A Touch of Glam

Sheer black hosiery with a leather skirt from Toteme’s recently launched Garderob/permanent wardrobe, and Phoebe Philo’s Collection B sunglasses are perfect winter tweaks for these cold, short days.

Bits & Bobs

I left Paris early for a Harper’s Bazaar reunion that was seriously fun. There were primarily folks from former editor-in-chief Kate Betts’s era. I loved catching up with designer and Homme Girls editor-in-chief Thakoon Panichgul, Kristina O’Neill, head of media at Sotheby’s, Kerry Diamond, Cherry Bombe founder, Cary Leitzes, founder of the creative agency Leitzes&Co., and Amanda Ross of ARossGirl — a few of my dearest, onetime HB colleagues. Even though I raced from the plane to the dinner and was a bit of a zombie, I am so glad I showed up. It’s all about showing up and reconnecting with friends.

On my radar: the fabulous Chanel Spring-Summer 2025 pre-collection campaign images of Gracie Abrams, Claire Thomson-Jonville appointed head of editorial content at Vogue France — an inspired choice, a very chic woman in The Row wearing The Row, and my Hermès Picotin in the wild.

Two From The Row

The Row’s new store in Paris is lovely. Much more intimate than the one in NYC, and the folks who work there could not be nicer. I have been meaning to try these boots since I posted on them last January. Black was sold out, but the dark brown is stunning and less predictable. The leather is very supple, that being the case, I hope they wear well. And, I certainly don’t need a long grey skirt, but I’ve loved the one by Maria McManus therefore I know I will get a lot of wear out of this one, too.

The Hermès Picotin

Since my last post, the devastating fires broke out in LA. My husband is from Bel Air and his entire family is on evacuation alert. Friends have lost their homes, businesses, schools, and churches. Our hearts go out to everyone affected. 

A chocolate brown Hermès Picotin Lock 26 Bag zoomed to the top of my wishlist when I spied it on the SS25 runway top right. However, there is nary a 26 in any of the three Hermès boutiques in Paris, nor have they had one in a while. I hope this changes with the multitude of Picotins in the spring show and I will check when I’m back in March. However, I picked up a black 22 and have worn it nonstop — it holds far more than it looks. The Picotin is less expensive when purchased new — the ones I’ve seen on resale sites are priced considerably higher. It’s not a waitlist item and is available in stores — I walked in and bought it then and there. My Picotin 22 cost less than the Bottega Jodie I bought for my daughter in London a few weeks ago…

Paris Dispatch

Finally, Paris seems back to its regular schedule — most tourists have gone home and the children are back in school. However, the spectacular holiday decorations are still up and the city is gleaming from its pre-Olympics spiffing up. It’s been years since I’ve seen the Opéra Garnier sans scaffolding and it looks amazing. I know I say this every January, but it’s truly a wonderful time to be here.

We’re in an apartment that looks onto the Hotel Bristol pool and up to Sacré Coeur. From the upstairs bedroom you can see the Eiffel Tower and the Grand Palais, which is lit up at night for the ice skaters. I’ve decided that this is a non-cooking trip and have booked a number of Michelin starred restaurants in our neighborhood. There are two in the Bristol, which was an easy place to start.

First stop is always the Bourse de Commerce. This time I picked up two Anri Sala prints from his exhibition in 2022-2023. The catalogue has had pride of place on my coffee table for the past two years. I am very excited to tour the recently reopened Notre Dame, then, the Tina Barney retrospective, Family Ties, at the Jeu de Paume is next on the list.

Last fall I shelved my sneakers save a pair of Common Projects that look like Converse. The ubiquitous Adidas Sambas went into the bin. Flats, Belgian Shoes, and boots are now my everyday footwear of choice. I want to check out the new The Row store and try these booties.

Finally, I couldn’t resist snapping this chic Parisienne’s outfit — neutrals perfected. And, I brought my Fendi Mamma Baguette that I purchased in 1998. The hardware was silver and they kindly swapped it to gold — I wonder if they would do that today. Still looks current to my eye #Don’tOverpurge.

And, an enormous thank you for all of the sweet comments on my last post. I did not expect such an outpouring of support and it was the encouragement I needed.

Warmly,  Preston

2025!

I am not sad to see 2024 come to a close. Too many commitments overwhelmed me and, thankfully, some are coming to an end. I, also, lost my way a bit with kic. However, the best thing I did in 2024 was to focus on my skin — the Biologique Recherche products and facials have made a noticeable difference. When a dear friend recommended the incredible Condensé line, I happily added these two to my skincare routine. I’m about to board a flight to Paris and the above moisturizer and Glossier perfume solid are in my handbag.

Wishing everyone a very happy new year! xp

Bits & Bobs

For me, time— and more specifically, time to read and hang with my family — is a true luxury. For the last two years my younger daughter and I have planned numerous trips, only to cancel at the last minute.  We are going to London next week for a few days and, this time, I will not let life get in the way. I am looking forward to the Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery. The friend who encouraged me to start a journal gave me a beautiful watercolor set for Christmas. Delphine designer Tanya Taylor’s word portraits are my journaling goal. I want to pick up this travel watercolor set at the National Gallery shop so I can easily paint on the go. For the last few months I’ve been reading classics and I’m currently midway through Anthony Powell’s twelve-volume masterpiece, “A Dance to the Music of Time.” The next book in the queue — a relatively new release–  is “A Northern Light in Provence”, a novel by Elizabeth Birkelund. My dear friend who recommended it said it’s a wonderful read. Another friend recommended “A World Within A World: The bay Houses of Long Island” to watch on the plane. ‘Tis the season to diligently moisturize and Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse in neroli makes it easy. It does double duty as my fragrance, too. Another shoutout for the extremely comfortable Bally pumps, this time in burgundy. They look just fine after a very rainy walk to the Riverkeeper fundraiser on the Hudson River the other evening. I am doing a Riverkeeper Sweep in May if anyone would like to join me. And, finally, this gold, past-season Bottega Veneta bag looks chic worn casually, not just for evening.

• Re. the Bally pumps purchased on the Bally site, if you are a 7.5, order a 7. If you buy them elsewhere, if you are a 7.5, buy the 37.5

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.

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.

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.