The Lady

Those who belonged in her circle (or System) stopped calling her by anything but “Eileen” decades ago.

She ruled our closets and possibly to some degree our world,

Prints were verbatim and to a large degree, so was color. She taught us to embrace the earth tones, dark, darker and darkest.

Consequently, we remained unfazed by unexpected invitations, interviews or even rendezvous.

Her limited but always appropriate items of clothing gave confidence to those of us lacking such a valuable trait.

I packed four pieces of her coordinated (and yes black) pieces for an emergency trip to Venezuela when my beloved husband was recovering from a heart attack. During our two week stay, I was always comfortable with the coordinated items of clothing from Eileen’s System.

I wore her classic tank dress for more interviews than I can count and usually got the position I craved

Indeed her long lived favorites, purchased for more years than I wish to count, have traveled with me to weddings. airports, foreign cities and yes sadly to several funerals.

After I relocated from New York, her amazing staff kept my closet up to date replenishing my collection of her famed T-shirt dresses from the East Hampton store.

Earlier this year when I learned the small but charming shop was closing, i felt the first sense of despair.

“If Eileen departs,” I worried,

“What will I wear?”

I knew neither friends nor foe would be able to recognize me in a purple print because while black may be boring, it is always safe and in most cases appropriate.

Until reading Eileen’s adieu in yesterday’s NYT, I believed there would be no dowry for the amazing females in our family..

Now that is no longer true. When the time arrives for me to travel (hopefully far in the future) they may inherit a closet laden with Eileen’s vintage treasures, all intact in different sizes and of course, predominately black.

And I might add, most importantly, all washable.

While I doubt they will treasure them as I have or remember this talented guru of fashion with love, I must say the Lady made my life easier.