Saks cocktail party tonight

Saks Fifth Avenue and the Friends of Dana-Farber are hosting a "Want It!" fashion cocktail party tonight to support the Gillette Center for Women's Cancers.

The party will include a fashion show featuring Saks' must-haves for fall.

The party is on the Upper Level of Saks at the Prudential Center from 6 to 9.

Tickets are $75 each. For more info., call Nicole Bertucci at 617-937-5382.

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The Ebony Fashion Show celebrates 50 years

This Sunday, you can catch the show at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel at 5 p.m.

I grew up attending this event in California. It was always a scene. Unlike the shows in New York, this travelling fashion show allows its models to have personality and sass. There's humor and a great announcer with a fabulous voice describing the designs for the audience. Sometimes the clothing totally missed the mark (check out the blue and green number below). But it was always a good time.

I can't believe it's been 50 years since the show hit the road.

Tickets are available at Cramer's Hair Studio, Hip Zepi USA and a Twist of Passion Hair Salon.

Need more info? Try: 617-504-3764 or bostonfashionshow.com

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Invest in an "in" vest

Essential question of the day: Can style and sub-zero temperatures really coexist? Sure, you say. There are scads of trendy, well-cut coats in great colors. Obviously, you'll be singing a different tune in mere months when you have a scarf wrapped around your eyes and long johns tucked into your salt-and-sand stained leather boots.

Not to be totally cynical. There is a warm solution to winter woes: Layering! Why not reach for a trendy down vest to keep your core toasty? You can wear a chic sweater and long sleeve tee below it and a stylish winter coat over it. I'm currently crushing on this ruffled Juicy number from Saks:

[Puffer vest with cotton and cashmere back; $298 at Saks Fifth Avenue]

The color is sophisticated, the ruffles are girly -- all in all, it's a very G.I. Jane-meets-Daisy Duke look (Somehow that combo really works for me, haha).

If you want to save some of your money for a Thinsulate snowsuit -- $300 is a little steep for a down vest, after all -- Free People has its own version of the ruffled, vintage-y outerwear:

[Retro nylon vest; $98]

Apart from its cheesy faux fur lining -- why? -- this vest rivals Juicy's version in its cute details and slimming fit.

Winter: Bring it on!

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SJP on ice?

There's a whole lot of crazy going on with Carrie's over-the-top outfit on the set of the upcoming "Sex in the City" movie. I'm worried that the giant flower might pull a "Little Shop of Horrors" and eat SJP's face. Or -- perhaps there's a new twist in the plot where Carrie tries out for a Manhattan-based Ice Capades team. In which case, she's absolutely dressed appropriately for the audition.

However, nothing makes these shoes O.K.:

[Whoa.]

(I fully realize that this outfit is a costume. But it appears Patricia Field is back with a vengeance!)

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Sadness

[Theodora Richards and Astrid Munoz in Cavalli's H&M line]

I was very excited to hear that H&M's next big designer collaboration -- this time with Roberto Cavalli -- was hitting stores Nov. 9. These collaborations are major events. Last year's Viktor & Rolf collaboration was gone from shelves after about an hour. People were lined up on Newbury Street before the store opened for dresses, undies, and trench coats.

Now, here's the sad news, kids. The Cavalli collection will be sold in 200 H&M stores around the globe. None of those stores, however, are located in Boston (!!???!). If you want bargain Cavalli, get your brass knuckles ready and travel to New York. That's the closest city selling the collection. What will we have in Boston. Todd Oldham for Old Navy? Oh, good lord.

Protest, anyone? I'll make the signs if someone can come up with a catchy chant. What rhymes with Cavalli?

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Lofty ambitions

The new issue of Metropolitan Home has a spread on the South Boston Loft of business execs Bill Sweat and Donna Morris. They enlisted Frank Roop to design an elegant, subdued space. Roop custom designed every upholstered piece in the loft. These are Eric Roth's pics from the spread. Just a bit of aspirational eye candy to start the week.

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Oldham for Old Navy

[The man with a plan. For Old Navy.]

No, really. Designer Todd Oldham is the new creative director for Old Navy. At first, this seemed like a really odd pairing to me, but then I remembered that Todd has already lent his name to a line of dorm furniture (obviously) at Target and to a collection for La-Z-Boy. So he gets around.

Old Navy and Gap have both been suffering in sales -- hopefully this will be a step in the right direction for Gap. Inc. I'm all about style for the masses (Hello! My entire closet is stuffed with pieces from Target's Go! designers.) but I'll need to see some proof before I fully endorse this discount duo. O.K. Oldham, your first order of business: Please purge all fleece from the Old Navy collection. Yuck.

[Sing it with me: "Old Navy, Old Navy, Old Navy performance fleece..." Make it stop.]

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