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Nothing says politics like dressing for a caucus. In Iowa, they're wearing winter white-red-and-blue, like an Old Navy July 4th t-shirt except in frigid January. The Inquirer's Tom Gralish took this pic of Des Moines enterprising resident John Olsen all patriotic to dish politics. What will Pennsylvanians wear come April 22nd? Won't matter. Most likely, it will be all over but the shouting on super-de-duper Tuesday, Feb. 5, when 23 states cast ballots. No wonder Iowans are chest-thumping the flag. They rule.

Elizabeth Wellington: Save for Lucy Liu's decadent green and blue floral dress in about the fifth scene, ABC's new chick show, Cashmere Mafia, disappointed me. This show is luxury on crack! (How can a nanny demand $900 a week?) It has no heart. (How does one get over an engagment that fast?) And my biggest peeve: Why wasn't there a black woman in this crew? (I'm not counting the possible lesbian chick because she's going to be a sidekick. We don't always have to be sidekicks!) Where is the chick that represents me and my friends? Nia? Sanaa? Gabrielle? Anybody? Black women adore nice clothes, good looking men and expensive bottles of wine. And we black professionals have white professional friends too. You'd think networks would have learned by leaving black people out of the core group in Sex and the City. What gives?

Growing up in a political household, I was a baby model for a Hubert Humphrey campaign and appeared in a Bobby Kennedy commercial -- the pay was lousy (nothing), but the perks not bad (kisses, an autograph) -- I'm a sucker for any image of a politican with a child. Slate.com's Darren Garnick has done far better. As a New Hampshire resident, he managed to get his supremely photogenic five-month-old daughter Dahlia photographed with every single candidate (twice with Barack Obama), except former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel whom he deems "way too creepy." Take a look at the best ahhh moments of the primary: http://slate.com/id/2181495/

Did you suffer from massive sartorial Golden Globe withdrawal Sunday? Me, neither. Just in case, here's a picture from last year with the glorious Helen Mirren and her two awards. Sure, watching infotainment fembots read cue cards -- and, who precisely, was doing that writing? -- isn't the same as seeing Johnny Depp, Cate Blanchett, Keira Knightly or our love object Daniel Day Lewis stride across the stage in some fetching ensemble but, still, it was welcome to see a streamlined award show that cut to the chase in 35 minutes. According to National Public Radio, the lack of fluffery cost the Los Angeles economy an estimated $80 million loss suffered by limo drivers, hair stylists, clothes stylists, makeup stylists and myriad Botox-injectors. Which means that, at least on one Sunday in January, all the glitterati looked exactly like the rest of us. OK, so maybe not Keira.

I just finished listening to a two-hour radio documentary, "The Business of Black Hair: Why are Koreans Dominating the Black Hair Care Business?" on 900 AM WURD. The show was hosted by Terry Briggs, chairman of the Jaguar Luxury Brand, newly developed Philadelphia-based company that claims to be the sole African American company that distributes wigs, weaves and other hair care products for African American women.

Basically, the documentary was an advertisement for the company entertwined with pertinent history about African Americans and their hair. It was fascinating learning about Annie Malone, who patented the hotcomb, and Christina Jenkins, who created the weave system. However, the documentary devolved into a discussion knocking Koreans who Briggs said dominate the hair care market by excluding African Americans. (There were no Koreans business owners to discuss thier business practices either.)

Briggs is trying to convince sisters everywhere to shop at his store because he is black. I'm kind of torn by his methods. While I agree that blacks in the hair business must retail products to be viable business operators, I believe he could have spoken to his audience without bashing another group. We can empower ourselves without attacking other people.

Black women battle with their hair every day. We spend untold hours in salons. We spend millions of dollars a year. We do all of this to try to make our hair be straight - something it's not naturally meant to do at all. It not only costs us in our wallets, but we pay with self esteem and in many cases our own hair.

While I applaud these brothers for their business acumen - going to China to get the hair to distribute it -I can't help but think that is selling weaves to black women the form of empowerment they claim it is. Is it simply a business opportunity? What do you think? How is selling straight hair to women with naturally kinky hair empowering?

Click here to read a manuscript of the documentary.

