song to last.
The wedding invitation was emotional. In house we have two family graphic designers, bride’s brother Maxwell created the Save the Date, and bride’s aunt Tracy creates one-of-a-kind stationery suites for her clients under the umbrella of her west coast design company Radeff Design Studios. Given those two love affairs you just can’t pick. Here I was the heavy and sent Caroline on her lunch hour to Smythson on Madison Ave. She worked with the consultant in person and I worked remotely. We were a little under the wire, our decision came kind of late in the game and then all correspondence and proofs had to be vetted through London. Again, over budget, thank you Bill and Collins & Collins. (what’s a budget?). Invitation was delivered, I hand addressed and stamped, carried those big boxes to local post office and politely asked that they all be hand-canceled, thank you USPS.
Got a little crazy here, in the end we had 4 tents and the main party tent location was moved less than a week before the big day. Tent locations were initially measured under 3 feet of snow. Aunt Tracy was the super hero here, honestly she, along with McCarthy, made this happen. She tracked weather patterns, looked at sunrise and sunset, walked the property considering absolutely all logistics, and at the eleventh hour helped stake all tents.
McCarthy covered tents, tent lighting, tables, bars, bistros, chairs, dance floor, generators, maybe more, can’t remember if they did grills and/or hotboxes for caterer. They also had rain plan, heaters and air conditioners all on reserve if needed, they were not, grateful. Totally recommend.
Tracy, founder and CEO of Radeff Design Studios, provided overall professional and logistical advisement. In essence, she brought all vendors together on the same page. She was timeline and detail oriented down to the minute. Bravo.
Her work, and spirit, simply outstanding. She and her team captured the day, and all you see here. Caroline emailed her letter of introduction, Sarah accepted, and the memories through photographs live on. Another referral from Marilynn, thank you.
Caroline and Sarah sourced bridesmaid dresses another NYC weekend. Finally, something great looking and on budget. Must say they all looked gorgeous and happy. Loved the shades of white.
Again, Caroline and Sarah on point, with advisement from Lexi. They know hair and makeup and booked Buffalo’s best. Glamour squad arrived city-side Saturday morning at about 7:15 am and helped us all get wedding day ready. Bride, wedding party, MOB (mother of bride), MOG (other of groom) and both maternal grandmothers. Special thanks to Kristen Baker. That in itself was a party. 🙂
Caroline and Sean during one of their Buffalo visits tasted cake. Sean, being the consummate sweet tooth, had first choice. Cake looked beautiful, I heard it was delicious. To this day I still think about that missed opportunity, and where that wedding cake went the day after.
This was a god-send referral from stylist colleague Cary Kimber in Rochester, New York. Who knew there was a vintage and luxury table top rental provider an hour and fifteen minutes away that has done work at The Whitney Museum and The Met Ball? Woah, we were in good company. Caroline and I did early spring road trip and met with owner Eileen Wright. In less time than it took for us to get there we chose china, stemware, flatware, and details. Sure, we could have gone default stock white, yet Eileen’s belief shares ours, ‘that welcoming friends and sharing happy moments with them around a table that has been imagined and decorated for their sole pleasure exemplifies the art of entertaining’.
The vision board was clear: white, and shades of white. Hydrangea and Roses. Caroline sent me for initial consult, Caroline, Tracy, and I signed off on final consult. Flowers were what we wanted, pretty, fresh, beautiful, and not over-done. We were in the country after all and surrounded by greenery.
Never saw them, husband and I drove ourselves, yet understand their service was great transporting guests to and from Buffalo to Eden. Heard the drivers were friendly, as well.
Caroline’s grade school friend Andrew gifted her and Sean seventeen tents for friends to party on into the wee hours and the next day. Party on they did, indeed. Andrew and his mom Pat provide ‘glamping’ or ‘camping without roughing it’ events all over the country. Check them out here, Contentment Camping.
Church was at noon, reception at five. To feed the crew called in Carte Blanche and they delivered a wedding lunch of burgers and fries. Next day they brought corned beef hash, potatoes, Bloody Mary’s and more.
Planners | Marilynn Militello and Angelica McNally
Snowed in and thinking about food, and clothes, obviously. We’re in spring trunk show mode and traffic is light, especially when everything is closed for three days and counting. Kind of love snow days, time is at a standstill.
