If you thought we were going to let you out of the house this summer wearing last season’s nail colors, you’ve got another thing coming, Missy.

While last fall and winter’s trendy blacks, blues, and deepest purples (aka “the bruise collection") aren’t Over by any means, they certainly have no place in the spring and summer lineup. 

 Almost everyone is going with a nude fingernail these days, and the tropical hot pinks and corals (rather than, say, the mauves and latte-browns of summers past) seem to be the “In” toe colors with the fashion-forward crowd. 

For instance, our Top Secret New York Correspondent, who will be spending most of her weekends this summer frolicking in the Hamptons, currently likes Essie’s Limo Scene or East Hampton Cottage for fingers, and Carousel Coral or Clambake for toes. 

But remember, like fine wine, nail color is all about proper pairings. If your toes are in the coral range, be sure your nude polish isn’t too pinky, and visa versa.  And be careful not to go too orange-y with the corals or too purply with the pinks--you still want some red tones in the mix).



Here are four of our favorite combos:

(We used mostly Essie and Opi because that’s what most salons carry, but that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t find similar colors in other lines.   For reviews of some popular nail polish brands, be sure and check out what tbo.com’s Beauty Board found.)

Of course, these mouth-watering colors just beg for a pair of these season’s newest sandals. 
(Sigh. ) Is our work never done?

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Thank goodness we’ve finally gotten Mother’s Day out of the way for another year! 

Yes, we know it makes us sound a little churlish to say this, but we’ve always dreaded this time of year, when the onslaught of targeted ads and e-mails manage to reduce one of the deepest and most complex relationships known to humankind to an all-you-can-eat brunch and a hallmark card. 
Don’t misunderstand us-- we’ve loved every Macaroni necklace and hastily constructed popsicle-stick frame we’ve ever gotten.  (For a complete How-To, see last year’s ”Mother’s Day Made Easy!” )

It’s just that, (with apologies to Charles Dickens), these retailer-driven holidays have always seemed like a bunch of humbug to us.

Are we the only ones who find something slightly depressing about the whole Mother’s Day concept?.  Maybe it’s because it makes us feel so old and matronly, like the first time someone called us “Ma’am”.   It’s like we all suddenly have become some weird version of a Sunday School teacher, regardless of how un-Motherly we might otherwise be.

Even knocked-up  Jamie Lynn Spears got all ladyish and matchy yesterday with a white purse and cardigan, and, naturally!--pearls (that apparently kept getting hung up on her left breast.  Doncha hate when that happens?) 

Which begs the question:  How does a real-life Mom, i.e., one who actually raises her children herself and/or with a partner (as opposed to the Nanny, or Manny, or whatever the latest outsourcing trend may be) stay trendy and cute without compromising the dignity and respectability of, you know, Motherhood?

It isn’t easy, of course.  Because for most new mommies, not only do they have a lot less time and disposable income (owing, in no small part, to how much disposable diapers cost these days--my gawd, what’s in those things, cashmere?) to chase down the latest trends, but they have even less desire.  ("I haven’t slept six hours straight in over a year and you want to talk about ankle boots?” is a typical, sometimes snappier-than-necessary, response.) 

 The ugly truth is that  the major priority-shift that the pitter-patter of little feet inevitably brings about can make chasing down a $485 pair of Manolos seem shamefully trivial, as anyone who remembers episode 83 (season 6) of Sex And The City can tell you. 

Not that there aren’t plenty of people who are more obsessed with being a Hot Mom than a good mom. 

For instance, everyone was absolutely stunned to learn that Dina Lohan was receiving a Mother Of The Year award last week until they saw the boobed & botoxed members of the Long Island Mother’s organization who bestowed it without, believe it or not, any sense of irony whatsoever.  (While the debacle was widely covered by sites like TMZ, the hands-down best caption summarizing the event goes to Gawker, at least if you’re a Roald Dahl fan.)  We’re not sure who was home watching the kids (you know, the ones who actually made this glistening, french-manicured, chardonnay-fueled tribute to Motherhood possible) while all this was going on, but we thank God for them, whoever they are.  

Unfortunately, books like these



And the MILFies who love them aren’t much help for the mommy who wants to keep the skank-factor to a minimum.



But does that mean women who spend more time with their child than their personal trainer have to settle for dressing like Miss Lippy the kindergarten teacher from Billy Madison,  all loose tops and Eileen Fischer-style stretchy pants and clogs?

Of course not!



Every era has had it’s Great Mommy Style icons, and today is no exception.  While Britney or Teri might not have mastered it yet, there are a few celebrities who have embraced their new maturity with grace, dignity, and fabulous clothes.  Like Katie Holmes, of course,


 but also Angelina Jolie, who, yes, pretty much limits her wardrobe to black, white, and khaki; but with four kids, who can blame her?



And--who’d of thunk it? 

Jennifer Lopez, who, and we can’t believe we’re saying it-- we think has the potential to bring back the kind of full-out Mom glamour the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Donna Reed knocked it out of the park in the 50’s. 

