VENICE HAS two things you notice right away: water and tourists. The major activity involves both, wherein the tourists take pictures of the water. I’ve been doing my share, and after just three days here I already have 388 photos of canals and lagoons—some with gondolas, some without, many with the moon reflected in the rippling water, others with the sun, as if there aren’t hundreds of books filled with the exact same photos that I could buy. But of course none of those have me in them.
Apparently the only way to really capture all the beauty, glamour and romance of this magical city with you in it is with a selfie stick. They are ubiquitous. Gondolas full of tourists glide by, and the occupants of the gondolas are not looking at the passing scenery, they are instead saying “cheese” (or possibly “formaggio”) at their iPhones perched on the ends of their selfie sticks. The stick allows them to get much more of the scenery in the photo, so when they get home and look at the pictures they can see a lot more of where they were.
I know what you’re thinking and yes, you’re right —I could buy one here. But then I’d have to carry it around, and at my age someone might mistake it for a cane, and that is simply not the look I’m going for. As it is, I’m taking pictures of the scenery without me in it, and hoping I’ll remember I was there.
Wisteria galloping across a roofline. / Photo by Stephanie Cavanaugh.
AH, THE WISTERIA. There’s scarcely a vine more covetable with its frills upon ruffles of purple or white pendants that mass and climb and frolic in the trees along phone lines and fences.
They loft such a heady scent, not cloying, simply pleasurable, a gentle whiff wafting on the slightest breeze speaking of spring.
Lovely they are when snipped as well, stuffed into a vase, though their droop needs to accompany something upright like the lilac (don’t get me started on lilacs) or tucked into sturdy greens, taming their draping habit.
Nevertheless, if you can think of anything to grow in its stead, do so. This is not a vine to be messed with, unless you enjoy devoting your life to the supervision of a single plant.
Caring not a whit about soil acidity or alkalinity, or much in the way of nourishment, they grow nearly wild, finding sun on their own, scrambling up and up, sometimes engulfing huge trees, grinning madly on their way. Anthropomorphism, be damned, they exhibit a near human mischievousness, popping up wherever, like it or not.
What they require is an attendant, an anal gardener permanently positioned with the clippers ready to whack at the slightest stray.
That’s what it takes to create those tamed specimens, the ones you see twirled around railings and across porch roofs, stretching just so. These are not for the amateur, or the lazy. Prune at the wrong time and pfft go the year’s blooms, but neglect the shearing and you’ll have a nightmare of sprawling canes, creeping along underground to emerge twenty feet from the mother ship, coiling up to throttle the mock orange or whatnot.
Sigh, I’m looking at that right now.
Wisteria is possibly the most ridiculously invasive vine you can plant and what’s worse, you might plant the wrong variety, something I’m horribly familiar with.
If it’s a flower bomb you want, adopt a Japanese variety, which explodes in flamboyant bloom and then turns green (with the occasional flower hither and thither throughout the summer). The Chinese wisteria, which I happen to have the misfortune of having, grows maniacally, smothering everything in its path, and gives off five flowers—in a good year. This year, as painful example, not a single blossom has emerged.
Which was not the thought, at all. The intention was to have a purple bower frolicking across the carriage house (aka garage) roof, meeting up with the climbing pink Queen Elizabeth rose on one side and nodding to the honeysuckle along the alley fence.
As it happens, the rose was gorgeous for a couple of years and then was throttled by the wisteria, and the honeysuckle —which one would think could hold its own against anything—fights a perpetually losing battle for primacy.
This has been going on for 36 summers. I suppose I should be thankful that the wisteria covers the garage (aka carriage house) roof so I’m not looking at a Princely storage dump of ladders and such—at least half the year.
Speaking of lilacs, oh right, I wasn’t speaking of them. Anyway. Treacherously tricky to grow this far south, you can still enjoy an overdose of heavenly lilac scent and blossom right now at the National Arboretum. This is not a major collection, it is said, and so is not listed on the peak bloom chart or the official map, but there is a grove of 650 or so trees, with more than 400 hybrids, unique to the grounds. That’s nothing to sniff at. Stand in their midst for a delirious sensation.
Also, note that azalea season is in full swing and the Arboretum has hillsides swamped with a rainbow of mammoth plants and their offspring. Next up? Roses. Ah, spring.
—Stephanie Cavanaugh
LittleBird “Stephanie Gardens” shares her horticultural adventures and misadventures with us every Thursday.
Designer Victoria Beckham recently took to the streets wearing this spring 2018 runway look in of-the-moment lavender.
In Phoebe Philo’s final spring collection for Celine, she takes the sweetness out of pastels with an asymmetrical-hem skirt and a long, oversize pink jacket.
A partnership between Puma and Sophia Webster begot this pale blue suede sneaker with fun yellow accent. Also available in pink with pink accent stripe. $96, bloomingdales.com.
Marc Jacobs’ metallic crewneck knit sweater is only available in a few sizes in both peach (shown above) and pale blue. $350, shopbop.com. The matching skirt is $350, too.
This lilac-colored rib-knit dress would help take the hassle out of packing. Look, ma, no wrinkles. $175, nordstrom.com.
See the world in Dior’s “So Real Pop” sunglasses ($395, neimanmarcus.com). Also available with blue or yellow lenses.
Keep your cool under the hottest of circumstances with Simon Miller’s pebbled leather bucket bag in splash. $590, nordstrom.com.
Indulge your feet with lush pink velvet sandals with laces that tie around the ankle ($550, gabrielahearst.com).
Joie’s cotton and linen pants with self-tie sash belt are made for casual summer dos and look smashing with white sneakers. $248, bloomingdales.com.
THIS WINTER went well past its expiration date with cold, damp days and even snow flurries, so what could be more cheerful than the sight of blush pink blouses, pale yellow jackets and lavender capris?
Fashion designers must have been prescient when they filled their runways with a parade of pastel fashions for spring 2018.
I can already hear the snorts and sneers from my NYC pals whose color of choice is black. Ice-cream shades for spring. How groundbreaking!
Park the cynicism. Take a look at Phoebe Philo’s spring collection for Celine—I’m talking about that pale-yellow asymmetric pleated skirt paired with a purple top underneath a long pink blazer and beige booties. Then there’s Gabriela Hearst’s pearl-pink satin evening pantsuit and sorbet yellow at Hermes.
Think of these pastel colors as a palette cleanser after all the somber hues of winter. Want to avoid the saccharine-sweet, prim associations? One answer: Think beyond the baby-blue twinset.
You can mix and stack pastel fashions very easily, just like a multi-scoop ice cream cone. Pair a persimmon halter top, pale-pink belted jacket and hot pink purse with jeans a la Brandon Maxwell. Victoria Beckham recently wore her own collection’s trouser suit in tonal lavender accented with celadon green pumps, dark tortoise sunglasses and a beige cross-body bag. Oft-photographed Amal Clooney topped off her cheetah-print dress with a powder-blue coat and fur collar, black stilettos, designer bag and oversize shades.
Still, if you can’t just see plunging into pink—or yellow–take a dip with an accessory. Sunglasses, sneakers, sandals and handbags come in plein-air pastels this season and can put a welcome shot of spring into your step.
—Janet Kelly
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I LOVE the protein bowl craze. Why wouldn’t I? I’ve always been a big fan of protein bowls, I just have had a different name for them. I call them chef salads and have been making my own versions since I was a kid. My salads started with base of lettuce mixed with various combinations of diced meats, cheese, vegetables, beans and hard-boiled eggs all mixed together with a vinaigrette.
