"Suit up and show up."
The power of intentional style.
When I worked at Bergdorf Goodman in the ‘90s, the store’s chicest women would dip back into New York to see us right about now, to put sartorial plans in place, with the first Tuesday in September top-of-mind.
Their visits were selective, reflective, and productive. As each imagined in their heads a silent starting gun. As did every New Yorker, since it fired every year at the crack of dawn the day after Labor Day. This marked the start of Manhattan’s season of accomplishment, which was referred to by date. This year, it’ll be called “September 2nd.”
This was a moment for which Manhattan’s movers and shakers knew they would need to be dressed. Suit up and show up.
Which required advance planning. To have some great looks lined up for any day that could include: the school drop off, morning meetings in the office, that Lincoln Center lunch to benefit The New York City Ballet (where they would see everyone), followed by a wrap-up back in the office.
A separate capsule collection called for a few fun, perhaps colorful, numbers. To see them through the rounds of cocktail and dinner parties on New York’s philanthropic social scene.
An aimless life of lunch and tennis at the club was not for these women. They had other things to do, places to be, plans already in progress. So when they shopped, they styled themselves to close the deal, land the gift, or launch something new and ideally societally important.
They weren’t just putting an outfit together. They were preparing for anything, with complete aplomb.
In the 1990s, magazines and newspapers — Vogue, The New York Times, and The New York Times Magazine — dedicated swaths of editorial space to “being ready,” pages and pages featuring sharply tailored “go anywhere” suits and slyly “deconstructed ones” (i.e. a perfect cashmere top paired with luxurious and beautifully cut trousers).
And shoes, always amazing shoes!
There was also an unfortunate American idea of “dressing for your age”, which proliferated. Likely dreamt up by someone insecure. And judgy.
nailed these weird dictates in her piece last week on The Creative Pragmatist. In it, she turns “How to Dress at Every Age” brilliantly on its own head.
Amy also (intentionally or accidentally) underscores the French idea of freeing oneself from trends. If it looks good on you, then wear it. If it doesn’t, then don’t.
The French just FYI feel equally strongly (in my experience) on the subject of hem lengths. If you can’t pull off the micro-mini at 25, don’t attempt. If you can slay a micro-mini at age 70, portez-le. Bien sûr!
I love
’s modern re-thinking of things in the grid above. It demonstrates the idea of dressing according to personal intention, not outside dictates. Separately, Amy’s mood board below beautifully reflects the essence of her own brand Tibi.
Per my thoughts last week on The Death of Discernment, inner intention reflected outward is the foundation of great style, which requires assigning substance and context to one’s own wardrobe. What will this piece “contribute” to my closet? Will it help me to accomplish something?
Then there is also the question of what to wear for the fall “protest season” ahead. (Which was so not a thing in the 90s? What with that peace and prosperity we all enjoyed back then?)
I like the idea of having everyone dress up for political marches. My Marc Jacobs vintage long navy peacoat with dramatic black faux fur trim, for example, has made many a wintery-mix glamorous march of its own in the past nine years, behind Democracy.
Finally, it’s critical that those of us on the side of human decency see each room we walk into, meeting we attend, reception and/or dinner invitation we accept, as a space into which we must drop our own unique power.
We must bring with us into that room the exact opposite of the ugliness we witness within this GOP regime — and its voters- as they give themselves permission to now act out their very worst impulses.
We must repel their efforts. As the literal antidote to their evil energy.
As such we must instead, and very much by design, cast a glow of intention over each room we enter.
Behind liberty, justice, and the inalienable rights of all.
It will require courage. And the power of style.
I love this!!! And of course the icing on the cake is being on your reading list!
David (Kibbe): Once again-- SO GOOD! Intention, when combined with Situation is how we harness the true power of Style. In my view, its always about Communication---hopefully Aspirational . We are ALWAYS sending out messages via the way we present ourselves. Its the Specifity of Intention vs the default that elevates, empowers and uplifts. ❤️