Duster - it just sounds so cool. With all love and respect to Wild West-style dusters, there are so many great dusters that are way too nice to go anywhere near a dusty trail. OK, but what exactly is a duster? How do I fit them into my wardrobe? Should I...

Put down the deliberately ugly holiday sweater. We need to have a chat. And not just about how on earth the Ugly Holiday Sweater became a trend. And you in the back with the Christmas Red/Christmas Green top, and your friend with the Hannukah Blue and White dress? You need to...

A while back, Allegra was at a 60th birthday party - a real fancy 'do with a professional photographer. She noticed that some women kept running away from the photographer. Not because they're in the witness protection program, but because they hate how they look in pictures. You'll be unsurprised...

I've gone on and on about how you shouldn't buy clothes that you could only wear on a special occasion. In most instances, it's better to invest in well-made, versatile pieces. But that doesn't mean I think you should show up at parties wearing the same exact outfit you wear to...

There's no place like home for the holidays, which is exactly where I'll be. Like many of you this year, I'll be celebrating the holidays in my very own living room surrounded only by people I live with. Instead of squeezing around a dining room table that became too small 10...

There's this silly cliche about women standing in front of overflowing closets and saying that they have nothing to wear. And sure, sometimes a woman's closet is stuffed full of stained, out of style pieces that don't even fit anymore. But usually what we're really saying is "I don't have...

I'm always going on about versatile clothing and how you shouldn't feel obligated to buy an outfit that's only appropriate at weddings, holiday parties, and special occasions. But "don't feel that you have to" isn't the same as "you shouldn't". Clothing is supposed to be fun. If you want to...

I'm always blathering on about how versatile dresses can be dressy or casual depending on the accessories. Dress it up! Dress it down! That can sound like vague and useless advice if you don't have a ridiculous amount of accessories like I do. So let's talk details. The Base Clean, unembellished clothes are the...

The more parties you throw, the easier it gets. You learn to schedule party day down to the minute. You figure out what needs to go in the oven when, and which closets are best for stashing clutter. But your outfit can be an afterthought. Which is a bad idea...

As much as I love a closet full of classics that I can wear whenever, I do love to add a few new pieces each season to keep things interesting. Ideally, those pieces are classic enough that I can keep them in heavy rotation. At a minimum, they shouldn't be...

We talk a lot about how this or that outfit is appropriate for a cocktail party. But what do we mean by that? Even if you're never in your whole long life been invited to a Cocktail Party, you've probably been to that type of party. When we say cocktail...

Day to Night outfits are the white whales of the fashion world. It takes obsession to actually find one and no one really believes they exist. In reality, they sort of exist and sort of don't. There is no outfit that looks appropriate at the office and at an evening cocktail...

The Holiday Season is a time to gather with your best and dearest. It's also a time when you can't avoid people who drive you up the wall. Sure, Aunt Katherine's hobby is criticizing people, your co-worker took credit for your fantastic idea, and the PTA is run by that mean...

Of course you want to dress up for holiday parties. Who can blame you? But you also don't want to look like some glittery thing people hang in the window to make it look festive. And you really don't want to end up with any clothes you can't wear again...

We're always hearing about the latest trends, the one color or style that you absolutely have to add to your wardrobe this season. Of course the problem with trends is that they look outdated after only a few months. I'm not saying you should ignore trends entirely, but maybe stick...