Le smoking: a YSL must.


The lines and coloration evoke the early YSL collections, which defined the sophisticated, modern "Yves Saint Laurent woman." Who would that be today?


Okay, that works.


Clean lines and strong femininity would have pleased Yves, surely. The dust ruffle? Hard to say.


And, obviously, the "reality" version works like an elegant modern charm.


As for Avengers business-casual?


...judge for yourselves.


And I know one person who will be pleased by this high-profile support for Operation No Pants:


She is!


"Volume" is still a thing. But - in varying degrees, even by its absence, isn't that always a de facto "trend?" Kind of like "texture," "color" and "existence?"


See, sometimes you see something like this and think, "well, of course, no one will literally wear that..."


And then you feel a fool.

[Images via Getty]

• Oy. Vey. When Mark Fast chose to use three plus-size models in his Friday show, one staffer allegedly quit in protest and the stylist was so abusive to the models that she was fired; a Telegraph stylist stepped in. [Fashionista]

• And it gets worse! Because some claimed that "the larger models were in need of supportive underwear beneath the tight dresses." [Guardian]
• Ashley Dupre - otherwise known as the hooker who brought down New York governor Eliot Spitzer - was not welcome at the Tommy Hilfiger store opening. [NY Post]
• Gisele is getting her helicopter pilot's license. [TMZ]
• She's also been named a United Nations Environment Programme Ambassador. Maybe that's why she needs the license? [New York]
• And she's taking on the Brazilian government over Amazon deforestation! [AP]
• Agyness Deyn is reportedly back on with Albert Hammond, Jr. Does this count as fashion news? [Daily Express]
• Pringle of Scotland is remaking its trad tweeds image in time for London Fashion week. [Independent]
• Burberry's pinning its economic hopes on Spring 2010, premiering tonight in London. [TimesUK]
• A good sign: Mary-Kate and Ashley will reportedly be at the show. [Sassybella]
• Celebrating a quarter century, London Fashion Week doesn't feel a day over 24: "London fashion has been iconoclastic and edgy for a quarter of a century, and the shows on the runways - from wacky 1980s revivals to whimsical romance - are bringing a gust of energy to a chastened fashion world." [NYT]
• La Wintour agrees: "I love the spirit of London, it is such a place for original talent. I love the way they can makes clothes out of nothing, conjure up an atmosphere out of nothing. It's very special." [Telegraph]
• Who needs nothing when you've got Naomi Campbell? "The supermodel took the Issa Spring/Summer 2010 show by storm, revealing the same flawless figure she debuted 20 years ago." [Daily Mail]
• The word on Jimmy Choo for H&M: it's ok. [Racked]
• Speaking of "democratic" collabs, Ruffian is designing for Anthropologie. [WWD]
• Norma Kamali does them one better: she's designing for Wal-Mart. And eBay. On an iPhone. [WWD]
• Which is nice for eBay, because they were just fined 80,000 euros for ripping off LVMH. [Reuters]
• LVMH can use the money, because they may be investing in fashion It girls Rodarte. [Fashion Week Daily]
• Donna Karan is launching her own line of Spanx. Except they're not called Spanx, they're called Smoothies. [WWD]
• Also in packaging news: Brian Reyes is designing condom wrappers, the proceeds of which go towards Planned Parenthood. [Sassybella]
• This is clearly going to sell out instantly. "The YSL Edition New Vintage collection will comprise a numbered range of archival styles in various fabrics from the Paris firm's inventory." Okay, probably not to us. [WWD]
• DVF talks about her husband's sexuality, which we thought was acknowledged to be gay, but whatever. "He doesn't know why (he never dated women.) He was very held and reserved. And with me it's like, shumm! [She mimes a door bursting open.] So I was flattered." [TimesUK]
• Are we ready for The Real Kate Moss? Apparently a new documentary on her friend, celeb stylist James Brown (not the dead one) will show us "how funny and warm and caring she is." [WWD]
• Twiggy: "I'm careful what I eat now as I'm older but I love food and I love cooking. I've definitely changed shape...When I was younger I weighed six and a half stone but ate like a horse. I'm now eight and a half stone and at last I have boobs – I never had those in the Sixties." [Daily Express]

When Moe and I went to the Baby Phat/KLS show in 2007, it was held at Roseland ballroom, a venue with a capacity for 3500 people. Of course it wasn't filled, but it was a huge presentation. Last night's show at Gotham Hall (capacity: 800) was a much, much, smaller affair. Still, since Baby Phat is known for a blingy, over-the-top aesthetic, the organizers tried to keep the dream alive: The black-on-black invitation had a giant fake plastic gem on it, and the clothes did their very best to be optimistic; they were conservative, but some with glitter and glam thrown in.