It appears that Philadelphia has a home grown version of shopbop and Bluefly.
ShopBalaGirls.com was launched in September by mom and daughter team Lynne Raymond and Bernice Leibowitz, who ran the brick and mortar version of Bala Girls for 18 years before crossing into the land of the webtique.

ShopBalaGirls.com carries contemporary brands: Alice + Olivia, Michael Stars, J-Brand and Rich & Skinny. While perusing the Web Site, I learned about a brand of funky sweats called Hard Tail. (Can't wait to order a pair.)

So far ShopBalaGirls.com gets about 300 hits a day and the in-store retail team fills at least four orders each day. Last week I interviewed Natalie Weathers at Philadelphia University about the dismal retail climate. She told me webtiques are a great way for local businesses to get new customers locally as well as nationally and internationally. We'll keep our style eyes peeled to see if the Main Line prom haunt can become a princess of internet shopping.

What do you think of ShopBalaGirls.com? What are some of your favorite on-line shopping sites? Are there any others out there locally based? Send us your link!

Is there any waste of time larger than the menswear collections? Seriously. This is the latest from Miuccia Prada's winter 2008 collection shown this week in Milan, and we love Prada. But enough. Feel sorry for the models. Feel sorry for the concept. Why do people continue to cover such piffle?

This past weekend, Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hilary Rodham Clinton hit the beauty salons in South Carolina to compete for the much needed black vote in this week's South Carolina primaries.
This New York Daily News story reported that for the past few months Obama has been leading a grass roots effort that involves pumping people up about politics where they primp. (For those of you who have never dedicated entire Saturdays to getting your hair done in an African American establishment, here is where folks congregate, converse and complain about everything under the sun.)
In response to Obama's efforts, Ms. Clinton mailed out hundreds of cardboard fliers showing her hairstyles over the years and she gave the keynote address at last year's annual convention of the National Beauty Culturists' League, an 88-year-old association of black hairstylists.

That said, I think it's interesting that every time fashion is brought up in politics people cringe. They grouse that it's not important. However, whether it's Republican hopeful Mitt Romney's helmet hair, North Carolina Senator John Edwards' $400 haircuts or John McCain and Rudy Guiliani's adaption of the dotted tie, style is something we all easily relate to. We pay attention to fashion, whether politicians are talking about it, talking to it or wearing it. How much do you think fashion has to do with politics?

It wasn't until my colleague Annette John-Hall pointed out Lisa Nutter's locs to me, that I started paying attention to her style. She's a fresh, living representation of her husband's, Mayor Michael Nutter, dream for a modern city. Her beauty is not just aspirational, it's attainable without weaves, extensions, fake contact lenses or being a size double zero.
Take a look at her most recent outfits. She's not over the top; check out the apprpriate, cocktail-length dress she wore to the Inaugural Ball. (Note that it featured this year's must have metallics in a trendy geometric pattern.) We liked her practical, yet fashionable, ruched, cobalt blue shift she paired with black boots and a cardigan that represented an every day elegance. And our favorite look to date were the easy jeans and T-shirt style she wore during Monday's celebrations in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If only we all looked that good while doing good. Do you like our First Lady's look?

There comes a time when repping your school colors can defy taste. On Tuesday night, while munching wings in U-City's famed Cavanaugh's Restaurant and Sports Bar, (By the way, those wings are banging...) I glanced up at TV and saw this man, who I later learned was University of Tennessee Basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, rocking this Sunkist orange blazer - and contrasting tie - H-A-R-D! Can we say pumpkin? Last October when people were all about Phillies Red, I didn't blink. Red is always hot. But sunset orange? As we meander into Final Four Season, I'm sure we'll see other style affronts in the name of school pride. Gladly, Philadelphia-area schools don't have too many color combinations that make for ugly blazers. Do you think school pride should bow to the rules of fashion?

Been keeping track of the Paris couture shows? OK, probably not the best week to be eyeing $75,000 ensembles. But, should you be curious, Christian Lacroix -- the designer who made all the social X-rays so poufy in the Eighties -- delivered a spectacular, gorgeous couture collection this week. It can be glimpsed, as can all the less successful designs, at style.com For once, a designer shows a remarkable, inspiring, beautiful collection free from bells and absurd whistles. We're quite mad for the colorful hose that becomes darker at the foot. This divine dress would look smashing on Cate Blanchett at the Oscars. Then again, anything would. Then again, there may not be an Oscars.

