Wardrobe

A FEW YEARS ago, back in the decade of conspicuous consumption, society women flaunted their Paris originals bought for the price of a Porsche.In the '90s, those same women are heard exulting in their latest Victor Costa knockoff bought at a 10th of the cost of original. And while they might be wearing a Giorgio Armani jacket, the T-shirt is a Fruit of the Loom and the jeans are from The Gap.Stretching a clothing budget is becoming an economic necessity for women at all income levels."I see it in people who shop in the malls and people who shothe designer trunk shows.

In a material world, Beverly Matthai values the basics.Clean lines. Unfussy fabrics. Lots of beige.That style suits the owner of Femme clothing store, who at age 31 is already considered a survivor in the world of local retail.Shortly after buying her shop on North Charles Street six years ago, a plumbing accident ruined her entire inventory. She moved a few doors down -- to a prime storefront in Brown's Arcade. And then came a recession that swallowed up many of her colleagues.Such adversity has its rewards, namely making her more confident about herself -- and her style.

Arsenio Hall's bidding goodbye to the late-night arena means more than just one less yakfest. It means we'll be left with the deadly dull wardrobes of David Letterman and Jay Leno.Sometimes Mr. Hall's fashion sense was misguided; other times it was downright tacky. But at least he brought an eclectic and made-for-Technicolor wardrobe to late-night television.He made a splash from his debut in January 1989 with double-breasted jackets in bold colors: orange, yellow, red, royal blue and lime green.

WEEKEND PAINTERS are easy to recognize. We are the spotted ones, those covered with dribs and drabs. Sometimes these specks show up in perplexing places. Take, for example, the scene that unfolded last week in my dermatologist's office. I was in for a stare-down, a routine visit in which the doctor eyeballs my skin looking for things to remove. A mark on my chest caught the doctor's attention. With his scalpel at the ready, he peered at the blot and asked if I had noticed it. "That," I sheepishly admitted " is probably redwood stain.

Tweedy fabrics have resurfaced in the world of men's fashion. The timing seems right, as men of the '90s become secure and comfortable with warm and fuzzy feelings as well as fabrics. For a while there, the man of style had to choose between two tough camps. He could turn himself out as a slicked-up banker or hard-shelled biker -- difficult roles, for the sensible man looks for comfort rather than aggression in his wardrobe. There was that relaxed option of jeans and sweater, but something in this fall's fashion air has men looking for something different for easy-dressing days.

Not much is more depressing than gazing into your closet a few days before a job interview and thinking, "There is nothing here that I can wear."But I have no money."

Sally Lamar Nehlsen is the administrative secretary to Robert Pierce, the director of the Peabody Institute. She also is pursuing pursuing a certificate of music in voice at the Institute. Her fascination with colors and her creative themes often make her a kind, but vocal, critic of the wardrobes of her co-workers, who admit they have become more organized and conscious of what they wear because of her. Her other interests in life are the Baha'i faith, her two children and her new granddaughter.

While nearly every school system in the country is scrambling to find teachers - courting them with letters, gifts and signing bonuses - the Howard County school board is getting help from local businesses in trying to put together a package to offer to prospective teachers. A task force seeking ways to better hire and retain teachers is reaching out to the business community in hopes it will help the county's educators with everything from banking to buying clothes. The effort is unique in the Baltimore region, as most jurisdictions have left businesses out of the equation.

Barbara Williamson sets the stylish standard at Roland Park Place, where she leads the residents' association and serves on the board of directors. A former amateur model for such department stores as Hutzler's and I. Magnin, Williamson's TC instinct for color and coordination are in full flower at meetings, parties and the always social dinner hour.When did you last model?Most recently, at Roland Park Place. The Wardrobe -- the shop around the corner -- had a fashion show and the residents modeled at a luncheon.

Resting her paws Politicians come and go, but there is only one Precious, the bipartisan skateboarding canine who has been in more than 600 parades from Western Maryland to Ocean City. With an admitted note of regret, Precious will soon be leaving public life. Precious, a mixed cocker spaniel-Pekingese, is 18 years old, and owner Donald Crockett of Essex said she has earned the right to put up her paws on the ottoman. "She's the oldest living skateboarder in the world, when you figure dog years," Crockett said of Precious, who, while standing on a skateboard pulled by her master, has appeared among senators, governors, mayors and county executives.