Thinking too about the blog, and what I need to do to inspire myself. Yesterday got myself up, dressed, made the bed, packed up some ice for the drink bin and grabbed fresh flowers off the kitchen counter, headed downtown for client meetings, and with the snow falling the cancellations rolled in. Headed home, and all I could do was double denim, blue jeans and a blue shirt, and contemplate what could be had for lunch.
Last Friday night, in an effort to be new year healthy, picked up four salmon fillets and a head of green cabbage on the way home from the studio, having had worked with new spring clothes all day. Salmon and cabbage? Kind of spring like; and even though the cooking, technique, plating, and presentation were on point, it was a really bad dinner. The thing is it’s just not spring yet, and not even close to being spring like. So, while I might be dressing myself and my women in new spring clothes for the season ahead, the food correlation is just simply a no-go. It was a dinner for three, and not one of us could get through it. Instead, we tucked into the wine. Started with white, because you know white with fish, ha-ha. Took a look out the window, snow blustering all around, and poured some red. Ate some of the cabbage and simply pushed the farm raised pink stuff around the plate. I should and do definitely know better: do not buy farm raised fish, but I did. So, no dinner and over served on the wine. Went to bed hungry and spinning. It was for sure a really bad dinner.
Having made meatballs and sauce the day before served that up for lunch the next afternoon. That was the dinner we were looking for on a cold snowy night, live and learn. When you get it right it should go on repeat? We can do meatballs and sauce two nights in a row, especially and particularly in January.
Still trying to do healthy, yet wanting warmth, and comfort. Simmered up a double batch of vegetable stock, some for a hearty minestrone soup, and some for the freezer. A bowl of soup, combined with a grilled cheese sandwich, butter is still love, be still my January heart. See you later bland, pink fish.
As for spring clothes, we put in our order: a tailored single-breasted glen plaid blazer, for denim in all configurations, dark, distressed, white. Added the matching glen plaid trouser, not for a pant suit look but maybe, simply for having a nice trouser in the wardrobe. Try as I do denim can’t take you everywhere and felt a grown-up trouser for spring 19 was a must have. Also did a white blazer dress in a beautiful crepe with princess seaming, a bit of an asymmetric hem, to be worn as a dress, and as a coat. A black ballet inspired tee, semi-fitted, extended cap shoulder, because again, try as I do sometimes a tank is simply feeling a little too exposed. Added a beautiful navy unlined crewneck cardigan, with six silver buttons, a little fringe detail, tonal stitching, and long, cuffed sleeves, it’s stunning. For underneath a white pique blouse with silk chiffon trim, very classic and luxurious, hidden button front and long sleeves with deep cuffs and two rows of buttons. Of course, there is denim, a new pair of white, always need to refresh those to look best, a cool textured jacquard pair done in a black and navy texture, and a color block one with a cool fringed hem. Yeah, three pair of jeans yet that’s what we wear. To top it all off added a little iridescent jacket in a jet black and navy Moiré cotton, with silk habotai hem and cuffs. All great pieces can’t wait to get them, hopefully UPS is snow-proof.
As for the blog, they say write what you know, so food and clothes. Not for all, I know. If you like what we’ve got, thanks for hanging around. My in-house photographer grew up and went to college so the clothing shots have been lacking, only so far I can push the husband, and selfies feel a little weird. Speaking of selfies, here’s one in the studio, while snow swirls all around. A few DM’s about the taupe suede boots: they are Sarah Flint, a direct to consumer brand. Sarah makes great footwear using some of the same production sites as Hermes, Louboutin, and Blahnik, and counts the likes of Meghan Markle, Lady Gaga, Jane Fonda and Cindy Crawford as fans. I’m trying a little six month ambassador thing with them, and in return they’ve given me a code for clients and friends, RCOLLINS50, to use at checkout for $50 off your first pair. I do like her shoes and boots, have three pair now.
That’s all for now, I’ve broken the ice and re-fed the blog. Off to take an afternoon bath, time stands still on snow days, and then back to work on wardrobing women in new spring things. Really bad dinner, see you later. xoxo
Never a huge jewelry person, I wear a few special pieces round the clock and only on occasion change it up. Dear husband has gifted practically the entire lot to mark time and special occasions. Only once did I buy precious earrings, and that was when I thought I lost one of the diamond studs I wore daily for twenty plus years. Didn’t have the heart to confess the missing stone, so bought a small pair of hoops to fill the holes for several months, and then found the missing earring under a chair in the bedroom while vacuuming. Passed that small pair of diamond hoops onto fourth daughter when she started her first semester of college this past fall.
