fashion

The other night, I had a case of crankypantsitis. Students of science and medicine know there is one prescription: cookie dough, Diet Coke and DVDs.My guy and I hit Blockbuster, then a very nice Publix. Once inside, I trembled in fear. On the quick grocery trip, I witnessed people wearing the following items of, er, apparel:-- Four pairs pajama pants

New York Fashion Week gets bigger each season as more organizations feed off the intense media spotlight to showcase their style events before a global audience.

Few would disagree that Michelle Obama looked good Monday evening when she addressed delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Denver.The wife of Sen. Barack Obama, the party's presumptive nominee, wore a long, teal-hued dress during her headliner speech.

As Debbie Phelps watched her son sweep the Olympics, viewers watched her and what she was wearing -- outfits from Chico's.Michael Phelps struck gold in many ways with his unprecedented eight gold medals at the Olympic Games in China, and the length of his coattails is beginning to show as others capitalize on his popularity.

It was a time of full skirts, curve-hugging dresses, narrow suits and fabulous fedoras.It is the time of "Mad Men," AMC's highly stylized hit series set in the early-1960s world of Madison Avenue that begins its second season Sunday.

For hundreds of years, undergarments have been a curse and a blessing to women everywhere. From Victorian-era boned corsets to the braless late '60s to the high-tech fabrics of today, it's enough to make a woman want to be a man -- at times.For "Mad Men" costume designer Janie Bryant, undergarments have almost become an obsession.

When the weather is favorable, Terry Plowman can get from home to his downtown Pittsburgh job in about 45 minutes.Not by car or bus, but by an increasingly popular mode of commuting -- bicycle. And after a quick change from his biking gear to business casual, Plowman is ready for another day of work at Verizon.

If you bicycle to work:-- Wear a helmet, remembering that there are many comfortable styles that won't give you total helmet hair.-- Make sure your bike is equipped with a small tire-change kit, front and back lights, reflectors, some sort of bell and possibly lightweight fenders to keep your tires from throwing things onto your clothing.

One thing is for sure: Both potential first couples of the United States are well dressed.John McCain and Barack Obama both appear to be going for a commanding presence, while at the same time competing to see who can roll up his sleeves on camera more often. Their wives have been the subjects of photo spreads in Vogue.

'Scuse me. I have to go powder my nose.What once served as a demure exit strategy for ladies who needed to visit the women's room is now legit. The powder is for real: Cute little pots, jars and compacts of it are showing up in makeup bags, accompanied by large, fluffy brushes to buff it on and smaller brushes to apply it on problem spots.