By Nancy McKeon

IF YOU’RE getting a sofa for your son and daughter-in-law for Christmas, you need their buy-in, not a gift guide. For the rest of us, here are some house-y and design-y things that may make a difference under the tree (or atop that new sofa).

A Hugget Knot Pillow, above, or two would look cool on the new sofa, but the pillows also have a super-power: The foam-filled knots by Bearaby and have the same kind of heft as the company’s weighted blankets. Sure to soothe and de-stress—and they come in seven colors, some, yes, soothing, others rich and vibrant. The Knots come in three sizes and sell for $20, $55, and $90, at bearaby.com.

Copper plating makes these cooling racks, above, attractive, but the snap-in legs allow them to double your cookie-cooling space automatically. Made by the classic Nordic Ware brand, the set of two 12×17-inch racks plus the legs is $34 at Food52.com. Really busy bakers will want more than one set.

Well read? Here’s a way to measure: the “100 Essential Novels” scratch-off poster, above, by Pop Chart. Scratching off the coating on top of each book “cover” doesn’t erase the artwork; in fact, it reveals each jacket in lively color. Pop Chart also has 12×16-inch scratch-offs for “100 Horror Movies,” “100 Challenging Novels,” national parks, baseball stadiums. . . . I get the feeling that if there’s more than one of anything—their rap names, wrestler names, and Essential Cocktails scratch-offs bear that out—Popchart.co will make a scratch-off for it.

Providing this 9-inch seed-and-pecan wreath, above, for the backyard birds will give your human recipient pleasure upon opening and then continued pleasure as the locals (including, I’m sure, the resident squirrel or two) pop in to fuel up during cold weather. The $32 Mr. Bird wreath is packed with 2 pounds of sunflower and safflower seeds, plus cranberries, peanuts, and the pecans. Terrain sells it, and as Mr. Bird says, “Please feed the birds. They’re hungry.”

An entire sky full of stars glimmers in these Gill Constellation Hurricanes, above, from West Elm. Just add a votive light to each and let the stars shine through the random pattern in the borosilicate glass. The hurricanes stand 3½, 7¾, and 10 inches tall, $10 to $25 for a limited time.

A little giddy, but what tween girl wouldn’t love these boho bedsheets, above, on her bed? From Natural Life, a company founded by Patti Hughes in 1995, the cotton sheet sets come in many, many patterns, all of them chaotic and cheerful. Twin-size “bundles,” as Natural Life calls them, are $89, full-size $99; if the big guys want in, queen-size is $109 and king $129. Be warned: Natural Life also makes totes and blankets, and . . . wallpaper!

I’m tempted to buy one of Terrain’s handmade papier-mâché vases, above, just to see if they really work. They’re said to be able to hold water for up to two weeks. After that, you dry them out (thoroughly) and start all over again. As I said, some things you just want to see. Various shapes and sizes range in price from $42 to $58.

Or maybe a pair of frosted-metallic glass Bauble Bud Vases, above, from Anthropologie is more your style, or the style of your gift recipient. The set, one is 3¼ inches high, the other 5¾ inches, is $28. There’s also a larger vase, 6¾ inches tall, available separately, $22.

Monogrammed gifts have always seemed thoughtful to me, even when they’re not custom-made. Case in point is these cocktail napkins, above, in assorted colors. To me the monogrammed touch reads personal and, at the same time, less so, and thereby good for a host or a colleague you don’t know terribly well. The set of four cotton napkins, each 6 inches square, is $26 at Anthropologie.

Party buffets rule when you use a caterer-style stainless-steel platter like the one above. Oval, round or rectangular, each platter can keep party foods cold (place the platter in the fridge beforehand) or hot (first hold the platter in a warm oven). Their “thermosensitive core” holds the temperature in place for about 2 hours. The round ones come in two sizes, 14-inch ($79) and 17-inch ($99); the oval is 20 inches long ($149), the rectangle 18 inches ($99). They can all be found in the Frontgate catalogue, which is currently offering 30% off one item.

Okay, pushing the envelope for the person for whom nothing is good enough. This Hermès merino-wool-and-cashmere Avalon Piano blanket is definitely good enough. Measuring 53×67 inches, it comes in five colorways and is $1,900 at Hermès.com.

I would like to think that everyone knows someone who would enjoy hanging pop artist Keith Haring’s “Barking Dog” Neon Sign on their wall. Unlike traditional neon signs, though, this one is made with LED tubing by Yellowpop, which collaborates with artists (and their estates) to turn iconic works into neon wall pieces. The sign is $299 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and MoMA is offering a code for 20% off on one item. And Yelllowpop points out that the sign, which weighs less than 10 pounds, “can be brightened, dimmed, or turned off completely—unlike other barking dogs you may know.”

The MoMA design store sells “inspiring design objects.” The compact (6½ inches tall) HOTO Air Capsule is a design star because of its sleek appearance but even more for the jobs it can do. It’s all about that compressed air going in or out: With a few (included) attachments, it can inflate a pool float, vacuum-clean that crumb-y keyboard, pick up all that cat hair, and suck the air out of the storage bags holding out-of-season clothes. Its lithium-ion battery is recharged using a USB Type-C port. You can purchase the Air Capsule direct from HOTOtools for $79.99.

I’ve never really understood incense. But I do admire the exquisite presentation of HA KO Paper Incense, with its fragrance-infused white paper leaves and the little ceramic dish for burning, all made in Japan and gift-ready in a pale wooden box. The set of leaves includes six distinct scents, including verdant, fresh linen, smoky cinnamon, and spicy jasmine. Made of Japanese washi paper, a leaf can be left out for just a hint of room fragrance, and of course it can be burned for a stronger effect. The Brooklyn-based Good Friend shop offers the set for $55.

Practical appliances don’t have to look practical. That’s the idea behind Objecto humidifiers (and heaters and fans). These bulbous, organic-looking H4 Hybrid humidifiers, above, come in these polycarbonate colors ($170), plus  light ($200) or dark ($170) natural woodgrain versions. They promise 18 to 20 hours of moist air—and they also promise to turn off automatically when the water tank is empty. You can find them at the West Elm website.The first room-fragrance candle, from Rigaud of Paris, dates from the late 1950s and is still going strong, albeit in a now-crowded field. A friend once called the original Cyprès fragrance “the smell of money.” That’s not much of an exaggeration considering who has enjoyed the candles over the years (Jacqueline Kennedy apparently brought the scent to the White House). Over the years, Cyprès has been joined by eight other fragrances, each rendered in a different color wax. The candles range in size and price from $45 for the small size (good for 28 hours of fragrance) to $105 for the large version shown above (90 hours) to $325 for the Prestige edition, good for 150 hours. And if you’re feeling really fancy, Rigaud sells wooden matches in coordinating boxes ($16). The complete range can be found at the Rigaud website.
A silly side note: I’ve been looking at this little Crosley record player, above, for several years now. Should I, shouldn’t I? It’s the fact that the Crosley Cruiser plays 78-rpm records that makes it stand apart from so many turntables, even many vintage-styled ones (other turntables often play only 33s and 45s). With the Cruiser I can hear Nat King Cole sing “Night Lights” again, and listen to my grandmother’s scratchy old Caruso recordings. The speakers are built in, but with its Bluetooth receiver you can add external speakers and also stream audio wirelessly. The Cruiser comes in more than half a dozen colors and is $44.96 at Walmart.com.

WHAT’S BETTER than Black Friday sales? Easy answer: Pre-Black Friday sales. And, of course, Pre-Pre-Black Friday sales. LittleBird Janet Kelly got us all in the spending spirit last week by tracking down a handful of grownup-girl items that are sure to please someone.

At the beginning of the week, How Not to F*ck Up Your Face columnist Valerie Monroe threw out a possible treatment for a better complexion: salmon! She’s been in Tokyo, where she lives part-time, and has been eating the fish practically nonstop. And that’s when she noticed a certain glow. It’s certainly worth a try, right? Not worth a try, she opined, is the idea of a special spray to highlight the fine hairs on your face so you can shave them off more easily. You read that right. But it’s worth reading the whole answer.

Pumpkins in the French Market of New Orleans. / Photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans, from Wiki Commons Media.

You don’t need all the pumpkins shown in the picture to make the Pumpkin Roll dessert recommended by Kitchen Detail’s Nancy Pollard. A can of pure pumpkin (and a few other ingredients, of course) will do the trick. (The other trick is to do this early in the week, before the kitchen gets crazy and the oven oversubscribed.)

Our other domestic goddess (of a more bohemian sensibility) is LittleBird Stephanie Cavanaugh. On Thursday she sang the praises of dried flowers—and of drying them yourself. The colors fade over time, of course, but it’s a way to give your outdoor garden a winter life indoors.

War is horrible; no one disputes that. But Well-Being columnist Mary Carpenter explored a recent museum exhibition and news items to recount the medical advances made more urgent by war. Their development and wide exposure (and the setbacks, which she also talked about) have led us to acceptance of what’s possible with injuries. Just ask Mary about her bright blue wrist brace! Lots of other people did.

—Nancy McKeon

By Nancy McKeon

PLEASE DON’T tell anyone that I go to the lurid New York Post for fashion tips; I really don’t. Nonetheless, I noticed last Monday that the Post’s Page 3 had abandoned its usual bionic bustlines and showed instead a svelte Paris Hilton brandishing a glittery “martini glass” as an evening bag.

