Plush velvet conjures up kings and opulence.

In burgundy, a well-cut and properly tailored velvet blazer looks dashing with gray flannels and a cashmere sweater or a sleek, solid velvet tie.

A black or royal blue velvet blazer will look great with a pair of jeans and a black or navy turtleneck sweater - though it's a more casual look.

You can't wake up one day and say 'I'm for gay marriage,' and wake up the next day and say 'I'm against it.' Wake up one day and say, 'I'm pro-choice,' and the next day wake up and say, 'I'm pro-life.' There's no credibility there.

A word about blue jeans, which, when I was growing up, were called dungarees, one of the more unfortunate marketing ideas of our time: Starting as a work garment for miners, the ubiquitous blue jeans became a staple of the counterculture starting when Brando wore them in 'On the Waterfront' and remained so through the anti-war protests of the '70s.

Defense is superior to opulence.