On Nov. 7, the Main Line Committee for the Philadelphia Orchestra hosts its fifth annual Notable Kitchen Tour & Chef Showcase, which I definitely plan on attending. As the editor in charge of Main Line Today’s monthly Habitat section, I can easily pass off a day of ogling—and nibbling on fabulous food—as research. My fellow attendees will say they’re joining me on the tour mostly to help raise funds for the city’s beloved orchestra, but I know better. They, like me, also want to satisfy their natural curiosity.
A certain exceedingly polite concession to voyeurism is why house tours are so successful, yes? It’s also why, every month, MLT invites its readers into an amazing local home. This issue, we delve even deeper, asking four Main Line tastemakers to open their closets (page 84) and chat about the often-extraordinary contents. Two of the women own boutiques in the area; the others are the sort of discerning customers local boutiques rely on to stay in business. One has an entire room dedicated to clothes; another makes do by distributing her wardrobe throughout the home in various closets.
I attended most of the photo shoots for this story (it was a rough job, but someone had to do it), and I’d gladly switch closets with any of these four fashionistas. Their shoe collections alone rival the inventory at Saks.
Here on the Main Line, we’re fortunate to have a slew of independently owned women’s boutiques (though we could use a few more for men … just sayin’). And while the Internet has its merits, nothing beats perusing the merchandise with a knowledgeable salesperson by your side to help make sense of the latest trends (coated denim, anyone?) and offer invaluable perspective on whether or not you can actually pull off that moto leather jacket you’ve been considering.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: MLT restaurant critic Ken Alan ventures out of his comfort zone to deliver two excellent pieces in this month’s issue. “Country Rock” documents and celebrates rural Chester County’s unheralded influence on ill-fated ’70s singer/songwriter Jim Croce and other influential musicians of his era. And last but not least, Alan’s End of the Line essay offers a funny, perceptive take on what really makes a man. Enjoy the issue—and get shopping. The holidays are just around the corner.