“Suddenly,” the Post opined, food-themed minaudières are everywhere. Yup, suddenly, like 45 years ago when the fashion world noticed that businesswoman/craftsman Judith Leiber was turning out exquisite crystal-embellished evening clutches that looked like slices of watermelon and bunches of asparagus, not to mention her fabulous “Fabergé eggs” (soprano Beverly Sills and TV’s Mary Tyler Moore each had one), Bengal tigers, and full-blown roses.

Not everyone can afford to plunk down 5 grand for a masterpiece by Leiber, who died in 2018 at age 97. And now a slew of accessories meisters have homed in on the food stuff. We’re talking a slice of pepperoni pizza (Kate Spade), a Holy Cannoli (Melissa McCarthy at the Oscars), a bucket of KFC, and a sleek leather Peanut M&M.

Does it sound, and look, like the circus has come to town? Seen all together, sure. But your black velvet evening trouser suit needs only one of these as glittery punctuation.

Mind you, a lot of these do not achieve the level of craftsmanship of a Leiber. But take a look. But don’t eat too much.

About as close to perfection as a watermelon can get: the Watermelon Slice from Leiber Couture, $4,695.

Leiber Couture shows how it’s done: the Cosmopolitan is $5,795, all covered in crystals. The lime wedge is the clasp.

From Kate Spade New York, Slice 3D crossbody bag, made of embellished satin with leather trim, $428.

Also from Kate Spade New York, the Milk Carton Printed Crossbody bag, with PVC body, $348.

Kate Spade New York had a fling with Heinz ketchup back at the beginning of the summer. The Glitter iPhone case seems to be what’s left of that collaboration, $45.

Anya Hindmarch of London, known for her cheeky takes on commercial products, cleaned up the ketchup aisle with her satin and sequin Heinz Ketchup Mini Tote, $1,850. But before you take the plunge, be sure to read the Anya Brands caution: The embellishment on this product is very delicate, so please handle with care. We would recommend that care be taken when wearing this product, as it could cause snagging or marking when worn with delicate fabrics. Please avoid contact with liquids as they could remove the finish of the product. This product is not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts. This piece is handmade and so each one is unique. You may notice the colour and finish varies. So noted.

M&M’s seem to be the Kate Spade New York collab for the hols, as they say. In addition to this smooth leather 3D M&M (top handle and crossbody chain), $428, there’s a whole 10-inch-wide yellow package of M&M’s as a crossbody, $328.

At the Oscars, Melissa McCarthy carried a blinged-up version of the Holy Cannoli Purse. This tamer example of foam-sculpted novelty food purses by LA-based Kinza Winza is $480. But if you can’t live without McCarthy’s Cannoli Clutch, Bedazzled version, you can order one made for you, $550. Note that the Italian pastries are 13 inches wide.

Also from Kinza Winza (if you’re on a health kick), there’s the Banana Bag, also sculpted from multiple lightweight foams, $310.

You thought those were silly? Here we go with a McDonald’s McFlurry. It’s from Loungefly, which specializes in licensed pop-culture figures, is $65, and, appropriately enough, is made from polyurethane.

BoxLunch tells us this polyurethane KFC Chicken Bucket Crossbody Bag is exclusive to them. We should think so! It’s $79.90; please note the metal drumstick and chicken wing zipper pulls. If you’re truly deep into KFC, BoxLunch also offers a KFC card holder, $18.99. It just has the letters K, F, and C on it. Go figure. (A real bucket of KFC fried chicken, 8 pieces, is $21.99 in my NYC neighborhood. And 920 to 2,400 calories in any neighborhood.)

By Nancy McKeon

THE DESIGN masters of the classic modern period (think Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi) earned their status with furniture designs that became icons. By contrast, we find many of today’s brands reaching out to recognizable names from various fields to add some luster to their offerings (a set of Tarot cards by the spooky actress Christina Ricci, anyone?). Over the years we’ve seen Zenni eyeglasses inspired by wild-child Iris Apfel, bedsheets “by” legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland, even toilets by French starchitect Philippe Starck.

While we wait to be tapped for a MyLittleBird kitchen-tools collection or something, here are some home and design collaborations worth a look.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Anthropologie have been inspired by the Gilded Age to introduce a romantic, Art Nouveau–style array of table ware. Octagonal shaped wine glasses start out dark turquoise at the rim and have a nuanced ombré effect ending in light gold ($72 and $80 for four depending on size) and graceful Floral candle holders come in silver- or gold-tone aluminum (12 inches and 15 inches tall, $48 and $68). There are also delicate-looking (but they’re sturdy stoneware) dinner dishes, dessert-plate sets, mugs, soup bowls, even napkins.

These chairs, a collaboration between shoe meister Christian Louboutin and interior designer/limited-edition furniture craftsman Pierre Yovanovitch, are the height of . . . something. Each limited-edition chair represents “a strong woman,” including Josephine Baker, Queen Nefertari, and Madama Pompadour. A singular statement for the high-end art or furniture enthusiast, to be sure. And, really, how much more ridiculous are chair legs that end in stiletto heels, complete with the signature Louboutin red sole, than antique Chippendale chairs that terminate in lion’s  paws, hmm? The chairs are available for $28,000 each. There are also open-edition “Simply Nude” chairs, $13,000 apiece.

Although she died earlier this year, at age 102, Iris Apfel is still attached to those Zenni specs and some current offerings in home furnishings. Ruggable makes two-piece flat-weave and tufted rugs whose patterned top layer can be lifted off  and actually washed, a godsend for pet owners. The firm has a dozen collaborations, including styles in Iris Apfel’s name. Shown above is her Birds of a Feather tufted rug, available in sizes ranging from 2×3 feet ($169) to a 9×12 ($1,119). The English decorator Martyn Lawrence Bullard (with a celebrity-filled clientele) has half a dozen vivid signature pieces, and there’s a whole collection of Regency-inspired rugs, one shown above, in collaboration with the Netflix Bridgerton series, including the Lady Whistledown rug in vintage pink or soft blue.

The only apartment in New York City designed by Belgian architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen has just gone on the market for $30 million. Much more affordable is Van Duysen’s furniture collection for Zara Home, the domestic edition of the Spanish clothing giant. This handsome dyed-oak chaise longue with its quilted leather top and pillow ($4,000) is one of more than a dozen of Van Duysen’s minimal, almost monk-like Zara pieces. Remove the leather topper and the chaise can lounge outdoors as well as in.

Nothing monk-like about these cute ice cream bowls and spoons, made exclusively for the Museum of Modern Art by Geocromia of Italy. Part of a line of similarly bright-spirited dinner and dessert plates, plus coffee cups and saucers, the bowls are hand-made, their design applied by what MoMA calls a “top-quality decal.” The set of four bowls and spoons is $60.

Stark Carpet has a long history of collaborating to achieve high style. Its Missoni collection is getting homepage treatment these days. The signature Missoni zigzags are not in evidence in all of the styles, but the patterns are still bold. The Missoni Turin, above, gives an optical effect without those flame stitches. It’s American-made of 100% wool and available through designers for wall-to-wall installations or as custom-sized rugs.

By Janet Kelly and Nancy McKeon

WE TOOK a quick trot through the last-minute offerings for Amazon Prime Big Deal Day, deals that are good through tomorrow (Wednesday, October 9). Concentrating on beauty and home, we found some offers worth looking at.

Since this La Neige Lip Sleeping Mask first came out a few years ago, the company has spun off a lot of similar-looking balms with different insipid flavors. But nothing beats the original, which is manna for dry lips and also doubles as a gloss that’s got just the right amount of shine. And, whether or not you sleep with it, you get the same glowing effects. During Prime Days, it sells for $16.80, down from $24. —Janet

I’ve been using Too Faced’s Better than Sex Mascara for years; when I try to switch to something even a little less expensive, I’m always disappointed. So, even though the name is cringeworthy, it gets everything else right. The hour-glass brush shape separates, coats and curls lashes, making them look fuller in just a couple of wiggles. It’s selling for $20.30 during Prime Days, down from its usual $29. —Janet

Okay, I won’t allow this super-tempting machine into my house cuz I really like ice cream! But for the more disciplined, this Prime Day special on the Ninja CREAMi ice cream and sorbet maker may be manageable. It’s listed at Amazon’s Ninja store as usually $200, but Tuesday and Wednesday it’s $159.99. One thought, two actually: If I were to buy one of these diet-dangerous machines, I might opt instead for the pricier model that comes with TWO pint containers (you know, just in case); and two, it’s entirely possible that some other retailers are matching the Prime Day price, so do some due diligence. —Nancy

If I could paint my teeth whiter, I would, but because I don’t think anyone has come up with a healthy way to do that, I’ll settle for Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects Plus for the nonce. The kit comes with 48 adhesive strips (24 upper and 24 lower) that you apply to your teeth and keep on for 45 minutes. If you eat blueberries and drink a lot of coffee like me, it kind of amazes me how much whiter my teeth look after a few treatments. They sell for $36.99 during Prime Days. —Janet