(Most people credit June Cleaver with the pearls & apron look, but, as far as we’re concerned, it was DR who truly rocked housewife chic ).



In other words, Mommy Style should be a look unto itself, not a warmed-over version of something else. 



Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to put on our pink apron and wave around some pots and pans…

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You know the drill:  A stylish women friend is celebrating a milestone birthday and you’ve been invited to celebrate, but under the sternly issued condition that there be “No Gifts, Please!”.

It goes without saying that this gift-averse Birthday Girl’s age is probably closer to the mid-century mark than, say, the quarter-century mark, since we don’t know many Sweet Sixteens, Twenty-Ones, or even Thirty-somethings who don’t love presents of any kind, no matter how many times they may say otherwise.

But if you subscribe to the old adage that we spend the first forty years of our lives accumulating Stuff and the next forty trying to get rid of it, it follows that, the more candles there are going to be on the cake, the more likely it is that when she says “just bring yourself” , she really means it.



Still...you want to bring something besides your old self and a snarky card.

(Although those certainly have their place, especially when “you care enough to hit ‘send’ ” ).

In that case, we suggest you pick up a few copies of I Feel Bad About My Neck And Other Thoughts on Being A Woman by Nora Ephron to keep on hand for just such an occasion.

Women who are approaching a Certain Age will certainly identify with Ephron’s neck fixation ("The neck is a dead giveaway… You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, but you wouldn’t have to do that if it had a neck...” ) or her laments about how things have changed, like how there’s no longer such a thing as just ‘shampoo’ or ‘skin cream’ anymore.
But not everything is about getting older; things like “I Hate My Purse” and how it’s virtually impossible to recreate your hair stylist’s blowout at home-- no matter how much money you spend on the same equipment and products--have afflicted us all at one point or another.

And not all of the essays are funny or lighthearted, either.  After all, this is the woman who wrote Heartburn and Silkwood, and whose romantic comedies, like Sleepless In Seattle and When Harry Met Sally are always infused with an undercurrent of pathos no matter how happy the endings are.

But that’s another reason why we love this book--Ephron’s not afraid to say that, despite all the cheery bromides and cliches about aging gracefully,  a lot of things about getting old just, well-- pardon our French but there’s only one way to put it--kind of suck.  And for some reason, we find this much more comforting than the desperately perky cadre of celebrities and authors who refuse to admit there’s a downside.

Either way, we think it makes a great little not-a-birthday-present, since it’s a slim enough volume and a quick enough read for you to be able to fend off any protests that you violated the No Gift request.  ("It’s not a gift, Darling”, you can say,"it’s more like a really fat Hallmark card")

Of course, not everyone likes to get books no matter how innocuous they are;

in which case there’s always the audio version read by the author, who, incidentally sounds a lot like Joan Cusack, whom we also adore, but that’s another story…

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Back in the days when hats--not handbags--were the crucial status accessory, women started think about their spring ones long before Easter.  And, while there’s still a nod to fancy millinery on 5th Avenue in New York city on Easter Sunday every year, these days May is when hat season truly begins.
In fact, as far as fancy hats go , this is probably the biggest month:  There’s this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby; Cinco De Mayo;

and, of course, all those afternoon weddings and graduations,

not to mention the occasional “Hookers & Johns” -themed polo match.

It’s also when we tend to focus on those everyday hats we all depend upon to protect us against the Florida sun’s ever-more-brutal rays.  After all, sunscreen can only do so much, Darlings; if you don’t want that glycolic peel to backfire or those expensive highlights to turn to brass, you’re most certainly going to need to wear something on your head besides sunglasses.

We’ve seen all kinds of great hats this season, but the one thing that’s definitely OUT is the baseball-cap-with-the-ponytail-pulled-through-the-hole-in-the-back look. 
Unless you’re still wearing tracksuits and crop tops and Jessica Simpson is your favorite fashion icon,

(in which case, you’re in more trouble than you know), you probably want to give the cap a rest and try something new this season.

So what’s hot now?  While the trim little bucket hat that’s been so popular for the past few seasons can still be found, it seems to be losing ground to wider-brimmed hats, especially straw models in all shapes and weaves, like the ones InStyle magazine features on page 178 of their May issue:

But whether it’s straw or fabric, the best style for you will depend on your age, taste, budget, plus how worried you are about looking stupid.  (Let’s face it, as far as accessories go, hats are notoriously hard to pull off, and, unless you’re, say, Isabella Blow, it may take you a while before you find one that doesn’t make you feel self-conscious.)  

Dramatic types can opt for the super-wide brims like this one Michael Kors featured in his Spring 2008 collection,

and which can be found in all price ranges; from the pricey high-end brands like this $325 Eric Javits,

along with Helen Kaminski, and Juicy Couture (at Nordstrom, Saks, and Nieman’s); Burberry (at Saks and Neiman’s); Kokin (at Neiman’s); and Brooks Brothers, (at Brooks Brothers); to a $9.99 version from K Mart. 

