When is a book a head scarf? When is a dish towel a souvenir? Not often, granted — but these cute textiles fit all the descriptions above and more. They’re humble but lovely cloths made in Japan, where you might find them worn in street festivals or hanging on the wall. In case their multi-functionality confuses Western shoppers, importers have folded them up and stitched them so the make a kind of book of fabric, each “page” highlighting a different part of the larger illustration. (To use them as originally intended, just snip the two threads that keep the sheet folded up.) While the fabric’s maker, Hamamonyo, offers a huge selection of patterns in Japan (see them at this foreign-language site), the American company Compact Impact is testing the market with only three styles, which it sells in this bundle for $15.50. More varieties featuring illustrations of pets are on their way in October, the retailer says.

There has been a pitched battle for Olympic gold going on 1,222 miles from Beijing this week, but it’s likely only aficionados or little girls have watched. The equestrian competition ended in Hong Kong with Germany coming out on top with three gold medals (the U.S. won two, including a gold). Anyone who watched the events marveled at the sheer strength, skill and hutzpah of horse and rider, but in case Michael Phelps and Nastia Liukin distracted you, there are lots of little girls who live and breathe horses. One person even attempts to decipher the riddle of why girls love horses on Yahoo!Answers. Now all these girls are going to need a horsey fix: If she’s around 6 to 8 years old, get her the “Fashion Angels” equestrian sketchbook ($15) from Toys’r'Us, or the Equestrian Challenge for PC for $20. If Barbie is her thing, the omnipresent doll has a complete equestrian outfit for $50 from etoys (if you want the horse and tack, that’s extra). There’s even a lovely book from the American Girls library, Girls and their Horses for $9. Mom, do you remember how much you loved horses? Maybe it was because of the classic movie National Velvet. Lest we forget that Jackie Kennedy made equestrian style chic, England’s Equestrianism.net maintains the standard. More recently, the O’Halloran Co. turned it into couture styling. (If you pay attention to fashion, you’ve noticed the riding boots that designers are churning out, such as Burberry’s $995 pair.) If the grown-ups have become enamored of dressage, this classy coffee table book shows you how to put the horsey into your home décor ($41). Finally, to make sure the holiday’s are just right, grab a Little Girl Riding Horse ornament from Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland for $6.

Ever heard of Zara? Good, then you heard it here first. If you haven’t heard of it, you’re probably not much of a world traveler. Zara is a hot brand that has just become the world’s largest clothing retailer. That honor was given to Gap until this week. A slumping U.S. consumer sales market has dropped Gap’s revenues by 10 percent in the first quarter of their fiscal year. For your edification: Zara clothing is trendy , chic, inexpensive, you can’t buy it online and there are 3,900 Zara stores in the world, compared to 3,100 Gap outlets. There are five Zara stores in New York City and surrounding areas. The retail giant was born in Spain (in the bedroom of 72-year-old founder and chairman Amancio Ortega, who made bathrobes) and the first store opened in 1975. Now you can shop in Zara stores in Bahrain, Croatia and Iceland. British Vogue says the Zara philosophy is fast fashion: they quickly take (more…)

After the overwhelming spectacle of the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics came the time-honored tradition of critiquing our nation’s style statement. The U.S. team marched into the stadium looking dandy, clad in head to toe Ralph Lauren classic preppy attire. Toss in the white shirt, white pants and red, white and blue ties and scarves and, well, it was an ”off to the yacht club for a toddy” look.  According to USA Today, the athletes were even given pamphlets to tell them how to tie their ties and otherwise make the outfits look spit-spot. The iconic piece was the blue blazer with Olympic rings logo (and a none-too-subtle Polo pony). Do you want one? Too late. Lauren’s online store had 200 for sale at $695 each, but they sold out in the blink of an eye (quick, there’s one for sale at eBay). If you are now sartorially smitten with the blue-blazer look, Lauren has others, like a mesh fleece one ($165), a snappy wool 3-button that you can wear atop your shorts for $1,095 or a classy Savile Row cashmere blazer on sale for $1,350. Or be a rebel and get yours from Brooks Brothers. Now that you’re thinking preppy is your next style statement, jump into the deep end. Go for the Polo plaid tartan vest ($170) atop bright red knee-length logo-swathed shorts. Or grab a “vintage” wool cardigan ($265) and dream of Dartmouth. If you have simpler tastes, and just want something that says “Olympic,” check out the entire collection at Ralph Lauren, or shop the NBC Universal Olympic store and the official U.S. Olympic store.

Designers are mad for buffalo plaid, a broad checkered plaid pattern, usually of two colors. The look, dubbed lumberjack chic, is everywhere, thanks to the cable TV hit Gossip Girl, and will be hot this fall. To get a look at plaid from the fall runway shows, check out this gallery and commentary at Clothes Line Finds. Start by adding a few plaid pieces to your wardrobe, like this gauze scarf ($20) you can wear now or this bag with lime trim that will take you into fall ($79). Plaid is tops in tops, such as this silk babydoll blouse ($266) with a square neckline and puff sleeves or this sleeveless Marc by Marc Jacobs sweater (on sale for $160). This swing jacket with three-quarter sleeves, raw edge details and faux flap pockets has vintage charm ($29.50). When it gets colder, wrap yourself up in this Guess hooded plaid coat with faux patent leather toggles ($178). Can’t get much more plaid than this quintessentially lumberjack red and black vest (pictured) with a shawl-like collar and matching tie belt ($259). Take it down a notch with this black jacket with plaid peaking out from under an extended hem ($42.50) . The plaid pièce de résistance is the pencil skirt, such as this high-end Michael Kors version ($895). Kick it up a few inches with this Juicy Couture skirt ($298) topped off with a puffy shirt. Or go for the affordable, already pulled-together plaid look with this sleek dress by Rampage, complete with belt and ruffled top ($58).

