feeling fancy in eight minutes

what the surrealists and Phoebe Philo gave us

A friend came up to me recently and said, “I love your Substack because it makes me feel like it’s okay to be fancy.” It gave me pause for a moment. She wasn’t someone who necessarily needed permission to be fancy. But with two young children at home and a full, hurried life, it’s easy for women to feel guilt simmering… that we need an allowance to do things for ourselves, to find time to indulge our own whims and creative pursuits, or to put on something beautiful when you know it’d be fine to just go in jeans.

By now, you know I love to get dressed. And that I believe in a measured mentality when it comes to your closet, of only buying special things that you’ll hold close forever. Given that restraint, I gravitate towards pieces that withstand not just trends, but the changing seasons of our lives, that add a collected sense of self.

Bonus points if it’s something you can throw on, without much thought needed, in the eight minutes you have between kids bedtime and wherever you need …