Do you often wear all white?
In the summer, yes. And then in the winter, I wear all black. With the weather right now, it can go either way. So today I’m wearing white, but yesterday I wore black. I always have a pop of color on my toes, usually hot pink.
How long have you had this uniform?
Since I moved to New York 25 years ago from Florida. When I’m in all black, I don’t stick out—I look like every other New Yorker—but when I’m wearing white, people sometimes think I’m a doctor or an airline pilot. My kids hate it.
How come?
I don’t dress like the other moms. Every now and then I’ll wear, like, a red shirt, and my kids will be like, “Finally, you look like a real mother.” I was on a college tour with my 17-year-old daughter over the summer, at Bates, and she was so embarrassed by my outfit that she made me go around with a different group!
Interview by Alexis Swerdloff