No matter the length or fabric, I am a huge fan of a toggle coat.

My Grandma Anne used to preach “you buy good and you have”. Translated, this means, buy the best quality of something you can afford so you can use and enjoy it forever. Conversely, if you buy something cheaper, it will fall apart sooner and you will have nothing. I was tutored on place settings, table linens, and the way fine garments are finished. Grandma Anne was all about having good. Taking good care of whatever she had was in that lesson too. Polishing the silver service my mother gave me or my luxurious leather boots all bring me back to that sentiment. When we purchased our quality vintage dining room table many years ago, one of its brass feet was badly pitted and water damaged. Pre-Google, I struggled how to fix it myself. A recent quick search gave me a hardware resource for the replacement . Voila, I bought good and now I have

After years of looking at white marble, black marble is looking fresh in bathrooms and kitchens.

Sometimes style things just grab your attention. I don’t know if I will ever wear black tights (are tights back?) with white shoes, but this looks so good to me right now.

Faux Bois “false wood” has its roots in the Renaissance as part of  trompe-l’œil. It became more widely popular as a craft in the late nineteenth century in both public and residential applications and still plays well with all decors. I think it looks especially great in modern settings.

Ann Taylor Denim

Frame Denim

I am all for buying luxurious items that simply cannot be replicated: an Hermes blanket, a Gucci loafer,  and a Cartier watch. But with many things fashion, an excellent and less expensive substitute can be hacked.  The trick is finding the resource that hacks what you need best. In terms of denim, Ann Taylor hacks Frame, for knitwear, Loft hacks Vince. Going into retail stores that you may not otherwise frequent sometimes yields economic and still very stylish gains.

Stuart Weitzman

Chloe

Stuart Weitzman

A South Florida winter doesn’t warrant shearling lined boots. But if there was ever a need….

Cozying up to a fireplace is all well and good if you aren’t the one keeping the fire well fueled and the one having to clean out the soot when it’s out. There is a stylish solution: place a mirror in the inner hearth and use the log crate for flameless candles when its not in use or when you are tired of being the fire tender.

My favorite trends of Fall 2018.

Zara

While I live in a home that has plenty of room for a table and separate chairs for informal dining, I am still very attracted to banquette seating. The economy of space may be the wow factor for me.