~Boston Herald/Stevie mention (wardrobe criticism)

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~I'll take "yesteryear's hippie/gypsy clothing" anyday over trashy slutty getups some of today's "stars" sport onstage!~Barbara


Hustle and bustle: J. Lo got back, Bostonians got flair
By Ivana Martini
Sunday, October 2, 2005

So I'm knocking back a few PBRs and petit fours with the gals in my Retired Mistresses of Fallen Dictators support group, when someone mentions that the Philippines may auction off Imelda's shoes. I just might pick up a pair of her evening pumps to use as windowboxes.

But it got me thinking: Why not flog a few fripperies of my own? My butler Peevish, who doubles as my wardrobe curator, put together a hefty catalog for Sotheby's. I wish I still had the gown I tried to wear to last year's Oscars. A visual feast of feathers, it looked best when windblown. Manolo, my beloved Pom, wore a fan mounted to his cummerbund, the better to create a constant zephyr for my frock. Alas, an inopportune itch kicked the motor into overdrive, and I was plucked clean within seconds.

Exhausted from all those hours working in my closet/warehouse, I did some restorative moseying around New York and Santa Monica.

Let me dip my Oreo in this Milk Punch and I'll unburden myself:

J-LONG: While the fabulous Jennifer Lopez looks stunning head-on, the sideview of this gown she wore to the Macy's Passport HIV/AIDS fund-raiser in Santa Monica reveals a beaut of a bustle. How to know when it's OK to wear a train? If you're not in a church, with a bouquet, surrounded by relatives - it's not the best look.

STAND BACK: One should hang on to good friends, family recipes for party punch, and of course, all one's engagement rings. But yesteryear's Goth/Hippie Fabulous wardrobe? Best used for hamster bedding. Stevie Nicks, this means you. And to think, when you wore this in New York, you were thisclose to Saks.

MOD SQUAD: Laura Agnew looks smashing, and then some, in this fantabulous ensemble at the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund Benefit at the Park Plaza. I love the boots, I adore the top, I may steal the hat.

TOP TRIO: Ruth Pointer, of Pointer Sisters fame, looks stunning in simple jeans and jacket; Lovely Gilda Baker sports a spirited fabric festival of fur bits and scarf over jacket, and winsome Elizabeth Smith completes the trio at the Park Plaza in Boho chic skirt and jacket, with fierce Xena, Warrior Princess belt.