But we think the best values in this category are in the mid-range;  despite its relatively modest price tag, Ann Taylor‘s $48 structured black straw is rawther Royal Ascot, don’t you think?

And Banana Republic‘s $52 natural straw version

has a definite San Tropez vibe.

For something just as showy but a little more unique, Anthropologie’s Audrey Hepburn-looking hats, like this $88 “Yucca”

or the “Cabrillo" for $58 would be at home in any chi-chi resort on the right kind of head.

If you’re more inclined to go with a not-so-extreme, medium-brimmed look (our favorite is other one from Michael Kors Spring 2008 collection):

J. Crew‘s $50 straw hat is a perfectly proportioned interpretation of a classic:

(As usual!). 

J. Crew also has some great fabric hats in fun prints for around $35, but we like the $10 price of the cute prints like this one from the Cynthia Rowley Whim collection for Target,

or this cute rib-stitched for $20 from JC Penney:



For the young and/or trendy, it’s fedoras, bowlers, and straw cowboy hats that are the most popular with the cool kids.


Straw cowboy hats like this $20 one from South Moon Under

have been a favorite of Hollywood bimbo-types like Denise Richards for years,

and they’re still a great casual look, especially when you pair one with, say, a sundress or a gauzy tunic.

For more edge, try a straw fedora like like Sienna Miller’s

Ashlee Simpson’s,

and even--albeit in one of her saner moments--Britney’s;

(the blonde one, not her brunette British alter-ego/evil twin)

or a bowler like Mischa Barton’s

or Kiera Knightly’s.

(Don’t ask us what that Jiffy-Pop thing on Rupert Friend’s head is).



Both can be found for cheap ($28, to exact) at Urban Outfitters:

And if you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, browse the
hat section of InStyle’s shopping guide, where you’ll find every kind of hat imaginable, plus a few more.

But whatever you do, just remember to stay away from…

well, you know.

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It’s now less than a month before the Sex And The City movie opens in the U.S., and we’re so excited we can hardly stand it.

When we first heard that there was going to be a SATC movie, especially so long after the original series had ended, we have to admit that we weren’t too optimistic about the whole thing.  Because, really, how many TV series-made-into-movies ever turn out to be very good? 

But then we saw the trailer, which never fails to get us all quivery:

Seriously, how can you not get goosebumps after watching that?

(For more buzz and a countdown clock that includes not just days, but minutes, hours and seconds; we kind of like this unofficial Sex And The City The Movie Blog.)

SATC in less than month! 
We think this calls for a Cosmo, don’t you?

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Okay, Ladies, we have to ask:  Do your hair accessories have that not-so-fresh feeling? 

Don’t be embarrassed--millions of women are afflicted with outdated hair accessories every day without even realizing it.  (And don’t even think we’re talking about scrunchies , because, Honey, if you’re still wearing a scrunchie out in public anywhere other than an 80’s Night, you’d better be a Boston Terrier named Kyla].

No, we’re talking about those claw (or jaw, or banana, or butterfly, depending on whom you ask) clips,

or as they’re known amongst the Fashionable People,  the modern day scrunchie.  Ubiquitous and cheap, they’re fine for sectioning your hair for styling or putting it up to wash your face.  But to wear in public? 

Ugh.  So 2005! 

So what’s a girl to put in her hair?  The drugstore aisles all carry the same inexpensive and boring plastic and metal coated barrettes and clips, and the high-end stores seem to deal mostly in headbands, which are fine if you’re under, like, 30 or 35.  But what about the rest of us who are, you know, a couple of years older?



It seems that, for the past few years, a messy bun or a simple ponytail secured with a black or brown coated elastic were our only options for an elegant but effortless-looking updo.  We wondered:  Where was the Next Scrunchie/Jawclip for the new millenium?  Wasn’t
anyone making cool new hair accessories anymore? 



It turns out that a company called Ficcare actually was making cool new stuff-- since 1997 apparently-- but we only recently discovered their line a few weeks ago in the accessories section of the Nordstrom at International Plaza.  (Btw--Don’t you just love the way their shoes and makeup and jewelry and scarves and belts just flow together in all that open space?  We’re not huge fans of the second floor layout--we never seem to find anything we want up there-- but the first floor is incredible, especially when the piano player is there.)

Ficcare’s founders, it turns out, were as frustrated with the current selection of hair holders as we were, but, unlike us, they decided to do something about it.

As you can see, all of their clips and barrettes are high-quality and gorgeous, but the Maximus clip has to be the most useful hair thingie we’ve bought in a long time.  

Their sleek, clean lines are a perfect counterbalance to even the messiest twists and buns. 

Granted, compared to a four-pack of hair claws or a Bag O’ Scrunchies, $30-34 for a hair clip can seem pricey.  But once you try one, you’ll understand.  (They’re even stamped with the Ficcare name on the inside--which, as anyone who collects costume jewelry knows, could make it somewhat of an investment going forward). 
The clips come in three sizes; if you’re not sure which one to buy or how to use them, you might want to watch one of these videos first.

