08.26.02 - 3:27 p.m.

Did I mention that our entertainment editor is a proud owner of the Horse Skirt? Did I never tell the story of the Horse Skirt? Oh. Well, then.

Somehow I got roped into cohosting a Christmas party with Annoying Ben at the end of our first quarter at Medill. It made sense since we wanted a party and most of us lived in Engelhart at the time, but I don't know why I was the one who ended up with the most Ben contact. Anyway. He decided the party should have a theme, and the theme should be Paradise Island like the Jimmy Buffett song. Everyone attending had to wear something red, green or tropical.

I decided that as the cohost I should be red, green AND tropical, but had difficulty finding anything with those characteristics in late November at the Old Orchard Mall. The closest thing I could get was this skirt at the Gap that had a somewhat pastoral print. No, actually, it didn't HAVE the print; the fabric itself was this scene of trees and barns and a babbling brook and HORSES. It was a farm scenery skirt, but it was red and green and only $6 so I thought it could work.

Not so. Not only did it not match ANY of my black shirts (how does something not work well with black?) but when I returned it, the salesguy looked at me incredulously and exclaimed, "This skirt has HORSES on it!" Yes, sir, it does, and your store created it, not me. So please give me my six bucks back and we'll be done with it.

I thought there was no way that anyone else in their right mind could have bought that skirt. It was hideous, and I only bought it for what was essentially a costume party. But every so often - three times now, I think - I see people on the streets of New York flaunting their horse skirts. And I think of how it mocked me and brought my fashion sense to its knees.

And now it's in my office, mocking me still.