As a kid, I loved them because it was a dinner I could customize to my taste—cubed ham, swiss cheese and cucumber was my favorite combination. As an adult, chef salads are a quick way to make use of leftovers and ingredients I always have on hand. If I have lettuce and some leftover steak, half a chicken, even just a can of tuna, I’ve got a start. The key is to build your salad with care. Start with a big, preferably shallow bowl. Add enough lettuce, torn or cut into small pieces, to cover the bottom of the bowl. Next, keep one basic rule in mind: Choose ingredients and themes that go together. Shrimp and cheddar are not a good combination, but shrimp and feta work. Combining shrimp, feta and chickpeas is going in the right direction. Add green beans and maybe some sliced, sweet bell pepper, drizzle on a lemon vinaigrette,and you’ve got a pretty good dinner.
Got chicken? Chicken, avocado and corn, maybe with some orzo and a herb-filled vinaigrette, perfect.
Steak, blue cheese, walnuts, white beans and blanched asparagus with a balsamic dressing make another great dinner, especially as the evenings get warmer.
And for my husband’s favorite, the classic chef salad is always a winner: a mix of diced ham, roast beef and turkey, swiss and cheddar cheeses, avocado, and diced hard-boiled eggs. Toss it all with a mustard-based vinaigrette, and he is very happy. It’s old-fashioned but still still tastes delicious. Sometimes he doesn’t even notice if I sneak in a few beans or chickpeas… .
—Stephanie Witt Sedgwick
LittleBird “Stephanie Cooks” gives us permission to do what’s necessary in the crazed family kitchen.
WE’VE GOT a new guy delivering our daily paper and it’s been a real drag. The last one had it here each morning at six by the latest, but this one shows up whenever he damn well pleases, or not at all, far too often. I caught a glimpse of him one morning as he sped off in his beater sedan with the loud muffler, looking bleary-eyed and only half-awake, and decided he’s either a drug dealer or a new father. Either way it’s none of my business, I just wish the paper arrived in time for my breakfast.
I’m no Einstein, but I’ve always thought that’s not a problem anyone would, or should, care about besides me. So I was surprised to read an article online about Kim Kardashian West losing five pounds on a stringent diet she’s undertaken to look her best at an impending black-tie gala. She’s got another five pounds to go to reach her goal, and with what little strength she has left she asked her 59,701,010 Twitter followers to “pray for me.”
Even though I have no Twitter account I do have this blog, and Kim’s request has emboldened me to ask my readers to pray for me later this week, specifically on Friday, when I fly to Venice on a 10-day holiday. Naturally, considering recent events, I am worried that I will be partially sucked out the window of the plane, then pulled back inside to no avail and die before reaching that magical city. My husband says because we have first-class seats that fold down into sleeping pods, that likely won’t happen. But what if it happens while I’m still sitting up? As my father always said, anything is possible.
While you’re down there on your knees, could you also pray for my cat? Lurch will be home alone with a pet-sitter who certainly will not go the extra mile and microwave his food for ten seconds like I do, which means he’ll have to eat it straight out of the can. He hates that. And of course, it almost goes without saying that a prayer for my paper to come earlier would be greatly appreciated.
THE PRINCE and I found ourselves unexpectedly in the land of pina coladas and crystal blue water last week and upon our return found early spring still in full roar. What a relief.
I thought when we left that we’d return to flopped tulips and completely miss the grand flowering of the kwanzan cherry tree, which by now would be a carpet of pink petals on the path to the carriage house (aka the garage). But here it all is, still in full bloom.
Huzzah for a chilly April.
The cherry this year is even more alarming than anticipated, winging its branches over the alley fence on the east. Or is that the west? I’m not particularly mindful about directions – preferring to just point, which I’m doing now, not that you’d notice.
In some other direction, maybe north, maybe south, anyway toward the house, it is smooshed up against the windows of my little second-floor greenhouse.
Underneath its branches, the aforesaid tulips are a riot of pink and purple, all up at once, defying the claims on the packages that said they’d arise early or late. It’s quite a sight.
With the risk of a frost so small at this point in the season, we’d carried down the various jasmines, the lemon, the maybe it’s a kiwi but I forget, the hibiscus, and other tropicals that had wintered over in the greenhouse. It seemed safe enough to plop them in the garden and cajole a neighbor into keeping an eye on the temperature, though what she would do short of splaying herself out on top of them if temperatures plummeted, I haven’t a clue.
This left me in the south with half an ear to the weather up north, which those who live in the south generally consider with smug glee, at least outside of hurricane season. Several announcements of late snows and frosts gloated down, initially causing some anxiety, but by day three I shrugged my shoulders and stuck my face back into the pages of my book.
Have you read any of Alexander McCall Smith’s novels? Start with the marvelously silly “44 Scotland Street” series. I defy anyone to stay gloomy after a chapter or two. This is, of course, is neither here nor there.
South Florida is a magical place for plants, things we (meaning I) covet and occasionally pay for pop up like weeds. Small palms grow thick in vacant lots. Bougainvillea in popsicle shades of incendiary brilliance romp up tree trunks and dance along phone lines.
Out for a walk one evening, we caught a whiff of splendid sweetness and stood with noses twitching for the source. A British woman in hot-pink shorts walking by with a large black dog of uncertain breed told us “they’re corn plants. They look like corn stalks.” I scratched my head, wondering if I needed subtitles. “They’re in there somewhere,” she added helpfully, circling an arm around a curbside jungle.
We found them in the morning and my my, didn’t I have one of these for decades. In fact I had one until just a few months ago when I “forgot” to bring it in from the cold. More pompously known as Dracaena Fragrans, it looked like a straggly palm that only Dr. Seuss could invent and after wasting who knows how many gallons of water it did nothing. Nothing. It scarcely even grew, not that I wanted to see more of it, but still.
Who knew the thing was actually capable of flowering? Not as a regular event indoors in the north (I find after three minutes of web research), but when it does, the blooms have a pungent scent, like jasmine on steroids. On reflection, after you’ve whiffed it for a few hours you can’t get the smell out of your head and you want to… how to say this politely…upchuck.
Well, that was a lengthy never mind, wasn’t it?
A couple of plants came back with us, a palm and a purple leafed thing growing along a roadside. Both were uprooted with an oops movement of my wrist, and wrapped in a damp bathing suit for the plane trip home. Amazing how shallow some roots are, how easily plants are plucked.
And now, back to here.
Last year, I do believe, I announced would be the perfect spring. When everything would manage to flower at once and remain for weeks in full bloom. This did not happen. A late frost did it in, destroying a season’s worth of hydrangeas for most of us, and nipping in the bud whatever was in bud.
A disaster.
Ah, but this year is something different. We are now well past the last frost date for DC, and the variety of blossoms is fabulous to see, lingering weeks longer than usual even as the roses and other May flowers get set to frolic.
It’s quite a show out there. Go forth and enjoy. They’re threatening summer temperatures in a few days, and spring will be kaput.
—Stephanie Cavanaugh
LittleBird “Stephanie Gardens” shares her horticultural aperçus with us every Thursday.
WHEN MY SON was a mere tot of three or four, he would sit in the back seat of our car as we drove through our neighborhood and proclaim, every so often and in a somber tone, “That house is haunted!” At first we were alarmed, and also a bit proud, speculating that perhaps Zack had special powers. Was he a modern-day oracle? It sure would be handy to have one in the family. But then so many houses were supposedly haunted it seemed impossible, especially when he would declare, “All the houses on this street are haunted!”
