My normal state of affairs is always to be a woman in motion. Sometimes though the speed becomes such that I really want to pause and take a reflective break. Right now I am blessed with an abundance of experiences and new opportunities ranging from speaking to a group of fashion studies students last night to attending a  conference next week in a school of journalism on the West Coast to talk about social media. The week after that I am deliriously excited to go to China where I will attend and speak at Shanghai Fashion Week.  It is interesting to me that in these types of engagements I am both/and: a professor who will give a talk and a fashion influencer who has an interesting style and will be asked to share the secrets of it. I am a model but not a model. In between the two events I am having a girls only adventure for two days with my daughter and grand. During flighty times such as these it is important to stay grounded and  for me that is always manifested in what I choose to wear,

I have written before about the magical powers of Yohji Yamamoto and how his clothes can alter how I feel and move through the world. When I need to land for a little bit, I always return to basics. That means wearing mostly black with a touch of white. There is nothing like a good Yohji jacket to put some weight on my shoulders and bring me gently back down to earth. It feels like the garment is giving me a benevolent nudge and saying, “Stop and look around you.” A simple white t-shirt provides a bit of informality and comfort and my familiar and beloved plain black hoop earrings make me feel like myself. I remain ever amazed at the affectual power of clothes. They literally interact with my body in such a way that I can feel calm and contained from the contact as I am in this photo or they can make me feel like I am onstage dancing in the middle of a Broadway musical. But in this moment they are helping me to stop, take off the sunnies and have a moment of peace in a life that is ever in motion.

Do you have garments that make you feel grounded when you wear them?