what are you wearing to the end of the world?

apocalyptic party dressing: satin suits, sheer polka dots and metallic pumps to help us go down swinging

The world is imploding and we are deep in the logistical web of navigating a move to Paris, and yet… party season is in full swing. Life does not pause for seismic shifts or the end of democracy.

A dichotomy, yes, when compared to the unjust and the unrest around us, but perhaps grasping onto joy is our way of coping. Just as the bourgeois kept dancing on the Titanic, sometimes the only solution to the overwhelming weight of the world is exactly that… blind, unbridled hedonism.

So, if we’re all going to go down, why not do it as your wilder alter ego? The one who eschews obligation in favor of deep desire. Who wears white to a wedding and a sheer dress to a 40th without any fear of upstaging the host. Who leaves early when she’d rather sleep and stays too late when the whiskey hits. A sad truth of life is that it’s only when the stakes turn that we understand what it means to live.

“Yes, now you know. Now you know! That's what it was to be alive. To move about in a cloud of ignorance; to go up and down trampling on the feelings of those...of those about you. To spend and waste time as though you had a million years. To be always at the mercy of one self-centered passion, or another. Now you know — that's the happy existence you wanted to go back to. Ignorance and blindness.” - Thornton Wilder’s Our Town

Or, to quote another great work of art, Queen Latifah’s seminal movie The Last Holiday, where a terminally ill women goes on a bucket list adventure:

“how much for the damn cocoon!”

Since it’s only inevitable… Outfits for the End of the World

Opening Night of Le Ballet des Sirènes: Darling, it’s better… under the sea

From top left: gold shell earrings, mint dress, satin burnout dress, embroidered dress, pearl earrings, shell clutch, blue sandals, appliqued gold sandals, multi colored sandals, white pearl necklace

“Toes in the sand” at dusk in Saint Tropez: Drop waist white dresses, ideally asymmetric

from top left: paracord & diamond necklace, strapless dress, chunky red necklace, drop waist dress, two tone dress, silk tie sandals I love, rafia and black sandal, a trusty brown go to shoe, rafia bag

Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride: Until today. And - gasp - in pants!

From top left: tunic, earrings, pants, silk tie heels, beaded clutch

A gala with a private showing of Picasso’s Blue Period: Match the curtains to the drapes

From top left: Gold topaz bracelet, gown, crystal moon, slip dress, earrings, the softest lip crayon, suede deep navy clutch, mules, lace up sandals

Cowboy Carter in London: Shine bright like a diamond

from top left: Queen B, the OG cowboy hat, straw cowboy hat, sequin mini dress, signet ring, fringe necklace, satin clutch, denim flats, cowboy boots, Vogue shot by Tyler Mitchell, Diana Ross record album, brocade evening bag, spandex dress

A guest of a guest at MediaLink’s Cannes Lions soiree at Hotel du Cap : Polka dot dandy (and a martini to fuel small talk with advertising titans)

From top left: Sheer and satin dress (another good one here), earrings, polka dot dress, blue and gold earrings, black mini purse, burgundy heels, sheer heels, bow

The black tie wedding of your frenemy: Sheer freedom

From top left: drop earrings, sheer dress, vintage bulgari coin earrings, dress, vintage clutch, beaded sandals, black minimalist sandals, everyone needs peptide mascara, mini velvet clutch

RuPaul’s Pride Party: Rainbow bright

From top left: Christopher John Rogers campaign image, beaded dress, handmade earrings, chandelier, necklace, gold mules

A bridal shower for your’s husband’s ex-girlfriend: Show a little leg, and oops I wore white

From top left: wing earrings, satin mini dress with train, ivory mini dress, clutch, lipstick, highlighter stick, complexion drops, a beautiful artisanal fragrance (from an OOD reader!), gold block heel, red sandal, pearl clutch

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BITS & BOBS

• Moda is hosting a Happy Isles trunk show, a genius move by the retailer, considering Happy Isles is a treasure trove of vintage typically only experienced IRL in NY or LA (and even then, you need to pay to make an appointment). Even if you’re not in the market, it’s a worth a look for inspiration alone. But also buy this and this.

• Vincent Van Duysen is back with another Zara Home collab. I’m torn on this one, but not on his dreamy home in Antwerp, where they hosted the opening party. Van Duysen is known for calming, minimalist, masculine interiors. I could go on far too long about interior design collabs, but in most cases, I find them too reductive, and lacking the designer’s actual taste and magic. I will say Jake Arnold tends to be the exception. I often use his Crate & Barrel line when designing kids rooms.

• It takes a lot for me to be into merchy merch (a logo is just not my thing). But I do think the FRAME x Sotheby’s collab is kind of fabulous for low key days, especially this and this.

• I’m big into the house dress: that roomy, casual, one-and-done piece that, with the right accessorizing, is your stalwart for kid things, work and social outings. I’ve been living in this plisse dress (sadly only a few sizes left, some XS/S here), which is a bit more directional and makes me feel dressed and somehow in pajamas concurrently. Some other favorites: a perfect menswear inspired shirtdress, a striped washed cupro (the buttons!), and this fringe number for when you’re not around children with messy hands.

• Oh and lastly, some good discounted Row & Toteme pieces on the newest Bessette drop! Some of the ideas from the above edit are in there too: a satin tie sandal, red strappy heel and the beaded Khaite sandal.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

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