Back in fashion

Hi there. Back from skiing - will post about it on Monday. In the meantime, here is my first article for the Wall Street Journal OFF DUTY section. I have been a fan of OFF DUTY for quite a while, and I am so excited to have the chance to dip my toes back in fashion by writing for them. Let me know what you think.

My Style: My monogrammed jeans

While everyone is talking about monograms, I thought I'd show you my favourite personalized piece - my jeans. Yes, that's right - I have monogrammed jeans. When I was writing I Love Your Style in 2007, I wanted to include a section on monograms in my Classic chapter. I was trying to think of an unconventional way to wear one, and so I went to see my friend Eleanor Lembo, who worked at Earnest Sewn at the time, and asked if there was any way they'd sew my initials on the back right pocket of my jeans for me. "No problem, we'd love to," she replied. So some inspiration went back and forth, and when we agreed on a design, it was sewn on the back pocket and sent to me the next day. I still wear them all the time, and I've never seen anyone else with the same pair.

Can you believe my monogram is ABC?!?

I ♥ Your American Style: Lee and Jackie at the beach

Being a Florida-born girl, it's entirely possible that I am just badly craving the beach right now, but these pictures of Lee Radziwill and Jackie Kennedy at the beach really move me. In two lives that were at times so formal, so full of duty, it's charming and inspiring to see how completely at ease they seemed to be at the beach. Neither ever looked more beautiful, more in their own skin, more natural. 

Home Sweet Home: Lee Radziwill

Inspired by Sofia Coppola's excellent mini-doc of Lee Radziwill for The New York Times, I decided to revisit some old favorite "Lee" images in my archive. While I was doing some additional research to round out an homage to her, I discovered something even more pressing - pictures of her houses from the last few decades. She had many houses, from many phases of her life, during the administration of many husbands, throughout a handful of countries. There's the London flat in the 60's, the 17th century Queen Anne house called "Turville" in Oxfordshire, England, the New York City penthouse duplex on Fifth Avenue, the smaller apartment a bit later on Park Avenue, and her most recent flat in Paris. Many houses, spanning many decades. Yet there are pictures from each place in this post, and shown together they show a concise history: a love of print (mostly florals and paisleys), and a combination of formality and freedom, traditional and bohemian. The overall effect? Beyond chic.

I ♥ Your Style: Bridget Riley

I've always been a fan of Bridget Riley's paintings, but I love these photos of her standing in front of her work even more. The contrast of her simple yet chic black and white clothes against the black and white patterns in her work, the organic shape of her body against the strict, graphic nature of the designs on the canvases, and the combination of different pieces shown together at opposing angles all add a softer element that makes her work more human and relatable to me.

I ♥ Your Bowtie

Would you wear a bowtie? I'm not sure if I would. I am definitely a girl who loves a bow, but I think I am more of a bow-in-my-hair type of girl. I LOVE a black git was more of the soft pussycat-bow-on-a-blouse look. Never say never, but so far the urge to wear an actual bow tie hasn't come to me.

Despite my own resistance, I love seeing other girls in bow ties. I notice that many girls who venture out in one make a regular habit of it. Alexa Chung, Janelle Monae and Diane Kruger have all worn bow ties countless times. In fact they've made it into somewhat of a signature, each in her own way.

I was especially excited when I saw Jenna Lyons recently show up at the Glamour Women of the Year awards in a white bow tie. A) I'd never seen her wear one before, B) It was a risk (that she pulled off), C) The monochrome of the white tie on white shirt was super chic, and D)She looked so cute standing next to her brother who was similarly dressed.

Elisa Nalin via Instagram (Elisa_Grazia_IT)

Diane Kruger

Janelle Monae

Alexa Chung

Jenna Lyons via Instagram (JCREW)

Travel: Toulouse and Gers

This past weekend I went to Toulouse, France and the surrounding Gers region to visit my daughter Coco who is in school there for three months. With or without a child to visit, I would repeat this weekend any time - we had fun, we relaxed, we shopped, we ate (I had foie gras 4 times!), and we saw so many beautiful things. Here, I'll show you.....

