Look Book: Edith Wharton Era Elegance

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Drape pleat dress, Donna Karan ($2,495). 37 Newbury St., 617-236-0476. Horsebit cocktail ring, Gucci ($11,550). The Shops at Prudential Center, 617-247-3000. Wool felt beret, Galvin-ized Headwear ($185). 450 Harrison Ave. #67, 617-426-4885. On him: Herringbone mohair crombie ($995), wool tweed merino pullover ($395), and wool trouser ($395), Michael Kors. Saks Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Prudential Center, 617-262-8500. Location: North Terrace, The Mount

Wool coat ($3,050), paisley printed blouse ($900), and wool trousers ($790), Salvatore Ferragamo. Copley Place, 617-859-4924. Cocktail ring, Roberto Coin ($8,700). Neiman Marcus, Copley Place, 617-536-3660. Glow leather boots, Jimmy Choo ($1050). Copley Place, 617-927-9570. On him: Wool suit ($995), Vest ($235), silk tie ($125), and dress shirt ($145), Joseph Abboud. Nordstrom, South Shore Plaza, 781-519-7200. Pocket square, Brunello Cucinelli ($160). Neiman Marcus, See Above. Leather dress shoes ($725), Ermenegildo Zegna. Copley Place, 617-424-9300. Location: Lime Walk, The Mount

Grey wool cartoon floral dress ($950) and Anthracite wool and cashmere chunky knit scarf ($2,200), Marc Jacobs. Saks Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Prudential Center, 617-262-8500. Horsebit cocktail earrings ($8,990), Gucci. Saks Fifth Avenue, See Above location: Palladian Staircase, The Mount

Halter gown, Gucci ($4,990). Saks Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Prudential Center, 617-262-8500. Ipanema drop earrings, Roberto Coin ($3,200). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above. Patent leather pumps, Jimmy Choo ($550). Copley Place, 617-927-9570. Location: French Garden, The Mount

Herringbone riding jacket ($598), tweed vest ($298), and button down shirt ($125), Ralph Lauren Blue Label. 93-95 Newbury St., 617-424-1124. Wool pocket square, Brunello Cucinelli ($160). Neiman Marcus, Copley Place, 617-536-3660. on him: Cashmere cardigan, Brunello Cucinelli ($1,690). Neiman Marcus, see above. Button down shirt, Ben Sherman ($110). 154 Newbury Street, 617-236-1165.

Wool and angora tweed jacket ($3,700), lambskin skirt ($6,100), and suede ballet pumps ($1,100), Dior. Copley Place, 617-927-7577. Watch, Hermès ($16,100). The Heritage on the Garden, 320 Boylston St., 617-482-8707 On him: Cashmere suit ($3,095) and leather dress shoes ($545), Ermenegildo Zegna. Copley Place, 617-424-9300. Dress shirt ($145) and silk tie ($125), Joseph Abboud. Nordstrom, South Shore Plaza, 781-519- 7200. Pocket square, Brunello Cucinelli ($160), Neiman Marcus, Copley Place, 617-536-3660. Location: Walled Italian Garden, The Mount

Cashmere suit ($3,095) and leather dress shoes ($545), Ermenegildo Zegna. Copley Place, 617-424-9300. Dress shirt ($145) and silk tie ($125), Joseph Abboud. Nordstrom, South Shore Plaza, 781-519- 7200. Pocket square, Brunello Cucinelli ($160), Neiman Marcus, Copley Place, 617-536-3660. Location: Walled Italian Garden, The Mount

Cadi cut-out gown, Etro ($6,000). Saks Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Prudential Center, 617-262-8500. Dangle earrings ($15,598) and white gold ring ($6,945), Jorge Adeler. 703-759-4076. Location: Walled Italian Garden, The Mount

Wool coat with gold jewel embroidery (price upon request), silk lace dress ($2,295), gold plated baroque earrings ($392), satin headband ($749), and suede Mary Jane pumps ($745), Dolce & Gabbana. 1-877-703-4872. Location: Grass Terrace, The Mount

The violence of a well-placed whisper” is how novelist Dennis Lehane describes the tension and intrigue in the novels of Edith Wharton, one of America’s most celebrated and insightful chroniclers of high society. Born to a wealthy New York family in 1862, she was every inch a member of that society. But like many great writers, she had the mind-set of an outsider, thanks to her exposure to the more liberal, cosmopolitan culture of Europe and the preternatural intelligence that distinguished her from her peers.

Her keen insight, ironic humor, and compassion for her characters earned Wharton a Pulitzer Prize for The Age of Innocence, and her influence is still felt today. Julian Fellowes, creator of the hit TV series Downton Abbey, cites her as inspiration. As our own tribute to Edith Wharton and the 150th anniversary of her birth, Boston Common reimagines scenes from The Age of Innocence in the formal gardens of The Mount, the beautiful estate Wharton designed for herself in Lenox. We retrace the steps of Newland Archer and Countess Ellen Olenska, who sacrificed their love for each other to maintain their places in society, walking the tightrope between desire and duty, spontaneity and scandal. Updating these characters in this season’s most luxurious fashions, we honor their timeless story and their creator’s enduring legacy.

Wharton was a writer’s writer. Novelist Jennifer Egan, also a Pulitzer Prize winner, counts Wharton’s The House of Mirth as one of her favorites, and Jonathan Franzen admires “how modern and refreshingly unashamedly dark she is,” though she was no sulking malcontent. She thoroughly enjoyed her wealth and social position, including the ability to cultivate her passion for design and architecture. Her book The Decoration of Houses was a best seller and is still read by interior designers for its advocacy of design based on comfort, practicality, and balance. And at The Mount she brought these principles to life. “There’s a wonderful dialogue between the architecture of the house and the landscape features of the garden, almost like a musical piece,” says Susan Wissler, executive director of The Mount, which survives today as a cultural institution dedicated to Wharton’s legacy.

To celebrate the sesquicentennial year, The Mount is hosting a series of lectures and events, including a literary festival September 14 to 16, featuring Adam Gopnik, Claire Messud, and many other acclaimed writers.