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Of the hundreds of gowns at this week's Met ball, the most striking were also the most restrained. Zoe Saldana and Diane Kruger looked chic in unadorned Calvin Klein Collection gowns; ditto Jessica Stam in long-sleeved Rachel Roy. Plenty of minimal eveningwear could be found on the Fall runways, too. "Less is more these days," Yigal Azrouël told us. "People are tired of all the froufrou and are just craving simplicity." The designer turned out long, sleek dresses notable for how covered up they were, as did Antonio Berardi and Andrew Gn. At Stella McCartney and The Row, meanwhile, hemlines were raised, but the silhouettes were just as streamlined.

Check out the slideshow, and let us know what you think of fashion's new minimalist streak.

By Romney Leader

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With all the news coming out of Europe at the moment-the English elections, the Greek riots-pardon us for having missed this pressing sartorial item: Paris' law forbidding the wearing of pants without special police permission, which dates from 1799 (it was amended slightly at the beginning of the twentieth-century to permit pants en vélo-on bicycles), may soon be repealed. Granted, the prohibition is little enforced, but we'd be glad to see it off the books. (An earlier attempt to delegislate it, in 1969, prompted the chief of police to speculate that women in pants might be, more or less, a fad. No such luck.) Looking for a new pair of soon-to-be-legal trousers, ladies of Paris? Luckily enough, we've got a few suggestions.

Photo: Courtesy of Vanessa Jackman

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We've been cultivating a love for the statement lip over the past few years, but recently our devotion to pure pigment has been waning. Sure, a lack of appropriate occasions at which to wear a bold red or fuchsia pout is definitely a factor, but it's more of a seasonal preference that has demoted lipstick to the B team for the time being. Instead, we have been rejoicing in stains, colored glosses, and tinted lip balms, the last of which has definitely not gotten enough recognition on this blog-or in our own makeup arsenal. Equal parts moisturizing emollient and color-booster, these sheer sticks add just enough subtle color to your beauty look that they almost go undetected-in a good, "I don't know what it is, but you look amazing right now" kind of way. We're currently experimenting with Mark's new Totally Balmed Tinted SPF 15 Lip Balm, an antioxidant-rich formula that is part of the brand's latest designer collaboration with Brazilian handbag phenom Carlos Falchi and uses a color

I recently flew out to California to shoot a commercial and had my makeup done-like, really "done," by face painter DeeDee Marcelli, who's worked with everyone from Alicia Keys to Coco Rocha. Marcelli gave me the full works and we chatted away as she applied layers of foundation to my wan skin (it was a long flight). When she got to my lashes, all conversation came to a halt. Instead of pulling out Dior Show, the mother of all on-set mascaras, DeeDee went for L'Oréal Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara. You might recognize the sparkly blue and gold tube from your local drugstore beauty aisle, where it debuted earlier this year boasting a serum-infused primer on one end and a rich black pigment on the other, all for $12.99. I've never bothered much with primers or really got their purpose, but Marcelli swears by L'Oréal's. "This primer is great because it really wraps around your lashes, making each hair thicker and fuller, so you can create huge volume without any clumps." She

Late last month, a fire erupted aboard the Transocean Deepwater Horizon oil rig some 50 miles off the shore of Louisiana. The result: thousands of gallons of crude oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico each day and making its way toward shore, devastating both local flora and fauna and the commercial seafood industry. It's a crisis that could potentially outstrip the Exxon Valdez spill in damage.

What can you do to help? According to Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin, plenty. Chanin is helping to spread the word about Matter of Trust, an eco-activist organization coordinating donation efforts. Not cash, though that's helpful, too-what they're after are your old nylons. Apparently, your old stockings can absorb oil (as can hair clippings, strange as that may sound-after all, we shampoo to remove oil). "The spill in the Gulf is growing every day," Chanin told Style.com. "How staggering to think that our Gulf could be destroyed. I have been swimming in the Gulf almost every summer

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The Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Benefit was all about stateside roots this year, celebrating as it did the opening of American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity. Proceedings inside had a turn-of-the-century feel, with wicker chairs at the dinner tables and a hot-air balloon inspired

Summer is coming, and as per our conversation with celebrity stylist George Papanikolas earlier this week, that means it's time to bring out your best blonde. No one knows how to fix up their flaxen for the season better than Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, and Claire Danes; all three actresses showed up to Chopard's 150th anniversary party last night in New York sporting their own special brand of the hue. Gwyneth was the fairest of them all, adding a slight wave to her signature, middle-parted corn silk strands; K. Hud showcased a more ombré incarnation, with visible roots that transitioned into lighter mid-lengths with slightly darker sections at the ends; and Claire went for an almost uniform honey color with a deep side part. Who do you think did blonde best?

Photo: Jemal Countess / Getty Images

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