I have owned the 5-quart warhorse KitchenAid stand mixture for decades, and it keeps on churning out pie dough, cookies, bread dough, and all the various carbs that are bad for us. But this mini version, said to be just as powerful as my behemoth, is appealing in so many ways. Obviously the KitchenAid Artisan Mini is smaller–it holds 3.5 quarts of dough–but dare I suggest it’s also cuter? Not only that, it has a better chance of fitting on the counter under your kitchen cabinets. At $249.99, it’s quite a bit off the regular $379.99 and comes in a whole array of colors. —Nancy

I can definitely use a new office chair (I say this as I sit squirming on a hard wood chair). After my last one gave up the ghost more than a year ago, I vowed to use a regular chair, not to add to the vast number of chairs I have somehow accumulated. But my backside thinks I was wrong, and at this price I can afford to correct my mistake. The Amazon Basics black office chair is $60.09 through tomorrow (Wednesday, October 9). That’s 30% off. Frankly, even at full price it may still make sense. Others in this price range elsewhere don’t appear to be as comfy. —Nancy

I’m told that if you happen to be in Spain, you can buy ISDIN’s Eryfotona Ageless Mineral Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50+ for a lot less than when you’re Stateside. Until then, I’ll take advantage of Prime Days and buy my dermatologist-approved, lightweight, non-pasty-looking sunscreen for $54.60 instead of $70. —Janet

I wish I had invented Color Wow’s Root Cover Up (available in eight colors). It’s such a handy way to instantly camouflage the gray in between salon visits. You apply powder to the small end of the brush, pull hair tautly where you want coverage and press into the roots or along your hairline. It’s now $24.15, but the price goes up to $34.15 October 10. —Janet

While we’re on the subject of hair, I’ve been using this Routine Shampoo regularly (I don’t use the conditioner much) for more than a year. I can’t tell whether my color-treated, thin hair is any stronger but it feels and smells good and looks shiny. I can’t vouch for the conditioner, but you can score for $39.99—until October 10. —Janet

Does the prospect of trying to hide hearing aids put you off? The little ET-looking AirPods Pro 2 from Apple will make you look young and hip (doesn’t just about everyone on the street have something sticking out of their ears?!)—and the wireless ear buds can act as entry-level hearing aids. Of course they’re noise-canceling and direct tunes and podcasts to your ears too. At $168.99 as opposed to the regular $249, they are certainly worth a try. —Nancy

Assouline books are meant to be luxury objects, say the publishers (who, of course, don’t want to be called publishers). Luxury comes at a cost, but a few of the house’s offerings have a Big Deal price though tomorrow, $84 as opposed to the regular $105. In addition to Greek Islands, there’s Italian Chic, and Jamaica Vibes. Unfortunately, Sicily, which seems to be everyone’s favorite go-to spot at the moment, is still $130. —Nancy

By Nancy McKeon

BREATHES THERE a man/woman/child with soul so dead that he/she/they cannot get into the spooky spirit of Halloween in its current non-religious form?*

I’m sure there are many, but even those of us who can comfortably straddle the two worlds draw a line somewhere. For instance, I’m thrilled to live in an apartment building and therefore not have to participate in the suburban competition for who has the latest skeletons and animated goblins in their front yard (though I do own a splendid 2-foot-tall skeleton I keep in the living room all year long).

So I tend to lean on holiday accouterments that can live beyond the day and not clog the closet the day after. Hear me out.

*If you need more information about the origin of the Hallowed Evening, text me and I’ll explain. Or just Google it.

An assemblage of frosted glass pumpkins for table or mantel will set you back, but what impact! From Anthropologie, the pumpkins range in size from 4¾ inches to 10 inches tall and in price from $24 to $58. The bottoms are hollow so you can add a string of battery-powered Stargazer Light Strands; a set of 6 strands is $30.

Appetizer and dessert plates call to me nonstop. These celebrate the eerier of God’s creatures, but that just makes them more interesting. A set of 4 glazed stoneware Spooky Soirée Appetizer Plates is $39.95. . . .

. . . and lo! and behold, Williams Sonoma also offers a set of 4 coordinated cotton cocktail napkins, $29.95.

Wee marshmallow pumpkins can top a cup of cocoa or just sit there looking seasonal and festive in a bowl. Each 6-ounce bagful is $10.95, but who could stop there? A set of three is $21.90.

Talk about adding a grownup touch to Halloween, here’s Voluspa’s Spiced Pumpkin Latte Candle & Reed Diffuser. The boxed set is $48 at Bloomingdale’s.

It requires some fishing line and a remote control “wand,” both included, but you really could have Harry Potter–style flickering candles floating around your dining hall or, more likely, your living room. There’s a trick (a technique, really) to getting all 20 candles lit, so you’ll have to practice your magic wand skills. The set is currently $31.72.

If candles can fly, why not witches’ hats? Just string these black Oxford-cloth toppers with fishing line and let the wind take them where it will. The set of 12, each a bit over 14 inches tall, is $16.99. (Of course, you can always wear one of them. Just a thought.)

If you don’t want to get too Halloweeny on the front porch, consider this Pumpkin Luminary Set by Desert Steel. Made, naturally enough, of 100% steel construction, Tall Pumpkin is 18 inches tall, his brother, Squatty Pumpkin, stopped growing at 15 inches. The pair is $86.99 at Costco.com (online only).

Etsy seller Monlix Candles offers these spooky (but vegan) tapers for less than $14 each. There’s the stack of skulls and, perhaps for the less-spooky-and-more-seasonal-minded, the candles dotted with bas-relief pumpkins. Both styles come in white, orange, or black.

Author-illustrator Ed Emberley is best known for his instructional drawing books for kids. His Glow-in-the-Dark Eyes Doormat, a collaboration with retail chain West Elm, draws inspiration from his book How to Draw Monsters and More Scary Stuff.  It’s made of indoor-outdoor coir and is $39.

The Poe Bowl features the always-foreboding but this time hand-engraved Raven of Poe’s classic poem. By Artel, the bowl is hand blown in the Czech Republic. It’s 9¾ inches in diameter and 6½ inches tall; $1,110, available in black, clear, and 30 colors.

By hook or by crow, this hand-hooked wool pillow can perch all year round but looks intentionally ominous at Halloween. It’s 8 by 12 inches, backed with off-white cotton velveteen, and is on sale for $29.70 at Grandin Road.

The polka-dot pumpkin may bring to mind the artwork of 95-year-old Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, but it fits right in with these other hand-painted squash. Made of resin, they’re all about 9 inches in diameter and range in price from $34.50 to $49.50 at Grandin Road.

Adorned with banners, “Deeds Not Words” and “No Taxation Without Representation,” the Ford Motor Company’s Model T Touring car was driven by Suffragists prospecting for votes in Nevada in July 1914. They traveled more than 3,000 miles over bumpy, desert roads. / Photo by James Kelly.

By Nancy McKeon

Let Mother vote!

We’ll vote like Father, vote like Son

And two good votes are better than one . . .

—from the 2024 Broadway musical Suffs

THE CAMPAIGN by Suffragists to win American women the right to vote was a long one, begun in 1848 and not won until August of 1920. This leads us, 104 years later, to 2024 and the stunning fact that it’s women who are going to decide the next president and the political makeup of the next Congress.

More women than men have voted in every presidential election since 1980. In 2020, a non-presidential year, 28.2% of women from age 45 to 64 reported voting. That’s more than the 25.4% of men in the same age cohort.

Older women’s voting habits outstrip those of younger ones: From 1994 to 2022, only 7.2% of eligible women 18 to 24 voted; in the age group 25 to 44, 25.2% did so. In both cases, the female vote percentage was larger than the male.

Using Census Bureau data, the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics reports that women register to vote at higher rates than men. And since 1964 the number of women voters has exceeded the number of male voters. As of 2022, there were 7.4 million more women than men registered.

Given that one candidate, Democrat Kamala Harris, is a woman, it is tempting to assume that’s where women’s votes will go. True, 54% of women voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and many Republicans and independents in the presidential primaries felt that Nikki Haley had a better chance than Trump. But “women” are not a solid voting bloc—how could we be when there are nearly 89 million of us registered?

Women who prize the right to family planning, and have been frightened by the chipping away at the right to abortion by the US Supreme Court, may make that their pivotal issue and vote Democratic. In almost a dozen states, they face ballot initiatives against abortion (with some activist groups also inveighing against fertility treatments and contraception), and that could be motivation for some.

Women firmly in the right-to-life camp could swing their vote to the Republican candidate, who has recently said he favors a universal abortion ban, not leaving it to the states, the way the Supreme Court did when it overturned Roe v. Wade. However, a survey by KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) of more than 1,300 women across the country found that 82% of the Republican women polled said that access to abortion should be protected by law in cases of pregnancy-related emergencies.

There are other issues galvanizing women of all ages. Some 40% across all ages called inflation their top priority; 22% cited threats to democracy; immigration and border security motivated 13%; gun policy 4%.

The KFF poll also found that 59% of women over age 55 felt that the candidates’ personal characteristics were most important in voting, not stances on specific issues (32%) or their own political affiliation (9%). And despite the heated rhetoric, only 10% of women in the KFF poll said abortion was their top issue.

Elections are wild and woolly beasts, and no one can say for sure which way the feminine flag is going to flutter this November. Responsible women, and especially older women, will watch the debates, weigh the issues, and be wary of the lack of guard rails on social media, where propaganda and deliberate misinformation run wild.

This isn’t necessarily what Helen Reddy meant when she sang “I am woman / hear me roar” back in 1971.