 

We have the Tortoise and the Honey Marble, both of which are so neutral they can be worn with pretty much anything, but if we were looking for a splurge we certainly wouldn’t mind  a few of these delicious Border III collection colors:




So scrap your scrunchies (if you haven’t already) and jettison your jawclamp--the enameled clip is where it’s at, at least for the rest of 2008.  After that?  You’ll just have to check back with us, because today’s clip can easily become tomorrow’s scrunchie. 
Let’s just hope there’s something newer and cooler to replace it!

---

Okay, so we might not have Lucky Magazine’s stable of editors to supply us with a fresh “obsession” every week ("We’re craving studded bracelets!  We’re mad for Mary Janes! We’re cuckoo for colorblocking!") , and we certainly don’t have  Vogue’s Closet or Glamour’s Fashion Cupboard at our disposal.  Nor is anyone sending us press kits about their newest collection or plying us with free beauty products to sample. 
Not, mind you, that there we’re saying there would be anything terribly wrong with that .
 In fact, we’d be faxing our resume and cover letter over there right now ("Dear Editor:  I’m OBSESSED with becoming a Lucky staffer!") just so we could compete in the Cute Outfit of the Day contest--that is, if it weren’t for the fact that wearing black tights EVERY SINGLE DAY seems to be the primary prerequisite for winning.  (You just know that their furry little New York City legs haven’t seen a razor or a bottle of self-tanner since Labor Day, don’t you?) Add to that the fact that almost everyone working there seems to have the same overgrown, dead-ends-greased-up-with expensive-product (that was probably filched from “The Closet” for free), “piecey” hairstyle, and we have to wonder if all these fashion obsessions aren’t taking their toll.  Which is why we’re limiting our obsessions to just a few of our very favorite new discoveries for spring.
   Here are our top four:


The Badgley Mischka Platinum Label Bag

You’ve probably at least heard of the  Badgley Mischka design duo, but what we bet you didn’t know was that they just launched their first mid-priced handbag line this spring. 
And for some reason, we just love it.


Yes, thanks to Mark and James, we FINALLY found a designer handbag that’s so fresh, so new-looking,
and so reasonably priced for it’s category that we bought it the minute
we laid eyes on it in Saks. 

Honestly, girls, the picture doesn’t do it justice; it’s really more mustard-y than orange (bright enough to pop a plain outfit, but muted enough to not compete with prints and bolder hues), and the quality of the patent leather is ah-mazing.  Its slimmer profile and long strap make it a joy to carry, but it’s still big enough to hold all of our junk.  And the distinctive Badgley Mischka deco embellishment gives it the the kind of insider fashion cred we love—a well-designed piece that doesn’t (yet) scream Luxury Brand like so many of the bags we’ve come to loathe.
We can’t tell you how many compliments and inquiries we’ve gotten about this bag--from the streets of SoHo in NYC to the SoHo Starbuck’s in Tampa. 
(Btw, we found ours at the Saks at Westshore Plaza).


The Lisa Curran classic tank swimsuit:

Actually, this one is nothing new--we bought our first one in a department store a few years ago when we were looking for a chic-simple one-piece bathing suit to take on a corporate junket.  That was before they became a cult favorite (outed in the New York Times Sunday Styles section in 2006) and were almost always sold out.  The good news is, the supply/demand issues seem to have leveled out, so we are finally able to order another. More substantial and luxurious than, say, a J.Crew suit but not as obviously “shapey” as a Miracle suit, they strike just the right balance between designer-y and preppy, and for those of us who don’t need or want to flaunt our junk anymore, they cover just enough skin without looking too matronly.    They’re not cheap by any means, but the fit and quality are as good as any suit we’ve owned.  In fact, the one we bought years ago (chocolate and honeydew green--not available now) looks as fresh as ever, especially now that colorblocking is all the buzz.  (At least for this week, anyway).

Anthropologie Shoes:
We’ve long been fans of Athropologie’s wonderfully eclectic Won’t-Find-Them-Anywhere-Else shoe collection.  As with their clothes and housewares, the Anthropologie buyers are genius at sourcing good designs without the pricey designer labels.  But it used to be that we could only get the shoes online (with the exception of the occasional flat or flipflop), which was often frustrating, since, not only are we not good at delaying our New Shoes gratification, but also, the best pairs tended to sell out far too quickly.  (When you can snag cuties like these for $68, is it any wonder?  And don’t even TRY to get a sale shoe in your size… )


So the fact that our Tampa Anthropologie  has started carrying shoes now is pretty much a dream come true for us--we’ve already snagged two pairs of flats and some fabulous wedges that look like they cost twice what we paid.  If the football-field-sized shoe department at Nordstrom makes you dizzy, or if you’re as tired as we are of seeing the same shoes in every department store  (Honestly? if we never see another Tory Burch flat again, we’ll die happy), we highly recommend you pop into Old Hyde Park Village for a little Anthro-shoe-therapy.

