Style and Fashion
Short-Circuited
There are times when I’ve actually missed the old strictures. It’s hard to figure out what’s appropriate to wear to a 6 p.m., under-the-tent wedding (the bride’s mother wore an elegant silk dress: the groom’s mother wore a dressy tank top and flowing gauze pants, and both looked lovely). It’s tricky to know about a brunch/shower at a restaurant, never mind a reception for the governor when it’s held in a college cafeteria. more »
Yinka Shonibare in Paris, Brooklyn and Newark
"The animated body language of the guests suggests a moment in which proper Victorian etiquette has been cast away as an indulgent celebration of prosperity tips toward misbehavior and even debauchery" more »
Calm Sea Palace at the Garden of Perfect Clarity*
"In the early 18th century, the theatre building itself acquired new importance as proof of courtly or civic power. A wave of building across Europe established the theatre types we know today." more »
Hidden Jewellery Treasures at the V&A
'Your peacock is finished" wrote C.R. Ashbee, the architect and designer, to his wife Janet in 1900. He is at the present moment pinned on my coat and is preening his tail.' more »