But women don’t have to “roar.” All we have to do is vote.

This piece first appeared in PrimeWomen.

From left to right, Too Faced Better than Sex Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara, EltaMD UV Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen, Lit-Up Highlighter from Westman Atelier, CeraVe Skin Renewing Day Cream, YSL Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen and Ilia’s Multi-Stick for lips and cheeks.

By Janet Kelly

MYLITTLEBIRD COLUMNISTS are great resources for solutions mental and physical. But we worry that sometimes their recommendations, gathered from dermatologists and makeup artists and doctors, and products they have tried and loved themselves, can get lost from week to week.

Here, then, is a compilation of products and remedies that our writers and their  knowledgeable sources have mentioned approvingly recently. Remember, these are not random items taken from the Industrial Beauty Complex’s eternal publicity machine; these are items that have been tried and found to be effective. Think of it not as a shopping list but as a list of things to contemplate trying, considering the independent pedigrees of those recommending them.

MAKEUP

Concealer/Highlighter

YSL Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen ($40, Sephora) dispenses the right amount of sheer liquid that blends easily into the skin. It camouflages shadows in the eye area, while a few dots on cheek and brow bones reflect light.

Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick is a jelly-like highlighter from makeup artist Gucci Westman that imparts a subtle shine to cheekbones and tear ducts by adding moisture to dry spots. It sells for $48 at Violet Grey.

Cheek and Lip Color

Ilia Beauty Multi-Stick has a creamy consistency, which makes it easy to blend and apply and add to the color or tone it down for both cheeks and lips. Available in a ton of colors, it sells for $36.

Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara has a cringeworthy name but gets everything else right, such as accentuating and curling lashes, making them look fuller in just a few coats. It’s $29 at Ulta.

Chanel Inimitable Mascara does it all well—separating, lengthening and curling—leaving you with well-defined lashes without clumping. Available in black or brown, it sells for $40 at Chanel.

Brows

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Ultra-Slim Precision Brow Pencil has a very fine retractable tip for filling sparse areas—where arches may be over-tweezed— with hair-like strokes. And it doesn’t smudge. It sells for $25 at Ulta.

SKINCARE

Cleansers

Valerie Monroe of How Not to F*ck Up Your Face renown came up with a great riddle: What’s the difference between washing your face and cleansing it? Around $45! She has a point. But not all cleansers have to be expensive.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser (with ceramides and hyaluronic acid) is a go-to for dermatologist Mary Lupo. A wash and a rinse with warm water will clean your  face well enough to get on with your day (or your makeup). The 8-ounce pump bottle is $16.99.

I prefer LaRoche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Cleanser to the more ubiquitous Cetaphil. It’s much gentler on my skin than the other two, removes makeup just as well and costs about the same. A 13.5-ounce bottle is $17.99.

Moisturizers

CeraVe Skin Renewing Day Cream with SPF 30, often recommended by dermatologists, contains retinol to smooth fine lines and ceramides to reinforce the skin barrier. It can run around $30.

Cetaphil Daily Oil-Free Facial Moisturizer with SPF 35 is another dermatologist recommendation. No fragrance or oil. It will cost around $16.

Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream is manna for dry skin, which drinks it up. Some people quibble about scent, but it hasn’t dimmed my affection for it in the eight years I’ve been using it. It’s $19.99 for 2.5 fluid ounces.

Vanicream Moisturizing Ointment is dermatologist-recommended for sensitive, extra-dry skin for using all over the body—legs, arms, elbows, etc. It’s $17.99 for 13 ounces at Walgreens.

Val Monroe mixes the ultra-sheer Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Light Revealer one-to- one with Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair (see below).

Sunscreen

EltaMD UV Physical Broad Spectrum SPF 41 comes in 3-ounce tubes and is tinted, helping to do the sun-kissed job that’s too dangerous to let the sun do. Currently it’s $44.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion has a serious broad-spectrum SPF 70. It’s non-greasy, with a matte finish. About $16.

ISDIN PHOTO Eryfotona Actinica ultralight mineral sunscreen (SPF 50)—a recommendation from my Pittsburgh-based dermatologist, who’s also a Mohs surgeon—feels whisper light on my skin and goes on smoothly over a moisturizer. I’ve been using the tinted version lately.

Wrinkles

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer, $27.99, SPF 30 with retinol and hyaluronic acid helps to visibly reduce the look of stubborn wrinkles & dark spots–including crow’s feet and cheek wrinkles.

Differin’s adapalene, an over-the-counter 0.1% retinol gel designed to combat acne, can also tackle the lines and texture of “more mature” (ha!) skin. A 30-day supply could cost about $20, maybe less.

Altreno (tretinoin) Lotion, 0.05%, is a retinoid, a prescription-strength skincare product; a retinol is a type of retinoid found in over-the-counter products.

For rosacea, topical creams/gels work best, but these would be prescribed by a physician/dermatologist.

OFFICE TREATMENTS

Photodynamic therapy (ouch! but effective) can help sun-damaged skin, hyperpigmentation, even tackle pre-cancerous (and some cancerous) lesions.

Wisteria.com makes a point of showing how varied the finish of their Cylinder Burl Wood Side Table can be.

By Nancy McKeon

THE EDITORS of the shelter magazine Veranda recently reported back from the furniture markets in Milan and High Point, North Carolina. Among their finds, “a ton of warm burl wood and tortoiseshell.”

To learn about the same trend, I just had to open the catalogues crammed into my mailbox, from Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Wisteria—and then a quick trip through the websites of Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Wayfair. You get the idea.

It seems odd that such sophisticated beauty is the result of a tree that has gone into hyperdrive to fend off a fungus or an insect infestation. We look at a tree and see ugly growths disfiguring it, bulging out from its trunk like canker sores. But slice into that growth and you find whorls of pattern, so different from the orderly growth rings we associate with trees. (Does harvesting the burl wood kill the tree? Most likely yes, but I’m told that many of them are beyond saving anyway. One hopes.)

You can see magnificent examples of highly figured veneers of burl wood in just about any museum that showcases antique European chests and tables. Where this newer crop of “casegoods” differs is in marrying the lively veneer with the straight lines that most of today’s consumers seem more comfortable with. Among the examples I found in the wider marketplace, only a few had the classic curves of antique styles.

Here are some examples I found. One thing to remember is that given the nature of burl, no two pieces are going to be exactly like what you see in pictures, or even on the sales floor (unless you buy the floor sample!).

Another thing to know is that even at $3,000-plus there’s often still “some assembly required.”

The Plymouth Solid Wood Accent Chest by Worlds Away has the serpentine front more associated with antique pieces. It is 42 inches wide, and has three drawers with acrylic and brass hardware, $2,649.45 at Wayfair.com.

Anthropologie’s Fern Burl Storage Cabinet, $2,998, costs $300 more than the same Fern style in plainer wood. The hefty piece (230 pounds) stands an impressive 74 inches tall, hiding some of your stuff and displaying what you want the world to see, all of it behind two glass doors.

Wisteria’s Cylinder Burl Wood Side Table has many variations (see the image at the top of the page) because of the variability of the acacia veneer. Made in Vietnam, the table is 18 inches high and 18 inches in diameter, $650.

 

Wisteria’s Oslo Burl Veneer Coffee Table, $1,125, takes a midcentury shape and makes it a bit more decorative (see a closeup of the veneer below). The Oslo collection also offers a desk fashioned with the same maple veneer.

A closeup of the Oslo coffee table’s veneer.

If a giant helping of burl veneer doesn’t seem right for the moment in your home, there are ways to dip you toe into the vivid wood (so to speak).

The Burl Wood Veneer Rectangle Mirror from Wisteria boasts a charcoal finish on the burl veneer. The piece is 33 inches high, 25 inches wide, and $725.

Pottery Barn offers these handsome Burlwood Jewelry Boxes (three sizes, $48 to $129). The boxes are lined with Ultrasuede.

Anthropologie’s idea of incidental burl includes these floating shelves. The Tamara shelves, available in Natural (shown) and a Black burl, are, for a limited time, $126.40 to $278. The longest is 36 inches long, the smallest 18 inches.

Also from Anthropologie are these Zaha Burl Switch Plates, $24.95 each. The ones currently available are the double outlet, the double rocker, and the double toggle. The chain also sells a whole Mesa Collection in natural burl for the bed and bath, including a tissue holder, wastebasket, lotion dispenser, etc.

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. We are also an  Amazon Associate.

By Stephanie Cavanaugh

BECK IS FLAPPING the brass mail slot. Flap. Flap. At 4½ he’s too short to reach the doorbell. His nanny is down on the sidewalk, keeping a watchful eye.

Flap. Flap.

I ignore him. This is a demand for My Prince, who’s called Greg, since that’s his name. 

Hi Beck, Greg says, opening the door. What’s up?

Your porch is a mess. Beck scowls. 

This is true. There are tools scattered about, brushes, a paint can. Beck and our grandson Wesley, who’s a bit younger though not by much, have a thing about messes, though that doesn’t mean they’re particularly neat in their own rooms. This is a debacle, Wes once said, hands on hips, looking into Greg’s office. 

I’m fixing the window boxes, Greg tells Beck. These are big wooden ones, built 25 years ago to decorate the five front windows, and they’re showing their age. When they’re fixed, I’m going to paint, he says. 

