It would be a fashion crisis if, well, I cared

As a bit of backstory: When I came out of the closet, so to speak, and announced that I was leaving a career in finance to become a writer (well, it left me, but that's a minor technicality--that just speeded up the process) a colleague (and still a friend) asked me when I had decided to change careers. "Was it a couple of months ago, when you stopped cutting your hair?" And another friend, my dogwalker who has seen the inside of my home as much as I have sometimes, once commented on my "bohemian lifestyle." I think what she really meant was, "You know, there's such a thing as a broom."

Needless to say, now that I can wear what I want combined with the fact the I hate to shop, has led to the creation of what can only be described as my own sense of style: every day is casual Friday, some more casual than others.

Well, in the past couple of weeks, I have heard the following eerily similar, left-handed compliments:

Today, the photo intern where I copyedit, said, "Those are fantastic pants!" When I said thank you, she said, "Yeah, not too many people can wear such a bright shade of green, but on you they look good!" (Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day noticing other people's pants. None green, let alone bright green.)

And a couple of weeks ago, while working at Symphony Hall, a patron came up to me after the concert and said, "I love your glasses!" When I said thank you, he said, "Not too many people can get away with that look, but it works for you."

As Arlo Guthrie once said, if one person says something, maybe they're crazy. If two people say it, well...

Rachel Ray: Sometimes a scarf is just a scarf

So, Rachel Ray, the doyenne of fine dining a la Ritz crackers, is causing controversy because of her fashion choices. Apparently, in a Dunkin' Donuts ad she is sporting a scarf that looks like a keffiyeh, which has led to blogger outcries that she is a Palestinian terrorist sympathizer and is sending solidarity messages abroad. Dunkin' doesn't like the association and so has pulled the ad.

C'mon. While the whole thing is a little silly, one has to wonder where it will lead. No, I'm not talking about raising the alert because of the terrorist girl next door or even the power of the blogosphere to alter marketing decisions, but about co-opting religious attire as fashion accessories. What's next? Red hats on the fall runways?