While raising a half dozen babies changing earrings for the day never really crossed my mind, and who really had the time or the energy. Factor in taking something small off of value and the risk of losing or misplacing it simply hugely escalated, it was a very busy time.
Engagement ring, wedding band, watch, simple earrings, and a stunning diamond ring husband gifted me when he turned fifty are my tattoos of choice – they are the daily forever look. While in NYC for thirtieth wedding anniversary, that’s a big one, purposely walked arm in arm into Cartier on Fifth Avenue to peruse the goods. We were celebrating love, so the Love Bracelet was my desire. Dear husband likes to fulfill desire, so a white gold Love Bracelet with four small diamonds marked our three decades of marriage.
In turn, we gifted our oldest daughter the yellow gold version for Christmas last year. She was newly engaged, and we wanted to commemorate this special time in her life with something lasting, and that she could wear on her wedding day. I knew the classic look would complement any dress she chose, and we wanted to bless her pledge to love and marriage, and inspire her in going for the long run.
This piece of jewelry, designed in 1969, has a locking mechanism and requires the small included screwdriver to wear and remove the bracelet. The playful permanence of wearing this speaks to my heart, and of our commitment to love and family.
The long run is not easy, like our tenets of every day dress; making the bed, protein at breakfast, putting on good clothes and maybe some makeup, walking or exercise or anything that moves your body, work that feels meaningful, making some dinner, and most importantly spending time with those you love, it requires consistent effort and attention. In our world it’s this daily effort and attention that yields the far biggest reward, a rich life of family togetherness.
Like that bracelet, our family feels secure, sure there is struggle and tears and vulnerability and change, yet the circle continues with goodness, and joy.
And now, I digress: personally, I am fully and deeply committed to husband and family and passionate about feeding those I love. Professionally, and also personally as there is for sure crossover, I help dress many beautiful women. For eighteen years, since the birth of our youngest daughter, I’ve been aligned with Worth New York, and it’s been a good, long run. Not married to the company, and after much thought and reflection, I’ve chosen in this new year to venture out try something new; a new challenge, a new line, a new look, a new company.
Yesterday, my colleague and I met in our studio and outlined our launch. These first strides are unsteady, and a little uncertain. Carlisle, thank you for the opportunity. We’re digging in, and giving it a solid good go. Let’s see how we do.
black sweater, blue denim, suede flat, lots of green
Still getting settled after Thanksgiving week and now entering holiday mode, oh, boy. We’ve done this before, yet there’s always those moments of uncertainty when you think you just can’t get there. One year when staging and decorating for husband’s office Christmas party with major event designer sister from CA, she said, ‘you can never be done’, and I still think of that. Any party or event or dinner or holiday or even wedding planning could just keep going and going. Now I tell myself to give it a really good strong effort and then at some point just let it be enough.
We’ve got trees, some decorated, some not. Some with skirts, and some without. Twenty year old daughter hung some of the ornaments while home from break and I wasn’t even in the room with her. We chatted, room to room, her hanging, me cooking, and I just let her be. Years past or even recent years I might have micro-managed, this tree decorating I can totally let go.
Card writing is giving me anxiety, and we’ve even got a great photo or two this year. The actual card is on order, and that’s two steps ahead of where we usually are in this production process. We’ve looked at stamps, no decision yet. Details details.
easiest dinner ever is to have your butcher trim and tie a whole tenderloin, pop it in a super hot oven for 22 minutes or so, let rest, and carve
We had a full house, and I cooked and baked my head off. Tenderloin, ham, turkey. Potatoes, beans, pasta. Cinnamon rolls, pies, cakes. Bacon bacon and bacon. Wine wine and more wine. Can you tell where this is going?
probably spent 16+ hours or so in an apron
new French food processor, needs to go back, Pulse button not working!
This most wonderful time of the year is by any stretch not easy. Trimmed and tied, perhaps, yet always ongoing….
big chunk of blue and chopped tarragon
birthday wedge and bolognese for fourteen, kind of standard. this was after Thanksgiving and there wasn’t a clean white linen left in the house, so, mismatched it was
bought two $40 bouquets at grocery and had oldest daughter cut them down into 11 small arrangements in canning jars, a look she totally dismissed for wedding vibe, hahaha (and agree)
While my first inclination was to name this post ‘home stylist’, couldn’t get myself to do it while I’m being extravagant in wake of the California wildfires. We’ve been dealing with house-wide flooding issues and some serious health stuff, yet nothing comes close to neighborhoods being leveled, lives being lost, children wearing face masks, and our hearts are with those in one of our favorite states.
