The little black dress is just a Pandora’s Box, isn’t it?

We only need one, but there is no guarantee that one is actually the one. The next LBD we see looks even better. It could be the best ever. It could be the most Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the perfect Sex in the City. And we are looking for it all the time. Little-black-dress radar is never turned off. 

Photos from NYMag.com and Style.com

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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.)

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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.

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). Can۪t 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 pi̬ce de r̩sistance 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.