View Larger Map
(But if you wear a size 8, you’d better hurry, because we’re going back soon… )



Theory Tees

It’s easy, at first glance, to feel like Theory is overpriced ($350 for a simple little shift?  $298 for trousers? Are they serious?) until you  A) Try them on and B) Take them home and find yourself wearing them day in and day out, week after week, year after year. 

Quality fabrics, superb fit, and that simplicity of cut are what make Theory the modern girl’s “investment dressing” label of choice.  (When the style gurus tell you to buy a few quality pieces and update them with inexpensive trendy ones, these are the kind of pieces they’re talking about, Dear). 
But, in our obsession with those serious anchor pieces, we had never really paid much attention to the fact that Theory also carries some great casual blouses and tops.

We especially love their detailed tees--the knit tops that, due to super-soft, drapey fabrics and a touch of tailored detail, are a cut above sporty but are still low-key enough for our dressed-down Tampa lifestyle.  They’re just the thing to throw on with jeans for shopping or lunch with the girls, yet they can easily hold their own with dressier bottoms for the office or cocktails.
(You can find Theory at the big 3--Saks, Neiman’s and Nordstrom-- or at online boutiques like Shopbop and Revolve.)

Right now, our favorite, always-in-the-wash top is this Nara Deep V in zinc.  It seems like there’s nothing we haven’t worn it with, except, maybe, black tights and stringy hair. 
Even we’re not THAT obsessed.

---

For us, the best thing about Saks.com’s new “Fashion In Action” video catalog isn’t the actual video.

Not that it isn’t fun to see the clothes in awkward semi-motion (although it’s really the camera that does most of the moving)  to the sound of that soft, disco-thumpy generic music loop.    You know us--throw in a silky-voiced narrator and gushy fashion-speak blurbs like, “Avant elegance!” “Run for color!” and “Bangles, bangles, bangles!”, and we’re all in. 

But what we really love is seeing all of the put-together outfits in the series.  Unlike most online catalog still shots, these pieces are mixed and accessorized with other designer’s pieces from head-to-toe--including bags and jewelry. 

Which is a beautiful thing, because, if you haven’t noticed, putting together today’s freshest looks is trickier than ever. 

Gone are the days of late-90’s minimalism when everything worked with everything else as long as it was black.  Now, unless you want to look like a salesclerk or a waiter, the head-to-toe black thing--or anything too neutral--is teddibly un-chic, Dahling, as is anything too matchy-matchy.   Not to mention the fact that,  with pants, tops and jackets all running the gamut from cropped to long, skinny to wide and fitted to full, combining separates can be its own special nightmare. 
Let’s face it:  Getting the the right balance of silhouette, color, pattern, texture, and detail in outfit requires a practiced eye, and few do it better than the stylists at Saks.

For instance, check out these three different jeans looks:

Or how the orangy-red Chie Mihara shoes don’t perfectly match the pinky-red in this Laundry By Design print dress, but the Alexis Bittar lucite jewelry does match:

And would you ever in a million years have thought to put that necklace and those boots with this airy little dress?
“

Us neither!  But we have to admit that it strikes the perfect dressy-but-edgy note for, say, club- or gallery- hopping in the city for women young enough to pull it off.

And, although we’d love to be able to buy each outfit just the way it is--hell, we’d even settle just one pair of those gawgeous Louboutins-- each look can easily be interpreted with less expensive pieces, and/or ones you already own.  Because, if you really take the time to analyze each look, you’ll see that it’s less about the actual pieces than how they’re combined. 
Even makeup plays a crucial role--don’t be so distracted by the exaggerated application in the to notice the how expertly the makeup colors combine with each outfit, especially the lip colors.



Nice job, Saks stylists!

---

If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a website link making the rounds called ”If Celebs Moved To Oklahoma”.

And almost as entertaining as the actual pictures (which were borrowed from the fabulously wicked Photoshopping geniuses over at planet hiltron) are the 280 (and counting!) comments that follow.

Of course, as is so often the case with open forums (as opposed to sites where comment-posters are rigorously pre-screened), the discussion isn’t always, shall we say, top-notch.  For every witty post (”that lady next to Sarah Jessica Parker looks like my mom” , and “...the picture of Tom Cruise...was just a candid photo taken at a Scientology convention”) there are plenty of idiotic ones  (”not everybody out in Oklahoma is a redneck” ), not to mention the usual flaming and name-calling (”at least try not to be such a dooshrocket, sad little person”).


But what was really interesting--at least to us-- was how much of the discussion was fixated on fatness and fat people, as if being thin is the only thing that keeps Hollywood stars from looking like our Aunt Carol (blessherheart ) or a Preferred Customer at the all-you-can-eat Country Buffet.   This is so obviously not the case, especially since several weren’t fattened up at all. 




No, the true separation point--the one component that every picture shares--is disturbingly bad hair.  Hideous clothes come in a close second, but most would have to agree that it’s the ‘do’s that cause the most damage, whether it’s Cruise’s buzz,

Tara Reid’s mall bangs

SJP’s fluffy apricot frizz

Or Johnny Depp’s...whatever the hell that is. (Modified mullet maybe?)