Eventually we understood that in Zack’s mind, a house where nobody was home and all the lights were off was a haunted house. How funny! We laughed, and explained that the people were just away, at work or on vacation, and that the houses were perfectly fine and not haunted at all. He remained unconvinced, sticking to his assessment that things were just not kosher in certain homes. Now I’m not so sure he wasn’t onto something, because the house across the street from us has been empty for five months and it is clear to me that it is indeed haunted.
It used to be Polly’s House, where she lived with her cheerful dog Bailey and was visited often by her children and grandchildren. Sometimes Gracie the bulldog who belonged to one of Polly’s kids came to stay for a few days. Those were fun times. I loved Gracie. But then Polly moved, having sold her house to a couple who have yet to show up.
All the windows are dark. The house just sits there, all alone in snow, wind, rain, ice and sleet — unoccupied and unloved. There’s never a cheerful light twinkling from within, suggestive of a big pot of soup simmering on the stove and a fire in the fireplace, with maybe an adorable doggie running around chewing the furniture, or possibly a child having a bath before being tucked into bed. It’s just dead space.
Even worse, it’s freaking me out! Who wants to live across the street from an empty gray hulk? And just what is the story with these people? Why buy a giant house and never move into it? I met the new owners at our neighborhood Christmas party last December and they seemed normal enough, despite giving their names as “Bruce” and “Brenda” with no last names. That sounds mighty suspicious, like they made them up on the way to the party. Are they meth heads? (I watched five episodes of “Breaking Bad,” and it changed me.)
I should ask Zack to come over and take a look and see what he thinks. He’s 30 now and his skills have likely been perfected over the years.
IT’S HARD to imagine an actor, let alone a female actor who recently turned 51, who has had such a good run in the past year: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” on the big screen and HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” for which she won a Golden Globe for her performance as Renata Klein. (The series is slated to return in 2019; we can’t wait.) And let’s not forget she also played Laura Evans in the TV revival of “Twin Peaks.”
Most of us aren’t under the critical eye of the public, so maybe we can learn something from a woman who must constantly dress for an audience, on the red carpet and even on the street.
Laura Dern at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. / Photo by George Frey / EPA / REX / Shutterstock.
NANCY: The fashion industry is more to blame for this unfortunate outfit than Dern is. Bottega Veneta showed it for Spring 2017, but at least Dern had the good sense to wear a bra underneath the semi-sheer top! (The runway model didn’t.) I guess small-busted women can get away with this visible-underwear look, but really, must they? Teens and tweens, maybe; grownup girls, not so much.
JANET: Dern looks great in this color. And that’s about the extent of my compliments. I agree with Nancy about the wisdom of wearing a black bra under a sheer knit top. But also, what’s up with this ill-fitting shiny leather skirt? It makes me think Bottega Veneta should stick to its knitting—fabulous handbags.
KATHY: Bleh. The skirt looks like plastic to me, and to my eye the reds simply don’t work together. And, like my co-LittleBirds, I just don’t get the impulse to bare the bra. However, I’ve always been charmed by Dern’s quirkiness. She makes me think of the girlfriend who’s always falling to pieces, but in a good off-the-wall way. Perhaps her innate quirkiness got the best of her with this ensemble.
Laura Dern at a Primetime Emmy Awards reception, September 2017./ Photo by MediaPunch / REX / Shutterstock.
NANCY: I think this Jonathan Simkhai dress is an example of a grownup girl adapting the skin-is-in trend without sacrificing her dignity. All those little slits in the knit ruffles suggest skin rather than really exposing it. (Maybe it’s even a bit too demure, but it’s certainly elegant.) Of course, Dern doesn’t have an ounce of fat on her, but it’s the kind of illusion many of us could seek out. (In which case, the dressing room mirror will be your best friend—and your cellphone for that all-important rear view!)
JANET: A very flattering silhouette. No obvious bumps or lumps. Good shapewear probably helps, but then again, so does a well-toned body. I like the ruffles; they’re fanciful and feminine. But those little cutouts are overkill in my book. And those shoes, Laura, they are just wrong with this dress.
NANCY: Yikes, now that you point out the shoes, Janet, I gotta agree. In fact, I doubt those shoes look good with much of anything. They look like elves’ slippers.
KATHY: The cell phone thing never occurred to me!!!!! Genius. I think this dress is rather sweet and matches Dern’s expression. But like Janet, not wild about the cutouts. Although these are the least offensive cutouts I’ve seen, and I give Dern props for that choice. Although it does look a bit like the dress is melting. I blame Donna Karan for this cutout mania. And I’ll never forgive her. The cold-shoulder gown Karan did for Hillary Clinton in 1993 is the first time I remember the cutout cutting in. It’s such a gimmick, in my opinion, and I’ve yet to see an attractive example. Harumph!
Laura Dern, dressed for her appearance on “Good Morning America” in December 2017. / Photo by Broadimage / REX/ Shutterstock.
NANCY: Elegant without a loss of comfort, now there’s a worthy goal. I think it’s the pale monochrome tone here that elevates this trouser suit to the level of “dressy.” My only quibble is my usual anti-pussy-cat-bow stance. Those “self” ties probably look fine when you first tie them looking in the mirror; after that, it’s all bets off. They droop, they untie, they head south when you’re heading west—you get my point. Why not a simple necklace, elegant or sporty?
JANET: Not a bold look, but one that I think a lot of us could see ourselves wearing.I’m with Nancy about the lovely pale pink color of the pantsuit. And the cut is perfect. The wisp of a bow around her neck doesn’t detract and doesn’t make her look dowdy like one of those big pussy bows can. It’s just a flowy strip of fabric that softens the lines of the suit.
KATHY: I love this suit. Dern looks so pretty in pink. Her shoe choice is perfect. The neutral pumps and stockings finish the look perfectly.
NANCY: This gown is classic Hollywood glamour! I can just see Carole Lombard in it–in fact, I think I have, but it was a shiny silk satin, if memory serves. Here’s one time when I think the flutter of a sleeve really works. A lot of us could make that work–though I don’t think many of us grownup girls want to slit the bodice quite down to THERE!
JANET: The “Big Little Lies” star stole the Academy Awards show in this clean, crisp dress designed by Raf Simons for Calvin Klein couture. The fitted but easy-going shape fits Dern’s lanky body; the bell shoulder on one side works because it draws the eye to her face and sexy-looking Veronica Lake hair. Jewelry by Atelier Swarovski and a mirrored clutch are the only accents for the streamlined, minimal silhouette. Well done.
KATHY: Oh, she looks so pretty! So girly. So glam. I’m definitely not a fan of those peek-a-boo shoulders a la Donna Karan, but this dress boasts something altogether different and I’m totally on board. Love those fluttery little wings. I wonder if it would be overkill to dress both shoulders that way. Too much maybe?
Arriving at the London premiere of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” December 2017. / Photo by Richard Young / REX / Shutterstock.
NANCY: This frothy confection is from Alexander McQueen, but this kind of Cinderella-at-the-ball dress drives me crazy. Maybe the wearer feels as though she’s in a fantasy, but I find the look infantilizing. (And I seem to have been the only woman on the planet who didn’t love the Jason Wu gown Michelle Obama wore at the first Obama inauguration either—all those little tufts of things stuck everywhere.) All that said, the line is lovely, and Dern looks gorgeous in it. But whatever that black is down under the gown—black boots? black shoes and hose?—I don’t think it bodes well.
