5 Things I'm Cheering Right Now
by Mary Lou Andre
After a glorious summer, I’m back in the swing of things with some fun ideas to share that I hope you’ll find useful and interesting as you create your own fall style, rituals and experiences. Let me know which resonate with you. Enjoy!
#1 Sweaters & Skirts (& Protecting the Most Vulnerable)
As a stylist, I loved that Deb Youngblood (my guest on The Needham Channel this week) and I both arrived at the studio in sweater and skirt combinations. As we move deeper into fall, sweaters and skirts become an easy choice. Less formal than many jacketed outfits, they slip easily under coats and give heel height versatility to those of us who want (need!) extra foot comfort. Short sleeve sweaters in particular have emerged as a trend all their own. Deb, you wear it well!
Deb’s work certainly goes much deeper than her professional style. As the CEO of Mother’s Milk Bank Northeast, she and her team provide lifesaving human donor milk to more than 100 hospitals caring for premature and low-birth weight babies. I knew very little about the important work milk banks provide for our communities until meeting Deb. Listen in on our conversation here. Cheering Deb, her team and the many, many volunteers who keep milk banks all over the world safe and accessible for our most vulnerable citizens.
#2 Autumn in the Massachusetts Berkshires
Destination weddings make weekends magical. Thrilled to spend time in the Berkshires earlier this month celebrating the new Mr. and Mrs. Andre — Nick and Vivian (Wong!). We got our fill of Lenox, Stockbridge and Lee before heading to the Edith Wharton Estate and Gardens for the ceremony and reception. The Berkshire Botanical Gardens, The Red Lion Inn and The Norman Rockwell Museum were also on our list and did not disappoint. I’ll be returning to Lenox in November to lead our 4th annual Dressing Well Women’s Retreat at another Berkshire institution — Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort. If Canyon Ranch is on your bucket list, join our retreat waitlist. Fall 2027 will be here before you know it!
#3 Hanging Garment Bags
Speaking of weddings, part of the wedding joy for me is the wedding wardrobe prep for myself and my family. With 9 weddings in one calendar year, keeping track of everyone’s tuxedos, suits, shoes, shirts and the like is taking up more mental real estate than I care to admit! These garment bags (and our handy portable packing rack) are my two secret weapons for wedding wardrobe sanity. Suiting for the guys easily slips into the bags with room for shirts, shoes, socks, belts and ties. Most of my dresses are long so having different size bags is ideal. My rack is set up in a spare room, the perfect staging area for all things weddings. For local weddings, the bags come with us. The rack makes packing outfits into a suitcase a breeze. Stock up on the bags yourself. They are great for out-of-season storage too.
#4 When Women Ran Fifth Avenue
In addition to a more carefree wardrobe, one of my favorite things about summer is having more time to read. I read many of the trending best-sellers — Yesteryear, Whistler and Mad Mabel. Yet the book still lingering for me the most is When Women Ran Fifth Avenue. If you love New York history and stories about complicated, brilliant women, this book is for you. Author Julie Satow draws back the curtain on three retail visionaries who took great risks, forging new paths for women who followed in their footsteps. Having spent so many years on Fifth Avenue myself, I now have a deeper appreciation for what it took to build Bonwit Teller, Henri Bendell and Lord & Tayor. Sadly, all three have since shuttered. The energy and passion of their founders live on in this book. Check it out for yourself here. It’s a gem.
#5 Frugal Fannies
Finally, it’s with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to another special retailer much closer to home. After 43 years in business, Massachusetts retailer Frugal Fannie’s is closing. Iconic in its own right, my Frugal memories run deep. From prom shopping in the 80s, to partnering with Kathleen “Fannie” and husband Orrin Doxler to create fashion events when I first started my business, to rediscovering the Westwood store in the last few years as graduations and weddings became important not only in my own life but in the lives of our clients, it has been a reliable source for affordable fashion, accessories and old-fashion shopping fun. Hit reply and let me know your favorite Frugal moments. If you live in greater Boston, you likely have some! Visit the Frugal Fannies website for hours of operation as they tie a bow on their amazing legacy. Well done Fannie and Orrin!
That’s it for now. Hope you consider visiting (or revisiting!) the Berkshires, become a little more versed in the importance of milk banks in our communities and make time for some Fifth Avenue history (& drama!).
If you’re in New England, it looks like a great weekend to curl up with a book or at least get your sweaters and fall skirts in top working order!
From all of us at Dressing Well, have a great weekend!
Best,
Mary Lou Andre
Founder & CEO
Dressing Well, Inc.
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