Practicalities: check your own closet and you’ll discover you wear 10 percent of your clothing 90 percent of the time. Figure out the commonalities in that magic 10 percent and you’re less likely to waste money on clothing that still bears its price tag when you chuck it in the bag going to the thrift store. I don’t travel anywhere without my black silk knit T-shirt from local designer Kathleen Staples, which is an extra warming layer, provides decency under a sheer top, or fills in the gap in a jacket that’s slightly too V-necked for daytime. Another bailout is my crew-neck black cashmere sweater. When did Eaton’s close? That’s how old it is. Denim is a godsend—not jeans so much as a jacket or a simple, knee-length skirt that stops a look from taking itself too seriously.
If you’re sinking serious money into clothes or accessories, always opt for timeless style over gone-tomorrow fashion. I’m thinking of the glowing silk jackets of Joanna Staniszkis, Zonda Nellis’s glorious dresses, and Fluevog shoes. Speaking of good shoes, treated kindly they last for years. That means inserting shoe trees right after you take footwear off to stop it from going boat-shaped, and having shoes reheeled or resoled before they need it.
Something I figured out for myself is that whenever I get a look totally right, it’s bright to note it down to the last detail. You won’t believe how much time that little trick alone can save you. Fashion models use this technique largly. Example: “Black cotton cropped pants, red linen shirt, plus warrior-woman belt [you develop your own shorthand]; coin earrings; snake bracelet; red, zip-front shoes; and fishnet knee-highs.” Ah fishnet. Something else I’ve learned is that if any outfit looks as though you’re trying for a job in the corner office, fishnet hose moves it into a different, edgier realm. Animal prints do the same—picture the difference between a charcoal-grey jacket over a white shirt or a leopard-print T-shirt.
