Resort '02
Am thrilled. Am gushing. Am ecstatic. Have just been invited to Palm Beach with my dear friend and her tots for a long weekend -- and right here in the midst of fall! I mean, do you understand the significance of this? It's positively monumental. I get to buy 'resort wear' for the first time in all my twirty years.

To date, I've looked upon 'resort' as a wasted season. I mean, really, why must designers/retailers interrupt my comfortably all-black fashion groove with itsy, bitsy bikinis, short shorts, cotton pants and sarongs? The old me (that didn't understand resort) wondered why in the wonderful wide world of turtlenecks stores would stock skin-baring frocks during my season of pasty-white skin.

But alas, that's the old me. The new me is very grown up and worldly. The new me resorts. As such, I too need cotton duds in November and bikinis in January. And what a joy it is... For once, I must go shopping, because (and I mean it this time) I don't have one thing for this season in my closet. Hurrah! Justified expenditures.

I queried my friends-who-resort to best understand what activities to expect, then dashed off to Lilly Pulitzer®, practically the founder of resort chic. Am now swimming in pinks and blues and greens - even as it's shivering cold outside - and dreaming of myself being the toast of the club in my darling new tennis dress. (Oops, just remembered. Must buy racket. Will need that for full effect.)

In My Shopping Bags:
1) My Golf Outfit: Capris in Poppy Pink Slice and a classic sleeveless polo. The capris are appropriately sporty for the golf course, but still adorable in their pinkness. ('Sporty' part important because I don't really play golf. 'Adorable' part important for lunch at clubhouse.)
2) For Tennis: Pink cotton sport shorts and shrunken polo in green. (Shorts are short enough to be feminine and long enough for girl in twirties with no tan. Polo is the PERFECT shrunken polo. Am getting one in every color for general non-resort purposes.)
3) For running errands around town: Sassy little green mini with pink embroidery and a pink cap-sleeve top. Paired with shoes and an old-school Bermuda bag, and I'm practically a local.
4) For beach and for getting my tan in the dead of winter: The Trina bikini -- which has great suck-in-ability so body doesn't hang out but cut so that is still very sexy; and its matching pareo. ('Tis oh-so-important to have chic cover-up particularly on days before tan re-established.)
5) For afternoon cookouts by the pool: halter top and cruise pants An outfit that says, "I didn't try to look this together, it just happens naturally." I'm calling it my easy elegance ensemble.
6) And for our night out: A strapless Sabrina dress. Classy enough for Audrey herself and chic enough for me -- on Resort.

Now all I have to do is be darling, precious, most fun girl in Palm Beach in hopes that I get asked back for Resort '03.

Visit www.lillypulitzer.com to view the Lilly Pulitzer® Fall and Resort '02 collections.