Which is pretty inspiring, actually.  Think about it:  If it’s that easy to make the beautiful people look “ugly”, then… well, you already see where we’re going with this, don’t you?
Because celebrity hair is one thing that pretty much anyone (even people in Oklahoma) can achieve these days if they’re willing to work at it.  Sure, it’s easier for people with Money (but then, isn’t everything, Darling?)  But the truth is, there are excellent products and enhancements out there in every price range, plus--and this is where we’ve truly made progress--there have never been so many resources and tools available on how to choose and use them like a pro.  So, while you might not be able to afford an appointment with Sally Hershberger,  you can at least watch her video styling tips for free and take the concepts to your own stylist (whom we assume charges less than $600). 

And if that sounds like too much trouble, remember that Photoshop works both ways...

---

We were SO sad when Season 4 of Project Runway had to end--we’re still going through withdrawals-- so it was comforting to see that Season 5 auditions are already scheduled for the end of this month.  And, of course, we couldn’t help but wonder:  how fierce would it be to have someone from the Tampa Bay on the show? 

After all, we know our town has the talent, but does anyone else?

So, come on all you bright young IADT students and struggling fashion designers (are you listening, Ben Chmura?)—download an application, then get your little tushies (and your three best designs) down to the Miami Convention Center on April 3rd and REPRESENT! 

(Btw, don’t forget to practice your walking techniques--they’re clearly the key to winning the competition, as you can see from this clip) :

Also, it probably doesn’t hurt to look like Amy Poehler--or visa-versa-- either:

---

If you’re going to Paris anytime soon, you might want to hang on to your black stuff.

If Bill Cunningham’s slide show or Cathy Horyn’s runway report is any indication,  Les Fashionistes Parisiennes, including her Royal Sultriness, Carine Roitfeld, editor-in-chief of Paris Vogue (second slide), apparently didn’t get--and/or give--le memo about color being the new...well, you know.

---

While fashion scholars can debate all day long about the distinction between Preppy, Classic, and Traditional styles, (and, believe it or not, they actually do ) we kind of have to agree with the ones who claim that what people call Preppy today isn’t what it used to be. 

Before it was co-opted as a “look” by the mainstream in the early 80’s, it was generally acknowledged that the prep-and ivy-educated elite (and those who associated with them), tended to favor a sort of dorky, dowdy, uniform look that consisted of certain well-made, classic sportswear pieces and, for the men, boxy English-style suits.   The “uniform” (khakis, polos, crewneck sweaters, etc.) was consistent and more or less the same for everyone, regardless of age or gender, which is why, as Lisa Birnbach put it in The Official Preppy Handbook, “Preppies wear clothes for twenty-five years and no one can tell the difference."  
And while that sounds lovely now, it should be pointed out that in the 1960’s and early 70’s, when most young people were wearing things like bell-bottoms denim jackets with peace signs on them, dressing like one’s grandparents was not exactly the quickest route to Cool Town, if you get our drift.  No wonder preppies rarely left their private Clubs--they would probably have been beaten up anywhere else.  
(Which is why it was such a big deal when Oliver Barrett IV went outside the tribe and married Jennifer Cavelleri in Love Story--didn’t he get beaten up by townies or something at one point?)  

But then 1980 arrived, and it was suddenly Hip to be Square, and The Preppy/Preppie look became all the rage (much, we’re sure, the the Old-School Preppies’ horror).  Whether it was the new Reagan-era political conservatism, a pop-culture obsessed with 50’s nostalgia (Happy Days had been a TV hit for years, and Grease was one of 1978’s top grossing movies), or a simple case of hippie-disco backlash is anyone’s guess, but America’s youth abandoned their platform shoes and tie-dyed shirts en masse to start dressing like Ward and June Cleaver.

Of course, that meant that a lot of the tenets of true Preppy
dressing were compromised (which, any Preppy can tell you, always happens once you let the
riffraff on board). 
Mass-produced Fair Isle sweaters were blended with--gasp!-- acrylic, non-Topsider boat shoes that wouldn’t make it across a swimming pool deck flooded the stores, and there was a waiting list--waiting list! for an L.L. Bean down vest.
Alas, poseurs and wannabes were everywhere, forcing the genuine Preppies, like poor Louis Winthorpe III, even further underground.

While some good did come out of the whole thing--Lilly Pulitzer revived her defunct brand, and La Coste Chemise regained it’s licensing rights back from Izod, for instance--there are lots of
young people out there who, to this day, think of Preppy as nothing
more than an 80’s fad, like Punk or New Wave.

That’s certainly not the case--trust us, Preppy is alive and well
and living in colonized pockets across the country--but we do feel like there’s a broader definition these days.

