‘Mad Maximalism’

Last weekend The Wall Street Journal ran the story, ‘Mad Maximalism’, in the Off Duty section and it confirmed something that I’d already suspected–I may wear minimalism-leaning clothing, but my house is decorated in a riot of patterned fabrics–and I’m not alone.  No concrete floors, raw wood beams, or steel (except in the kitchen) here. I’m so obsessed that I bought the URL Palais-Home with thoughts of starting another blog.

But, there are a daunting number of great sites, magazines, and Instagram feeds already dedicated to “old-world sumptuousness.” @cabanamagazine, @aliceinherpalace, @markdsikes, @ladolcevitablog, @habituallychic, @theglampad, and @quintessence by my friend Stacey Bewkes are just the tip of an enormous iceberg.

Image Hannah de Gournay’s London apartment © Elle Spain, bottom @cabanamagazine

The Row x Missy Rayder x Barneys

When I was searching for The Row’s Resort 2017 lookbook images, up popped this story on Barneys’ The Window. Model Missy Rayder is a great girl and Barneys stopped by the lookbook shoot to chat about her new home decor venture. And let’s talk about the beautiful clothes and accessories–I love that the Olsens have upped the tailoring a bit.

Amplified Space

I’m looking forward to seeing artist and designer Jonny Detiger’s new exhibition, Amplified Space, at the Howl! Happening gallery. The colorful walk-in installations are described as an immersive experience.

‘City Sanctuary’

A quick warm-weather trip is not in the cards right now, so I’ve been thinking about a mini vacation in a nearby hotel with a great spa. The Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca top right is in my backyard. This story City Sanctuary has a number of great hotels where you can check-in, relax, and recalibrate.

When I worked in Paris, my favorite spot to beat jet lag was by the pool at the Ritz Paris. I’m eager to check out the redo of the famed hotel, especially the spa. The Hotel De Rome in Berlin top left looks amazing, too.

Jeans Wardrobe

For many women, jeans are not just a wardrobe staple, they are are wardrobe subset. Owning a number of styles that are appropriate for a wide range of occasions is not uncommon. This is especially true now that we wear jeans beyond just running-around.

At coffee last week, a work day, my friend who is an editor-in-chief of a magazine was in jeans. We both were. To meetings I often wear straight-legged dark denim with a cashmere sweater and Gucci slides or black Jimmy Choo booties – wide-leg jeans with an interesting blouse to dinners – a lighter shade denim with an oversized sweater while running around – and white all year long. The hard and fast rules re. jeans have been blurred and they are now appropriate attire in more situations than ever before. This is great for modern women and it’s why many pairs cost up to $200 and beyond.

But, what about jeans for the weekend and just running around, do they have to be as expensive? I don’t think so. Vogue Paris editor-in-chief Emmanuelle Alt reportedly favors Topshop jeans, and my daughter looks amazing in Levi’s and H&M. Friends swear by J.Crew denim and Madewell and I saw loads of cute pairs on the Boden site. Hey, if they fit well, and a good tailor can make that happen, then there are a world of options out there at a fraction of the price.

A.P.C. striped sweatshirt, H&M jeans, Boden navy pumps.

Joseph Designer Louise Trotter

Over coffee this morning with a friend, I raved about a pair of Joseph trousers and she agreed that the line has been looking really great. In this Matches Fashion video interview, the creative director of Joseph, Louise Trotter, shares her thoughts on why the brand’s clothes are so appealing–especially to women with busy lives.

Resort 2017

SS17 Campaign image of Luna Bijl by David Sims

Sofia x Shigeta

I read in February Vogue Paris that Ms. C is a fan of the organic beauty brand Shigeta and has partnered with them on a travel kit. Sadly, it’s only available at the Shigeta showroom in Paris, for now.

Image © Vogue Paris

Winter Tweak #3

I’ve been hunting for a few specific Hermès leather bracelets to stack with my watch and have found a number of them on The Real Real and Vestiaire Collective. I even got an Apple Hermès Watch band–woo hoo!

Calvin Klein By Appointment

Calvin Klein quietly launched it’s new made-to-measure line, the first collection since Raf Simons became chief creative officer of the house last August. Of the 14 looks, all steeped in iconic American references, this is my favorite.

Winter Tweak #2

A new white blouse, especially a feminine, high-necked version like this one by Tibi, is a definite wear now/wear later piece. It would be great with jeans or shorts.

I threw in the sandals because they are crazy good, although, they would be cute with a pair of nubby socks, now…

Tibi blouse and here, Calvin Klein Collection jeans, A.P.C. sandals.