If High WASP women have Grandes Dames, Sturdy Gals, and Artsy Cousins as style archetypes, who then are their male counterparts? Let me pull these from unconscious memory, dinner the other night, and the works of Tom Wolfe, Richard Ford, and John Updike. Not a rational process. First, and most commonly understood, is the Master [...]
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I had dinner with my mother at my aunt’s house this weekend. Upon walking into my aunt’s kitchen, I couldn’t help but notice her sweater. Yes, since you ask, we do enter through the kitchen. She has a mudroom. I love that moment, coming in from the rain, stomping on the floor, shaking the umbrella [...]
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My mother is visiting. I picked her up at the airport yesterday. Difficulties. My mother has resolutely refused to admit new technology into her life. She doesn’t use a computer. She may still call refrigerators, “iceboxes.” Most importantly, given air travel in the 21st century, no cellphone. Imagine now that planes are severely delayed coming [...]
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This is it. No doubt. The best cashmere sweater I ever had. Oh, the navy blue skinny rib turtleneck is nice. The Wilkes Bashford sky blue thick rib turtleneck is pretty, and unique. But this one was my friend. Worn to the corporate wars for comfort. With a pair of navy blue pleated Armani trousers. [...]
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Presents. We like to call them presents. Do High WASPs give a certain kind of Christmas present? Is everything monogrammed, crystal, silver, or very, very old? Featuring horses? Greyhounds? Plaid? Luckily, no. Mostly, like everyone, we want to give our friends and family things they might like to have. We ask each other, before Christmas, [...]
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These are the Christian Sirianos I ordered from Payless. Now sold out, apparently. $29.99. A second pair half off. Free shipping. This kind of pricing is not common in my usual retail pursuits. So I had to wonder, were the shoes going to be, you know, OK? Yes. They are. Fabric holds up in person. [...]
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The hostess of the humble bungalow left the following much appreciated comment to my post about the Minimalist Luxury Credo. “#5 is puzzling me. I am still digesting. How does one “make someone feel bad” about not being able to have something?We have choices and why would someone “choose to feel bad” ?” My 5th [...]
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In the beginning I thought minimalism meant pared-down design. Mies Van der Rohe chairs. The opposite of baroque, or ornate. Or, the current indie frugality trend? Canning peaches, attaching toilet paper rolls to your walls as art*, reusing plastic bags. But a few weeks ago I bought a very expensive little black dress, and I [...]
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Today I am at Souris Mariage (In which Mouse gets hitched), to talk once again about wedding registries. This time, however, we’re talking stuff. Plates and their friends, glasses, forks, spoons, and knives. With pictures. And more general silliness. Share on Facebook Tweet!
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