Turn Up The Volume

A few days ago I posted on long hair and that it isn’t just for the very young.  However, I will only keep it this length if it has volume, a challenge for many blondes my age. To do this, I rely on volumizing shampoos and products. Adding a few highlights helps too. TBC.

My hair hero Julie Christie 

Summer Solstice Resolution

Today is my favorite day of the year—I love that it’s light late into the evening. It’s also a good time to reflect on where we are. This year I’m taking that sentiment literally.

Last week my friend and fellow blogger Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic emailed that she wanted to visit Old Westbury Gardens and invited me to tag along. Over the years I’ve participated in numerous events at the nearby historic estate, but I’ve never taken a proper tour of Westbury House and the formal gardens. I learned so much that it really took me aback—I realized that there is a lot to enjoy right in my own corner of the world. It reminded me that I didn’t go to the Statue of Liberty until friends visiting from Europe insisted that I join them—I’d lived in NYC for 20 years at that point…

So, my resolution is to explore more, even places in my own backyard. Also, a big thank you to Heather for berating me (in a nice way) for using an old phone/camera.  I went straight to the Apple store and bought the iPhone X. My pictures are significantly better—it’s a game changer.

Welcome to summer!

ARoss Girl x Soler

Congratulations to Amanda Ross—her line of silk dresses, a collaboration with London-based Soler, are now available on Net-A-Porter. So pretty and classic, my dear friend may get me to wear color, yet.

‘Long Story Short’

When it’s as hot and muggy as it was yesterday and will be again today, I’m tempted to chop off my hair. Then I twist it into a knot or do a simple braid and ride out the heatwave.

Kirsty Hume and Cecilia Chancellor, two of my favorite ’90s models, continue to wear their hair long and it suits them. As hairstylist Sam McKnight says of long locks in July British Vogue, “those days of it being something for the very young are well and truly behind us.”

The hair aside, Kate Phelan’s styling is fabulous—the Hermès look above is going on my inspiration board, pronto.

Photography by Richard Burbridge

Father’s Day Fare: Kitchen Clambake

We’ve always done a version of a kitchen clambake, usually served on a newspaper-covered picnic table. Last year I had an “aha” moment and started using enamelware serving trays, and bowls for the shells and butter— they look great and keep everything relatively neat. This picture is from @bonapetitmag — I don’t put andouille or shrimp in my clambake, just lobsters, steamers, mussels, and corn. These are the enamelware pieces I use.

Wishing everyone a happy Father’s Day!

Three Fave Tomas Maier Collections for Bottega Veneta

News broke yesterday that the Bottega Veneta creative director of 17 years, Tomas Maier, has stepped down. Before a new designer is named (Phoebe Philo got my vote, but Kering chose Daniel Lee who worked with Philo, which could be very interesting) I thought I’d rerun three of my favorite BV collections by Mr. Maier. The SS15 collection above was a standout that season, each look lovelier than the next. To celebrate the house’s 50th anniversary, Lauren Hutton walked in the SS17 show below carrying the clutch she made famous in the all-time classic film American Gigolo. And I loved the mixed prints on the dresses in the PF16 collection bottom, a trend that is still going strong today.

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Linn Hägglund Inspired

Swedish stylist and creative consultant Linn Hägglund has personal style in spades and her discerning aesthetic inspires me to be thoughtful about what I buy. Friends with designers Elin Kling and Josephine Dahlin, Hägglund works with both women on their respective lines Totême and Deitas.  A few years ago she told Make it Last that “(t)he minimalistic yet luxury aesthetic appealed to me as candy to a child.” Hear, hear.

Images @linnhagglund

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Sale, Sale,Sale!

My inbox has practically exploded with emails touting further markdowns on sale items. Since I didn’t buy much when the sales started, I decided to see what’s still available—a lot, actually.

Saint Laurent sunglasses, Chloé ballet flats, A.P.C. dress, Saint Laurent sweater, Saint Laurent belt, Portolano hat, Blazé Milano blazer, Marni Trunk bag.

Glamping

As a kid, I loved our yearly camping trip. My father owned 100 acres that straddled the New Hampshire/Maine state line and there was a beautiful river running through it. We would pack up the old wood-paneled Jeep Wagoneer (it’s only purpose was the summer camping trip) with a Coleman stove, coolers, tents, sleeping bags, and foods we were never allowed to eat at home.

Time has, naturally, dulled the memories of waking up cold and damp, washing in a frigid leech-filled stream, and being stuck in the woods with no escape from my siblings for days on end.

Which brings me to glamping. Years ago I was obsessed with an article on the Miller sisters and their families camping out west in Airstreams that they had kitted out with bohemian pillows, throws, and tons of great food (they may have taken a chef with them). Today there are a number of hotels that offer an upscale version of camping and would be ideal for a family reunion—Tablet’s The Agenda has the very best list.

Cool Stuff for Dad

I am fortunate to have a fantastic men’s shop nearby for Father’s Day gifts. James Guy above has all sorts of cool  stuff and it’s nice to support a small local business. Online I found lots of great gift ideas on Huckberry, and Creed’s Green Irish Tweed is always a winner.