How thoughtful of Graydon Carter to establish a velvet-rope clubhouse for the tony senior-citizen community otherwise known as the West Village. Reporting what everybody already knows, today’s Dining section features The Waverly Inn as the Vanity Fair polymath’s downtown version of Elaine’s. But it’s hipper than Elaine’s in at least one way: Carter’s crowd of reluctant retirees — Robert de Niro, Calvin Klein, Fran Lebowitz — can count about a decade before Depends become a necessity.

I never thought I’d say this, but the Fug Girls are wrong. The rare misstep comes with their recent style takedown of Katie Holmes. Unlike the Fugs, I found Joey Potter’s Tom-Cruise transformation extremely discomfitting. The whole thing, bob included, looked like a costume party directed by shadowy Scientology handlers. Heels at the beach? Please, only Marlene Dietrich gets away with stilettos in the sand. Katie’s new look, on the other hand, is terrific. It feels right for her age and her girlish face, not to mention the saggy economy. The tomboyish cut is daring, as are the baggy, counterintuitively pegged jeans. Katie pulls off the look with ease, and ease equals chic.

Even if you don’t like Katie’s new duds, you’ve got to admit there’s a glimmer of hope in her defiant dressing down. This appears to be the first time since selling her soul meeting Tom Cruise that she is choosing her own clothes. If this new spirit leads to her exit from the L. Ron Hubbard mothership, we can all rejoice in knowing we were right about her contractual imprisonment.

p.s. I can count six photogs situated behind Katie. Wow.

Perfect for hiking the Ute Trail! Did I tell you I leave for Aspen tomorrow? Yes, even a housebound workaholic like moi gets a change of scenery sometimes. But don’t fret, you’ll still get your fix. I’ve got tons of fabulousness lined up, including live reportage from the mountains. XO

Credit: Aurelia Gladiator FitFlop, KirnaZabete.com. $165.