JANET: You’re not the only one. I didn’t like Michelle Obama’s Jason Wu gown either. I like this McQueen worn here by Dern just about as much. And, those boots. Ugh.
KATHY: Oh, come on, you guys. I think it’s pretty. Infantilizing, really? It just strikes me as very feminine. And I don’t mind a little froth from time to time. Don’t really get the boots, though. I’d like to ask her about those.
Laura Dern on her way to appear, with rest of the “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” cast, on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show in Los Angeles, December 2017. / Photo by REX/Shutterstock.
NANCY: I’m not sure what I think about this outfit. Turns out Dern was on her way to a TV appearance, so she isn’t necessarily a member of the Daytime Sequins movement. But the subdued black top seems somehow too . . . subdued. Tamping down the glam effect of all that glitz is probably the right move for most of us, but maybe a jewel-tone top could have pulled this off better (to my eye, anyway). Something to ponder.
JANET: That black hue and fabric of this top don’t measure up to her splashy sequin skirt. It is sleeveless, however, and when she takes it off for the show, she reveals arms that are svelte and buff. Still, the skirt requires something more dressy. Fashion magazines and blogs all advocate pairing plain with glitzy, but not when you’re appearing on an evening show with the entire “Star Wars” cast.
KATHY: I don’t get the choice of top either. Maybe it would have worked better had she worn the black boots shown in the frothy pink gown photo. Perhaps it’s a Jedi thing.
Asian Culture and American Design at the Smithsonian Craft Show
For an April 29 lecture at the Smithsonian Craft Show, textile scholar Ann Marie Moeller will discuss the kimono’s history and decode how it communicates information such as social class, marriage status, age, education, religious beliefs and a sense of humor through its design and patterns. / Photo courtesy of Anne Marie Moeller.
THE FOUR-DAY Smithsonian Craft Show is just two weeks away from its April 26 opening at the National Building Museum. Through the work of 120 American artists, the show will focus on the theme of how Asian art and culture have influenced contemporary American crafts and design.
Not only do attendees have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the artists, see imaginative work and score one-of-a-kind treasures, the cost of a ticket to the show includes craft demonstrations, a chance to enter a raffle to win a porcelain vase valued at $22,000, plus lectures and panel discussions on Japanese and Chinese art.
Japanese textile scholar Ann Marie Moeller has collected kimono since her student years at Harvard. / Photo courtesy of Ann Marie Moeller.
The lecture schedule includes “The Art of Ikebana Floral Design” (Friday, April 27, at 1:30pm). Bruce Wilson, a professor of comparative literature at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, who spends summers in Kyoto, Japan, studying the art of Japanese flower arranging, will demonstrate the ancient art, which dates back to the seventh century.
University of Pennsylvania professor Julie Nelson Davis will explain the history behind “Japanese Woodblock Prints and Painting” (Saturday, April 28, at 1:30pm), an art form that flourished from the 17th to 19th centuries, using the expressive images of kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers.
In her seminar “Japanese Kimono Textile Crafts” (Sunday, April 29, 1:30pm), Japanese textile scholar Ann Marie Moeller will decode kimonos. She’ll discuss how, thanks to skilled artisans, kimonos often rise to the level of art, as textile production continues to be a revered craft in Japan. Many of the labor-intensive textile crafts still used to make modern garments have also inspired American textile craftspeople to create unique interpretations of this Asian garment.
Get your ticket for the show in advance and shave $3 off the price. The National Building Museum is located at 401 F Street NW. The nearest metro is Judiciary Square. Hours: Thursday, April 26, 10:30am. to 8pm.; Saturday, April 28, 10:30am to 5:30pm and Sunday, April 29, 11am to 5pm.
I’M HEADING to Europe for two weeks this summer on a vacation that will be part beach, part city. Recent trips have convinced me that the Orvis carry-on I bought 10 years ago, though still quite serviceable, will be too unwieldy to lug for this jaunt, which will require more getting into and out of planes, trains and automobiles than previous journeys.
So, last week I spent an hour and change in a branch of a specialty luggage.com store looking for the ideal way (the least amount of pain and suffering) to haul my belongings across the ocean. Luckily, a patient saleswoman advised me about the pros and cons of the new options in luggage and opened suitcase after suitcase for me to explore, weigh and wheel. Although I’m the kind of person who thinks if she may need something, she packs it, I realized my best bet was going to be a carry-on.
By the way, if you haven’t bought luggage in say, the last 10 to 20 years, things have changed – for several reasons, among them: September 11, airlines’ restrictions on baggage weight and dimensions and fees for checked luggage. Lightweight bags are the gold standard as are wheels.
According to Travel & Leisure, the first wheeled carry-on debuted about 25 years ago, and today’s most cutting-edge luggage, says Travel Goods Association president Michele Marini Pittenger, “reflects its continuing evolution with more functional, lighter bags and improved-upon, game-changing options.”
A significant moment in that evolution came in 2000, when Rimowa introduced the first suitcase made of polycarbonate, which was lighter than aluminum and very durable. Other luggage manufacturers soon followed suit. Then, four years later, Samsonite re-invented the wheel with a four-wheeled suitcase that could be pushed, pulled and spun in any direction.
New bags on the market incorporate bells and whistles like compression systems and a mechanism for separating laundry. One new model has a portable battery that you can pop out to power your phone without having to cozy up to an outlet.
Unfortunately, you can’t have all the features you’d like in one carry-on, at least I can’t. For example, what you gain in mobility from four wheels you lose in overall packing area, so while my Orvis two-wheeler has more overall space than a prospective new carry-on, it weighs 10.4 pounds. Sigh. To make decisions more complicated, foreign and domestic airlines have different size requirements ( the latter is slightly more generous).
I finally chose the 21 inch-by 14-inch-by-8.5-inch Tumi Super Leger International Carry On, which weighed in at 7.5 pounds. Although I found the looks of the hard-sided models very appealing, I couldn’t get past the fact that there were no outside pockets where I could stuff things into that I needed quick access to. Rimowa does offer a hard-side bag with the outside pockets of a soft bag, but it was a couple of hundred dollars more than I wanted to spend.
If you, too, have an upcoming trip or two, here are some more carry-on bags that captured our attention. As for how I’m possibly going to pack the bag I chose, well, that’s another story.
—Janet Kelly
Rimowa’s Salsa Air Ultralight Cabin Multiwheel, made of polycarbonate, comes in ice blue, violet, red and black. It’s the lightest of our choices, at 4.2 pounds. A telescoping handle locks into any height position. $495 at department stores and specialty luggage stores.
Tumi’s Super Leger International Carry On, at 7.5 pounds, won me over with its nylon, compact wheeled case with leather trim, adjustable-height telescoping handle, four smooth-rolling wheels and an easy-access front zip pocket. $407.99, bloomingdales.
Victorinox’s Spectra 2.0 Expandable Global Carryon ($389.99, zappost), made of polycarbonate, weighs 6.8 pounds. A zippered expansion system gives you more capacity while staying compliant with most airline regulations. Maneuverable, dual-sided wheels on each of the base’s four corners.
From luggage maker Genius, a bag that comes with a packing checklist, labeled compartments for devices, a portable battery pack for recharging and a compartment for storing your laundry, which compresses into the bag’s wall and then zips out. $266, geniuspack.com.
Brics’ Firenze 21-inch carry-on rolling duffle bag ($725, bricstore) weighs 7.9 pounds. It only has two wheels, so the interior has more capacity. Made of durable, easy-to- clean PVC with tan leather trim.
