summer at last: twinsets, Paddington Bear and the end of the world - plus Friday morning update

you dress up for Armageddon
I dress up for the summer 

There's something wonderful about summer days that start smooth and end comfortable.

My sister and I used to joke that if one of us said "Mom, I've been invited to the end of the world," she'd say "Wait, I have just the thing!" And sure enough, she'd reach into her endless wardrobe and remove some item we'd never seen her wear but which was indeed perfect for the occasion, albeit possibly a bit dated.
What would you wear to the end of the world?
Me, I'd wear pretty much what I like to wear on the cool summer morning of a weekend day that's going to heat up: a cotton tee, old jeans, wedge sandals, a favorite ring or two...

or so I thought until a little over 10 years ago, when I had to get out of one country, into another and onto a plane in a horrible hurry, when it became very clear that not only do desperate times call for desperate measures, they also call for respectable outfits. In the best of times, airports bring out the worst in people, in bad times, you need all the help you can get.


So I'm always on the look-out for "end of the world" clothes, which, if the world doesn't end, can at least be worn for travel.
Hence the preponderance of nice twinsets (Missoni, Tse) and tailored slacks in my suitcase, and the absence of visible logos.

You can see how flexible a twinset is, especially if it's reliably constructed.

I have them in cotton, in cashmere, in merino, and in the strange "mélange" that only Missoni can use itchless-ly.

I was cheered to see these cashmeres this morning, smiling at me from my computer screen, at least until I saw the prices. I can in fact find Missoni cashmere for those prices, on sale, but still... I added these to the "stalking" list, and continued diligently clicking along.

Even if I were Paddington Bear, or his girlfriend, I don't think I'd want an unwearable duffle coat.
 It's unwearable because of the short sleeves. Who thinks these things UP? Really, if you have jewelry to show off - what are called "state occasion pieces" in my house - would you be wearing it with a duffle coat? This creation will not be added to the "stalking" list.

And finally, it wouldn't be a computer-browsing morning without a message from the Copywriter from Space:

So is it "nylon twill" or is it "poly"?

 I think a well-cut trench coat would be perfect for many occasions, and if the world should end while you're

 wearing it, well, at least you haven't wasted a Burberry. On the other hand, poly? When everyone else is wearing wings and a halo? C'mon. It could be raining at the end of the world, I know it's often rained when I've been travelling, but I'm not even going to go look at this in person until I know that someone cared enough about its construction to find out what it's made of. Besides me, I mean.

UPDATE, FRIDAY MORNING: it pays to clean out the Inbox! Look what Bergdorf's has:
Striped Sweater: 

Dip-dye details add artistic imprecision to smart colorblocking on this mod-inspired Carven sweater.

• Multicolor stripes with white dip-dye detail on hem and left sleeve.
• Round neckline.
• Long sleeves with ribbed cuffs.
• Ribbed hem; pullover style.
• Superkid mohair/polyamide/wool.
• Made in France.

I'm not going to discuss prices. Either the economy will catch up with the prices by the time it's cool enough for these delicious sweaters, or the prices will fall to catch up (down?) with the economy.