You know we’re about good clothes and great food, and creating a lifestyle that speaks to luxury, whatever that may mean to each of us. One of our current favorite aspirational brands is Gucci, and their recent statement to me by email reads:
In solidarity with Gucci employees, clients, and friends in California, we are supporting the relief efforts in the local communities that have been affected by the devastating California wildfires.
Gucci has donated to the following organizations, and you can join us by making your pledge to the charity of your choice.
This is the heart of Gucci’s mission to bring positive change in order to secure our collective future.
Gucci, you moved me to give. Please know you’re in the lineup for some of my Christmas gift spending dollars, thank you.
We here at every day dress can’t move mountains or put out fires, we do want we can and always try to make small things better. Wardrobe, food, home, or set stylist, it’s kind of our thing.
Two college daughters and newlyweds arrive home tomorrow to celebrate Thanksgiving, and we just can’t wait to put our arms around them and be in their face.
In preparation I almost get manic, try to make things nice, and runaround securing supplies for both indoor and outdoor spaces. As a ‘set stylist’, current project is the 10 outdoor planters scattered about the city house. Thought long and hard and even pulled the trigger on pre-made and decorated grocery planters, and bought 10 yesterday morning while at market. Got them home, and while beautiful, they just weren’t giving me the look or feeling I was after. Back they went, all within an hour and 15 minutes.
Decided to YouTube outdoor planters, and with some new inspirationpulled out the iPhone and called around to local nurseries for fresh-cut greens, and in particular red twig dogwood branches. Found a source, thank you Elber’s, and off we went. An SUV full later, two planters in, and we’re on our way to a natural, pretty, and evergreen holiday look for the outside of our still standing home.
California, wishing you peace, calm, and recovery.
Every day dress, xoxo.
all photos iPhone / MacBook Pro went black / in for video card repair
Recently I threw salt and flour on a fruit pie. While it looked okay, it was a kosher salt granulated sugar mix-up, and a bad salt peach pie. Kind of like when you’ve got good stuff in your closet and you simply can’t put it together for the life of you to get yourself out the door, and you’ve just got to go. Cooking and baking have similar qualities to dressing, you assemble good ingredients, read and study if that’s your thing, and continually try to make it better.
We did manage to put together a pretty sweet carrot cake, nasturtiums are from the fall country garden and edible, and a nice little charcuterie thing.
Stretch home garden goal is to always have simple, fresh-cut flowers.
Love that you usually get three times a day plus to feed yourself and those you love, and oftentimes just as many times to wear different stuff if you do different things during the course of your day. As simple as that may be, we here love food, think about it when we’re not with it, and are constantly trying to get the what to wear where thing right for ourselves and those in our mix.
We’re constantly cooking and dressing, and it’s not always good. Here’s to the every new brand new day.
Woke up this morning, had some coffee, hit the gym, and made the bed. Thirty one years ago today and almost all of those days in between I’ve followed pretty much the same routine, although that specific day I married the man of my dreams, the love of my life.
I knew at first sight that he was the one, he thought I was way too young. Kind of positioned myself so he would notice. Notice he did: a bride at twenty-two, a mom at twenty-three; we’re still here, still loving.
Good habits and aligned values have helped us endure. Family first, lots of exercise, shared meals.
taller than my man, and wore Azzedine Alaïa for church ceremony
We created our wedding day and have created every day since. Even then I loved clothes, and made the wedding dress, and the dresses for five bridesmaids, and two flower girls. Sewing my clothing was a self-taught skill, a hobby, and a necessity back then. Crazy girl, yet crazy kind of got me here today, thankful. Still love clothes, yet finding I need less, and want better. Even so I’m often most comfortable in husbands shirt, rolled sleeves, and worn in blue jeans.
Sure we still love to dress up, and celebrate. We celebrated large for oldest daughter’s wedding a month or so ago, and felt it fitting to share photos of that day, on this day, as both days celebrate love.
Yes, I wrote this post on our thirty-first wedding anniversary day, yesterday. Sarah Bridgeman, our daughter’s wedding photographer, compiled over 1,700 photos for us, each one seemingly better than the last. As you can imagine it takes hours to sort through, and wanted to post some of her images here, as to us they are just so magical. We hope you too can feel the love. Thank you, Sarah.