The ladies' paradise

A great spring skirt (and wear it now, too!)

Not long ago I went with a client to a department store with the sole mission of finding a neutral-color skirt. We found just two in the whole store -- and one was a hot-pink wool mini. (Cute enough, but really not right for this particular client.)

Further searching online turned up a few things, but no wear-all-the-time neutral version. (I always want at least one thing that 1) goes with a ton of other stuff I already own, 2) can go to the pool or out to dinner and 3) looks great even when pulled out of a suitcase.)

So I was especially pleased to see this skirt recently -- and it comes in black, "chisel gray," and "taupe." Get the gray if you like cooler colors and the taupe if earth tones are your thing. (Get black only as a last resort or if you plan to buy two.)

Velvet Naneena gored knit skirt, at Garnet Hill ($108)

The Oprah Store: Who knew?

I may have been hiding under a rock, yes, but I had no idea that there was such a thing as The Oprah Store. (Makes sense, though, doesn't it?) As I sit here freezing in my inefficiently heat house and contemplating my upcoming trip to warmer climes, I am totally lusting after this camel cashmere throw, perfect for the long plane trip.

Now, if only I had a spare $350....

Sarah Palin throws out the hocky puck in Philadelphia

Wearing her hockey puck on her ...

Let me be clear: Sarah Palin is looking better and better. The hair is great (now that the bangs aren't covering her eyes, practically blinding her). This jacket rocks. (I'm a big fan of this length of jacket, worn basically as a top with trousers, as it is here, or jeans. It covers any hip-and-thigh-area problems, and for those who are long-wasted, shortens the torso and lengthens the legs.) The color is perfect for her (an off-white is better for her than true white).

All that aside, I wonder at the choice of the color and details at this point in the campaign. First, I've never seen a hockey puck up close, but it's a little weird to have, well, hockey-puck-looking things splashed across one's chest while throwing the first puck, or whatever the hell it is you do with them.

More ominously, I'm so fascinated with the stark color choices she's made here. (Yes, her stylist made the choice, but she's sending the signals). With her rallies becoming more vocal in their racism, why on earth would she wear, of all things, a black-and-white jacket? It simply underscores and adds a visual to the campaign's narrative of bigotry and race-baiting.

Oh, and as a soccer mom? I'm pretty sure this outfit isn't your typical hockey-mom attire, which probably runs more to sweats and sneakers.

I'm not sure what I'll do with this blog after the election, but even so, I sure can't wait for it to be over.

Democratic convention clothes: Hillary's jewelry

I was curious about the necklace Hillary wore for her big speech. Here's what I learned from Cliff Notes, a fashion blog: "Her necklace was by Marco Bicego. It's a three-strand Paradise necklace handcrafted in 18 carat yellow gold, with a range of colorful semi-precious stones, including citrine, amethyst and blue topaz."

What do you make of the fact that there's been very little jewelry on display among women on the podium over the past few days? There have been notable exceptions: Pelosi's signature pearls finally back in place with that gorgeous, flattering neckline (you couldn't see her pants last night -- I don't like them, and the jacket/pants combo is just not formal and pulled-together for this event); Albright's signature pins; and Michelle O's big pin during her speech. But there are not a lot of earrings, bracelets, rings, and some speakers, as I've already said, have worn nothing.

I imagine it's an effort to connect to working-class roots among those who have them, or at least not to put too much wealth on display when speeches are full of references to people who can't afford health insurance or are losing their homes. And that may be necessary, but it's also a wee bit disingenuous. One blog comment even says that Michelle O "drips with diamonds" when she's not on the campaign trail, and that just irritates me -- not that she has them, but that she doesn't wear them. Because then she becomes less than completely genuine and authentic.

And no, I'm not naive enough to expect my government to be genuine and authentic -- I should use quotation marks to suggest that such a thing is illusory anyway -- but something about it is so contrived that it seems an insult to viewers and voters, as if people will actually believe that she doesn't wear diamonds. To me, Pelosi's necklace (which I actually don't love -- Nancy, could you not decide between the white and the black pearls? -- strikes the right note: an expensive standout piece she wears often enough that you realize that, yes, somewhere there's enough money for something like this, but she loves it and values it and doesn't have a dozen other equally pricey pieces in the vault back home. That's more down to earth than the idea of a well-to-do woman wearing no jewelry at all.

