I’m in Philly. For business. Killing time between meetings. Somewhere between Old City and Queen Village. I stumble into Totem Brand. And I put on a Bode jacket. It’s quilted, warm. Deeper than weather warmth. Feels like wrapping up in a blanket from grandma’s house. I’m comforted. Taken back in time. Though in the mirror, I look a step ahead.
A year-ish later.
I’m in NYC. For pleasure. My wife and I. Staying in SoHo. Walking through Chinatown. Emily Bode’s storefront appears. I try on a knitted polo. Comforted again. Transported again. And it quickly becomes that polo. The one I pack for vacation. The one I put on before dinner with my wife’s (fashionably favored) new friends. The one I wear to a concert in the park. That polo.
A year-ish later.
I’m in Chicago. Home. I get an email about Bode’s 2025 fall collection. It’s called The Expressionist. I click in. And I’m transported back to the house I grew up in. The one with the piano my mother bought at auction for five dollars. The high “e” note kind of sticks. Only one of the three pedals functions. Holidays. Family. Quietly gathered around. To hum along, maybe to harmonize, or just to listen. And I’m tempted. Which new Bode piece? Which one reminds me most of the thin, yellowed sheet music I grew up on?
But. They all do.
Photo via Bode
Currant Sweater - Red
Photo via Bode
Lamé Hearts Cardigan
Photo via Bode
Needlepoint House Shoes & Opera Pumps
Photo via Bode
Beaded Ryegrass Long Sleeve Shirt
Photo via Bode
Woodcrest Scarf
Photo via Bode