To us, the new Preppy is not a person, but rather a taste point that tends to attract a broader range of upper middle class people who, while they might not have prepped in the East or attended an Ivy, were most likely educated in private schools and/or colleges. (That’s not a prerequisite, by the way--just an observation). But now that merit-based admissions are a reality at even the most exclusive prep schools, today’s well-heeled elite is much more assimilated with mainstream culture, and as a result, more influenced by fashion-- than they used to be.  And while it’s hard to shake those Prep roots once they’ve been hardwired, (in our case, it was a result of growing up in one of Connecticut’s WASPier towns ) most of us have moved beyond the old boundaries.
In short, we would define today’s Preppy as simply a look that combines traditional elements and quality workmanship with current trends.

So what’s Preppy now? 



Of course, the old standbys, La Coste, Lilly, and Lauren—are still
going strong, especially because they all continue to tweak their
iconic pieces (adding stretch, changing the silhouette, etc) to stay
current.  (Unfortunately, not all of yesterday’s preppy favorites have kept up--you won’t find many well-dressed people under 45 shopping at Land’s End, Talbots, Brooks Brothers, or even--we hate to say it--Ann Taylor these days.)


But lots of other favorites have endured :  Yankees love Thomas Pink, J.McLaughlin, and Vinyard Vines,  Southerners still wear Vera Bradley and Jack Rodgers, and the Palm Beach crowd continues to go for Molly b and Charlotte Kellogg.

And the purists can deride J.Crew all day long, but there’s no question that this retailer embodies all of the beloved hallmarks of young Preps everywhere while still managing to be hip.  (In fact, if you want an Official Preppy Handbook for 2008, just pick up a current J.Crew catalog.)  And if you haven’t noticed, Banana Republic is looking more J. Crew-like every day.

 As far as Ready-To-Wear designers and up-market retail lines go, the current favorites are definitely Tory Burch, Theory, Marc By Marc Jacobs, Diane Von Furstenberg and Kate Spade. 

Tory Burch Reva Flats

And for a uniquely Tampa take on Preppy, don’t forget  Town Toiles and Nilla Shields

Tampa Toile Tote from Town Toiles

Because remember, old Preppies never really die....

...they just leave office.

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By now we’ve all been thoroughly indoctrinated into this spring’s cult of color. 
We talked about it a month ago, and we’ve continued to read , see , and hear  (and in the case of style.com’s latest ”Candycast”, all three) about it everywhere.

And it’s not just clothes and accessories that are have slipped out of neutral--makeup is definitely trending away from the nudes and brown-based shades as well.  

Instead, we’re seeing a ton of sheer pinks, corals and lavenders, and not just on lips, but on cheeks as well.  Even Bobbi Brown, whose wildly popular line was built on nudes and browns, has introduced this new limited-edition “Pink Raspberry” face palette for spring.

Don’t be put off by the neon look of some of the new shades-- these aren’t your mother’s pinks and purples.  If you go for the updated, sheer formulas, you’ll be amazed at the range of colors you can actually wear without looking like, well, you know...

And, with both Neiman’s and Saks currently running their beauty events, there couldn’t be a better time than right now to splurge on some great new makeup.  (We’ve mentioned the Neiman’s event before, but Saks’s is just as good.  You gotta hurry, though--NM’s is almost over and Sak’s only goes until March 9th--or until the swag bags last, whichever comes first.)

Or forget your face altogether and invest in a great nail polish.  Fashion types went gaga over the poppy-red custom-mixed nail color in Philip Lim’s Spring 2008 show:

(Btw, is it just us, or is there something funky going on with that big toe? )

But if we can’t get that shade, we’re willing to settle for CHANEL’s Orange Blossom, Organdy, or Lilac Sky. 

Yes, they’re pricey, but we’ve found that the few CHANEL polishes we’ve acquired over the years have been absolute workhorses--not only do they seem to keep forever, but their shades are always just so, you know, right.  They even look beautiful on a dressing table or bathroom shelf.

Besides, the more you spend this week, the more you get, remember? 
(We just love how the whole Karma thing works on the retail level, don’t you?)

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Go to any cocktail party or similar social gathering, and you’ll quickly learn that the world is divided into two kinds of people:  Those who are watching Season 4 of Project Runway, and those who aren’t.  You might also notice that, at least in certain circles, the first group is beginning to outnumber the second.

 In fact, it seems like the only people left in the non-watcher’s category almost always fall into one of three sub-groups:

1) The anti-"reality TV” purists
2) The DVR-challenged
3) Straight men

Okay, until we can figure out how to alter a person’s DNA (and, quite frankly, that’s near the bottom of our To Do list right now) we’re not likely to convert anyone in group #3 anytime soon, nor would we have any reason to, since somebody‘s got to be on the other side of the room discussing the football draft and mortgage rates, right?

But the rest of you have no excuse, especially the haters in group #1.

