Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

I need a bit of extra help. I’ve been living in Central Asia for the past 6 years, so I’ve been out of the fashion loop for awhile and don’t know what’s in style. I have a great denim pencil skirt which I could wear with slides over the summer, but what to do now that it’s cooler? I tried it with boots but it looked like I was wearing Wellingtons and a gunny sack. Don’t worry, it’s not a long skirt. At least, I know that the hippie/granny thing is a faux pas.

Tracey

Manolo says, the way the Manolo’s friend has described her exile, it is as if she were the movie star trapped on Gilligan’s Island, without access to Vogue or basic cable television.

And now the rescue boat has arrived, and she realizes that she has been wearing the same out-of-date, peach-colored, Bob Mackie gown for the whole six years.

“Ayyyyy! Professor Manolo, help me!” She shouts, “the paparazzi will be waiting for me at the pier. Hurry! Style me to so I may not be embarrassed by my photo on the cover of People”

“Here,” says the Professor Manolo, “I have fashioned you this denim pencil skirt out of the Skipper’s pants. Wear it with these thick, ribbed tights and these retro, oxford-style suede booties which have washed ashore. They are the Elise from Via Spiga, and I have scientifically calculated that the trends this year include ankle boots such as these and patterned tights, so you should be fine.”