If you don't feel like being yet another Ashley Dupre, Sarah Palin, Don Draper, or Dick Fuld for Halloween this year, consider a costume that you can whip up in less than 24 hours that will no doubt impress your social-climbing friends: the New York socialite.

Throwing together a socialite costume overnight is easy. Most of what you'll need is probably already in your closet--or your friend's closet--and it has the attractiveness and comfort factor without being overtly slutty. There are three types of the species still roaming the New York social scene. Here's a five step guide to achieving each look.

Tinsley Mortimer, the Married-Into-Status Uptown Socialite

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As you may recall, New York's queen bee Tinsley Mortimer has been acting as "lifestyle director" for B+B Investment Group, a real estate-focused private equity fund run by Ilan Bracha. If it may have seemed unlikely that Ms. Mortimer would be willing to step foot in something so dreary as the headquarters of a real estate company (in Plum Sykes's The Debutaunte Divorce, a character based on Ms. Mortimer says, "I only dress for evening… so obviously office life doesn't work for me"), now there is proof that she totally will, provided cameras are present!

Cityfile has posted a clip from CW11's NY Residential featuring Ms. Mortimer explaining her role at the firm. Though her first official project was said to be lending her vision to a hotel and condominium project on West 57th St., it seems that she also contributed to the design of B+B's offices in Trump Tower. We're treated to a couple shots of her handiwork--a plain white couch with black pillows, black conference tables paired with black rolling chairs, a red wall. "Ilan hired me for me and all the various aspects of me, and all the various aspects that make me who I am," she says in the video. "My experience in the fashion world, in the social world here in New York, and my travels and everything. They thought that I could use that experience to help create a new creative edge for them, to sort of use my style to set the tone."

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Now that New York Fashion Week is but a distant memory, the front rows of Paris Fashion Week—which ends Oct. 5—are crowded with editors, socialites and actresses. At the Balmain show, Derek Blasberg sat alongside Milla Jovovich and Paul Anderson. French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld and her daughter Julia Restoin-Roitfeld attended the Christian Dior Spring 2009 show, and  Tinsley Mortimer made an appearance at Christian Lacroix. Even the ubiquitous Leigh Lezark is over there posing for photos! 

(Note to Ms. Lezark: Stick to that whole black-only thing; the hot pink tutu dress is a little much.)

Click above for a slideshow of who was where (and what they wore) during Paris Fashion Week. 

"Are Tinsley and Topper Mortimer getting a divorce?" Radar wondered this afternoon. In an un-bylined item, they quoted an unnamed socialite who said, "[The rumor] is definitely going around … I've heard from her friends that it's happening sooner rather than later." Apparently, "multiple pals of the Park Avenue parvenus" support the claim.

Of course, predictions of the perfect-looking-but-apparently-odd couple's demise have been popping up for a while now, so it's hard to say whether or not we should take this most recent one seriously. However, because we can't resist an excuse to discuss the flashy blonde striver and her reticent prepster, we've compiled a sampling of relevant press on the couple.  read more »

What a great week to launch a new restaurant in the Financial District!

“We’re all nervous about what’s happening with the economy, but we’ve got to charge through it,” said chef Todd English, dressed like an urban Johnny Cash in all black, as he celebrated the opening of his latest eatery, Libertine, at the Gild Hall hotel on Gold Street on Wednesday night.

“There’s no right time or wrong time to open a place like this,” added hotelier Jason Pomeranc. “It is our duty as hoteliers and restaurateurs to provide the inns and watering holes where people can celebrate their victories and mourn their losses.  read more »

“While we haven’t pulled in blockbuster ratings, we have helped create an identity for the network—or rather, an identifying show for the network,” Josh Schwartz, the 32-year-old creator of the CW network show Gossip Girl, told the Transom via phone from his office in Burbank, Calif., the other day. To New Yorkers’ alternate delight and horror, the new season of Mr. Schwartz’s show began on Monday evening with guest appearances by Tinsley Mortimer and Jay McInerney, who played Dan Humphrey’s “literary mentor.”

“The challenge last year was when I was telling people, ‘Oh, I have this new show on the CW,’ and they were like, ‘What’s the CW?’”

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Via Park Avenue Peerage -- Tinsley Mortimer and actress Emmy Rossum, along with Vogue, will co-host a party celebrating the release of New York Times Styles writer Tatiana Boncompagni’s new novel Gilding Lily (out on September 9th from William Morrow/Harper Collins) at the Tahari store on West Broadway. Also expected to attend are socialites Jennifer Creel, Christian Leone, and Lydia Fenet, among others. The book—the story of a suburban girl’s marriage to the scion of a Manhattan society family and subsequent struggle to re-enter the social scene after pregnancy ravages her figure and energy--is Ms. Boncompagni's first novel. It's a satirical take on her experiences in New York, both as a chronicler of social life and a participant.  read more »

Prominent socialite couple Tinsley and Topper Mortimer have been “proposed” for membership at the famously stuffy Southampton Bathing Corporation—or as it’s nicknamed, “Beach Club”—immortalized both in Tom Wolfe’s 1987 The Bonfire of the Vanities and the movie Born Rich, Jamie Johnson’s seminal journey into the pickled minds of young rich people. (“I brought three Jewish girls to the club today for lunch,” golfer Ray Floyd’s lil’ gal Christina told the camera. “Who knows? I may get kicked out tomorrow.”)

A member of the club, whose roster includes Nina Griscom, Cristina Greeven Cuomo and Muffie Potter Aston, told the Transom that a newsletter circulating there announced the young Mortimers are under review this summer. Since the Mortimer name is old hat at the club, they should presumably have no problem.

mbryan@observer.com  read more »

We might not have even noticed this item if it weren't for the handy new Cityfile blog pointing us to it, but it seems that Tinsley Mortimer has expanded her PR superpowers to promoting not only herself, but also her dentist.

According to W magazine, the socialite sent out a letter to her friends and acquaintances—in other words, all of the Upper East and West Sides—recommending her dentist, Dr. Steven Butensky.

“He so generously wants to give my friends a 25 percent discount on teeth bleaching,” she wrote. “I promise you will love him and you will love your new white smile!!”

But while her friends get a generous discount, Ms. Mortimer declined one for herself. Or at least that's what the rep for the dentist said.

Depending on which day you read the papers, rehabilitated Kirsten Dunst is chasing Into the Wild actor Emile Hirsch, or maybe Drew Barrymore's ex, Justin Long. [P6]

CNBC interviewed Tinsley Mortimer as the "socialite-turned-entrepreneur," who designs handbags, lip gloss and clothes. Apparently she's huge in Japan! [Park Avenue Peerage]

Anna Wintour has offered to "discuss her career, stories of former successful Vogue interns and give advice on how to do well in the business of journalism" with current Vogue interns. [The Cut]  read more »

New teasers are out for the upcoming season of Gossip Girl and from what we can tell, everyone is in the Hamptons, Serena seems to be dating a lifeguard, and Nate is running from someone's house in his boxers.]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/style/morning-memo-7-17-08#comments O2 Al Reynolds Anna Wintour Emile Hirsch Gossip Girl Justin Long Kirsten Dunst Mike Nichols Tinsley Mortimer Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:52:26 -0400 Irina Aleksander 71999 at http://www.observer.com