This is the week to reprise summer’s greatest hits.

What to wear?

Wednesday: Your sheath dress.
Thursday: Your flirty babydoll. Last Chance.
Friday: Your strapless top with jeans or a cute skirt.
Saturday: Break out the maxi.
Sunday:A fit and flare dress.
Monday: Anything black and white OR those gladiator sandals.
Tuesday: I’m wearing all-white.

*Photo credited to IS

I dropped in on Betsey Johnson’s anniversary party at her SoHo store.

“I can’t believe it’s been 30 years,” Betsey said as she and her longtime business partner Chantal Bacon took in the fun crowd celebrating her 30 years in business and the sale of the company to a group of suits.

There weren’t many investor types on hand, but lot of girls and young women in fit-and-flare prom dresses, brightly-colored summer prints or shiny black party frocks. Everyone looked too cute. But that’s what Betsey Johnson has always done well – feminine, cute clothes that don’t take themselves toooo seriously.

If you have any Betsey Johnson from years ago, new or used, it’s time to put them up on eBay.

Betsey said she’ll introduce a line - a sort of greatest hits - of her past designs and she’s been surfing eBay to find them.

“I’m looking for all the early designs I did in my career,” said Betsey. “It’s like what I did in my last show. People loved it.” Held last September, the spring 2008 show included a parade of signature Betsey looks from the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties. “I never saved them,” she said referring to her earlier work.

*Photo licensed to: Betsey Johnson

OK, so I don’t know where you can save on pre-owned gas. But I do know how you can save money buying pre-owned fashion. In addition to cutting costs, there are other advantages to buying pre-owned pieces. For one thing, you’re helping the recycling effort.

Further, with pre-owned, you can often snag a personality piece (as opposed to say, plain black pants).

Shopping pre-owned looks affords you a wider variety of choices. You are not just limited to the brand of the moment or what stores choose to stock. Finally, the savings you reap allow you to turn over your wardrobe faster and jump on the latest trends.

Keep in mind that pre-owned doesn’t necessarily mean used or vintage. It’s all of that, but there are also the accessories or clothes that have never been worn let alone taken out of the bag. A mis-directed gift, an impulse purchase, a wrong size - all these mistakes by someone else can end up being your treasures.

Here are some tips for buying pre-owned successfully:

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If you have been anywhere OTHER THAN under a rock you have noticed the shoe message that Jesus is coming again, either him or a bunch of Romans.

The most distinctive shoe of the summer has been the Gladiator sandal.

Vintage, fun and retro, they’re reminiscent of fashion sometime around B.C.

The Zeus shoe comes in ankle or knee length and looks great with summer shorts and dresses, short or long. But avoid PLEEZE the caged-leg look as seen on the Olsen twins.

Now that we’re well into the trend, they can be had just about anywhere with prices range from under $20 to over $300 for a high end designer brands.

Fergie was seen recently in high-heel gladiator sandals in Vegas at a celebration to unveil her footwear collection called Fergalicious. Lindsay, Rihanna, and Charlize were ALL spotted on the pages of an August issue of InTouch magazine showcasing their gladiator inspirations. No sign of Russell Crowe, however, he apparently scoffed at the women saying: Been There, Done That.

*Photo licensed to: Getty Images

While in Chicago, I got around to see a little of the city. No, I didn’t go to the Oprah show, but I did head out to some stores and soak up the city vibe. Chicago is known to have some great shopping.

The Gold Coast Restaurants- Great people watching as you dine alfresco. Had tea and cappuccinos with Shawn Henderson, eBay Design Director, before going back to the energy of the convention center.

Jake – A cool, pared down store for women and men. Resisted the fab Barbara Bui platform sandals even though Shawn mercilessly urged me to get them. I stuck to my guns and passed while admiring the chic looks from Doo. Ri, Adam Kimmel, Phillip Lim and Chris Benz… OK I did get amazing nu-buck platform sandals. We all loved a pair of citrus shorts that Shawn found, but alas they did not have the size he needed.

Ikram– Michelle Obama shops there - though the discreet staff didn’t want to admit it. Opulent without being too precious, Ikram has the most amazing array of well-picked fashion pieces and rarified labels like Azzedine Alaia, Comme des Garcons, Isabel Toledo and Tom Binns.

The Chicago Waterfront– great for jogging, bicycle riding, boating or just a relaxing, scenic walk. I bounced out of bed - OK, I slouched out of bed. As soon as I saw the amazing water view though I perked up and started my 2-minute jogs.

*Photo licensed to: wireimage.com

My first eBay Live! experience was memorable. I’ve been to Chicago before, but this was different, like going on a trip and touching down on planet eBay.

The convention center was exciting and energetic, awash in eBay colors and more importantly, eBay buyers and sellers.

It was great to see so many real, “live” eBayers from all over the country and from around the world.

