prom dreams and dream home

It's prom season. I'll pass on the corsage, buffet and unrealistic expectations, but would accept (with all the excitement of a girl getting escorted to high school's biggest hurrah) the chance to wear a formal gown. Part of my fixation with the style is probably due to the disaster of a dress I wore to my senior prom circa 2006 (if memory serves, this was the song...). I have no idea what possessed me to pick what I did—and I'll save myself the embarrassment of describing it. But someday (please God!) a black tie wedding or charity gala will offer the opportunity for redemption. If that save-the-date arrived in the mail tomorrow, I'd wear something modern but soft, with clean and unexpected cuts, a higher neckline and subtle details like a twisted waistline. Posing for snap-happy parents and smiling through the Grand March would actually be enjoyable in this petal-pink column or crisp colorblock showstopper. This and this might tide me over until that day comes. If you like modern, minimalistic elegance as much for your home as you do your wardrobe, start saving your pennies for Restoration Hardware. The upscale but attainable furniture retailer has turned a dismal $35 million loss into a laughing-to-the-bank $69 million profit. Using the strategy that steered that reversal, they're investing heavily in a new store experience (think fountains and wine bars) to engage shoppers on a new level. I think CEO Friedman's on to something. I already want to live in the RH catalog, and that paper showroom come to life—with Pinot—will be that much more persuasive. Read more on the revival here.

images: one. two.