In Mood for Roasting Chestnuts/Hot Sequins

The rocking bling long tank, left, is the favorite of Yours Truly in The Limited 2010 Holiday collection. She also likes the kaleidoscope shawl placket sweater in Mill Multi, below. Photos courtesy of The Limited.

INSIDE cool, darkened space that has white, leather sofas sprinkled about. Immediately forget heat and humidity outside. Walking over to deejay stand to holler at dj kiss. Tell her once again how hard she rocked house a few weeks ago for Farragamo’s Attimo party on roof of Standard Hotel. Also impart choice words about how great she is and all that she deserves because of it. Kiss her goodbye.

Thirsty. To bar for water first, wine second. Oh, there’s buddy and WWD photog, Steve Eichner. Give hug and again apologize profusely for missing his July 4th party on beach. Promise to visit before summer is over ... About that drink – one for SE, too.

Why am I here? Oh, yes. The Limited Holiday 2010 Collection Preview. Lots of such views ongoing now – lots of Christmas in July. Esprit has one ce soir. Puts Yours Truly in mood for holiday music and carols. Thinking about "Crescent City Christmas Card" (Wynton Marsalis), "Home for Christmas" (Amy Grant) and my fav, “A Charlie Brown Christmas" (Vince Guaraldi).

Like The Limited party. The Limited, I grew up wearing, say I to marketing people. Declare love for brand and name all clothes still have that I bought as long ago as the early 90s. Swear that I am not just sucking up to them because I am drinking their Sauvignon Blanc and pocketing their spiced almonds.

Holiday collection is fetching. Bunch of pretty, little dresses. Some with sparkle, some without. A lovely peacoat in taupe – looks very expensive. But it’s The Limited, so everybody can afford it. Taupe pants, too, have swagger. That black-belted red shell is going to turn some heads. The green plaid skirt with that black (faux?) leather jacket is such a flirt – but it’s all in good fun.

See those jeans? Not my cup of drink. Too much wear and tear for my tastebuds. Yeah, I get it: they ain’t for everybody, and I am one of those bodies.

Keepin' it movin’ …

What I Love/LOve/LOVe/LOVE: That burgundy/brown-creme v-neck sweater with elbow-length sleeves ($59.90/in stores come October). Plaid scarf in like colors is icing on cake.

Pièce de ré·sis·tance is sequinned tank ($49.90). One I see is aqua; The Limited calls it teal (also comes in other colors, including black). But won’t quibble over semantics. On living model it is paired with cropped black jacket & cropped pants. Pops like a firecracker. Look at Me: Staring. Coveting. Salivating. Gorgeous – more gorgeous than beautiful Nigerian model/server.

In November, will own it. Will rock it with red. With pink. With burgundy. With silver, gold …

The Limited Holiday 2010 Collection will start arriving in stores and online in October.

A Throwdown (and Beatdown) Atop a Boss Roof
A view of a section of the Manhattan skyline from the Hugo Boss roof at 26th street. Below, Robin Thicke and Janelle Monae sang into the night at the Hugo Boss Beat the Heat rooftop party. Photos from wireimages.com.

IN deep winter when Yours Truly is shivering from cold and windchill, I will think of the days of summer. My most fond memory will be the night I spent on high at the Hugo Boss Beat the Heat rooftop party.

HB, y'all, gave the heat a beatdown ...

I stroll onto the patio around 7:30. The sun is red-orange and is staring right at me. Luis, the security guard, strongly recommends sunglasses. I comply; he approves and sends me on my way.

Behold, a sea of beautiful people (Miss America Rima Fakih, Tyson Beckford), beautiful-people-in-the-making and wanna-be-beautiful-people. In double-quick fashion, I meet DM, a smartly dressed HB intern. “You look like you’re by yourself,” I declare. He is and so am I. It’s ON! Throughout the evening we gather/scatter and share a taxi to our UES n’hood. I grab a drink and join DM who already has a beer in progress.

Meanwhile, DJ Cassidy. Boyfriend is so baaaddd that he’s spun records for the president. He is tearing up the turntable, producing dancing/swaying/weaving/bobbing. All night long he does this. The humidity is lower up here, around 11 stories. Do I even need utter anything about THE VIEW? A breeze is hovering and delivering its agreeable blow.

Once it’s dark the mic is taken over by Janelle Monae. Her high-energy set starts off mysteriously as if something is about to happen along the lines of a King of Pop performance. What follows is not all that but lil Miss has her moments. Love the get-up and the hair – definitely channeling James Brown.

His turn at the mic Robin Thicke is smooth like silk. His sweet lollibies harmonize with this increasingly breezy evening. I’m feelin’ it but he’s too laidback for JR, an NBC cameraman I’m jawing with. JM is JR’s speed. We decide it might be a Mars/Venus thing and call it a draw. And we’re dancing. No, we’re putting down some Chicago-style step once DJ Cassidy is back on his game. And that’s the way we take out the night.

Night ... It’s around 8:30, maybe. Day is going off duty, and dusk is en route: Breathtaking! The most beautiful thing here. Purple/forest green/indigo/orange-red/gray sky. An artistic masterpiece. A sight for sore eyes. Tears are understandable.