What’s the Perfect Summer Dress?

I am in search of a perfect summer dress that can handle the heat waves I hear we should all start to expect. I want something that will be cool without being naked, adult without being stiff, and won’t overwhelm a normal-size frame. Any suggestions? — Charlene, Pacifico, Calif. Ever since Irwin Shaw crafted his…

Dyke Day LA Is a Pride Event All Its Own

Last weekend, droves of people descended on a 15-acre park in northeast Los Angeles for an afternoon of picnicking, mingling, cheering on drag performances and a puppy costume competition, and more. Known as Dyke Day LA, this annual Pride gathering takes a homespun approach to a month typically packed with corporate-sponsored parties, parades and concerts;…

Minnie Driver Paddles Out to Sea

Minnie Driver clambered into a pink-and-green kayak, adjusted her legs against the foot pegs, grabbed her paddle and pushed off the wobbling dock into a choppy Hudson River. “See you in Weehawken,” she said, yelling over her shoulder. A Canada goose looked on, mildly impressed. This was on a recent Monday morning, just west of…

A Really Radical Fashion Idea

I am beginning to think that Maria Grazia Chiuri, the artistic director of Dior women’s wear, may be the most subversively political, even radical, designer in charge of a big French fashion brand. Not because of her clothes, which are perfectly pretty, if limited to a handful of familiar forms: full ballet skirts with nipped-in…