Lipault’s Dazzling Plume Spinner ($200, lipault-usa.com), made of strong, lightweight (6.6 pounds) polycarbonate, features a zippered compartment to add 2 inches to the interior of the suitcase.
Louis Vuitton trunks are legendary; its more modern rolling luggage is sturdily built, lightweight (5.7 pounds) and comes with four wheels. For buyers with deep pockets, $3,700, us.louisvuitton.com. Interested? It’s currently out of stock online.
The Delsey Chatelet Carry-On Spinner gets points for good looks. Made from polycarbonate, it weighs 9.3 pounds and features a braking system that locks the two front wheels to prevent runaway baggage. $249.99, shop.delsey.com.
Briggs & Riley’s Expandable Spinner ($549, briggs-riley), made of ballistic nylon, is compact and relatively lightweight (8.4 pounds) with four spinner wheels. An expandable main compartment with interior pockets for organization. Other features: a TSA lock, cushioned top handle and a large U-zip front pocket.
Away’s four-wheeled, 7.3-pound, hard-sided, 22-inch carry-on has zippered and compression dividers to stay organized inside, TSA-approved locks and an unbreakable exterior. Also, a built-in USB charger, removable to comply with airlines’ new battery regulations. Awaytravel.com, $225.
MyLittleBird often includes links to products we write about. Our editorial choices are made independently; nonetheless, a purchase made through such a link can sometimes result in MyLittleBird receiving a commission on the sale, whether through a retailer, an online store or Amazon.com.
THERE’S AN OLD saying along the lines of, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Sitting down to write today’s post, I suddenly realized that if I followed that suggestion this blog would not exist. This realization made me feel ashamed. So to make up for all the things I have written that mocked, cajoled, criticized, complained, and other words like that, today I will write only about the good things in the world.
Comet Cleanser: It really works! It’s amazing. I guess it’s the bleach, but whatever it is, you just sprinkle a little on your tub, kitchen sink, in fact any tiled surface, and rub it with a wet sponge and in seconds it’s sparkling clean. I appreciate it since so many products do not live up to their claims.
Lorazepam: I just love it! I hope I am not becoming addicted, and I just take the tiniest dose once a day to counteract my anxiety and keep my blood pressure from hitting the high notes, but it certainly makes everything seem a lot better. It takes about 20 minutes to work, and for such a small pill it does the job all day long, which is surprising. I don’t understand why all those addicts who ruin their lives with heroin and opiates don’t just take a teeny little Lorazepam and be done with it.
My son: I guess most people feel this way about their kids, but my son is just about the best person I know. He’s beautiful to look at, very interesting to talk to, incredibly smart about a wide range of things I otherwise would never even have heard of, and is the funniest person I know personally. Really, he cracks me up constantly, especially when he does his “Maine accent.” Besides telling me that butter doesn’t have to be refrigerated, which has basically changed my life, he gave us his cat, and I love that cat.
Cats: Nobody knows for sure, and everyone has their own idea on the subject, but I’m guessing that God is a cat. Cats have the best take on life. They eat, sleep, enjoy the great outdoors and are very loving. Except for the going in and out so many times a day, they ask for so little and give so much in return.
The Philadelphia Eagles: I just love that they beat the Patriots in the Superbowl!
My house: It’s perfect. Besides being pretty, everything is just the right size. I love how the garage is just off the kitchen, and throwing out the trash does not require me to put on shoes and a coat like our last house. And there’s a hot tub which we use all year, not so much in summer but definitely in a snowstorm! I guess it would be fabulous if we lived right on the beach and overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, but then I would worry about tsunamis so in a way it’s perfect that we are situated a mile from the water, on a high ridge.
My car: I drive an Audi and it is the greatest. I just get in and go. I’ve never had the slightest bit of trouble with it. It’s the fastest car on the road when I want it to be, like when I’m at a traffic light and want to get ahead of some truck in the next lane, or when I merge onto the highway. The heater works in seconds, and I can talk on the phone hands-free. Except for it being German which I can’t go into here since I vowed not to say anything bad about anyone or anything —i.e. Hitler, the Holocaust, bratwurst—it’s flawless.
Coffee: Where would we be without it? I know some people don’t drink it, but for me it is the reason to get up in the morning. It’s also a nice break when I’m working on a painting and get stuck; I just go make some coffee and when I get back to my studio, it all makes sense. I never run out of coffee. I think I’ll have some right now.
Nancy McKeon and I took the bag test by laying out our stash on our beds. Even though mine took up only a single bed, I realize it’s time to prune my evening bag supply.
Nancy has collected some heavyweight bags, including a Birkin, a Kelly and a Judith Leiber. Something’s gotta go, though, so she has room for one of those adorable belt bags and maybe another Nancy Gonzalez.
TRY THIS little experiment: Haul out your handbags and lay them on a queen-size bed (see above). Do they take up the whole bed or most of it? If so, it’s time for some spring pruning.
But first a short primer on the handbag styles you should have in your wardrobe—if you don’t already —or if you want to refresh the stock you own.
Take a look at our picks for adding to your handbag arsenal or updating it.
—Janet Kelly
Totes are an essential. They’re the ones I use every day to carry my yellow pads, small note pads and pens, as well as some personal items and makeup, which I stash in smaller inside bags. Totes come in slightly structured styles in leather, such as Aquatalia’s cognac carryall or in more informal fabrics like canvas or raffia. Unlike a top-handle bag, which frequently only has one or two short handles and is closed across the top, totes have two handles and are easy to get into and out of.
Left: Lanvin’s Mini Cabas Bag comes in “lipstick” and fuchsia at Lanvin (reduced to $725) and in this gorgeous blue lambskin at Farfetch, reduced to $1,015). It comes with a shoulder strap should you decide to use it as a crossbody bag. The hardware on the bottom of the tote protects your investment.
Right: Madewell’s sturdy Canvas Transport Tote with leather handles ($58, Nordstrom) and interior zip pocket can take the abuse your daily adventures will give it. Shown in British Surplus, it also comes in Acorn and Black Sea.
This pebbled leather Medium Carryall with magnetic closure (and a zipper) from Aquatalia ($695) comes in a lovely cognac color. The protective tabs on the bottom of the bag offer some buffer from wear and tear.
Crossbodies: Saddle bags, messenger bags, shoulder bags can all be considered cross-body if they have a long adjustable strap. When you don’t have much to carry and need to be hands-free (like walking the dog), a small cross-body fills the bill. It’s ideal for running errands, plus a small cross-body makes for the perfect going-out bag in the evening; it keeps your wallet and phone safely stashed, and you don’t have to put it down anywhere if you prefer not to.
Left: Mansur Gavriel’s olive -green Mini Flap Leather Crossbody Bag, with beige canvas interior, looks like a wardrobe work horse. There are a few left at Neiman Marcus for $525. Bergdorf Goodman also has it in black for $495.
Right: Head to the party with Diane von Furstenberg’s Fringe Soirée suede convertible crossbody trimmed in swingy fringe ($398, Nordstrom). The compact cut offers enough room for essentials.
Backpacks: Well-Being Editor Mary Carpenter swears by backpacks. They’re not for everyone, but in their favor, says Carpenter, “wearing a bag on one side, especially on the occasions when it gets heavy (when traveling), throws off my balance . . . and for my back, because of a little ‘adult onset scoliosis,’ I don’t want anything affecting one side of my body differently than the other. They are slightly inconvenient for getting things out of if there’s no place to rest the bag like next to a cash register—or going through a ticket line to board an airplane…. It’s easier to get whatever I need out before I’m standing there fishing around awkwardly. I also like having a front pocket that has just essentials—money and credit cards, so I know where they are. That saves some fishing around! Also, best to avoid leather because it makes everything heavier.” If you’re in the market, new compact styles look downright chic.