Beck brightens. I can help you! I’m a really good painter, I paint at school every day.

This goes back and forth for a time, Beck insisting, Greg gently demurring. I’m sitting in the living room, watching the news, staying out of it, laughing. 

Greg has a relationship with every kid in a three-block radius, calling out to them as they waddle or pedal their trikes past on their way to the park with their nannies, moms, dads. Hi, Greg! They call if they’re able to speak. Or they’ll give him a toothless grin. He’s got them trained. 

He knows all of their names (he also knows all of the dogs’ names). Stella, Anna, Charlie . . .  Few appear to be older than 5. I have no idea who most of them are.

Greg’s outside a lot. He gardens, while I think of things for him to plant, or move, or do. Our division of labor. 

He started with the tree box under the giant elm that stands in front of our townhouse, digging in seed, dividing liriope, a carefree filler. From there he moved south to our neighbor Pat’s curbside garden, mainly grasses, rose of Sharon, mock orange. Then in the other direction to the boxes in front of Dean and Alyson’s, then Anouk and Alex’s. He stopped there because Rebecca, Beck’s mom, does her own thing. He serves as an adviser to the rest of the block, not that he knows what he’s doing. 

Come out and tell me what this is, he’ll say, rousting me from my desk, or the back porch where I hide. I have an app on my phone that can identify a plant and its health from a bit of foliage. Handy this, since many of them are volunteers, seed having blown from somewhere and taken root. 

Lately, he’s extended his tending to the narrow border that runs along the alley fence behind our houses. Packed in are sunflowers and peonies, black-eyed Susan and morning glory, mock orange and iris. It’s the only place around that has full sun. If there’s no rain, there’s need for a system of hoses and epic bouts of watering.

And does anyone help me? He grumbles. No, but they all admire his effort. I do too. Haphazard as it is, he has created a lovely wild garden.

Maybe Beck can help, though he’s very opinionated. Both his parents are lawyers. In fact, pretty much everyone around here is, except us, which probably accounts for the lack of enthusiastic assistance.  

There’s a big bag of wildflower seed sitting on the back-porch dining table. Tell me where to put them, Greg said this morning. 

Sure. Maybe there’s a bare patch around the corner. 

By Nancy McKeon

NO NEED TO go Full Kelly tomorrow (with apologies to LittleBird Janet). There are more flattering shades of green to be had, in everything from toasters to tunics (just ask Emma Stone, who wowed with an icy-pale green gown at the Oscars).

Here’s a weekend helping of the many things out there.

You know you’ve been meaning to get these: Barbour’s Wilton Wellingtons, $100 at Nordstrom.com. They come in Olive (shown), also Navy and Black.

Celebrate your inner Boho with Sinna stemless wine glasses, shown in Guacamole (also available in Clear), 4 for $64 at Anthropologie.

Who says a toaster can’t be Pastel Green? Certainly not Smeg, which offers its 1950s retro-style two-slice and four-slice toasters in a host of colors, including Pastel Pink, Red, Matte Black, and a metallic Rose Gold. The two-slicers are $199.95 (shown) to $239.95 (metallic) at Nordstrom. (And a toaster is simply not the level of commitment that having a bright red retro Smeg refrigerator would be.)

For reusable (but not forever) table settings, these die-cut paper leaf placemats are neat, 12 to a package, $26.50 from Caspari.

I can’t wait for a gift-giving opportunity: This Palazzo Foil Metallic Wrapping Paper in green and gold will probably outshine the gift. It’s from Caspari. $10.99 per 6-foot roll.

Setting a spring table couldn’t be easier. Faye dessert plates come in mint green, also  lilac and peach (which features a sly snail sitting on a scallion). They’re $18 each at Anthropologie, so you can mix or match.

Olive Green is a luscious neutral in the hands of midcentury design master Gianfranco Frattini. His ginormous Marconi 4-seater sofa (105 inches long) in tufted velvet is $2,999 at CB2.com. There’s also a 3-seater Marconi (a mere 81½ inches) for $2,499.

Indoors or out, the 13-inch-tall tole Pagoda Lantern in Apple Green holds a tealight or pillar candle (the sides are glass so the flame won’t blow out). It also comes in Forest Green, Berry Red, and White With Gold Trim and is $158 from one of our favorite UK retailers, Mrs. Alice. Mrs. Alice also has 9-inch-tall Mini Lanterns, sold by the pair, in Midnight Blue, Berry Red, White With Gold Trim, and Forest Green, $95 to $103 for a pair.

A quick jolt of spring: this cheap and cheerful Mini Bumper Crossbody Tote, from A New Day, $25 at Target.

Depending on your commitment to green, Schumacher’s Woodland Leopard pillow in Emerald velvet might make it onto your Wish List. It’s $538.50 through Decorators Best.

Lip-plumping gloss is translucent but comes in many shades of daring (with names like Heat Sensor and Hazard and Violet Beta). This, of course, is Lime Green. $24 at MAC.

When my pie comes out great, it’s thanks to Chef Jim Dodge’s careful instructions. My version here shows that I pay more attention to the top than to the edges, which can be a bit raggedy. / MyLittleBird photo.

By Nancy McKeon

NOT BEING a numbers person, I have no particular connection to Pi Day, the annual celebration of the mathematical constant π, or pi, March 14, or 3.14.*

I do, however, have a connection to pie, Jim Dodge’s Harvest Apple Pie in particular, which I’ve been making since he was at the New England Culinary Institute and we published his recipe in the Washington Post Food section. It always tastes great, and it often looks great as well (it’s my fault when it doesn’t, not his).

In his original recipe, Dodge, who was a hotel guy turned chef guy (his family opened its first hotel in New Hampshire in 1794!), called for some interesting steps, all of which make sense when you think about them. Unlike cookie-dough recipes, which call for softened butter, most pie-crust recipes call for cold butter. Dodge goes one better: He has you cut the butter up into small pieces and then freeze them for a while before proceeding. And the flour? He has you freeze that too. I work and stretch the hard, cold butter into the cold flour with my fingers until there are only flakes of butter, dusted with the flour, to be felt.

Dough likes to be cold! And when the pockets of cold fat in the pie-crust dough hit the hot oven, boom! The collision of hot and cold makes for a crust that will separate into the most delicate layers, rising high above the apples.

And yes, the apples. In the recipe as it appears on Dodge’s website, he calls for early-crop apples; I’ve used all types. But the secret of this pie is in the slicing. Rather than slim wedges, each apple gets cut into wedges and then cut crosswise to make stubby chunks of apple. Piled high in the center of the bottom crust, with the top crust lightly draped over them, the apple pieces give the pie height and heft.

Enough. Here are the recipes for the pie crust and the apple filling, as they appear on Dodge’s website, chefjimdodge.com. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipes: Dodge is simply laying things out very precisely.

Flaky Pie Pastry

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted European-style butter, or ¼ cup (½ stick) butter and ¼ cup lard or shortening, cold
• 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and blend with your fingertips. Cut the butter into thin ½-inch chips and add to the bowl. Toss the mixture with your hands until each chip is coated with flour.
2. Turn onto a broad work surface. Roll out until the butter chips have turned into long flakes; use a flexible scraper to gently remove pieces that stick to the pin or board and coat them with flour.
3. Return the mixture to the bowl. Sprinkle it with water and blend with a large rubber spatula or kitchen spoon until the water has been absorbed, about 15 strokes. Dust the top lightly with flour, then press the mixture down into the bowl—4 or 5 gentle pushes will press everything together.
4. Sprinkle the work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Dust the rolling pin generously with flour. Dust the dough with flour and roll it into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. The dough will be loose, but fold the long edges over to meet in the center. Give the package a turn so the long way runs side to side. Roll out, fold and turn as before until the dough begins to hold together, usually 2 more times.
5. Fold over the corners and press into a 6-inch round. The dough can be rolled out at once or wrapped and refrigerated. If chilled, let it rest at room temperature until soft enough to roll.
6. Place the round on your lightly floured work surface and dust the top with flour. Roll out into a 13-inch circle. Brush off any flour and roll the circle up loosely on the pin a little more than halfway, brushing off flour underneath. Slide the pie dish underneath it and unroll the pin over it, centering the circle.
7. Gently push the dough down into the corners at the bottom of the dish, then firmly up against the sides without stretching the dough (this is important).
8. Make the border fairly even all around (it doesn’t have to be perfect) by trimming any excess with scissors and using these scraps to patch any skimpy places (drops of cold water will seal the seams). Tuck the border under itself to make the edge even with the rim.
9. Finish the border by fluting (poke the tip of a finger into the dough on one side and pinch it on the other side, making a V; repeat right next to the V and so forth around the border) or impressing an edging with the tines of a fork.
10. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes.
11. For crisp pastry under custard pies, the shell must be fully baked before filling. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
12. To keep the dough from shrinking and puffing as it bakes, it must be held in place for the first 2/3 of baking. Cut 2 sheets of foil or parchment paper about 15 inches long. Lay them in the dish at right angles. Fill the shell to the rim with metal pie weights, dried beans, rice or a combination–you’ll need at least 5 cups (7 is ideal). As you pour in the weights, press them firmly down into the corners at the bottom of the dish and up against the sides; also fill every V of fluting. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, then carefully lift out the foil or paper and weights (save them for next time). Continue baking, checking after 3 to 4 minutes to make sure the pastry isn’t puffing up. If it is, prick the bubbles with a fork. Continue baking, checking again a few minutes later for puffing, until the pastry is golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes in all. Cool if not filling at once.

