I must say, the outfits recorded here have the merit of courage. I, personally, do not have this kind of courage. I have, in its place, a strategy: stay five full years behind the dangerous cutting edge of style, and adopt trends only after they've stood the test of time (and, have started to show up on-the-cheap in thrift shops.)

I think fashion's cutting edge can bite us in the butt. Sometimes, this is apparent while the clothes are still on our backs (see illustrations); sometimes, it takes ten years and a tour through the family photo album. The mere possibility of ending up an entry on "Awkward Family Photos" in a mullet and a jumpsuit is enough to keep me in my upsweep, turtleneck and straight-leg jeans. The savvy it takes to ride the fine edge between the trendy and the timeless is considerable, requires time and money, and many (myself included) have gone astray pursuing it.

But, if everyone thought like me, there would be no material for sketches like these. And the evening at the open house would have been significantly less entertaining.