Sometimes I think we’re missing out these days by choosing the easy life. Years ago, women wore heels that demanded skill to walk in and treatment for bunions, but they looked great. The time and expense to alter a dress and the discomfort of a girdle were a small price paid for a skirt that swished easily around hips and settled gracefully as a woman sat. Corsages for travel, gloves in the city, real breakfasts, and knowing how to dance all cost time and effort, but they also brought an extra richness and discipline to daily life. Now we settle for sweat suits, crocs, and dancing like we’re having seizures in step aerobics class. For the most part, we’ve also given up lush and difficult perfumes. While I’ll take a pass on girdles, I’d happily trade this whole year’s fragrance launches for a demanding perfume like Lanvin My Sin…

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