MZ Wallace’s Metro Backpack ($245, MZ Wallace) checks all the boxes for a traveling companion with lots of compartments, zippered pockets and room for a water bottle on each side. The quilting gives the nylon fabric some interest and the straps are padded and comfy. The Metro comes in almost a dozen colors.
Left: Far from your everyday backpack, Manu Atelier’s backpack in suede ($465, farfetch.com) is petite. The side-zipped pockets look convenient for stashing the stuff you need to get your hands on in a hurry. Right: I’m not a fan of Longchamp nylon bags, but this backpack ($495, nordstrom) appeals in part because it’s leather and also because it’s small—for those times when you don’t want or need to carry a lot but still prefer hands-free.
Belt bags: According to an eBay report on cultural milestones, popular pieces from the ‘80s and ‘90s (Adidas Superstars, Champion sweatshirts and fanny packs) are having a renaissance. In particular, the fanny pack showed a strong presence on spring 2018 runways. They’re such a far cry in style from the original ’90s version, you may just want to try one on. Not only have they improved exponentially in appearance, think of the practical value. Even when you’re going from room to room in your own home, if you kept your cell phone in a belt around your waist, you wouldn’t have to waste time looking all over for it.
Above: Snap Wandler’s Anna belt bag (now $500 in pale color-block variations at Netaporter) on your waist and be the coolest kid in the class. Barneys also has it in poppy red for $500. Below: Fanny packs have never looked as good. For fall, Boyy’s Devon Belt Bag comes in black or purple leather with a suede interior ($595, modaoperandi) and will stow your lipstick, cards or cell in the front pocket.
Clutches: The antithesis of hands-free, clutches are not the most practical for daily use. Although I’m quite fond of how sleek an oversized style looks tucked under an arm. Clutches provide more capacity and are shaped more like an envelope than a minaudière or box clutch. A minaudière is an accessory to evening wear in which you’re lucky to fit a lipstick and keys. Think Judith Leiber’s jeweled beauties.
Left: Slip your hand through the jeweled embellishment on Sophia Webster’s clutch (only one left at $346, Farfetch) and still have use of your fingers to pick up a cocktail or use the wrist strap to dangle the clutch from your hand.
Right: Clare V.’s clutch in black suede, decorated with dozens of tiny gold stars, folds over to make it more compact and easy to carry, with enough space for cell phone, cardholder and keys. Now $164.50 at Netaporter.
Below: Judith Leiber Couture’s eyeglasses-shaped minaudière, beaded with Austrian crystals, in champagne or silver color (now $3,746 at Neiman Marcus).
MyLittleBird often includes links to products we write about. Our editorial choices are made independently; nonetheless, a purchase made through such a link can sometimes result in MyLittleBird receiving a commission on the sale, whether through a retailer, an online store or Amazon.com.
Melissa Stiles works in hand-pigmented resin, laser cut stainless steel, brushed aluminum, powder-coated enamel, and silver.
Min Chiu’s ruffly, colorful scarves are available in museum stores, including DC’s Renwick Gallery.
Kristina Logan is known in the craft world as “The Dot Queen” for her circles that are painstakingly drawn and placed by hand on her glasswork.
Kat Cole makes one-of-a-kind objects, including architectural-looking necklaces and brooches, out of porcelain enamel and steel.
Mary Jaeger’s softly textured cotton knit jacket is embellished with shibori circles on the left hip and on the right elbow.
Thea Fine weaves tiny glass beads of different colors together and then pairs them with gem stones.
Wiwat Kamolpornwijit’s preferred medium for his organic jewelry is clay.
MARK YOUR calendar for April 26. That’s when the four-day 36th annual Smithsonian Craft Show arrives at DC’s National Building Museum. The well-respected event will feature 120 of the country’s best craft artists, chosen from roughly 1,000 applicants. The works on display and for sale include jewelry, wearable art, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, leather, metal, paper and wood. First-timers, you’re in for an eye-opening treat. If you’re a regular, note that this will be the first time the show will explore the influence of Asian culture on American crafts. Both serious collectors and casual visitors will find one-of-a-kind works of art in all price ranges. In the past, some of our favorite pieces have come from jewelry and wearable artists, and this year, we’re looking forward to seeing the creations of eight new artists in these media.
Here’s a preview of what to expect from these newbies.
JEWELRY
Dallas, Texas-based Kat Cole gets ideas for her materials from city buildings, translating industrial-associated porcelain enamel and steel to the intimate scale of jewelry. Wiwat Kamolpornwijit forms every piece of clay jewelry by hand and then layers, engraves and weaves the pieces into floral and abstract necklaces and earrings. “Beads, says Kristina Logan, are part of my lifelong fascination with art and ornamentation.” She incorporates her precisely patterned and delicate glass beads into brooches and pendants and other glass objects, including intricately decorated candlesticks. After a career in national health policy, Thea Fine returned to her first love: creating jewelry with tiny glass beads. She sews them together with a needle and thread and then pairs them with crystals, semiprecious stones or found objects to form bracelets and the like with unique texture and color. Melissa Stiles makes modern jewelry that combines her architectural training with industrial materials and processes. The result: a collection of minimal, durable jewelry in cheerful colors with bold graphic designs.
WEARABLE ART
Min Chiu uses a variety of techniques to manipulate, hand dye, hand paint and hand pleat her silk scarves. NYC-based Mary Jaegeris passionate about color, texture and pattern. She is a fan of simple silhouettes, classic natural fibers and hand-crafted details. Old-fashioned doublets and tunics inspire Mary Stackhouse’s designs of contemporary fleece garments with a distinctly sculptural look.
Smashing in shocking pink, this Burberry high-gloss coat is a scene stealer. $1,995, burberry.com.
For her 2018 spring collection for Celine, Phoebe Philo played with volume for her innovative double-layered silk and cotton trench coat. celine.com.
RedValentino riffs on the classic with this part cape, part jacket double-breasted topper with ruffle hem. $850, saksfifthavenue.com.
A very military interpretation from Mango in a khaki green. $169.99, mango.com.
This is aptly named the throwback trench, and I couldn’t agree more. This tobacco-colored coat looks similar to one I owned 20 years ago and wish I still had. $625, shop.harpersbazaar.com.
I’d be willing to break away from my comfort zone in this long windbreaker from Belgian designer Sophie D’Hoore, who trained as a dentist before going into fashion. $617, farfetch.com.
Massimo Dutti clothing, especially jackets and coats, gives you a lot of bang for the buck. Attention to detail and quality of construction are admirable at any price point. Camel trench, $250, massimodutti.com.
Made of faux leather with a glossy shine, Asos’s trench is a chic reboot of an old-fashioned slicker. $119, asos.com.
Rain-resistant and windproof, G1 Goods’ oversized nylon anorak with a hood checks the boxes on practical. $225, store.g1goods.com.
For those times when you require a more softly tailored look, this silky, lightweight trench with a draped fit fills the bill. $795, coach.com.
FORGET THE weather. The arrival of Daylight Savings Time has turned on the spring switch in my head. If my mother were around, we’d hop in the car and head to Loehmann’s in search of a spring coat for me and a suit for her. Those days are sadly gone, but that reflex to shop for a new coat remains.
