If the shoe fits

It's only fitting that the same year "Spider-Man 3" is released, Mary Janes should come around in style again. This pair, from Steve Madden, is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and is a good match with the babydoll dresses that are popular this season. $129.95 from Steve Madden.

The origins of Lookgirl

This page ran in The Examiner on Jan. 1, 2007. More than halfway through the year, The Shins, platform shoes and Jessica Biel have all lived up to their expectations. But, alas, what was I thinking? "Project Runway" and James Bond could never be out.

Truly Julie

Julie Christie has dazzled on the silver screen for more than four decades, and she's as stunning today in her 60s as she was in the 1960s. In her most recent film, "Away From Her," she stars as a woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease. She's been a fashion icon as well as an example of Hollywood glamour, her relationship with Warren Beatty was comparable to today's Brangelina in terms of a blinding marriage of style and substance. Check out these essential flicks starring the British beauty: Darling In this 1965 film, Christie plays an ingenue who'll do anything to make it big. Don't Look Now Christie and Donald Sutherland are a couple in mourning who've lost their daughter in this 1973 thriller. They take a memorable trip to Venice in search of redemption. Shampoo In 1975 Christie and Beatty were at the height of their celebrity. Her blonde bob and black glitter gown in the party scene are pure '70s style. Heaven Can Wait Christie and Beatty team up again in 1978 to make this incredibly charming comedy. Movie magic.

Happiness is a warm Gunn

The way to a woman's heart? Chocolate, cats and cash always work, but so does the mention of Tim Gunn, Bravo's breakout star and "Project Runway" mentor. The "make it work" fashion maven will star in a new show on Bravo this fall, with the debut episode now set to premiere on Sept. 6. Carry on!

Reese's posh pieces

Reese Witherspoon has garnered much praise for her sleek new look. Since the dissolution of her marriage to Ryan Phillippe she has lost weight, gotten a new haircut complete with bangs and precision use of a straightener, and is in the midst of a fashion pas de deux with Nina Ricci, as seen here, in Vogue's 10 best dressed list for the week. But we kind of miss the old Reese, who wasn't razor thin, had looser hair and wasn't locked in with a single designer. She looks modern yes, which goes with her new modern life as a single mother, but why does losing weight have to be the way a woman shows that she's over a man and feeling empowered?

Sense and stylability

Jane Austen and her witty, sensible heroines are back in style, a trend most recently marked by the release of "Becoming Jane," a fictionalized retelling of Jane Austen's young life starring Anne Hathaway. Despite the two centuries since her writing, the characters remain as modern and relevant today as they must have been back then. The most memorable versions of Austen's novels are the BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, the most recent version starring Keira Knightley, "Emma" with Gwyneth Paltrow and "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. Our favorite though? "Mansfield Park" with Frances O'Connor and Alessandro Nivola. To get the look of a Jane Austen heroine without looking like you're dressing up for Halloween, try a dress or shirt with an empire waist and pink blush to achieve a rosy glow similar to the one brought on from the first rush of love. And, of course, don't forget to keep your sense of humor at life's many twists and turns.

Bonfire of the vanities

The results are in, and "Vanity Fair" has released its 68th Annual International Best-Dressed List, in its September issue. Very few surprises made the list, mainstays like Charlotte Gainsbourg, George Clooney and Sofia Coppola all made the cut, but some pleasant surprises were Lenny Kravitz and Fran Lebowitz. But one point of contention: Posh Spice made the list as one-half of one of the best-dressed couples. She has been sculpted, sucked and sprayed to within an inch of her life. That is not style, that is science fiction.

Cruise control

Once upon a time there was a promising young actress who starred on a popular TV show and dated a popular, wholesome young actor, but who also had a budding career as a star of indie hits. Then she fell in love with the biggest movie star in the world, studied scientology, became a mother and a wife, became BFF with the current Scary Spice, formerly known as Posh, and lost her career, reputation and, finally, even her lustrous locks. The end. Since our once-budding starlet, Katie Holmes, made Vogue's 10 best dressed list this week with her new beau, we thought we'd take a moment to reflect on the days of yore, when the most mystifying thing about Holmes was why it took her so long to choose Pacey.

Creative chic

Sienna Miller's style is so ecclectic her look can easily be achieved with a little creative shopping. She favors some of the trends of the moment, flats, skinny jeans, vests and triangle tops, but puts her own spin on the styles by adding a casual and individual touch. Whether it's braided hair, ripped hems or a messy bun, she never looks contrived, only consistently cool.