Columnist Muriel Stevens: Truly sexy is truly imaginative

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2002 | 8:26 a.m.

Go on, be outrageous; fashion demands it. Oh sure, to pull off any high-fashion stunt a female should be no older than age 40 or look as if she is. She should have the bod of a voluptuous teenager and the spending money of a dot-com tycoon before the chip bubble burst.

InStyle magazine, Elle, W, and a host of other mags perpetuate the myth that the more outrageous the fashion, the better it is. No so.

Real fashionistas, such as the late Jackie Onassis, never followed fashion trends, they made them.

Legitimate high fashion is not bizarre, it's ageless. Vogue recently featured "Style Setters from 16 to 80 plus."

Among the many socialites and celebrities profiled were such timeless style setters as Lena Horne, C.Z. Guest, Elaine Stritch, Diane Sawyer, Cindy Crawford, Reese Witherspoon, Sophia Loren and dozens more.

These women, young or seasoned, know that bold and sassy may be considered sexy, but where's the magic in leaving nothing to the imagination? Youth alone is not a coverup for bad taste.

And while it's true that style setters spend beaucoup bucks for the designer duds that give them such allure, it is also true that affordable knockoffs are fabricated almost before the models step off the runways in Paris, London and Milan.

A long time ago New Yorker magazine cartoonist Helen Hawley called fashion "spinach." Maybe so, but it takes a lot of lettuce these days to make the list of America's best-dressed women.

Men and fashion: Sunday's New York Times magazine section Men's Fashions of the Times introduced me to "Renaissance man" Stephen Chow. Chow is an actor, director, producer, writer and "bashful action hero." He is pictured on the cover in a white-tie tuxedo with tails and black leather running shoes.

Both Chow and his tuxedo by Tom Ford for Gucci are enjoying a renaissance, according to the story. Not even Fred Astaire wore his tailed tuxedo with more aplomb.

Also getting the star treatment in the same section is local jeweler to the sports world, Mordechai Yerushalmi, the owner of The Jewelers. Mordechai's designs adorn such sports figures and celebrities as Don King, Muhammad Ali, Hulk Hogan and Robert De Niro.

Right on Target: Exclusively at Target stores, Sonia Kashuk cosmetics are priced from $9.99 to $20. Kashuk is a well known, fashion world makeup artist. Her product line includes professional makeup, brushes and tools, priced right.

Have fun experimenting with the new Illuminator Sticks (three shades), designed to be worn over foundation or alone. Blend with your fingertips for a fabulous allover glow.

It may take a bit of practice to get the look wanted, but that's part of the fun.

Lancome and eyes: One pricey product I'll never give up is Lancome mascara, even though the price rises every year. I've spent much more than the cost of the mascara in an attempt to find a substitute. There wasn't one among the many I tried that had the depth of color or the ease of application.