Although spring toppers in jolly pastels are sweet, I’m in a more practical mood—for a coat that’s not only good-looking but also functional, as in keeps me dry and protected in unpredictable weather. And feeling some closet nostalgia for the trench coats of Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and Catherine Deneuve in “Belle de Jour.” Although Hepburn’s famous little black dress was designed by the late, great Givenchy, her Burberry trench is as memorable in the film as Deneuve’s Yves Saint Laurent’s black patent one in the Luis Buñuel classic.
While I’m a sucker for traditional, I’m also open to other options—in shape and style. Like the most stylish anorak ever that Charlotte Rampling wore in “45 Years.” Of course, that could well be Rampling’s famous attitude. But never mind, enough talk.
See the photos above for ideas on classic and not-as-classic spring coat buys.
—Janet Kelly
MyLittleBird often includes links to products we write about. Our editorial choices are made independently; nonetheless, a purchase made through such a link can sometimes result in MyLittleBird receiving a commission on the sale, whether through a retailer, an online store or Amazon.com.
Left to right, costumes worn by Octavia Spencer as Zelda Fuller and Sally Hawkins as Elisa Esposito in ballgown and red coat and shoes. A fan of old movies, Sally Hawkins’s character brightens in her pair of vivid red shoes and vintage ballgown (for a dream sequence with her fantastical fish). / Photo by Alex J. Berliner / ABImages.
Left to right, costumes worn by Dan Stevens as Beast and Emma Watson as Belle. “Beauty and the Beast’s” costume designer Jacqueline Durran, said to be inspired by 18th-century French fashion, created more than 500 ensembles for the Disney movie. / Photo by Alex J. Berliner / ABImages.
Left to right, costumes worn by Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill and Lily James as Elizabeth Layton. The somber-colored clothes in “Darkest Hour” reflect the troubled times in England in the days before and during the evacuation of Dunkirk. / Photo by Alex J. Berliner / ABImages.
Left to right, costumes worn by Vicky Krieps as Alma, Lesley Manville as Cyril Woodcock, Vicky Krieps as Alma, Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock. Mark Bridges took home the Costume Design Oscar for the fashion-focused “Phantom Thread.” / Photo by Alex J. Berliner / ABImages.
Left to right, costumes worn by Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and Ali Fazal as Abdul Karim In “Victoria & Abdul.” Queen Victoria’s heavy black dresses get relief from an abundance of jewelry and sashes. Abdul’s are light and airy. / Photo by Alex J. Berliner / ABImages.
Costumes worn by Saoirse Ronan as Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson. Although not nominated in the costume-design category, the lead character in “Lady Bird” expresses her individuality
by wearing vintage pieces instead of the Juicy Couture velour that was popular in the early 2000s. / Photo by Alex J. Berliner / ABImages.
Left to right, costumes worn by Lily Cole as Party Girl, Canto Bight Guest – Male, Canto Bight Guest – Female, Elite Praetorian Guard and Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa. Even though “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” didn’t get a nominee nod, hosannas for the samurai-inspired guards in all red. / Photo by Alex J. Berliner / ABImages.
THE 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS show is history, and we all know who took away the coveted statuettes. But if you still have Oscar fever, all five nominees for costume design are featured in the exhibit “Art of Motion Picture Costume Design” at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM). You’ll have to go to Los Angeles to see it, but you have until April 7 to appreciate the creativity of Jacqueline Durran for “Beauty and the Beast” and “Darkest Hour,” award winner Mark Bridges for “Phantom Thread,” Luis Sequeira for “The Shape of Water” and Consolata Boyle for “Victoria & Abdul.” More than 125 costume designs from more than 25 films released in 2017 are on view.
Each one of these designers had to get into the head of the film’s character(s) and explain to audiences how each character’s clothing reflects who he or she is — frequently during a particular time period. (Think the late 1950s colorful, matched outfits of Miriam in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the ’70s prints and shirtwaists of Katharine Graham in The Post.)
British designer Jaqueline Durran got the nod for two very different films. Befitting a Disney fairy tale, Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” wears a floaty, tiny-waisted, sunshine-colored ballgown in a dance with the prince/beast. Wrestling with the evacuation of Dunkirk, Gary Oldman’s Churchill dons somber, dark-colored 1940s suits, but they’re often punctuated with a natty bow-tie.
Fashion itself plays a key role in Phantom Thread for which Oscar winner Bridges created about 50 costumes, including a runway collection filled with rich colors, heavy fabric, velvet, satin and lots of lace. All were built from scratch in couture fashion using plain muslin for mockups and then final versions with the actual fabric.
In the 1963 Cold War world of “The Shape of Water,” Sally Hawkins’ character wears green lab coats for her custodial job, mixed in with her off-duty Peter Pan collars and pleated skirts. A fan of old movies, she owns a pair of toe-tapping bright red shoes and in a fantasy sequence dons a vintage ballgown (similar to one worn by Ginger Rogers in “Top Hat”).
Consolata Boyle makes Victoria’s otherwise dull black clothing shine with jewelry and decoration, as anyone who has seen Masterpiece’s Victoria knows she was extremely fond of. As Abdul becomes accepted as an equal by the queen, his royal guard clothing morphs into the traditional attire of his native country.
The exhibition free and is open through Saturday, April 7, 2018. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm.
Can’t make it to LA? See some of the photos from the exhibit just above.
Fringe: I like a little fringe—it’s a fun embellishment on handbags, for sure. But when it takes over the whole outfit, well, it’s too much of a much, unless you’re a hula dancer or want a flapper costume. Rachel Comey’s $595 skirt is sold out on modaoperandi.com.
Tiny Sunglasses: Who ever thought this was a good idea? Sunglasses are meant to protect the wearer from those evil UV rays. Perhaps a cool look for supermodels and Rihanna. Or channeling Keanu Reeves in “The Matrix.” $23, asos.com.
Sheer: Has our tell-it-all society led to bare-it-all clothing? The line of your underwear is no longer something to disguise, apparently. New designers at Jil Sander showed this navy blue long dress in a semi-sheer, skin-revealing fabric, which leaves little to the imagination. $3,530, jilsander.com. Most of the rest of the collection is more like the old, sober Jil Sander.
Deconstruction: Sacai’s Chitose Abe’s experiments with cut and paste are admirable, but this patchwork cotton shirt ($735, netaporter.com) looks more like a Rube Goldberg contraption than something you’d want to wear. And despite my lament, uneven hems don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.
Chandelier Earrings: If these Chloe hoops with lots of dangling charms get caught on anything, say goodbye to your ear. Oversize earrings are okay, but this 6-inch-long, 3-inch-wide pair is overpowering. $890, mytheresa.com.
Feathers: Prada’s over-the-top shoes are delightfully whimsical, but this top with a rabbit print and black ostrich cuffs belongs on someone who leads a far different life than I do. $2,980, farfetch.com.
Transparency: Designers took transparency to another level with plastic capes and high vinyl boots (from Chanel, above). How sticky and uncomfortable, not to mention exorbitantly priced at $3,000-plus for the cape. chanel.com.
SPRING. ALMOST but not quite. Still, a blue sky with no snow or drenching rain in sight gave me the necessary nudge to revisit the season’s fashion forecast. And, there’s plenty to look forward to – lots of shine (a French woman once told me that a little gleam close to the face is a must for grown-up girls), plaid jackets and coats, yummy pastel sweaters and boldly colored shirts and skirts.
On the other hand, there are also several touted trends you’ll never find me wearing unless I’ve suddenly fallen into a coma. For example, I have to wonder why it’s worth spending money on a “deconstructed” shirt or an asymmetrical skirt better suited to a flamenco dancer than someone whose daily performance is going to work. Isn’t life complex enough without having to figure out how to put on your clothes in the morning?
