Some people measure the proximity of winter by counting the number of shopping days till Christmas. Me? I can tell the date by looking at my winter-raw cuticles. (Once my knuckles start bleeding, it’s almost New Years!) This is the time of year when I buckle down and revamp my entire beauty routine to prevent errant cracks, […]
Month: November 2014
My Winter Coat Goes for a Test Drive
Committing to a winter coat is as weighty a decision as purchasing a car. (And with the price of coats these days, it feels as expensive, too.) Earlier this year, I wrote about some of the coats I was considering. I wound up eschewing all those options, choosing this navy Maje mohair blend, which I snagged during their […]
In Defense of the Brown Sweater
My mom recently gave me a copy of Women in Clothes, a book of essays, Q&As and oral histories focused on our relationship to our wardrobes. Based on my reading thus far, the book’s cadence and tone is self-important and intellectually stilted. That’s not necessarily bad — writing about clothes connotes a certain amount of pretension, after all. (Ahem.) […]
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What to Wear to an Engagement Party
I just got back from a quick trip to western New York, where I celebrated my sister’s engagement. The centerpiece of the weekend was a snazzy penthouse party, and cocktail attire was a must. In years past, I avoided packing formalwear for out-of-town events. Instead, I would typically head to the mall in my destination city with […]
Catalog Police: Free People November 2014 Edition
Free People has been a familiar face here on Catalog Police. They’re back for this week’s installment — but there’s good news. This catalog lacked many of the over-the-top boho sexpot looks I’ve complained about in past installments. This month’s catalog included plenty of dreamy dresses and snuggly sweaters. That said, I had some major […]
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I am Not Allowed to Buy Another LBD
If fashion were a religion, the little black dress would be pope. It intrigues me that the simple concept has inspired such cult-like devotion. I suppose this fanaticism stems from black’s pure simplicity — like a self-flushing toilet, a LBD does most of the work for you. I have fallen prey all too often — I have three black […]
The Sack Dress: A No-Sew Solution
Nowadays, over-sized EVERYTHING is the biggest trend out there. (The obvious pun? Intended.) The options range from enormous overcoats to baggy blazers and scarves that could swaddle an elephant. This trend can be tricky. Frankly, I’m wary of the whole thing. There may be many women who are supernaturally blessed with the figures that look fantastic in enormous sacks of fabric. […]
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The Button-Up Conundrum
When I’m not in the office, the last thing I want to wear is a button-up. If clothing correlated to the comics, a button-up would be Dilbert, the dutiful paper-pusher. But like most New Yorkers, I have a closet the size of a mousetrap — and if you want to avoid a shopping addiction, remixing weekend and work clothes […]
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What I Wore: Halloween 2014
This year, Halloween snuck up on me. Typically, most parties fall on a Saturday, giving me an uninterrupted day to plan a look. No such luck in 2014. On Friday, I worked a full day before scrambling to pull something together in less than 45 minutes. Timing was crucial — I was heading to the West […]