finery

My sister and I often remark that it seems very few dress-up in finery anymore and we both find it rather disconcerting.

On my honeymoon flight I wore a vintage navy ottoman suit that was from my Mother's side.  I could feel the cut and the weight of the fabric that made me feel special the way it draped.

I often imagine what I would wear if I were to have my portrait painted.

 There is something wonderfully timeless about navy blue and I have admired the artwork of Harrington Mann for a long time.  This family portrait of children is exquisite, although I can feel that perhaps these sweet children were dressed for this special occasion and perhaps not 100 percent happy about it. Just look at that boy front and center with his floppy jabot, he looks as if he is about ready to leap up to go climb a tree.

Sitting pretty powerful dressed in her finery, she exudes an effortless grace.

I have often admired those that dress with panache and style.  We had a great Aunt Louise who would always wear a suit when she came for dinner and she always brought home made ice cream and cookies from the bakery.  She often had a hat and gloves and I remember taking her coat and pressing my nose into it to soak up all the incredibly delicious smells of perfume and sugar.  My Uncle Bernie would wear a top coat, a 3 piece suit and a hat.  Those were the days of finery and dressing up.

I would like to dedicate this post to the the late Pamela Woolworth Combemale who graciously opened her home on Thanksgiving day.  This is a portrait of Pamela as a young girl.

Pamela was a marvelous hostess and a gifted woman.

Will you dress-up for Thanksgiving?  I would love to know what you intend to wear?  Is it something new or old?  Will you be forced to dress up or by your own volition?

tweed rover

 I rather like knowing that I am in line with Bill Cunningham.  I have a fashion file of smartly dressed ladies and gentlemen in dashing tartan and tweed.  I could just sketch this sort of look all day long.  When I worked in Fashion, Fall was always my favorite season because of the myriad of textures and patterns.

I am going to devote this week ahead to sharing some kicky fashion illustrations.

What sort of Autumn classics do you wear every year?
Vests, bow ties, caps, hacking jackets, argyles, lace ups, plus fours?