PastryHarvest Apple Pie

For the apple filling

• 6 large firm early-crop apples
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour or arrowroot
• 1 recipe Jim’s Flaky Pie Pastry (see above), chilled and ready to go

For glazing the top

• 1 large egg white, beaten in a small bowl just until smoothly broken up
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and set the rack on the lowest level.

Preparing the apples: Peel the apples and cut them in half. Use a melon baller to remove the cores. Cut each half into three wedges and then cut across the wedges, slicing each into thirds. Thoroughly blend the sugar, spices, and tapioca or arrowroot in the mixing bowl, and toss with the apples, coating them evenly. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the apples to make an airtight covering, and set aside.

Lining the pie pan: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and massage through the plastic for several minutes, just until it is pliable enough to roll out. Divide it in half, and chill one half. Sprinkle your work surface and the top of the dough lightly with flour, and start rolling it into a circle that is to be 10 inches across and about 1/8 inch thick. Chef Jim says it is quite all right for you to roll the pin back and forth, as long as you do not roll over the edges. As you roll, lift and swish the dough on the counter to keep the bottom well-floured. Fold the circle in half and pick it up; brush off excess flour, and lay the dough in the pie pan with the fold at the center. Open the dough out to fill the pan, then lift the edges to coax it down into the pan, pressing it so that it lines the pan tightly.

In go the apples: Empty the apples into the crust using a rubber spatula to be sure that all the juices and seasonings go with them. Push them around so they are nicely arranged with a slight dome at the center. Brush the edges of the dough, where it rests on the edge of the pan, with the egg white. Roll the second piece of dough as the first; fold it and drape it over the apples; unfold and process the edges together to seal them, actually lifting the two pieces gently in your fingers to press them together, and at the same time folding them under to make a 1-inch lip all around. Then push the edges up to make an upstanding rim that does not overhang the sides; otherwise the crust will droop during baking. Crimp or flute the edges by pressing the index finger on one hand against the inside rim of the dough while pressing the dough lightly around that finger from the outside rim, using the thumb and index finger of your other hand. Continue around the dough at intervals of about 1 inch. Brush the center of the dough—but not the crimped edge—with more egg white, and sprinkle on the sugar. Note that the edge cooks first and fastest, and the egg white and sugar would cause too much browning.

Manufacturing note: Chef Jim prefers egg white to water for sealing the crusts together since water could produce steam, which would pry the edges apart.

Baking the pie: About 1 hour in all, starting at 450 degrees F. With a sharp knife, poke four neat holes for steam release in the top of the crust—not in the downward slopes where the juices could seep out. Bake in the lower level of the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then rotate the pie a half turn and reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Continue baking 45 to 50 minutes more, until the top is golden brown.

When is it done? The apples should be tender when poked with a cake tester or small sharp knife through the steam holes in the crust. Any juices that bubble out should be slightly thickened and clear.

Remove the pie to a wire rack and let cool for an hour before cutting and serving.

*For those of us who snoozed through that class, π is the ratio of a circle’s circumference in relation to its diameter. It comes down to 3.14, and the decimal places go on forever. But this footnote won’t.

Democratic senator from Arizona Kyrsten Sinema leaves the Capitol on May 11, 2020. / Photo by Michael Reynolds/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.

ONE OF the more colorful creatures in Congress has decided to step aside. Not Mitch McConnell—we said colorful.

No, Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema announced this week that she would not be running for reelection to the Senate. A Democrat who turned Independent, Sinema flew her freak flag proudly, sporting candy-colored wigs, dresses that sprouted flouncy sleeves, and thigh-high boots.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and a kiss is still a kiss. But a skin-tight metallic sheath in the halls of Congress? What’s that? Well, don’t ask us. Here’s what the New York Times’s chief fashion critic,  Vanessa Friedman, had to say a couple of years ago.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema may have been in Europe recently on a fund-raising trip and out of reach of the activists who have dogged her footsteps, frustrated with her obstruction of President Biden’s social spending bill. But despite the fact her office has been keeping her itinerary under wraps, were those protesters able to follow her overseas, there’s a good chance they would be able to find her.

Not just because of her political theater. Ever since she was sworn in to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2005, Ms. Sinema has always stood out in a crowd. And as Ms. Sinema’s legislative demands take center stage (along with those of Senator Joe Manchin, the other Biden Bill holdout) her history of idiosyncratic outfits has taken on a new cast.

As Tammy Haddad, former MSNBC political director and co-founder of the White House Correspondents Weekend Insider, said of the senator, “If the other members of Congress had paid any attention to her clothing at all they would have known she wasn’t going to just follow the party line.”

The senior senator from Arizona — the first woman to represent Arizona in the Senate, the first Democrat elected to that body from that state since 1995, and the first openly bisexual senator — has never hidden her identity as a maverick. In fact, she’s advertised it. Pretty much every day.

Indeed, it was back in 2013, when she was sworn in to the House of Representatives, that Elle crowned Ms. Sinema “America’s Most Colorful Congresswoman.” Since she joined the Senate, she has merely been further embracing that term. Often literally.

Notice was served at her swearing-in on Jan. 3, 2019, when Ms. Sinema seemed to be channeling Marilyn Monroe in platinum blond curls, a white sleeveless pearl-trimmed top, rose-print pencil skirt and stiletto heels: She was never going to revert to pantsuit-wearing banality.

 

Instead, she swept in as a white-cape-dressed crusader for Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, in January 2020. Modeled a variety of Easter-egg colored wigs — lavender, pink, green — to demonstrate, her spokeswoman Hannah Hurley told The Arizona Republic in May of last year, a commitment to “social distancing in accordance with best practices, including from salons.” (Ms. Hurley specified the wig cost $12.99.) Sported pompom earrings, a variety of animal prints, neoprene, and assorted thigh-high boots. And presided over the Senate on Feb. 23 of this year while wearing a hot pink sweater with the words “Dangerous Creature” on the front, prompting Mitt Romney to tell her she was “breaking the internet.”

Her reply: “Good.”

To dismiss that as a stunt rather than a foreshadowing is to give Ms. Sinema less credit than she is due. “She’s saying, ‘I can wear what I want and say what I think is important and I’m going to have a lot of impact doing it,’” Ms. Haddad said. “She is unencumbered by the norms of the institution.”

Lauren A. Rothman, an image and style accountability coach in Washington who has been working with members of Congress for 20 years, said it’s part of a growing realization among politicians that “you are communicating at all times, because a clip on social media can be even more meaningful than something on national TV.” And that means “thinking at all times about what story you are telling with your nonverbal tools, which means your style.”

As Washington has begun to realize. Conversation with various insiders and Congressologists offered theories on the wardrobe that suggested it was either: a sleight-of-hand, meant to distract from Ms. Sinema’s journey from progressive to moderate to possibly Republican-leaning; or meant to offer reassurance to her former progressive supporters that she wasn’t actually part of the conservative establishment.

Richard Ford, a professor at Stanford Law School and the author of “Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History,” said he thought her image was designed to telegraph: “I’m a freethinker, my own person, not going along with convention, so even though I’m a part of the Democratic Party I am representing your interests, not theirs.” (As it happens Ms. Sinema is featured in the book as an example of a woman “unapologetically” bringing a more feminine approach to dress to “the halls of power.”)

Whatever the interpretation, however, no one expressed any doubt that she knew exactly what she was doing. To pay attention is simply to acknowledge what Ms. Haddad called “a branding exercise” being done “at the highest level.” Either way, the senator’s office did not respond to emails on the subject.

Senator Sinema in non-traditional silver talking with Senator Thom Tillis in traditional dark suit in 2020. / Photo by J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press.

After all, said Hilary Rosen, the vice chair of the political consultancy SKDKickerbocker, who has known Ms. Sinema since 2011, the senator “used to dress more like the rest of us, in simple dresses” and the occasional suit jacket. But, Ms. Rosen said, “I’ve seen a real shift in the last few years, and I think they way she dresses now is a sign of her increasing confidence as a legislator. She’s not afraid to wear her personality on her sleeve, and that’s rare in a politician. They usually dress for ambiguity.”

There are few places, after all, more hidebound when it comes to personal style than Congress, which long had a dress code that included the caveat that congresswomen were not supposed to show their shoulders or arms in the building. The House changed its rules in 2017, but the Senate hewed to tradition until Ms. Sinema’s election; the rules were actually changed for her.

According to Jennifer Steinhauer’s book “The Firsts: the Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress,” Senator Amy Klobuchar, the senior member on the Senate Rules Committee, went to leadership before the last swearing-in to request the rules be reconsidered to reflect the modern world. She knew Ms. Sinema, a triathlete, had a penchant for showing her arms, and believed the new senator “needed to be allowed to wear what she wanted” in her new workplace. Some male senators grumbled, but acceded. (In the end, Ms. Sinema compromised by carrying a silver faux-fur stole to cover her shoulders.)

But for women, Capitol Hill is traditionally a land of Talbots and St. John’s; of dressing to camouflage yourself in the group so it is your words that stand out, not your clothes. As Mr. Ford said, “Women are always subject to heightened scrutiny and criticism,” and in Washington this is even more true.

