“To Death Do Us Part” or so we hope when we speak our vows on our wedding day. For many women, this is the beginning of a much anticipated new phase of life and expectations run very high. Thus, the day becomes a pinnacle of celebration, the dress, the metaphor for all things beautiful that can happen in this most precious bond. Everything is elevated for the affair and lingerie … Read More
I just finished reading a terrific novel by Susan Wittig Albert: Loving Eleanor. Based on the letters written during the 30 year friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok (Hick), it is an historically seamed tale of two incredibly strong women forging new frontiers during one of the most volatile periods of our nation’s history: the Great Depression, the New Deal and WWII. Admired for their independent personalities and … Read More
I was only 20 years old when my sister was married at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan, but the litany of details that earmarked the occasion absolutely drove me crazy at the time. The piѐce de resistance was when my mother asked me to pick up the monogrammed dinner mints the day before. Upon opening the box, two of them were smudged and I was commissioned to return to the … Read More
I graduated college in 1972. Feminism was hurdling full speed into the dialog. I got the message, but couldn’t get into it. I was raised by parents who taught me to take care of myself; to never depend on another person for survival. My dad was never a princess dad. My mom demanded self-respect. It was about personal growth. They supported my creativity but schooled me to balance quality and … Read More
Chantelle & Cadolle
The Salon de la Lingerie is a large venue anchored by key French foundation brands and surrounded by labels with global distribution though not necessarily in North America. There is a great deal of showmanship. Lingerie is showcased as art. It can be very inspirational. For my part, the messages were not all that new, but they were there in force. The two standouts for me were … Read More
Here in Paris, things are status quo in January: a sea of markdowns overpowering retail everywhere.The Intimate Apparel floor at Bon Marché was right in sync There was absolutely nothing new in lingerie with the exception of a few fashion shots from bra brands. The one bright spot was cruise, whose color story often heralds the next season’s intimate apparel message. As usual, Erѐs set the pace. The palette was … Read More
I have been reading a great deal lately about generational profiles. Right now, the conversation is all about the Millennials; born and raised in a hi-tech culture, unfamiliar with the social shifts that formed their elders and not yet privy to the changes that will shape the future of their own descendants. For me, a baby boomer, growing up in the 60’s and beginning a career in the 70’s, fashion … Read More