Celebrity Alert

According to the New York Times, bling is dead.

Apparently, "the dark and moody direction of many of the fall collections would suggest that difficult times lie ahead for makers of rhinestones, beads, sequins and other sparkly fare." This view is summed up by James Mischka, of design house duo Badgey Mischka, who said: “There has been a general lessening of bling and overglitzed clothes."

Bad news for Mariah Carey's upcoming blingfest tour, then, which includes a tight red jewel-encrusted leotard and a superhero cape with the word Mimi on the back, as well as a peculiar pair of sequinned Bridget Jones-style big pants.

But I suppose we should all be grateful she has traded in the mermaid look of a few years ago. . You have to admire her for being comfortable in her own skin, but the constant mane-tossing, cleavage baring, thigh slit ensembles are even worse than Elizabeth Hurley. Didn't her mother teach her never to show cleavage and leg at the same time? It's what turns sexy into slutty.