Oh, we’ll chatter about who bested whom, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin, during tonight’s vice presidential debate. Let’s leave it to others to ponder the political ramifications.

Let’s talk about how she looked.

Flattering black semi-satin skirted suit, hem modestly to the knee, jacket tied at the waist and then flared. A touch of shoulder padding and relatively narrow lapels, with a solid black skimmed top underneath. Oh, and a very large sparkling American flag pin on the lapel, but we’ve already talked about that kind of thing.

Yea, a little heavy on the cheek color (Hey, you’re gonna be on TV!). And those much-discussed frameless glasses.  (more…)

Even before the 2009 spring ready-to-wear shows in Europe have ended, a few trends are popping up: layered colors, sumptuous prints, gorgeous whites and short-to-long hemlines. Add a shoulder pad here and draped fabric there, and you’ve got the look. It seems like nearly every designer has at least one teeny tiny dress on the runway. Oh-so-short and wildly sexy, they dare your legs to look longer:

Stella McCartney, Paris. A little bit of a black dress with a big silhouette.

Balmain, Paris: A mermaid without her tail, with shimmer and shine for miles.

Peter Jensen, London: Check the blazer and portfolio; are we to interview in this?

Dolce & Gabbana, Milan: Be your own botanical garden!

Christian Lacroix, Paris: The man does know how to create a party dress (picture, right, New York Magazine).

Jean Paul Gaultier, Paris: A pretty thing, but a bit too dependent on the illusion.

Jenny Packham, London: Spring brings ruffles, color and a bright orange belt.

Missoni, Milan: A breath of fresh air in teal and gold.

Dior, Paris: If you’re brave enough, it’s certainly an attention getter!

The sass! The pout! The tears! And that was just Kenley, biting and clawing her way through the last elimination challenge before Project Runway’s season-ending finale in two weeks. The reality TV show that can turn designer wanna-be’s into fashion stars is getting dramatic.

Turns out, Kenley could have kept her composure. Runway judges said the competition was too close, so they didn’t kick anyone off last night. The challenge of the evening, for the designers to create evening gowns inspired by nature, left Jerell, Leanne, Korto and Kenley still in the running. Top prizes on Runway  include the chance to show a collection at Fashion Week, a car and $100,000 to start their business.

Here are some sneak peeks from Korto, Kenley, Leanne (above, from left) and Jerell’s runway shows. You’ll see their complete collections on the finale Oct. 15.

You’ve heard the saying that fashion is cyclical, right? Case in point: First bell-bottom jeans were hot, then baggy jeans, then flared jeans, then skinny jeans . . . and now: We’re back to baggy. And if you’re a slave to Katie Holmes’ fashion sense, pegged jeans, too (photo from People.com). 

Fashionable femme fatales around Hollywood are sporting the chic but sorta shabby, extra-roomy look. Everyone from Heidi Klum (photo from FabSugar.com) to Victoria Beckham to Amanda Peet has been spotted out and about wearing “boyfriend” jeans, as they’re affectionately dubbed (because that’s what you might have to wear home after a night at your boyfriend’s house).  

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It’s time to move beyond those trendy, lightweight, loose, fringed scarves that have been hanging around since summer. It is chilly (or will be soon) and you need a substantial scarf to stay warm. A classic, beautiful scarf that will stand the test of time, that is.

1. Calvin Klein wants to hug your neck, snuggle your chin and warm your ears, with his luscious cashmere logo scarf in blue, brown, camel or gray ($90, above left).

2. Ralph Lauren hopes to be equally close to your vest, but with a Polo logo and a prep attitude from his lambs wool argyle scarf  (charcoal or cypress, $60, above right).

3. You won’t get bright colors or wild stripes from either of those boys, though. Let’s do a little bit of global warming and visit Novica.com, with handcrafted work from around the world. A beautifully striped Alpaca wool scarf is created by Patricia Anaya in Peru ($60, above left).

4. Another Novica find, a blue and burgundy Alpaca scarf named Peacefulness (above, center) is made by Alfredo Falcon.

5. From India, an artist named Sajad works on a traditional Kashmiri loom, as did his ancestors, to create  hand-woven wool scarves, also from Novica ($43, above right).

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Perhaps you are a baseball fan - or possibly you live with someone who is, obsessed with stats and RBIs and the like.

Right now, you (or they) are oh, so happy because the playoffs are here. Want to talk ball? Here, start with this: It’s going to be one of the best Fall Classics ever.

If you’re a Chicago Cubs fan, you’re so happy you could cry. The Cubs have not been in the World Series for 100 years — that’s right, a whole  century. But now, they have the best record in the majors and this could be the year! (Disclaimer: My whole family are Cubs fans, and we were singing, “Go Cubs Go!” the day they clinched the division.)

Aside from the Cubs, the upstart Tampa Bay Devil Rays are putting on a show, and the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Phillies are in the thick of it. Oh, there’s also a possible Los Angeles series between the Dodgers and the Angels. All that, and there’s still the Tuesday tiebreaker between the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins to see which team gets the last slot.

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Pssst. . . . CW’s Gossip Girl (it’s on tonight at 8 EST) has girls - and ladies - everywhere going gaga over uniform chic.  

Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf  - the gorgeous gals of the 212 -  transform their hoity-toity Manhattan private-school uniforms into fashion works of art, and that’s prompting stores across the country to roll out school uniform-inspired looks, from crested blazers to pleated and plaid skirts.  

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Tonight’s first debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama is the equivalent of Opening Day or the Kickoff Classic for the election season. Then we have the VP debate on Oct. 2, followed by two more presidential debates on  Oct. 7 and 15. So put your game face on, gather up your fellow political junkies and throw a debate-watching shindig.

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