B&W; Ball’s Dress Code Falls Into a Gray Area

Dear Fashion Police: I have been invited to the San Francisco Black and White Ball in June. I have a long, straight, black velvet gown with a black velvet, sleeveless jacket that has a large, white satin collar and a gold and rhinestone button. Would this be inappropriate to wear?

--SPELL IT OUT IN

BLACK AND WHITE

Dear Spell: San Francisco’s annual Black and White Ball bills itself as “the world’s most extravagant block party.” It started in the 1950s and draws some 15,000 people to the streets for music, dancing, food and general celebration, and it benefits the San Francisco Symphony. The dress code, as the name implies, is black-tie or “tastefully rendered” black and white, as the organizers suggest, which we’re sure is interpreted thousands of interesting ways.

Normally we wouldn’t be keen on a long, black velvet dress for a summer-evening event, but since San Francisco weather can be windy, cool, or even chilly in June, we’ll give it a thumbs-up. We’re a little concerned with the sleeveless jacket, though; if the dress is also sleeveless, you might be a human Popsicle by the end of the evening. A long-sleeve velvet jacket or even a wool or hefty velvet shawl might be a better choice.

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Dear Fashion Police: Am I the only woman on the planet who doesn’t favor jeans or slacks or sweatpants for nonbusiness wear? I like dresses--not those infamous flowered housedresses, just your basic tank or short-sleeve dress (cotton or linen) for summer. I spend most of my day at a computer or in the garden, so tight waists and above-knee hemlines are not a plus. It used to be so easy to find these dresses. I have several old ones unraveling in my closet, the newest one probably 10 years old. Do you have any ideas?

--LONGING

Dear Longing: We have dresses. Although there are plenty of minis for spring and summer, there’s also a substantial amount of longer, comfy cotton styles you (and many others) are looking for. One of the best resources we found was the Chadwick’s of Boston catalog, which has a plethora of cute, reasonably priced dresses (www.chadwicks.com, or call [800] 677-0340). There are too many to mention, so we’ll focus on the highlights: a snap-front, short-sleeve, cotton-knit dress for $29; a denim tank dress with floral embroidery for $34; a cap-sleeve, scoop-neck dress for $29, and a sleeveless tank dress with matching hooded jacket for $39.

The Boston Proper catalog also has a black, poor-boy-ribbed tank dress for $69 (www.bostonproper.com, or call [800] 243-4300), and Lands’ End offers a short-sleeve, T-shirt dress with subtle stripes for $46 (www.land send.com, or call [800] 963-4816).

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Confidential to Al Gore: You’re back in the spotlight in a big way, Mr. Former Vice Prez, and it looks like the Democrats are ready to give you a big old hug to welcome you. But are you ready to hug them back? Judging from your recent appearance at the Florida Democratic State Conference, we’re not so sure. Because when you lifted up your arms, all we saw were sweat stains the size of hubcaps. They went up to your shoulder. And though we appreciate the whole doffing-the-jacket look, those eye-popping circles of moisture were extremely disturbing.

Lots of Hollywood celebs get those Botox injections to temporarily stop their sweat glands from pouring forth. If that sounds too drastic, how about trying some CoolMax T-shirts, which are supposed to wick the wetness away (the Travelsmith catalog sells them for $24.50)? Just a friendly word of advice, should you decide to run for president again, those serving-platter-size stains could be a liability. The public will know you’re working hard. You don’t have to show it the evidence.

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Write to Fashion Police, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to jeannine.stein@latimes.com.