In one of the more out-there ideas, Burberry made the case for translucent plastic trench coats, Chanel for clear vinyl capes and transparent booties. Instead of just a decorative accent, some designers went to extremes, making a whole outfit of fringe! Sunglasses shrank in size (how does that make sense?), while earrings grew to outsize proportions.
For these and more 2018 spring trends that I’m just going to say no to, take a look at our slide show.
—Janet Kelly
MyLittleBird often includes links to products we write about. Our editorial choices are made independently; nonetheless, a purchase made through such a link can sometimes result in MyLittleBird receiving a commission on the sale, whether through a retailer, an online store or Amazon.com.
Little Edie Sedgwick mixed with Auntie Mame. Can you guess what the Gucci website wants you to focus on? It’s the $2,980 tweed striped jacket. The bag, the leggings, the belt, even the glasses are for sale in the how-to-style-it dropdown.
Feeling young and adventurous? A look from Balenciaga’s spring 2018 runway, it was also shown this way on the designer site. Streetwear gone amok from Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia. Where to focus? The gigantic orange bag, the blouse that has way-too-long a shirt tail? Nope, it’s the checked, padded jacket, which sells for $2,150.
A Burberry look that’s expected for the runway. But wearing this tulle and lace-embroidered dress with a chunky wool scarf and argyle socks, as suggested on the Burberry site? Anyone, anyone? The dress is $3,495.
The jacket is probably the most celebrated of all Chanel designs. And here in an ensemble on the Chanel site, it gets star billing. The navy blue and silver tweed sells for a heart-stopping $6,900. In case you’re wondering, the espadrilles are $775, the socks $175, the satin pants $1,650.
A refreshingly straightforward look from the spring 2018 collection of Belgian fashion designer Sophie D’Hoore, known for her sculptural, oversize fit. The plaid jacket is $775 at farfetch.com.
An unexpected pairing of Prada mohair beaded sweater with feather-trimmed skirt as styled on netaporter.com. What makes it all work is the nod from the black pumps with red button and elasticized pink strap to the sweater.
Jenna Lyons may be gone from J. Crew, but her legacy of pairing different patterns flawlessly –here, pinstripes (pants, $88.99) and florals (blouse, $98) — lives on. The black and white shoes ground the look; the peony lucite earrings give it some pop.
This runway-only look from the Tory Burch fall 2018 collection has relatable ideas.
Even the runway looks from London-based designer Rejina Pyo like this organza wrap-tie blouse ($593.88) and wide-leg denim trousers ($621.83) make good-looking wardrobe additions. And hosannas to Piyo for choosing some grown-up girls to sashay down her runway.
No fancy bells and whistles needed to make this Vince washed silk blouse ($295) and coordinating twist skirt ($295) wanna haves. Easy to understand and wearable for a variety of occasions.
This polyester cardigan/jacket isn’t preciously styled. The appeal: its $99 price (zara.com) and its runway look translated to reality.
I SPEND way too much time browsing fashion on the web. But last week while engaging in my favorite pastime, I found two similar jackets – one for $99, the other for $2,980. I immediately sent both photos to Little Birds Kathy and Nancy, my sparring partners for What’s in Her Closet?, asking if they could tell which was which. That conversation led to Nancy asking us if we had noticed how over the top one of those jackets was styled. (I think she may have referred to the look as the creation of someone who had been taking way too many hallucinatory substances.)
Still, her comment made us think about how stylists put together those enviable (or not) ensembles to be photographed to live on store and designer websites.
Fantasy fashion on the runway is a given, but trendy sites like Gucci and Burberry also go to extremes to showcase their merchandise off the runway. (Talk about extremes. See Gucci’s latest show where models carried replicas of their own heads. Ugh.) As a recent Wall Street journal story noted, Gucci, which combines colors, patterns and periods, frequently in the same outfit, has scored big time with millennials. Burberry is fighting for that same large demographic. (BTW, we have no clue how women in their 20s afford Gucci, Burberry et al.)
In addition to looking at sites from buzzy designers featuring “young and adventurous” outfits, we were also inspired to look for sites that presented their wares in a more down-to-earth way. Above are some photos of what we found and our thoughts about them.
Oh, and, as for those two jackets with prices exponentially apart, we hope the differences are in the craftsmanship and quality of material.
—Janet Kelly
MyLittleBird often includes links to products we write about. Our editorial choices are made independently; nonetheless, a purchase made through such a link can sometimes result in MyLittleBird receiving a commission on the sale, whether through a retailer, an online store or Amazon.com.
Miriam “Midge” Maisel, confident she’s got it all in a carefully coordinated pink swing coat, magenta dress with matching velvet hat and long gloves./ Photo courtesy of Amazon.
NO VALENTINE’S DAY plans on your calendar? Cheer up, there’s nothing better than watching Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
If you’ve ever had a Jewish mother, lived in NYC, gone through a divorce or experienced something that totally upended your life, you can relate. In 1950s Manhattan, the perfect world of Miriam “Midge” Maisel (played by Rachel Brosnahan, who won a Golden Globe for her performance) falls apart when her husband whom she has been helping pursue his stand-up comedy dreams announces he’s leaving her for his secretary.
Days after her husband leaves, her parents hold a rapprochement dinner. Midge looks stunning, seductive (and defiant) in this vivid red dress. / Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Midge goes from the girl who got the life she set her sights on (marriage to a successful guy; a spacious, light-filled Upper West Side apartment, two kids) to losing much of what she thought she had and then to finding her own, ironically, comic voice.
Says costume designer Donna Zakowska in an e-mail, “Midge’s clothes reflect where she is in terms of New York uptown or downtown. All her clothes attempt to capture her spirit to communicate her identity as a woman who will not be easily broken. For example, seeing her husband just after the breakup is a perfect time to express her bold defiance. Or the courtroom dress is is a moment to be strong and individual. The dress was a bit like a romantic Monet—the sort of thing only Midge could imagine being effective in front of a judge. She operates in world where being strong and not fading into the background is very important.”
What to wear when going through an identity crisis: A Jacques Fath magenta coat with a green-and-purple printed dress. “I always dress for meetings,” says Midge. And also to look her best at a court hearing. / Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Midge fits in in a gray shirtwaist with a fussy bow on the subway enroute to her B. Altman’s job telling fancy customers how to put on eyeshadow. / Photo courtesy of Amazon.
Did we mention how gorgeous those clothes are? Graceful swing coats that defy a date, jewel-tone dresses with wasp waists and full crinoline-lined skirts (underneath, uncomfortable corsets define, squeeze and flatten), skirt suits, velvet hats and suede evening gloves. That’s Midge’s uptown look; for downtown comedy clubs she changes into cropped, high-waisted black pants, mock black turtlenecks, flats and a trench coat.
In front of the mike at the Gaslight, Midge has a newfound confidence and more serious clothing, like this timeless-looking plaid dress. / Photo courtesy of Amazon.
When Midge begins to figure out her life and pursue a career in comedy, her clothes start to look more serious and professional. The silhouette is narrower, the colors darker and the fabric is wool, rather than silk. Learning lessons from watching other comedians, her confidence improves as does her timing. Her freshly honest takes on marriage, the wisdom of having children, gender inequality and hypocrisy hit home with audiences. As for us, we’re looking forward to see where Midge’s life goes next season—and to the new clothes in that marvelous closet of hers.
