From The Editor-In-Chief

I readily own up to being a stress shopper. However, I'm also a bargain hunter, which means that the momentary rush I chase to alleviate whatever is ailing me is (usually) not too much of a pain in the pocketbook. Extended time at home combined with sitting behind a computer all day certainly doesn't help curb my impulses. Particularly during this past year, the one-two punch of a barrage of bad news and an equal amount of pitches from online purveyors meant that nearly every day, I was scrolling through beautiful outfits that alluded to activities that were just out of reach.

Examining both my online and in-person purchases over the last year, a pattern became clear: I sought out items that reflected what I wished to be doing, with the exception of a pizza party-themed Last Supper skate deck. I pined for Derby with a striped dress with over-the-top balloon sleeves purchased online and a vintage hat I picked up at Louisville's Fleur De Flea Market. With special events on hiatus, gowns are nearly being given away, and while I knew it was silly to buy even one, I can't pass up a deal (hello TheRealReal), and doing so gave me hope that I'll soon have an occasion to wear them.

For as long as I can remember, clothes have always been more a vehicle for personal expression than simply utilitarian in nature. In more than one cringe-worthy photo from my teenage and college years, my apparel choices tell the story of an evolving persona as I navigated my way in the world.

In the span of two weeks in late March and early April, I was thrilled that the notion of dressing the part took on wholly different meanings. I went from hobnobbing behind the stately hedges of Palm Beach to camping at the base of the Grand Canyon. For the former, I was excited to don a vintage caftan procured from 2023 on Frankfort Avenue, a dress I'd admired in the shop window every morning for a week while walking my dogs. The vintage frock's lively mood-boosting print was ideally suited for our stay at The Colony, which, under new ownership, has deftly walked the line between remaining relevant with improvements and staying reverent of its history. You can read the article beginning on page 48.

I was just as giddy a few weeks later about outfitting myself in warm, waterproof wear for a Grand Canyon rafting and camping trip with Western River Expeditions. A belated birthday gift for my father to mark his 70th birthday, I wouldn't have traded all the jewels on Worth Avenue for this once-in-a-lifetime experience with the man who inspired my deep and enduring love for the great outdoors.

Bridget Williams, Editor-In-Chief bridget@slmag.net