Like so many millions of others, I was enthralled by the first two seasons of Downton Abbey, and cheered when Lady Mary and Matthew finally wed, rejoiced when Anna and Mr. Bates connected, and reveled in the beautiful clothes, the depictions of the English countryside, and above all, the biting...

My family spent the winter holidays visiting relatives in England, and as a treat my daughter and I took the train to Paris, where we spent three days wandering the streets and reveling in the beauty of the city. We had a wonderful time, marred only by a minor incident...

Although I am not quite five feet tall, I almost never wear shoes with high heels, although I strangely have 10 pairs in my closet gathering dust. As an experiment, I decided to wear heels for a week to see how I...

I never gave clothes much thought, but I knew the moment my daughter refused to wear jeans at the age of two because they were "ugly," I was outclassed.

That precious toddler grew up to be my stylish Sarah who now works for Stylelist and lives and breathes fashion....

When my stylish daughter Sarah called to say that she had an extra ticket to a fashion show during New York Fashion Week, she invited her father to go instead of me. I wasn't offended -- the two of them share a fashionable gene, while I...

Even though I think it is really poor planning for stores to start selling their fall merchandise in August, when the weather is still 90 degrees and the idea of corduroy or cashmere is unappealing, by Labor Day, I can't wait to get into a sweater.

At...

Among the indignities of getting older, the minute I turned 50 I started getting insulted by my mail. Where I used to get cards inviting me to special sales at my favorite stores, or theater and gallery openings, it seemed the marketeers were just waiting for me to blow out...

Somehow, by default, I became the queen of laundry for my family. And that has meant that I have had to learn (and indulge) their individual shopping and storage styles, or what I lovingly refer to as their "clothes crazies."

My 20-year-old son, for example, hates new clothes, both...

My curly hair is finally manageable. Apparently, left to my own devices, everything I have been doing was all wrong, and the result was a dry, frizzy, shapeless mess. I even tried all sorts of products and nothing seemed to make any difference.

When we got married right out of college, my future husband and I didn't have a lot, or, to be honest, any money. But being a very sweet, romantic guy, he still wanted to get me an engagement ring. So, he found a tiny (.20 carat) diamond ring...

Five years ago, my husband bought me a purse for my birthday, which I have carried every single day since then. It is, needless to say, completely worn out, and I really need a new one. It shouldn't be that hard a choice, but the purchase of something that you...

Once you get to be a certain age, the question becomes not "To be or not to be," but rather "To dye or not to dye."

Most people will eventually reach the point where their few stray, easily pickable gray hairs transform into a

A friend of mine maintained her hippie look -- think Janis Joplin-inspired glasses, wild, untamed hair and no makeup -- until she turned 50. Then her sister, who lived in another country and hadn't seen her for several years, came for a visit and...

This summer, I have spent more hours than I care to count watching "Say Yes to the Dress" even though I am not getting married, and if I were, the likelihood of me spending several thousand dollars on a dress is pretty nil. When I got married almost...

I wore a tank top today. While that may not seem to be noteworthy, if I add that I am 50 years old, than the fact that I wore a tank top, in public, becomes significant. Most women start to cover their upper arms when they...

At a family reunion, a distant cousin asked me a strange question: "Do you shop?"

I wasn't sure what she meant, so I said something like, sure, when I needed something I would go into a store. That didn't satisfy her. "No," she asked again with greater intensity, "Do...

When you think of style icons, certain women may come to mind: Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, Grace Kelly... even Kate Middleton. While I admire their beauty and taste, that kind of elegance is light years away from the life that I live...

While most people have the occasional bad hair day, I have the occasional good hair day.

It all started when I was little. My older sister Annie had long, thick, dark brown hair. It was beautiful, that is after she and mother fought their way through its knots and...

Below is a picture of me at the beach on a beautiful summer day. Yes, I am wrapped in towels and wearing a large brimmed hat, and no I was not dressed this way to be funny. This is my usual summer attire. I actually wear more clothes...

Women's magazines are always plastered with cover lines about wrinkles and fine lines, but I don't have a single friend who has ever mentioned them as a concern. And believe me, as a 50-year-old, with a wide circle of friends who share every secret, I would have heard....