Typically I shop at “High Street” (affordable chain store) brands. I can often find petite sizes there and they carry a lot of pretty well-made classic pieces like tees, sweaters, and jeans. But birthdays offer a good excuse to indulge a bit. And birthdays are about re-birth. So this year I dipped my toe into a slightly pricier brand that I’ve had my eye on for a while. A French Twist I purchased two items from Sezane, a French-based company. If you follow my blog you know that French style is one of my obsessions lately. I wrote this post about how to describe French style. In short, it is ..read more

On just about everybody’s list of what constitutes a good “capsule wardrobe” – a collection of interchangeable, basic pieces that will serve you forever – there is one that is consistently mentioned: “Every wardrobe needs a white tailored button-down blouse.” Well, maybe… Choose Color First Let’s start with the color (which is my obsession since my mentor, John Kitchener, is right now reviewing my upcoming color course.) Then we’ll get into the style of a “crisp white tailored blouse.” First of all, there are innumerable shades of white. For some of us, (including those who like me are most ..read more

Suzanne Blons (“The Beauty Shaman” one of my wonderful guests on “31 Days of Self Care”) and I just recorded our holiday fashion rundown on YouTube. Although this video was tailored for older women to show how they can incorporate some of the flashier elements of the holiday season, I wanted to expand on that idea for all my readers. Here are tons of options regardless of your age, weight, coloring, budget, or style facets. And I have to say, this was one of my very  favorite posts to write. It just filled me with holiday joy and cheer. Now I have to add a tiny caveat here. A lot of the ..read more

I wanted to quickly address the subject of how many colors there should be in an ideal color palette. Over the years one of the main questions I’ve received from people who had a custom color palette created for them is: “OK, what do I do with all these swatches now?” At first, the sheer number of colors can be daunting. The palettes created by PSC trained analysts contain about 100 distinct colors. I say “distinct” because they are not paint chip shades that range from the lightest to darkest version of a specific color. And that’s because an individual may be able to wear one shade i ..read more

I’ve come to greatly appreciate a few items in my home that are so incredibly useful and make my life a little better, so I thought I’d share them with you. Let’s start with laundry. Now, I am a bit obsessive about recycling. Where I live our city does not accept plastic film or styrofoam in our recycling bins. (And frankly, I’m not convinced that a lot of that stuff does actually get reused.) Large plastic tubs, like the kind that laundry detergent come in, is one of my least favorite things to recycle. It’s bulky, when full it’s heavy, and it’s just another dense plastic container that nee ..read more

I wanted to quickly address the subject of how many colors there should be in an ideal color palette. Over the years one of the main questions I’ve received from people who had a custom color palette created for them is: “OK, what do I do with all these swatches now?” At first, the sheer number of colors can be daunting. The palettes created by PSC trained analysts contain about 100 distinct colors. I say “distinct” because they are not paint chip shades that range from the lightest to darkest version of a specific color. And that’s because an individual may be able to wear one shade i ..read more

The Row, Fall/Winter 2023 (photo courtesy of Kendam.com) Recently, there has been a lot of buzz about “minimalism” fashion. At its core, it can be described as a Classic, unadorned, neutral colored wardrobe made up of high quality interchangeable pieces, very little pattern or print, and little to no “logo” accessories. I often advocate for having some of these pieces in your closet. Photo courtesy of LaDame, the Label Young fashion influencers  jumped on the bandwagon. They called the style “Old money” chic, a description that was sure to trigger someone somewhere. And as day foll ..read more

Photo courtesy of Open Society Foundation I just received an email from a woman I follow on YouTube. It was filled with multiple “mea culpas” and deep apologies for promoting so-called “fast fashion” for years. She pointed to the unhealthful environments and working conditions at factories in many emerging countries, and to the environmental impact of the industry as a whole. The increasingly popular – and important – pivot to sustainable fashion is something I’ve written about in several previous posts. On an independent industry analysis website, goodonyou.com, there are several compani ..read more

Photo: Angelo Pantzazis on Unsplash Vacations in the summer months usually involve traveling to warmer destinations where we can just let go and relax. But preparing for any travel can be anything but relaxing. So here are some fundamental things to consider that can make the whole process less stressful, and actually kind of enjoyable! Once your itinerary is set and you have a fairly good idea of what the weather conditions will be you’re already half-way there. The events and climate will give you the parameters for what and how much you need to pack. Start Early What causes a lot of anx ..read more

AQUA x Maeve Reilly Tweed Double Breasted Blazer $128 The one garment that can elevate an outfit or that will save a blah one, is the right blazer or jacket. It can add polish and sophistication. It can dress an outfit up or down. It can hide the spaghetti stains on the blouse you forgot to wash! A longer coat can say everything about your personal style. In this, and coming posts, we’ll be looking at blazers, jackets and coats. But today we’ll specifically be looking at blazers since they’re so popular in the market right now. For all of those shown here I’ll describe them in terms of the ..read more