Let Me Introduce You To...

the new love of my life: this aesthetically astounding moss green Lela Rose dress. I managed to snag the only one at the sample sale last week (it was a size 8, way too large for me), and these two women were eyeing me like a hungry hawk, asking me intensely if I was going to buy it. Well, fortunately, I have a superior tailor who could take it in. I just picked it up from him, and ah! perfection. I could not ask for a more exquisite dress (the picture simply does not do it justice). The white straps are actually cloth-covered rectangular beads, and the dots across the breast are actually large fabric circles encased in metal. The fabric is a sumptuous, substantial satin...heavenly to touch.

I got around to thinking...what makes for a lasting love--that piece that you go to time and time again, that makes you gasp every time you see it, that inspires in you that same resurrection of faith in all that is beautiful in this world? Then I thought about those items in my closet that have managed to retain my affection despite the vicious passing of the seasons: my light green cut-out Zac Posen skirt, a pair of mohair-covered black Prada pumps with silver studded heels, a tweed black and white Chanel purse my husband gave me during his proposal (it was a series of surprises, this being the first), a Luca Luca white dress with silver and gold beading across the top, a red and black brocade jacket my mother used to wear. All of these items have a) the marks of superior craftsmanship; b) exceptional beauty; c) emotional value. Whether that emotional value comes from the memory associated with the purchase or if it comes from the feeling produced when wearing it, this last quality is critical. Ultimately, that item must merge with something inside of you, or else it remains a beautiful item in your closet. While we all cannot be fortunate to have a closet full of intense loves, we do need to beware of a closet full of uninspired garments that do little for us internally. Surface can only be surface if you choose that--but when surface becomes a reflection of what is internal, then life can really be lived.