From the “Statement Sleeves” exhibit at The Museum at FIT. Left, from Madame Grès, a navy blue silk taffeta evening gown, circa 1980. Gift of Mrs. Mildred Hilson. / Right, from Rudi Gernreich, a black and cream wool dress, circa 1967. Gift of Ruth Ford. / On the front: from the FIT “Statement Sleeves” exhibition. All copyright © The Museum at FIT.

By Nancy McKeon

WHEN SOMEONE mentions sleeves to me, my first thought is “short or long?” Not very evolved, especially in the past few years when, as Janet Kelly points out, designers and manufacturers have been using sleeves to carry a lot of their fashion message.

FIT, New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, has a current exhibit that allows those of us who are behind the curve to swot up on sleeve action. The exhibit also shows how many things old are new again: Designers themselves acknowledge they’re always looking through history to be inspired by old ideas that can be made new and now.

But rather than hew to a chronology of sleeves, Colleen Hill, the museum’s curator for clothing and accessories, has focused on variations, which has the benefit of showing how ideas—and lotsa fabric—ebb and flow over time.

In usual FIT fashion, the “Statement Sleeves” exhibit keeps it simple, with emphasis on the clothing, the detail, the execution. In fact, the opening Fundamental Forms installation, see below, shows eight garments (one a gentleman’s robe) all in black, the better to show some of the basic sleeve treatments: the bell sleeve, the bishop sleeve, the puffed sleeve, the slit, the kimono-inspired, and . . . the detachable sleeve (who knew?).

Once the fundamentals are out of the way, the exhibit goes on to show how the shapes have been embellished, modernized, or simply exaggerated over the years. The nearly 80 garments on view are from the museum’s permanent collection, the majority being displayed for the first time.

Fundamental Forms. From left to right: dress by Madame Grès, 1978 (angel wing sleeves); dress by Yves Saint Laurent, circa 1968 (bell); dress by Ossie Clark, circa 1970 (bishop); dress by Ann Demeulemeester, fall 2001 (batwing); man’s robe, circa 1925 (kimono); evening coat by Vionnet, 1938 (lantern); jacket, circa 1895 (leg-of-mutton); suit by Fendi, circa 1993 (raglan). Copyright © The Museum at FIT.

A portion of the Performance & Purpose section, all with removable sleeves. From left to right: corset, circa 1770; dress (one sleeve on, one off), circa 1840; dress, circa 1933. Copyright © The Museum at FIT.

Left, two styles from the Asymmetrical & Mismatched section of the exhibition: a fall 1990 suit by Christian Francis Roth (left) and a circa 1973 dress by Stephen Burrows (right). Copyright © The Museum at FIT. Right, designs in the Tucks and Ruffles section of the exhibition. From left to right: blouse by Givenchy, circa 1952; dress by Courrèges, circa 1969; dress by Ellery, 2016. Copyright © The Museum at FIT.

A selection from Tucks and Ruffles. From left to right: evening coat by Mae and Hattie Green, circa 1928; dress by Thierry Mugler, fall 1979; ensemble by Armani, 1982. Copyright © The Museum at FIT.

“Statement Sleeves,” The Museum at FIT, 227 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001, fitnyc.edu; through August 24, 2024. The museum is open Wednesday through Friday, noon to 8pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 5pm. 

Style icon Iris Apfel was an inspiration for Zenni Optical, above, at age 100. The company designed a whole line of eyeglass frames based on her I-know-who-I-am style. / Photo from the Zenni Optical website.

MyLittleBird posted the following appreciation of the dramatic style icon Iris Apfel, famous for her oversized “owlish” eyeglasses, on the occasion of her 100th birthday. She died on Friday, March 1, 2024, in her Palm Beach, Florida, home.

By Nancy McKeon

ON SUNDAY, August 29, 2021, Iris Apfel turned 100. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, just picture an older (truly older) woman with short, sometimes spiky white hair, red lips and enormous eyeglasses playing to the cameras that have been trained on her for the past 15 or 20 years.

Apfel clearly disagrees with Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s style edict. To her, less isn’t more. No, no, more is more. More loops of chunky necklaces, more bangles marching up her arm, more toys in her apartment. And more commercial endeavors that have kept her in Bakelite beads since she and her late husband, Carl, sold their esteemed fabric house, Old World Weavers. (Apfel is behind a “Zentennial” collection of eyeglass frames as bold as her own for Zenni Optical. There is an Iris Apfel Barbie doll. She recently put together four collections of home goods for Lowe’s, including “Palm Beach in Your Backyard” and “Modern Maximalism.”) And there’s a makeup mini collection (lipstick, plus pearl-trimmed pots of eyeshadow and rouge in a little red keepsake case) in collaboration with Edward Bess.

From the Iris Apfel Zentennial Collection for Zenni Optical:
LEFT: “Good to Be Square” frames, available in solid green, plus Serengeti and Swirl patterns, are $49.95 ($66.90 to turn nonprescription lenses into blue-light blockers).
RIGHT: “The Iris Apfel” signature frame comes in black and a red crackle pattern ($45.95, blue-light $62.90). All the Zentennial styles come with a solid tri-fold case and lens cloth, both special editions to mark the occasion. (There’s also a Zentennial soft pouch that doubles as a lens cloth.)

Despite the #IrisYourCloset hashtag, Apfel doesn’t wish to visit her style on anyone. In interviews over and over she has told women young and old that she does what she feels is right for her; we have to do what we feel is right for us.

And we’re doing just that! Just look at “Billie” (below left), the 93-year-old shopper my friend Jane met while wandering the cosmetics aisle of a southern Maryland Walmart (Jane was wandering, Billie clearly knew what she was there for). And the exuberantly dressed woman (below right) I encountered while she and her gentleman friend wandered the Upper East Side in search of “a cocktail lounge” (he said he’d settle for a bar).

LEFT: “Billie” is more than a match for the cosmetics at the Prince Frederick, Maryland, Walmart, where my friend Jane encountered her. Note the silver Birkenstocks! “Surely the most stunning female in Calvert County,” says Jane. Amen. / Photo by Jane Firor.
RIGHT: Thirsty on the Upper East Side pre-pandemic, this colorful couple were searching for a place to stop for a drink. / MyLittleBird photo.

Ari Seth Cohen has made something of a cottage industry out of recognizing and promoting stylish older women, to wit his Advanced Style blog and Instagram account plus a 2014 documentary (available in Amazon Prime Video) and two books, Advanced Style and Advanced Style: Older & Wiser. 

Ari Seth Cohen’s inspiring Advanced Style: Older & Wiser and the original Advanced Style.

But Cohen’s not alone any more than Apfel is. Check out Judith Boyd’s Instagram account StyleCrone (“Aging with hats, style, and the mysteries of yoga”). Also blogger (and “positivity model”) Cathi Rae, Karena at Style Begins at Sixty (a more casual approach to dressing), and of course Kim France’s Girls of a Certain Age site.

A new friend recently expressed surprise that MyLittleBird seemed to be so focused on what “beautiful people” are thinking about.

Well, yes, we are focused on beautiful people: you.

Women who haven’t abandoned personal style, whether chic or exuberant or just-try-that-with-me, all images from Ari Seth Cohen’s 2016 book, Advanced Style: Older & Wiser.

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. We are also an  Amazon Associate.

The Cavanaugh Hanukkah bush that morphs magically every year into a Christmas tree. / Photo by Stephanie Cavanaugh.

By Stephanie Cavanaugh

MY PRINCE has always been a pain in the butt to buy gifts for. His closet is stuffed with handsome clothes. He has no hobbies or collections. Splashes his face with alcohol. Reads the newspaper but has no patience for books. Hates computers and anything techie. He doesn’t cook—though he does a bang-up job of washing dishes. 

What do you get a guy like that?

A couple of decades ago, I said, Let’s each write a list of 100 things we’d like to have. I figures this was a way to solve the problem forever. Just fill in the blanks. 

I merrily scribbled mine, including a Cuisinart food processor, a KitchenAid mixer with pasta attachments, Crayola-colored tights (for a flash of color under my black skirts, black pants), Shalimar (for a sniff of my mom), and a private island in the Caribbean. I was stretching a little at the end. 

What did he include? My own comb.

And that was all he wrote. I swear, you can ask Baby. (I think that was the year she bought him a compass that was made somewhere in Asia; the instructions said something like, If the direction seems wrong, shake it and try again. It was the Magic 8 Ball of compasses.) 

I never thought I’d see the day when I didn’t want stuff, when my little eyes didn’t light up at ribboned boxes, treats. Cuffs that sparkle, cashmere anything, fancy kitchen gear. All of those older friends who insisted we not give them anything but food or wine. I just could not imagine, and felt so cheap for, showing up to some holiday or event empty-handed—and they actually seemed grateful to get nothing!

Now I completely understand why. We don’t need a damn thing, particularly this year, with the passing of older sister Jeanie and adding half the contents of her condo to the already near overwhelming contents of this house. 

When my mom died, many years ago now, her things were divided between the three of us sisters. Now they’ve been divided again between the two leftovers. Add to that haul Jeanie’s collections, and all those gifts from me to her that I would have given to myself. (Which is the way I give things: If you don’t like it, I’ll keep it.) 