Of course, I was particularly interested in the style purveyors. Miuccia Prada and her tie dyes have nothing on Uncle Joe. Just in time for the hot tie-dye trend, Uncle Joe was giving away $5 gift cards good on his site that specializes in tie dye. He himself was wearing a most fabulously vivid T as he whizzed around eBay Live! in his wheelchair.

I loved the ShoeMetro guy, Phuoc Huynh; he picked up an award that included a donation from eBay to his favorite charity, for their stellar footwear sales.

Listened in on a fascinating talk by some of eBay’s top sellers on how to improve sales. Ann Wood shared tips on what had made her store Willow Wear such a success.

I’ve bought gorgeous African necklaces from Africa Direct and there was Elizabeth Bennett, the owner, in the flesh. We had a chat and compared notes on the beauty of glass beads which actually originated in Venice – not Ghana nor South Africa nor Nigeria. Funny how the world works.

I also learned about how her business on eBay, AfricaDirect benefits craftsmen and women in these countries providing them with a small but invaluable income.

So many of eBay’s users are involved in giving back to the community. Stacie Sefton told me how she and her husband/partner took time from their business, BH Factory Outlet, to help when the devastating floods hit their hometown of Cedar Rapids, IA.

Their business was affected too, but as of eBay Live! they were back on track and doing well as one of eBay’s top style sellers.

Bright yellows, oranges, and greens are the hues to make any outfit pop this summer. Pair these colors with gold accessories or even with a little gold embellishment on the garment.

Hot yellows make their way out of spring and into summer holding their place as the “it” color for young women. Bright yellow looks great in any formal or casual top. A cropped, preferably bell shaped, summer jacket in a magnetic citrus hue can be a staple for this summer’s wardrobe. For a fresh look, choose yellow for an evening gown. Love orange in a short flirty cocktail dress.

I recommend a bright (not neon) green (I also describe the color to myself as “money” green) for a fun eccentric or vintage look. Preferably in a pencil skirt or a sleek fitted dress. The unpredictable hue speaks life and prosperity!

Men can get in on the citrus look too! Kanye in money-green jeans or were they scrubs? Whatever, these colored pants - original and chic. For the less adventurous, a bright fitted tee will do the trick.

*Photos licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Now that the dust has settled on the untimely death of designer Yves Saint Laurent on June 1, let’s look at what the everyday person can really take away from this maestro of modern fashion. The big deal is the pantsuit for evening or as it was dubbed after his groundbreaking 1966 collection – le smoking.

Every woman – and I do mean every – should have one in her wardrobe. It’s so versatile. It suits any evening event from cocktails to high black tie. Saint Laurentproved that it can be business-like or sexy and alluring. His creations were all about imparting power to women as well as men.

My life has been saved many a time by a black tux. I have two in my wardrobe. Sometimes, I’ve worn it with a camisole, another time with a white shirt or on yet another occasion I wore one with a long, colorful scarf. If the jacket breaks high enough, I often don’t even need to put anything under it. The only reason I can get away with this is because of Yves Saint Laurent.

*Photos licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Have you ever had a dream come true that you never really dreamed of?
That’s how I felt about the dinner I co-hosted for Oscar nominee Ruby Dee.

Ms. Dee (as we all called her) is in her mid-eighties and as you know if you saw the movie for which she was nominated - “American Gangster” - she’s still got it. A lot of it. She was gorgeous at the Academy Awards in a ruby-red gown created especially for her by Kevan Hall. (My co-hosts for the dinner were Kevan and Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley.)

Kevan had been so moved by his experience dressing her and had heard from so many people about how inspiring she is to them that he wanted to honor her in some way. She’s contributed more than 60 years of service to our country in American cinema and theater and in civil rights activism. She loves fashion, and she is very charming and funny.

I had heard so much about Ruby Dee over the years, she’s like an icon in my mind.

As Kevan said in his toast, “if she were in England she would be Dame Ruby Dee.”

We decorated Melba’s restaurant, where the private dinner was held, with white flowers and white candles. It made for a vivid, romantic picture against the restaurant’s predominantly black interior.

The evening ended with gifts: A pair of $10,000 pearl and diamond earrings presented to Ms. Dee by Mikimoto. Not to be outdone by Mikimoto, I had thought long and hard about what to present to her from our eBay team. Jewelry? No. Fashion? No. A car? Just kidding. Finally, it hit me. I’d look up Ruby Dee on eBay.

There I found the most fabulously stylish photo of her taken when she was an ingénue in the studio system. “This is double satin ribbon,” she said mischievously as she pulled the ribbon wrapping off the box containing the framed photo. Her jaw dropped when she saw it.

Most of the 30 or so guests were from the fashion flock and several reported they were close to tears as they watched her and listened to her fashion stories and life philosophies.

“Everyone deserves a hug like this in their lifetime,” she said of the evening. “I hope you all receive one.”

It felt like, she said, God had reached down from the heavens, patted her on the back and said, “Atta, girl!”

Here’s Ricky with Nate at the CFDA gala cocktails. Is that a pompadour Nate’s wearing? Ricky’s in vintage Jean Paul Gaultier – one of my favorite designers.