Back In The Swing & Spotting Stylistas
Well, mes amis, I must apologize for being AWOL the past several weeks. I was laid low by demon pneumonia. While I like to think of myself as having an outfit (or two or three or four or…) for every occasion, I must admit my powers of creativity failed me for about four weeks, when all I could do was lie around in flannel pajamas. And they were decidedly not stylish pajamas.
But I’m back and in the mix again. So here are a few stylish people I ran into once I was out and about.
First up is journalist and playwright Amy Bernstein, in a faux-wrap dress by Canadian designer Frank Lyman, combined with a black cardigan and black suede boots, and an eye-poppingly colorful silk-and-leather handbag she bought at a boutique in Philadelphia. She’s rocking the ensemble at Parts & Labor in Remington.
Then, at Cosima in Mill 1 in Hampden, Penny Daniels and Toyin Bello made a fetching couple. Penny got her dress at Handbags in the City in Harbor East. Toyin wears a color close to my heart and one that looks great, but that too many American men are afraid to wear: pink. So, I wasn’t surprised to find that he originally hails from Nigeria. He says he gets a lot of his clothes in Europe. In this case, he bought his shirt and shoes in Milan and his glasses in France.
Katherine Pinkard not only runs an eponymous property company, she’s also a Baltimore history buff. So, I wasn’t surprised to find her at Homewood Museum, former home of Charles Carroll, Jr., son of the signer of the Declaration of Independence. (If you’ve never been, you owe it to yourself to go for a tour. The beautiful, Federal-style building is on the campus of the Johns Hopkins University, and in fact the campus owes its entire look to this splendid early 19th century house.) Standing in Homewood’s dazzling drawing room, Katherine is sporting a vintage leopard-print coat that spiffs up the rest of her modern ensemble.
I spotted Cindy Pappas at Johnny’s in Roland Park, where she was having brunch with her husband and two children. Amidst a sea of blue jeans, T-shirts, and sweatshirts, her chic monochromatic ensemble was a welcome sight, and her beautiful smile lit up a dark corner of the restaurant. Around her neck is a blue topaz necklace by John Hardy given to her as a gift by her husband.
Finally, the ever-elegant Alexandra Deutsch was wearing yet another of her beloved ‘70s vintage finds, a patterned knit maxi skirt with images of people, animals, and farming implements in pink, orange, brown, and black. Her black leather jacket with tiny ruffles is by Tory Burch, and that drool-worthy little zebra-patterned purse is another vintage find.Look for Alexandra to be wearing more fabulous vintage at the Maryland Historical Society’s big bash on Saturday, March 25th at the Lord Baltimore Hotel. It’s called “Heirloom to Haute” and will feature not only dinner and dancing, but also garments from the MDHS’s spectacular costume collection, including the famous “Monkey Dress” created for Wallis Warfield Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, by Givenchy. Guests will even have a chance to win custom-made clothing by Baltimore’s star couturiers Ella Pritsker and Christopher Schafer. Yours truly is on the planning committee, so I’m biased about how great this gala will be. Yes, it’s black tie, but we’re also encouraging people to be creative – wear something that will knock our socks off! Info on the full ball and after-party at mdhs.org .