I was a crazy person when I took this picture. I hadn't seen Coco in almost a month, and I had just arrived at her beautiful school, pictured above. I knew she was about to run up the hill and around the corner to find me. Most children casually and quietly walked up to greet their parents, but knowing Coco she would be louder and less reserved (in other words - more American!) than the other children. She did not disappoint. I heard her yelling (at the site of her best friend's parents) before she even came into view. When she saw me she jumped on me, and I surprised myself by bursting into tears. I had to walk around the following tour of the school with red eyes and a red nose!

The chic entrance hall at Coco's school.

I would go back to school if it looked like this, wouldn't you?

A collage in the drawing room. Now I could see why my horse loving daughter felt so at home there.

After our reunion, we drove to Chateau Lartigolle to stay for the weekend. It really is like staying as a guest at an amazing private house. There were 6 families there, and we had casual breakfast and a delicious sit down dinner all together each day. I could have happily spent the whole weekend in the Chateau, but we had shopping to do!

Coco is my constant flea market buddy, and so when Saturday morning arrived, we knew we had to find the best market around. We lucked out - on the first weekend of every month, Toulouse hosts an antiques market in the center of town on the Allées Jules Guesde - we were there on the right day!

I got a kick out of seeing these plates because this was the pattern my mother had when I was growing up. I love how in France they have a special plate just for eating asparagus. French people must have a lot of shelf space!

I am always searching for great military shirts. I didn't buy this one because I already have one that's similar, but I took pictures because I like how pointy the collar is.

Do you know Moynat? They are one of the oldest trunk-makers in France - even older than Vuitton and Goyard. LVMH recently bought it and hired a designer from Hermes to be its Creative Director. It is definitely a brand to watch, and it was fun to see a vintage trunk at the market.

Every kid's dream, right? I would take the Ferrari, whereas Coco wanted to mint-colored convertible at the back.

I should have bought this saddle. I love the red felt mixed with the old leather. It was at the very end of the market, and the rain had started and we were freezing cold. I didn't even ask how much it was. What was I thinking?

A camera is key at any market. It keeps you from buying things you just want to remember. I didn't necessarily need to own these handkerchiefs, but I was blown away by how beautifully they were packaged.

This was my one flea market purchase. I love anything military, and I love how it is actually a collage of sorts - the man's face is a photograph and the scene around it is drawn out and then painted over in places. It was 50 euros. Not bad.

My other regret are these insane dolls' eyes. They were beautifully framed, and one of the most original things I have ever seen. Coco was totally freaked out by them, so we moved on quickly, but I wish I had at least got the man's phone number so I could have tried to get him to ship them to me later.

On the street in the old part of Toulouse - a great mix of old world architecture and new creative energy.

The chicest pharmacy I have ever seen, in Toulouse.

Coco and I went to visit a semi-ruined chateau in Lavardens, about an hour outside of Toulouse. This is the view from the incredibly charming village surrounding the chateau.

Coco at the chateau.

Chateau de Lavardens.

After the Chateau we went to Auch, where Coco wanted to show me the cathedral. I was impressed she wanted to go there again, just to show me. When I was a kid, I was so bored walking around churches and cathedrals - the only part I enjoyed was lighting a candle in honor of someone you love. I guess not much has changed!

On Sunday night our Chateau had the night off from making supper so we drove up into the hills to a tiny place called Auberge du Rantaures. It was very rustic and eccentric, and the wife was the server and the husband was the cook. Every meal was cooked over this open fire. I had sautéed foie gras in an orange sauce and then delicious whole roasted cod.

Our supper cooking over burning logs.

Coco and I having a final twilight ping pong game at the Chateau. She hasn't beaten me yet, but she's getting close!