I can't wait to see how the Republicans accessorize next week!

Warming trend: A great cashmere wrap

Floral Lace Swing Wrap ($255)
This is so special and so versatile -- I'd wear it just as the picture shows, or with black slacks or color or anything. It's so beautiful (and in cashmere, more than just a pretty scarf).

Floral lace wrap ($255)

Cute as a Sweet Pea

Is it possible to have too may Sweet Pea tops? Not for me! Here's one I just noticed and love love love. It's a little more interesting and dressy than the designer's usual stuff but still would, of course, look great with jeans. It's definitely on my short list.

Sweet Pea by Stacy Frati Ruffle Mesh Top ($68)

Dress-up

I'm starting to think about clothes for the holidays this fall, Jewish and otherwise. And I love this dress -- it's flirty but (as styled in this pictured, with the dark stockings) not saccharine sweet, even though it's silk.

Hyacinth Trail Wrap Dress ($188)

What to get this fall

I've just come back from a week-long retreat in NH, where the evenings were cool and my thoughts turned to fall.

Unfortunately, the stock market has not been kind to me, and my wish list isn't matched by my budget. So for now, my purchases are mostly theoretical: I have to look around a little more before winnowing down the list. For now, there are three things I really want:

1. An oatmeal-colored wrap. The one I like (from J. Jill  one's not terribly exciting, but I really like it. This one from Viva Terra (shown in "grape," though it also comes in oatmeal) is a little less wearable but totally beautiful (and warm -- a great way to save on your upcoming horrendous heating bill!)

2. Ankle boots. They'll look great with jeans and pants, but also knee-length skirts. (I like the ones by Robert Clergerie, just not the $700 price tag.)

3. Huge, colorful bag. I've been in love with purple for a while now, so imagine my delight at finding this in yesterday's Times. But again with the cost! Let's just say I probably won't be buying a $645 Kooba bag this fall. Happily, Tano bags are stylish and a great price, and I should be able to find one in a vibrant color to go with all the dull neutrals I like to wear in cooler weather.

What's on your wish list? I want to hear about it!

New for fall

Color me Boden

I adore getting the first few fall catalogues in the mail. Boden's landed on my doorstep yesterday, and though I've never loved their clothes, this timeI found several things I really liked.

Swishy Applique Skirt ($118)
What struck me most, though was the adventurous use of color. This picture's not as good as the one in the print catalogue, but you can see that the skirt is a gray with black applique (and yes, this is a fabulous skirt) with a kiwi-green sweater and fuschia jacket.

Now, most women I know would hesitate before purposely putting these three things together. (They might put on the fuschia jacket just because they had nothing else, but that's different.)

I find the shoe choice very interesting, too. I'm not sure I would have paired the brown shoes with this outfit, but I love how nonchalant the entire ensemble is. Who says an outfit like this has to have black shoes? How boring! Instead, she looks like she threw on the first thing she came across in her closet -- and it works!

Boden has even taken the guesswork out of the whole color thing with this color-blocked dress. (Odette Knit Dress; $118) It comes in three color combinations.

You could even take these colors, and add a purple trench coat ($138).

The point is, things don't need to match. In fact, it's better -- younger, more current -- if they don't.

If you're unsure about what you're putting together, take your idea out for a test-drive. You may find by the end of the day that your attempt wasn't successful. That's fine, because there's always another chance tomorrow.

And best of all, sometimes your experimentation will reveal new combinations you'd never otherwise have come up with.

Oh, and one more thing on the subject of color: I'm seeing quite a bit less orange and even lime. I adore the color orange, but it can be quite wearying after a while, like trying to smile for several hours straight at a cocktail party full of strangers. After a while, you just want to run and hide. So I will hold on to the orange pieces I collected over the past two seasons (it's definitely a great color on me) but I look forward to resting my eyes with some new, less fiery-hot colors.

Silk top

My friend F. is always showing off her great finds from Old Navy. Here's a pretty silk top she should definitely get, for now and to wear into fall over a thin, long-sleeve T-shirt (maybe a stripe) and/or under a sweater or jacket. (It also comes in ivory and a warm pinky color, "Rose Hip.")

Women's Silky Keyhold Top ($20)