On My Mind

Easy Peasy

At a Maria McManus trunk show last week, I found the skirt. Softly pleated with an elastic waist and pockets — it’s the easiest piece. The Bally pumps in my last post are so comfortable (and now on sale), that I bought a similar pair in cream. Grey + cream = one of my favorite color combos. Last trip to Paris I picked up a Biologique Recherche concealer and it is the perfect amount of coverage for the occasional spot.

Luna Luna was fun, especially with good friends. I am wearing Frame jeans, not the High Sport pants.

On My Mind

Something Old & Something New

This circa 2000 Lanvin coat and skirt set is out of the closet and on the clothing rack with items that I am currently wearing often. I’m a wee bit tired of kitten heels, and when I pulled out these Gucci pumps (I’d removed the GGs), I realized that I miss a block heel. Bally has a lot of great shoes in the FW24 collection and I’m going to give the Emblem Pumps a try.

I keep the top image on my inspiration board to remind myself that it’s possible to wear a shorter coat over a longer skirt and look chic, something I have not mastered.

On My Mind

Bits & Bobs

November is zooming along and Thanksgiving is around the corner. Found a yummy sweet potato recipe on W. Icons — always nice to find a new way to prepare them. I read Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner in a day, it’s very good. Marc Jacobs guest edited the December issue of Vogue and my favorite of the two covers of Kaia Gerber is the portrait painted by Anna Weyant. A dear friend got us tickets for opening day to Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy at The Shed NYC, a wonderful present. I will wear my new (and first) pair of High Sport pants. The fit of this style suits me — trim, but not leggings.

Travel

Thank You, Charleston!

The Charleston Literary Festival was incredible! Paul Murray talked about his novel The Bee Sting, Claire Messud, one of my favorite authors of all time, spoke about her recent book, This Strange Eventful History, and Emily Wilson read from her translation of Homer’s The Iliad. All the talks were first-rate.

A big thank you to my friends, the writers Kate Betts and Dorothy Spears, for letting me tag along on this adventure. Besides the litfest, we had lunch at Chez Nous, which was exceptionally good, dinner at The Ordinary, also delicious, shopped Hampden and Wentworth, and wandered. Kate and Dorothy did the walking tour with Tommy Dew and said it’s a must. The people of Charleston were lovely and I am excited to return with my husband. Next trip, we will stay at The Dewberry or Zero George and I will add Fig, and the other restaurants recommended, to the list. Savannah, too.

Thank you, again, for all of the great suggestions, they made the trip memorable.

xPreston

Travel

Charleston Bound

Dear Readers,

I am heading to Charleston, South Carolina for a literary festival and have never been. Everyone raves about this beautiful city so, please, any and all recommendations are welcome!

xPreston

A heartfelt thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions!  Shopping, siteseeing, and a lot of walking will be my activities outside of the festival talks. I am thinking of this as a scouting trip for a future trip with my husband, when we can plan properly. As Dawn recommends, next time I will “…book dinners, then hotel, then flights…” Again, thank you for the Charleston intel!

On My Mind

Random Bits

When I mentioned to my dear friend, an ex-Vogue colleague, that I wanted to post on my annoyance with In Vogue: The 90s — for instance, Tonne Goodman didn’t join Vogue until 1999, she was at the competitor Harper’s Bazaar  — my friend said ‘you don’t do negative on kic.’ This is true, but I had to slip in my incredulity in some small way…  This same friend recommended journaling, which has been life altering. Once I found the perfect journal and pen, I was off and running. Jotting down bits of conversations, name and context when I’m introduced to someone (super helpful), and ideas that often get lost by the end of the day has helped me organize my thoughts tremendously. For example, I have been collecting vintage Tiffany bangles and often wonder about the previous owner(s). Was the bracelet a gift? Passed down? Loved and lost? When I wrote these musings in my journal, I was reminded of one of my favorite books, The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan. The story follows an engagement ring through a series of times and owners. Reading is my passion, especially at this stage in my life, and I found I was only reading in two spots because of the lighting. So, I bought a rechargeable lamp that moves with me. I also bought a few for the nooks and crannies in my office and closet that have no electrical outlets. It’s always good to shine a light in those dark corners.

On the Hunt For

An Off-White Anorak

This The Row PF24 collection image has been on my inspiration board since I posted on it September 2023. A year later and I am on the hunt for a cream anorak. The Row’s anorak is the gold standard, however, ones by Zimmerman and Khaite are good, too.

On My Mind

Bits & Bobs

Before I dig in: I have tickets to see Glass Animals on October 15 at the Zénith de Paris that I now cannot use. If someone would like them, please let me know. After a closet overhaul, I realized that I parted with all of my wool trousers and, now, have only 5-pocket jeans/corduroys/chinos. The hunt is on and I’m starting with The Row. The Olsens look fabulous in their own designs, and I am on the shorter side, too, so I figure their pants should be a good fit. The Celine skirt was taken down an inch and it made all the difference. I inherited an inordinate number of paintings from my mother and have put many in storage as I build my own collection. Jonathan Becker’s print is a sensational addition. After I started wearing the Celine sunglasses, I picked up this smaller pair by Saint Laurent and they are growing on me.  Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything is excellent, and I just finished Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, which is very well written. Susan Minot’s Don’t Be A Stranger, her first novel in a decade, is out on October 15. With Revenge Of The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell revisits his first book, which was published 25 years ago. Finally, the New York issue of Holiday that is guest-edited by Camilla Nickerson, is now available.

Books

Jonathan Becker: Lost Time

Photographer Jonathan Becker’s new book, Lost Time, will be available October 8. The retrospective monograph commemorates forty years of his brilliant photographs. I met Jonathan at Vogue in the late ’90s, and his partner, the editor and stylist Alexandra Kotur, is one of my oldest and dearest friends. When we bought the house in Bedford, NY, they were the only people we knew there.

Photographs from Jonathan Becker: Lost Time are on view at The Katonah Museum of Art. The exhibition was curated by Mark Holborn and is up until January 26, 2025. I just bought an Edition of At Eden Roc, the image on the cover of the book. It’s being hung tomorrow.

Collections

Celine SS25

I may be completely off the mark, but the Celine SS25 collection feels like an audition for Chanel. Or, perhaps, it’s wishful thinking – Hedi Slimane is the designer I would like to see at Chanel, so fingers crossed.