So, this year the Prince and I are getting each other nothing for Christmas. We did the same for Hanukkah. We’ve also canceled birthday gifts and will just go out for a grand dinner on our anniversary.

No gifts! What a relief. Well, except for a new pair of secateurs. He owes me snippers that are all mine (mine mine) not to be touched by Princely fingers. Kept sharp and shiny—right where I last put them. Used for nothing but snipping my plants. 

This does not let Baby off the hook. She has a fine knack for ferreting out little luxuries that still give me a thrill, like the peacock-feather boa spotted in New Orleans, the Victorian-style black birdcage for the budgies, Bonnie and Cooper, and my prized MacKenzie-Childs kettle, all black-and-white checks and Alice in Wonderland charm. This year Baby, with a financial assist from the Prince, gave me a class in framing for my birthday, at which I utterly failed, though I now know how to order a mat and frame online. 

What more do I need? I have a house that I love, my garden, my books, and best of all my wonderful family and friends. 

And that, as they say, is a (feathery boa) wrap. 

An installation view of “Mood of the Moment: Gaby Aghion and the House of Chloé” at the Jewish
Museum, NY, October 13, 2023-February 18, 2024. / Photo by Dario Lasagni. Image courtesy the
Jewish Museum, NY.

By Nancy McKeon

THE CLOTHES we put on our back when we go out into the world are “signifiers,” markers of our social status, our personality, announcements of our sexual availability (or not), the codes of our tribal membership. All true, but yada-yada. They’re also just plain fun to look at and dream about (otherwise why would we still have couture?).

Museums, always looking for ways to engage with us upper masses  (a term I just learned*), have in recent years embraced clothing as a draw. Here are three current exhibits that hope to entice holiday travelers to their halls, in New York, Pittsburgh, and Boston.

To take Boston first, there’s Fashioned by Sargent, a mounting of portraits by John Singer Sargent at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, organized with Tate Britain. Aside from just being downright gorgeous, the show has a premise, that Sargent had a hand in choosing the garb of the estimable (or just rich) people who sat for him and was sending out messages by way of clothing (“The coat is the picture,” he apparently told one of his subjects). Maybe. But why not just enjoy the sumptuous gowns and gentlemanly dressing gowns and riding clothes—and especially a very modern-looking, almost casual, portrait of John D. Rockefeller, painted in 1917. The nice thing for winter travelers is that the show runs through January 15, 2024. (If you get to Boston before January 7, you can also see MFA’s multifaceted Strong Women in Renaissance Italy.)

Left, Madame Ramón Subercaseaux, 1880–81. Oil on canvas. Sarofim Foundation. Photograph © the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Right, Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892. Oil on canvas. National Galleries of Scotland, purchased with the aid of the Cowan Smith Bequest Fund, 1925.

At left, John D. Rockefeller, painted by John Singer Sargent in 1917. Oil on canvas. Kykuit, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Pocantico Hills, New York. Bequest of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Laurance S. Rockefeller, David Rockefeller. Photo by Ben Asen. Right, Mrs. Fiske Warren (Gretchen Osgood) and Her Daughter Rachel, 1903. Oil on canvas. Gift of Mrs. Rachel Warren Barton and Emily L. Ainsley Fund.

Fashioned by Sargent, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; phone 615-267-9300; mfa.org. General admission for adults is $27; general plus the Sargent exhibit is $34. Timed ticket required. On view through January 15, 2024. 

This winter the Jewish Museum in Manhattan dives right into the House of Chloé: There never was a designer named Chloé. The design house is the brainchild of Gaby Aghion, an Egyptian emigré, and Chloé was the name of a friend. Aghion launched her line in 1952 Paris, but more than a designer, she was a woman with a desire to breathe a new spirit into the clothing of the moment—not couture, not copies of couture. And it happened, arguably because she evolved the business to embrace a young Karl Lagerfeld, who went on to head the design for 25 years, in two different stints; Martine Sitbon (“the first young girl to be named designer for the house”; Stella McCartney, who went on to create her own empire; Phoebe Philo, who launched her own first fashion line last month; Gabriela Hearst, who also has her own label and has prioritized sustainability in fashion. There are others, also represented in the show. The historical overview explore the ways in which each subsequent creative director after Aghion uniquely interpreted the Chloé ethos and echoed the needs of their time, from the development of ready-to-wear to embracing sustainable practices in fashion.

Two Chloe pieces designed by Karl Lagerfeld, who headed design early in his career and then a second stint. Left, “Angkor” dress designed by Karl Lagerfeld, spring–summer 1983. © Chloé Archive, Paris. Right, “Astoria” dress, designed by Karl Lagerfeld, spring–summer 1967, hand-painted silk crepe by Nicole Lefort. © Chloé Archive, Paris. Both photos by Julien T. Hamon. Courtesy the Jewish Museum, NY.

Left, dress designed by Martine Sitbon, spring–summer 1990, silk crepe, black chiffon, plastic
pellets, and beads. © Chloé Archive, Paris.
Right, blouse designed by Stella McCartney, autumn–winter 2001. © Chloé Archive, Paris.
Both photos by Julien T. Hamon. Courtesy the Jewish Museum, NY.

Left, blouse designed by Phoebe Philo, spring–summer 2002, silk crepe. © Chloé Archive, Paris.
Right, Puffcho designed by Gabriela Hearst, autumn–winter 2021. © Chloé Archive, Paris.
Both photos by Julien T. Hamon. Courtesy the Jewish Museum, NY.

Mood of the Moment: Gaby Aghion and the House of Chloé, Jewish Museum,  1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street. Phone 212-423-3200; thejewishmuseum.org. Admission for adults is $18, for seniors $12. Times ticket required. On view through February 18, 2024.

“14 years. 380 Embroiderers. 51 countries. Millions of stitches. 1 dress.” That’s how the Frick Pittsburgh announced this collaborative embroidery project. The Red Dress was conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod as an artistic platform for women around the world, many of whom are vulnerable and live in poverty, to tell their personal stories through embroidery. The dress, which has toured the globe since 2009, features contributions from 380 artists from 51 countries. Incorporated into this exhibition are the Calico Dress, Pittsburgh’s own version of The Red Dress, created by local embroiderers, craftspeople and imaginative Frick visitors, and a paper dress by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave inspired by a Frick holding, Peter Paul Rubens’s Portrait of Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency, Princess of Condé. If you cannot get to Pittsburgh to view The Red Dress, it will next be exhibited at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts (February 17 through May 19, 2024).

The Red Dress worn by UK artisan Freya Lusher. / Photo by Sophia Schorr-Kon.

The Red Dress embroidery detail. / Photo by Sophia Schorr-Kon.

Artisan Ayo Amon Demi holds a piece of The Red Dress. / Photo by Chloe Townsend.

The Red Dress, The Frick Pittsburgh, 7227 Reynolds Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208. Phone 412-371-0600; thefrickpittsburgh.org. Admission is free ($5 contribution suggested). On view through January 28,2024.

* My understanding is that it means those who have hit millionaire status only to discover that that really isn’t a lot of money anymore.

By Nancy McKeon

DEER ANTLERS usually aren’t “in velvet” till late spring, but we humans like the soft-nap fabric right about now, as we head into winter. As LittleBird Janet showed yesterday, velvet is everywhere in clothing, this year more than most. But it’s also being featured in home furnishings and decorative accessories.

How can such a delicate fabric be sat on, rolled around on, even have chunky jewelry tossed into it? The easy answer is that velvet is not so delicate, depending on the fiber it’s made from. That’s because velvet is not a fiber but a way of weaving silk, cotton, and various synthetics so that the resulting yardage has a plush nap for a finish. Silk velvet tops the list for delicacy and cost. But there’s also sturdy cotton velvet, and cotton and rayon and synthetic blends, often seen in upholstery fabric, speaking of not delicate.

Like everything else, all velvet is not the same. Don’t be put off by the use of synthetics, but do look for quality. Some fabrics called “velvet” are little more than flocking whereas others are plush and pleasing to the hand and eye. Here’s what we found in our march around the market.

Never mind the decorating dictum to choose ​your room’s rug first: Here’s a bed you can build your bedroom around. ​London’s House of Hackney loves moody palettes​ and maximalist style, and this patterned poly-velvet upholstered bed ​fits those criteria, from its​ sculpted headboard to its upholstered ​frame. ​Tempted to go mega-maximalist? There’s a matching organic cotton sateen duvet cover ($228 or $248 in queen- or king-size) and pillow shams, standard ($88 per pair) and Euro-square ($58 each). The bed is available in queen and king sizes, ​$2,498 and $2,698. For a lighter mood to your room, the velvet bed frame also comes in an Opia print, a pale ground with large pink blossoms. All at Anthropologie.

It’s hard to imagine a friendlier vibe for a dining area than these cotton-and-polyester Velvet Hagen Dining Chairs. Mix up your palette or stick to one of the six available colors. The cotton-blend velvet seating plays well in the living room or bedroom too. For a limited time, they’re $468 each at Anthropologie. The Hagen chair can also be had in leather (butterscotch, black or gray, $698 each).

The Hip Seat Carrier by Tushbaby lets Mom or designated other hoist Baby (up to 45 pounds) and let Baby sit on the velvet platform while safely attached to Mom’s hip. Pockets in the hip pouch hold essentials. It comes in velvet gray/silver and velvet brown/sable; $115 at Nordstrom.