Here are the notes I wrote last night:
7:49 pm
A waterfall of blonde hair, and then Ice T. Must be Coco. I'm in section F, which is farthest from where the models come out, and row 10, which is the last row. But at least I have a seat.
7:56 pm
Just spotted Bonnie Fuller and daughter.
7:57 pm
Whitney from America's Next Top Model is here. If she is "plus sized" then I am a pterodactyl.
8:01pm
Tinsley Mortimer in a hot blood red orange satin number and updo. She is like a blade of grass. The old skool R&B is making me sleepy. There is lots and lots of security. Eevryone has an earpiece with a spiral cord. Everyone.
8:05
I think that is Aubrey O'Day in a skin-tight leopard print dress but who knows.
8:11
R&B star Mario in front row. Show was supposed to start promptly at 8.
8:13
Danyel Smith, editor of Vibe, in front row. Oh! Flame-haired Patricia Field in the house!
8:15
It's freezing in here.
8: 23
Spotted Bethann Hardison wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Love her.
8:33
Jamaican model Stacey McKenzie in the front row.
8:41
The lights go out. The first look is lace and blue denim.
Here are the pix:

Compared to the befeathered, bedazzled, short-short ensembles Baby Phat produced in the past, this is positively nun-like.

Demure, refined. Gossip Girl-esque?

The bling on the pants and the shoes keep things from being too restrained.

This young lady was working the runway. She would walk up to the cameras and pose like she was doing someone a huge favor. Major attitude. The crowd loved it.

More lace, more ruffles. Positively lady-like.

Gossip Girl coat.

You wouldn't call any of this "original."

Are these plus-fours? Plus-fours are trying to come back, you know.

Gossip Girl coat.

Meh.

Why yes, this is a silver glitter knicker jumpsuit. That's the kind of thing you'd expect from KLS.

Work it, girl! That dress is pretty.

Something about this feels like "going through the motions."

Bored yet? Nothing was really a stand-out.

The mens' wear was fairly predictable.

Trenchcoats are not exactly groundbreaking. But they probably sell.

Coco and Ice T!

When, pray tell, is this ever appropriate?

A gray peacoat with jeans. Nothing to write home about.

Whitney Thompson, of America's Next Top Model. A wee bit more fabric would be nice.

Coco and Ice T, again.

Monica and Mario. Her hair is adorable.

Oh yes, pregnant Kimora and daughters came out at the end.

Djimon Hounsou was there, of course.

Here are the contents of my gift bag:
1 copy of Interview magazine with Lindsay Lohan on the cover
1 copy of Interview's Patrick McMullan supplement
1 eleven-ounce bottle of Fiji Water
1 bottle of nail polish by Creative Nail Designs, color: Scorch (hot pinky-purple)
1 black faux croc vinyl business card holder
1 pink vinyl business card holder
1 $200 laser hair removal gift certificate

• A new study claims that women who gain too much weight during pregnancy
may have their children grow up to be obese teenagers. • Rice Krispies
celebrated its 80th British anniversary on November 10th, marking the 80th year since the cereal was brought from the U.S. to Britain. • Why are movie trailer narrators overwhelmingly male? • Forensics trainees from
Park Point University in Pittsburgh will re-examine the cold case of accused 19th century parent-killer, Lizzie Borden. • U.S. researchers have found stronger brain activity in women who are ovulating and viewing masculinized male faces. • A 26-year-old woman from Florida who was suspected of abusing her daughter will be given custody of her twin children after a three-judge panel on Wednesday determined that she had made sufficient progress as a parent since her daughter was abused in 2002. • A Dallas-area pastor of a mega-church urged his married congregants on Sunday to have sex with their spouses for 7 days straight. • A urologist from Florida has invented a stealth urinal for men called the UroClub which is designed to look like a 7-iron and fit in a golf bag. • Twin panda cubs who were born at the Adventure World amusement park in Wakayama, Japan in September were named Meihin and Eihin today.• A British couple who met online and played Second Life together are getting divorced after the wife found out her husband's avatar was seeing another (virtual) woman. • Is the spider fear a learned behavior? • Malaysia police say that protests from Katagender and Food Not Bombs regarding the recent Muslim edict against women wearing trousers is a security threat. •

(Click on any image to begin gallery)

The Good:
Claudia Schiffer, incredibly chic at Armani.
French fashionista Clotilde Courau wearing this New Look number to the riotously retro Dior show is the equivalent of painting your face with the Patriots logo. Except that this looks stunning.
Helen Mirren, power-dressing to good effect at Armani.
Princess Siriwanwarree Nareerat of Thailand, at Dior.
No one - not Kate Moss, not Lauren Hutton - does dressed-down better than Charlotte Gainsbourg, chicest woman in the world. Here at Givenchy.
There's a lot going on here, but Eva Mendes, at Dior, makes it work.
Not going to lie to you, team. I would get a perverse pleasure out of sticking Nuclear Wintour (at Lacroix) in 'Bad.' But looks like today's not going to be that day. Journalistic ethics, etc.
Who but Wonder Woman could pull off this trying shade of lemon? Lynda Carter, Lacroix.


The Bad:
Socialite and fashionista Becca Thrash looks...how do you say?...not great. I think the problem lies in the necklace. Lacroix.
Not my favorite look on Patricia Arquette, at Dior. The belt, the hem...oh, dear.
If model Joanna Preiss (at Dior) was rocking this with shorts, maybe — maybe — it could just be dressed-down. But the diaphanous skirt takes this in a dangerously middle-school direction.
I can imagine the pressure's on when you've been a fashion icon as Marisa Berenson has. And if she just wanted to say, 'screw this I'm done with fashion' it would be one thing. I mean, I'm not looking iconic right now, either. But she's at the Dior show and I'm at my Grandpa's house.
Incidentally, Liv Tyler's movie, The Strangers, is really scary. I dislike her frock, presumably Givenchy.

[Images via Getty, WENN]