Filter Fanatics

What is the latest must-have accessory for the air pollution-aware set? Greenscreens, a heavy-duty face mask made of carbon filters and sponge. It seems this staple of Manhattan bicycle messengers has rolled west; L.A. mask-wearing smog-fearers have been spotted downtown, at a Hollywood bus stop and in Santa Monica, where the air might be more pure than elsewhere--but not pure enough for a purist. The masks filter just about everything out of the air except necessary oxygen, but there is one fashion drawback; wearers look like a cross between a surgeon and a mutant parrot.

Teen Beat

The zit-free male cast members from “Beverly Hills 90210” just can’t help causing a scene everywhere they go. At a recent event where the teen fanzine faves turned up with their dates, one photographer mused that they looked like: “Guys in their 20s who play 16-year-olds, going out with 16-year-olds who look like they’re in their 20s.”

Essentials

WHAT YOU NEED TO MANEUVER THE L.A. SCENE: For those concerned that they have the right pet to go with their outfits, nothing matches better these days than a Dalmatian. The spotted canine is “No. 19 with a bullet on the American Kennel Club’s list of registered breeds,” says the Hartford Courant, and it’s the fast-growing breed of dog in America. The recent release of Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” hasn’t hurt the breed’s popularity. But there’s no denying that the black and white spots do go with those trendy polka-dot fashions, and for those who still insist on wearing all black all the time, they offer a needed bit of pizazz.