It’s August, it’s vacation time, and we’re hot and bothered everywhere except in the air conditioning, where we freeze. You, too? Then let us help with that oh-so-torturous million-hour flight to Beijing, if you’re fortunate enough to go to the Olympics, or that even-more-torturous million-hour drive to Mount Rushmore, if you’re fortunate enough to be the miserable teenager in the back of the minivan. Here’s a fabulous inflatable Eagle Creek Comfort neck pillow to cushion the bumps, in charcoal gray, cherry red, Neptune blue or tree frog (tree frog?) for $18.50; a Magellan’s Lights Out sleep mask of even more colors to darken your world and help with any nasty time-zone changes ($10); a fancy leather Levenger Airport Escort passport pocket to keep those personal items secure ($44); and a super-cool MP3-friendly Scottevest microfleece hoodie (we are salivating over the 11 pockets) so you can zone out to your tunes in private ($70). If you’re really into the cocooning thing, forget the al a carte method and go for the amazing Burton Sleeper Hoodie (pictured), which has a removable inflatable pillow, a snap-out light shield, a removable eye mask, a zippered passport pocket and a hidden sound pocket with an earphone cable path sewn in. Heck, they even throw in a travel toothbrush. Tuck your thumbs through the cuff thumb holes, turn up the music, zip the pockets and you’re in travel oblivion. It’d be worth it at its regular price of $100, but right now it’s $60, so you’ll wake up even happier. Now, please excuse us. We need a nap.

I love the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (see “Nordstrom Celebrates with Beauty Exclusives” from July 24) for its prescience-for-the-masses fashion tips. Pay attention, and you’ll extrapolate the trendiest denim, the must-have boot, the silhouette of the season. And as the sale is also a reliable source for color predictions, the cat is now out of the satchel: Purple is the gray of 2008. What doesn’t purple look good with? It’s deliciously universal. From plum to royal to aubergine, the fashionable throngs can rock this color with confidence. I would happily invest in a fabulous purple tote or sexy halter or dreamy, floaty dress strategically gathered and classically tailored enough to last me 10 years. This shoulder-baring top from Catherine Malandrino (pictured) is timelessly alluring and very-of-the-moment in a regal Bordeaux. Not ready to commit to a full trench, but want to pop a little grape into your fall ensembles? Try it in a scarf, in cashmere or a gauzy, Ikat print. Or how about a little purple hammered-silk tank over jeans or peeking out from beneath that sharp gray suit you bought last year? Brilliant. A sleek pair of raspberry-purple footless tights under a black minidress is a bold statement. And apparently, this is a bandwagon you can’t jump on soon enough: I found my first purple crush of the season in this multi-hued peep-toe pump, only to discover that my size was already sold out (nearly all sizes, in fact!) before I had the chance to click the “checkout” button. Feeling wounded, jilted and robbed, I revenge- purchased a sumptuous pair of suede Christian Louboutins. Yes, I know this is my rebound pair — I’ll probably regret it when the credit card bill comes and end up returning them and picking up something more sensibly purplicious … but right now, oh, revenge just feels so sweet.

Did you make it to Lollapalooza last weekend in Chicago’s Grant Park? Were you in the crowd for Wilco, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails or Kanye West? No? Sigh. Neither were we. But that’s fixable. Read the Blogapalooza, take crib notes from the 2008 set lists, buy the shirt and say you went. The Lolla Coat of Arms women’s T (pictured) would do the job nicely, with its black and gold eagle stretched above a Lollapalooza banner ($20). You can get that same coat of arms on a Lollapalooza onesie ($15). A little more cash will get you extreme eye candy with the limited-edition custom-made Lollapalooza skateboard by Element ($95). If you’d rather be the center of attention for having not attended the CMA Festival, you can accomplish that with the 2008 official event shirt, which splashes the logo across your chest and lists the musicians down your back ($20), or even the official 2008 CMA shooter glass (and yes, that is its actual name) for $10. Wishing you’d gone to Bonnaroo? The 2008 limited-edition silk-screened event poster will help with that, since it’s got cool funky art and lists all the musicians who performed ($30). You say you’re more of a Coachella kind of girl? Then it’s the “Sound Waves and Heat Waves Unite” Hula Hula T that is calling your name ($35.) And if you’re really holding out for the music itself, you can still get single-day passes to the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival Sept. 26-28 ($80 per day) or grounds tickets to the 2008 Monterey Jazz Fest Sept. 19-21 ($35 Friday, $45 Saturday or Sunday). The longest-running jazz festival in the world already has its own official black, electric blue and gold 2008 event shirt online as well ($25), so regardless of whether you go, check it out. It’s as cool as Coltrane. — by Diane Porter