I only meant to watch a few minutes of the SAG Awards last night, but then I realized how few chances I'd have to see Javier Bardem without his No Country For Old Men bowl cut this awards season and I couldn't turn away. The men in that movie do clean up well (although I am not loving Tommy Lee Jones' odd facial hair configuration).

Usually a blip on the red carpet radar, this year's SAG Awards were extra-plumped with stars, as the big names came out to fly their union flag. Brangelina was in the house, as were (pregnant) double nominee Cate Blancett and Best Actor Winner Daniel Day-Lewis, who gave a touching dedication to Heath Ledger. Tom Cruise showed up to present the last award of the night, for Best Cast (although did anyone else fear he would break out into a Scientology rant?) Still, there were some notable exceptions. Where were you, George Clooney? With your political bent, you should have definitely been there to make a statement.

And then there were the fashions. Christina Applegate and Debra Messing represented the good and bad of the metallic trend: the former appeared impeccably beautiful while the latter looked more like a gladiator (with a smushed chest). Some brave shots of color (Nikki Blonsky in royal blue, Kate Beckinsale in lemon yellow) didn't make up for the preponderance of the Safe Black Dress (Edie Falco, Tina Fey). Hair and beauty leaned more toward easy styles and natural tones than usual. Perhaps Hollywood is getting used to staying in?

Of course, now red carpet junkies will have to wait and see if the Oscars will be telecast, or reduced to a press conference a la the Golden Globes. Did the SAG Awards give you a fashion fix? Or have you written the entire celeb-spotting season off? Chris Gray

I must say Angelina Jolie always holds it down on the red carpet each and every award's season, as she is a master at pulling together easy-to-wear, sexy looks. This pleated strapless, hombre gown a la vintage Hermes is absolutely smashing. We loved it. And we loved her handsome husband Brad Pitt's look too; he donned a made to order Tom Ford suit he paired with a crisp, black shirt. (There is something about that man that's absolutely yummy.) When a red carpet is this delectable, we can't help but tune in. FYI- Don't forget to turn to the The Inquirer's Daily Magazine tomorrow to see how our own local fashion plates faired at this past weekend's Academy of Music festivities.

I'm not anti-Hillary Clinton. Up until now, I haven't been particularly interested in Clinton's wardrobe even as she elbows her way into my consciousness on her campaign to become the Democratic Presidential nominee (And more importantly, the first woman with a real chance to win.) But as the camera panned through the audience during Monday night's State of the Union Address, try as I might, I couldn't miss Clinton's boringly cut, fire engine-red pantsuit. Doth this lady try too hard! Since the days of Nancy Reagan, red has traditonally been the color of the First Lady. In fact, Laura Bush wore red last night and flanked between her daughters, Barbara and Jenna - known in the fashion world as designer Zac Posen's biggest fans - Bush appeared regal and supportive of her husband. In contrast, Clinton - who I don't remember to be a fan of red when she was The First Lady - appeared tacky and loud. After her big loss in South Carolina this weekend, it felt like Clinton was announcing: "Look at me, I'm still in the race!" She wanted to be seen in the sea of navy and black business suits.

While I'm not a fan of pastels in the dead of winter, I have to say that Nancy Pelosi's tailored lavender option was a much better choice. The lines were clean. The suit was classy. She looked quietly confident. It's true as the first viable woman candidate with a shot at the Oval Office, Clinton has a huge cross to bear. How exactly does a the first woman President of the United States dress? Not like this. Monday night's red suit was the wardrobe choice of someone crying for attention, rather than cooly running for the highest office in the land.

Is this fair? No, it is not. Is life fair? No, it most certainly isn't. So, for the first time in forever, we will be rooting for the Giants come Super Bowl Sunday, and the more geeky Eli Manning, engaged to his longtime girlfriend who is not the supermodel of the world. Due to the similarity in color stylings, the Giants fans -- famous for painting their sizable bellies blue -- will be hard-pressed to distinguish themselves from Pats fans at the University of Phoenix Stadium.