Long ago I ceased being a Condi fan, except on one point.  She is always impeccably dressed and has probably done more than any other woman to demonstrate the ability to remain feminine, contemporary, elegant, sophisticated, appropriate, and professional all at the same time.  She should be remembered as the best dressed woman of the decade. 
 

Look at this picture.  Sexy French president showing off his chest.  Casually sophisticated French foreign minister (is that a Ralph Lauren shirt?).  Condi in a business suit, but it isn't the Hillary business suit (which was the cutting edge model a decade ago and remains a great choice for Hillary).  That collar is contemporary and fits perfectly with the two men.  The single button makes her look both now and ready to take on the world -- "everything is in order here," it says.

I have a rant. About stores.

Yesterday Michael and I went swimsuit shopping. First, let me set the context. This is the first week of the year with temperatures in the 100's. Also, summer is just now nearing its halfway mark (between summer solstice around June 20 and autumnal equinox around September 20). This year summer temps arrived near when summer seasonly does. We had spring rains well into early July. Often in this part of the country summer temps arrive mid-spring in May.

We couldn't find swimsuits. Most stores had less than a dozen and all in triple x sizes or something like that. But they did have sweaters.

Last winter, in January, we went scarf shopping, Michael and I. As you'll remember, we had consist snows through the middle of April. In January we couldn't find scarves. But there were swimsuits. A clerk explained that after Christmas they don't have scarves. When I explained to her that winter doesn't even begin until around December 20 and doesn't end until around March 20, she just kinda shrugged.

Were lots of people buying swimsuits in January? Were people buying sweaters yesterday when it was over 100?

It seems to me that stores now expect you to buy things when they want to put them out, instead of having the things you want when you want to go buy them. No longer are retail clothing stores consumer driven. Isn't that odd? Doesn't it bother you?