The Virtual Mail Bag

The other morning, my mother called and said, "I have a funny thing to tell you." Something--a magazine article or a show on TV--got her thinking about a necklace that my grandmother had given her, years ago, a choker length strand of big gum ball pearls, so she started looking around for it. "I looked everywhere," she said, "and I figured I must have given it away at some point.

"And then," she said, "I saw the picture on your blog."

Yes indeed, those are my mother's pearls. I offered to return them, but she said no, keep them. And I'll be wearing them all the time now.

Which brings me to the first question! Elizabeth wants to know, "What else do you wear big pearls like that with?? My husband gave me some for Christmas and now I don't know what to wear them with! Help!"

The short answer is, EVERYTHING. For evening, Elizabeth can wear them with a dress or a sweater or a blouse; I wore the exact same necklace to a cocktail party last weekend with a V neck black sweater and a beaded skirt. For everyday, she can wear them with a t-shirt or a tank top, a pair of jeans, and a structured jacket, or a pretty cardigan sweater. Yesterday I wore a cashmere cardigan, a white ribbed tank and my skinny jeans; I threw on my leopard ballet flats and a choker-length string of smaller pearls for a kind of funky retro look. Steer clear of the June Cleaver look, though; if you're wearing a twin set, for example, or a day dress, pearls are not the best accessory. But a great string of pearls is a fun way to liven up the Mom Uniform (capris and tee).

Okay! Next question!

Pamela wrote to ask about coats: "For those of us who are still experiencing the arctic chill (high of 3 degrees here today!), can you give some pointers for coat lengths? For long skirts and dresses, should I be wearing only a full length coat or is a knee length okay? For pants, does any length work?"

The best possible coat length, for any shape and size, is something that hits just at the knee. If you are on the very tall side, you can go with a coat that falls below the knee, but for the most part, something in a three quarter length is the most versatile. A very long coat can swallow even the slimmest woman, but a great three-quarter length creates a nice long line.

If you don't like the hem of your skirt hanging below the hem of the coat, choose something that hits just below the knee, OR go with a shorter coat, something that hits at the hip. HOWEVER, if you have some junk in the trunk, a cropped coat will call attention to that. A longer coat will give you a longer line.

I have two winter coats, one with an empire waist, and another that is cut like a military trench, with a belt. The trench looks best with skirts because the nipped waist balances the skirt hem, while the A line coat is great with pants. The empire waist is flattering for women who are heavier on the bottom, while something with a nipped in waist is great for girls who have a little more on top.

Is this a good time to mention that it's in the 60s here today? But windy! Very windy!

Coming next week: spring shoes, plus size dresses, and the new Pantone color palette for fall 07.