StyleList for Mobile

Fashion people are funny. They have their own little discreet visual code that, to the keen observer, speaks volumes about their refined taste and lifestyle. The unscratched red sole of a Louboutin, the intrecciato stitching of a Bottega Veneta handbag, and most recently, The Perfectly Nuanced Tan.

At last night's Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a disproportionate amount of attendees were working a shade of Beautiful People Bronze that whispered, "I'm not one of you." (Just in case you needed any reminding.)

The tan was rich and beautifully three-dimensional, despite occasionally veering into orange-y terrain. No matter what the hue was, the color was so carefully modulated, I imagine it was manually applied by a small army of doting spa technicians, all with advanced degrees in self-tanner application.

Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe some women were foolishly working authentic, sun-baked tans. But the implication is still the same: They're pampered, you're not. While they've been luxuriating on a beach, the rest of us plebes have been under tacky fluorescent lights, caught in the glare of our computer screens eating Subway sandwiches or something.

Sad, I know. But for escapism's sake, let's take a look at the best of the spectrum.

Snobby Accessory of the Moment - The Perfect Tan

The Bronzed & The Beautiful