Archived In: Journal
You see the woman walking towards you, “I love what she’s wearing” you think, quickly trying to decipher what exactly it is that makes her look so chic. This simple afternoon on the Italian Riviera ensemble has multiple style principles occurring -- fabric, neutral colors, the waistline, the neckline, the skin tone, the accessories.

You see the woman walking towards you, “I love what she’s wearing” you think, quickly trying to decipher what exactly it is that makes her look so chic.
This simple afternoon on the Italian Riviera ensemble has multiple style principles occurring — fabric, neutral colors, the waistline, the neckline, the skin tone, the accessories.
I kept noticing floral pants. Which when trying to create a works-with-anything wardrobe while traveling, were totally impractical. [Aside: This was on my four month sabbatical during which I packed almost no clothing to shop along the way.] Yet after a few weeks of shopping I found myself gingerly fingering yet another pair on the hanger and said “Listen to your desires”.

I kept noticing floral pants. Which when trying to create a works-with-anything wardrobe while traveling, were totally impractical. [Aside: This was on my four month sabbatical during which I packed almost no clothing to shop along the way.]
Yet after a few weeks of shopping I found myself gingerly fingering yet another pair on the hanger and said “Listen to your desires”.
Mom taught me to dress nicely for airplanes. She recalled the days when it was a treat to fly, like going to a nice restaurant. These days airport style is apparently a thing with endless articles of celebs on travel day. Though they rarely look to me like they’ve thought about sinking into tight spaces for long stretches.

Mom taught me to dress nicely for airplanes. She recalled the days when it was a treat to fly, like going to a nice restaurant.
These days airport style is apparently a thing with endless articles of celebs on travel day. Though they rarely look to me like they’ve thought about sinking into tight spaces for long stretches.
The tank top didn’t look right under my leotard. None of them, all three I tried in vain. They were bunchy. The other girls’ had looked … different. But why? Eleven years old I stared at myself in the mirror trying to decode how to look like the older girls in my ballet class.

The tank top didn’t look right under my leotard. None of them, all three I tried in vain. They were bunchy. The other girls’ had looked … different. But why?
Eleven years old I stared at myself in the mirror trying to decode how to look like the older girls in my ballet class.
Here's the question no fashion magazine ever asks you: How do you want your clothing to make you feel when you walk into {insert simple everyday or smashingly exciting activity}?

Here’s the question no fashion magazine ever asks you:
How do you want your clothing to make you feel when you walk into {insert simple everyday or smashingly exciting activity}?
A year ago I would have been too nervous to wear this outfit on the blog. I was afraid you might look at it and think, "She looks great but if I wore that to work people would give me looks all day ... She can pull that off in fancy New York City but that's never going to fly in my daily mom life ..."

A year ago I would have been too nervous to wear this outfit on the blog.
I was afraid you might look at it and think, “She looks great but if I wore that to work people would give me looks all day … She can pull that off in fancy New York City but that’s never going to fly in my daily mom life …”
Movies make you wish. Wish you were Audrey Hepburn dancing with Fred Astaire or life had moments Nicole Kidman swinging high above the Moulin Rouge.

Movies make you wish.
Wish you were Audrey Hepburn dancing with Fred Astaire or life had moments Nicole Kidman swinging high above the Moulin Rouge.
I hate rules. No white after Labor Day? Has that person never seen white jeans with a cozy fall sweater, a winter bride or a stunning white peacoat in the snow?!

I hate rules.
No white after Labor Day? Has that person never seen white jeans with a cozy fall sweater, a winter bride or a stunning white peacoat in the snow?!
Being in a bathing suit is weird. You're, like, almost naked. I don't care how comfortable you are in your skin, it's kind of bizarre that it's socially acceptable to wear so little clothes in public, right? Meanwhile, with so little fabric and so little diversity in shape, it's very hard to apply a lot of the style principles I teach: how to be empowered over a garment, change the shape, the silhouette, the style chemistry, where the eye goes. A few strips of lycra don't give a girl much to be empowered over!

Being in a bathing suit is weird. You’re, like, almost naked. I don’t care how comfortable you are in your skin, it’s kind of bizarre that it’s socially acceptable to wear so little clothes in public, right?
Meanwhile, with so little fabric and so little diversity in shape, it’s very hard to apply a lot of the style principles I teach: how to be empowered over a garment, change the shape, the silhouette, the style chemistry, where the eye goes. A few strips of lycra don’t give a girl much to be empowered over!
I have spent my life on a womanly quest, often ending in heartbreak {or heartbreakingly awkward photos}. I earnestly sought an answer, striving to be cool, or at least not uncool. It was a gift my mother could not pass down, a challenge my sister did not share. I journeyed alone and it took me 30 years to arrive. I wanted bangs.

I have spent my life on a womanly quest, often ending in heartbreak {or heartbreakingly awkward photos}. I earnestly sought an answer, striving to be cool, or at least not uncool. It was a gift my mother could not pass down, a challenge my sister did not share. I journeyed alone and it took me 30 years to arrive.
I wanted bangs.