Stretching the Limits of Taste

LYCRA LOVER Olsen

• Lycra outbreak: a new, unsightly fashion craze is plaguing Hollywood. The aptly named "no pants" look has already been seen on trend-setting starlets such as Lindsay Lohan, Mischa Barton, and Mary Kate Olsen. And even if Prada sanctified the look for spring, there's still no excuse for wearing all this sheer Lycra. Unless one is headed to Jazzercise. (See also: Leggings As Pants.)

• Lips of a Dove: The latest from the female empowerment frontiers: Dove releases a new commercial where makeup artists and Photoshop retouching tools transform a woman into flawless billboard eye-candy in fast motion. It's still unclear how this is supposed to improve anyone's self-esteem, but the lip-enlargement trick seems to be particularly useful.

• All these "real beauty" exposés will make you wonder how much Photoshop has been applied to Julia Restoin, the daughter of French Vogue editor in chief Carine Roitfeld. Ms. Restoin looks positively divine in the new series of ads for Tom Ford's fragrance, Black Orchid. Currently at number 12 on the faintly mean-spirited Socialite Rank blog, Julia, however, is still trailing American Vogue editor-of-the-year Anna Wintour's offspring Bee Shaffer.

• Not-so-cheap chic: Style.com has compiled a list of the best accessories from Spring 2007 collections and, believe it or not, the Louis Vuitton Tati bag is on it. Designed to bare a striking resemblance to the $3 Chinatown grocery shopping bag it is set to make an ultimate high-low fashion statement this coming season.

• Modelizers, rejoice. The Imaginary Socialite blog has located the authentic Gemma Ward MySpace page. Chances are she's not going to add you but, as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.