Caroline Kennedy: Just Dowdy Enough For The New Depression

Fashionistas are poking fun at her old-money (read: dusty) wardrobe: "What's with that awful ladies-who-lunch jacket?" one of them wailed recently over lunch. And it's all too apparent that her stance on skin care is au naturel. "She could use a boatload of Botox!" said one particularly catty friend. But they're all missing the boat. To me, Caroline is dead-on to become the doyenne of fashion's new direction: Dowdy Chic.

As we move into an era where (much much) less is more, Caroline is our perfect mascot. Her clothes are so understated, they practically shout "investment dressing." And she's certainly not carrying a flashy $26,000 "It Bag" (which she could afford if she wanted to, which makes her disdain all the more inspiring). Her look is sensible, serious and efficient. As it suddenly becomes chic to know where every penny of your investments are going, to keep tabs on every paperclip you buy, and to shop your own closet for the gems you buried there while accidentally dancing on the edge of the volcano, Caroline can become our monetary muse.

So leave her alone. Who knows if she can help "upstate" or wangle money out of Washington. There's one job she's definitely qualified for: getting us ready for what's coming... Camelot in a cloth coat.