I was going to take a pass on writing this week. It’s a lazy week, full of family invasion and distraction. But I have been chatting with several of my industry clients and friends and I thought I might offer these words of encouragement. Last February, as I guided a well attended panel discussion with industry professionals aptly titled, Navigating the Storm, there was a great deal of trepidation. The question was, who will sink and who will swim? Those of you, who battened down, steered the course and kept your eyes on the horizon are still here. All the messages I mentored in that dialog are still valid and those of you with whom I consulted and benefited from my input, I wish to thank you for your patronage. We are at the beginning  of a New Year. I still believe that all of your success and all … ...Read more

Christmas is just days away.  For me, the holidays feel more sedate this year. There seems to be more reflection, a deeper observation in the details of our world, the brief moments and small gestures that make life sound.  Observing the ornaments on my tree, and knowing that I began  to collect them 35 years ago, I manage to negotiate a trail of memories that defy the unknown terrain that many of us have been forced to confront in this difficult past year.  Focusing on what is instead of what is not can provide a form of poetry in our lives that can not be bought.  This was my general message when I was interviewed last week on Centanni Broadcasting digital web radio by Betsy Karp, health and wellness coach from Journey to the Answers.  She asked me how I came to write this blog and in our discussion, … ...Read more

What would you imagine that Christina Hendricks (aka Joan Holloway), the sassy femme fatale of the award winning TV series, Mad Men, is wearing under her iconic 1950’s dress?  My guess is this retro inspired slip  from On Gossamer.  I have become a real fan of this extraordinarily well written and superbly staged new drama that harks back to a time in history when women were just on the brink of claiming their own identities. Even though “Joanie” is introduced to the story as the sexpot office manager who knows her place, she evolves as the plot progresses into the critical administrative control in the company infrastructure.   Perhaps her lingerie gives her the sexy confidence to embrace who she is.

 Besides the fact that every single detail; props, costumes, and historical references included, is 100% true to the era, there is a very contemporary story being told.  Women … ...Read more

Last week I had the opportunity to see the very funny theatrical re-incarnation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film, The 39 Steps, at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway.  This award winning show manages to take an established dramatic thriller and re-invent it as a comical tour de force:  yet, it never deviates from the original script. Acknowledging several references to Hitchcock classics, this plot of espionage and murder is transformed into a brand new story by a cast of four extraordinary actors playing multiple roles at breakneck speed.  I also have to say that having Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton sitting six rows in front of me upped the whole energy level.   As the iconic Peter Allen lyrics profess, “Everything old is new again.”

The whole character of this matinee revival, pre war costumes and props included, reminds me of Wacoal’s new Retro Chic bra (855186) with its … ...Read more