NEWSPRINT

Couture Carrie is not usually a fan of the "black & white" look . . . I find it a tad stark, and I'm certainly not suggesting that you wear the above items together! But, properly channeled, graphic can work. Am loving the simple Abaete shift dresses in the lower left-hand corner of the collage (all items above, btw, are available at bluefly.com!).

Ways to wear the trend? Try the D&G silk frill skirt at upper right [does it remind anyone of the cotton-tail-bottom green satin mini that Carrie wore to dinner with Big on SATC??] with a basic white tank, and maybe a bright accessory or two. To buy this puffy D&G mini, go to aloharag.com.

Or jazz up virtually any casual look, no matter the color scheme, with a summer-weight scarf, like this Elizabeth Gillett fringed plaid/houndstooth wrap (above left, on sale for a mere $36 at b*fly).

For fall, remember these wonderfully playful Louis Vuitton lambskin gloves (photo at right via style.com).

A complete look in black and white that totally works? Behold, this Emanuel Ungaro backless sweater dress paired with opaque tights. Gorgeous!Runway photo via nytimes.com.

Get graphic, darlings!

HEAD GAMES

The options are limitless for crown adornment these days. While Mary-Kate Olsen was lambasted for wearing the Marc Jacobs Jazzercise-inspired headband pictured above in a recent W Magazine spread, she was ahead of the fashion curve and should be applauded! Below, HEADGEAR REDUX:

THE TIARA: overused by brides, pageant winners, and royalty; underused by the rest of us! Would that we could get our hands on the fabulous pieces worn at the recent Chanel Couture show (runway detail photo at right courtesy style.com)!

HEADBAND: the Stacey Lapidus three-row crystal band (above left) is very Blair Waldorf - try it! Go to http://staceylapidus.com/insideha1.cfm. Couture Carrie also enjoy the SATC-ified the Jane Tran flower/feather version, pictured at left.

WRAP: whether DIY or J. Crew "no-hassle" (pictured at right and available in a variety of preppy patterns at jcrew.com), the headscarf is an excellent summer solution, whether your problem is overheating, frizz, or chemically-treated, sun-phobic tresses.