Q: Help! My friend Wendy in NYC just got invited to a gala at the new planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. Short of a ballgown, which she doesn't have, what can she do to dress up something in her closet?

A: A. Does she have a long black skirt? Like you'd wear with clunky Oxfords and tights and a turtleneck? (If not, she should.) Wear it with a sparkly top, preferably in pink, or orange, or a fake Pucci print, or a real one, or a Custo T-shirt (on the casual side, but zippy), or an embroidered top from Anthropologie. If she wants to shop, a long bright pink taffeta ballskirt would be nice, with a pink & black leopard T.

Patricia McLaughlin is a nationally syndicated fashion columnist.
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