John Hughes

Branch Dressing: Michelle Branch may be all of 23, but her dewiness doesn't stop her from going out on a -- forgive us for this -- limb by donning the designer equivalent of a dashiki, which was once a sartorial staple on everyone from the booty-shaking dancers of "Soul Train" ... moreto a "Theme From Shaft"-crooning Isaac Hayes. It's an oddball choice for Branch, who missed the political and cultural upheaval of the '60s and '70s, when the dashiki represented more than just a comfy and trendy cover-up (she was, however, around for the hard-hitting rich vs. poor polemics from the films of John Hughes), and who strikes us as somewhat more spunky than funky. Still, the bejeweled neckline of Michelle's white minirobe complements her chocolate-tinted mane and eyes, although the roomy raiment remains all wrong for her petite figure, unless, of course, she's actually trying for a look that falls somewhere between neo-hippie choir member and leggy cult leader.

(Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.)