Sure, we understand how early exposure to some of network TV’s more imbecilic reality shows (Survivor, the Bachelor, Fear Factor, etc.) could easily create a lifelong aversion to the format, but it’s time you got off your highbrow horse long enough to realize that not all rtv is created equal.    (In fact, almost every cocktail-party conversation we’ve had about Project Runway lately has been prefaced with “I [pick one:] usually hate/ normally don’t watch/never got into/used to get nauseous just thinking about reality TV , BUT.... “ )
 
 The fact is, there’s a lot more to PR than the reality element.  Yes, it does follow the standard rtv competition/elimination formula of taking heavily edited “fly on the wall” footage of the competition and interspersing it with talking-head “private commentaries” to provide the narration.  And, yes, the contestants and situations are obviously chosen for their potential to create controversy and tension where it might not otherwise exist.  But the contestant’s task at hand--which is to design and sew the the best (or at the very least, not the worst) outfit within a ridiculously short period of time--leaves little room for the usual force-faked drama and manufactured story arcs that so many reality shows rely on for ratings.  

And the contestants are only part of the show’s appeal, since four of the fashion industry’s top professionals in different areas of the business serve as regulars.  Supermodel Heidi Klum is the producer and host of the show, commercially successful designer Michael Kors and Elle mag’s fashion editor Nina Garcia are the main elimination judges, and Parson’s design-school legend Tim Gunn serves as the contestant’s mentor and den mother extraordinaire. 

If that isn’t enough reason to drop your rtv bias, you’re reading the wrong blog, Darling.


We do have slightly more sympathy for the “Oh, yeah, I’ve been meaning to start watching that--wait, when is it on again?” people in group #2.    The PR schedule can be confusing, because Bravo tends to not only broadcast the same episodes over and over, but they also mix episodes from other seasons in there, so it’s crucial to know when the new episodes actually air, which is on Wednesdays at 10PM.  Of course, that doesn’t help now because there are only two episodes left in season 4, one of which is the finale on March 5, and they won’t be nearly as much fun to watch if you haven’t seen any of the 11 regular-season episodes that have already aired.  The good news is that Bravo, as is their custom, is re-running season four episodes ad infinitum for the next two weeks leading up to the finale.  The bad news is that, except for the in-sequence marathon on Tuesday, March 4, which is a mere day before the finale, the re-run episodes don’t seem to be in any kind of order.

Obviously, the simplest solution is to tape the marathon and power-watch if you want to see the finale in real time.  (And by real time, we of course mean tape-delaying veiwing by at least 20 minutes and Fast-Forwarding-ing through commercials and those long, suspense-building rtv pauses before the winners are announced). 

You can also get up to speed by visiting Bravotv.com and projectrunway.com, but be warned if you’re not completely caught up yet--both sites’ home pages are instant spoilers. 

If all that sounds like too much work, just think how nice it’ll be next time someone asks, “Have you been watching Project Runway?"   You won’t and have to hang your head in shame, or, worse, start bashing the whole reality TV genre like some out-of-touch curmudgeon. 

You’re welcome.

---

 Fall 2008 Fashion week in New York is finally a wrap, and, as usual, we were right in the virtual thick of it. 

Of course, it was the same madcap romp it’s always been-- as exhausting as it was exhilarating, what with all of the backstage mingling and front-row hob-nobbing , the nightly party-hopping, cutting up with the Fug Girls and dishing with Perez.

But, as you know, for us, it’s really always been about the clothes, so most of our time was spent at the shows to get that all-important glimpse of what lies ahead.

And, while we’re not going to spend a whole lot of time obsessing about Fall 2008 when Spring 2008 hasn’t even really started yet,  you know how we always like having a horizon to watch to help us keep our bearings as we make our way through the current season.

So what emerging trends did we see?

The good news:  There was nary a legging in sight. 

The bad news?  That those godforsaken booties and “turtleneck” sandals aren’t going away anytime soon--so if they haven’t started growing on you yet, you might want to think about some good fertilizer, because this is where shoes will be headed for a while.

A “turtleneck” Mary Jane at Philip Lim

And the little boxy shifts and waistless jumpers that have been so hot for the past couple of years?  Gone. Done.  Buh-bye.
  In fact, there seemed to be fewer -(gasp!)- dresses of any kind.  Instead, there were tons of pants (remember those?), and a good number of them were wide and slouchy, almost to the point of bagginess, like these at Marc Jacobs:

Skirts were strong as well, and hem lengths generally seem to have come down out of the thigh-high stratosphere to hover much closer to--and in some cases over--the knee. 

Pencil skirt and sweater at Michael Kors (or, as Heidi Klum pronounces it on Project Runway, “My-kool Korsss"). 
Btw--Don’t you just love the glasses?

Of course, with so many different collections and designers, it’s hard to make many generalizations, but the overall vibe from the trendsetting crowd  (Marc Jacobs, Michael Korsssss, Philip Lim, Proenza Schuler, Doo Ri, Thakoon, Narcisco Rodriguez, Derek Lam, etc.) seemed to be a lot less girly and a lot more grownup (or dowdy, depending on your point of view) this time around.   
Or, as Marc Jacobs put it when asked about his “inspiration” for the collection:  “Calm. Glamour. Casual. Beautiful Women." 

And, really, who can argue with that?

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