Suited Up With a Sexy Attitude

If only the Century City businessmen awaiting the arrival of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue at Brentano’s Wednesday had bothered to open a fashion magazine instead, they’d have seen enough exposed bosoms to last a lifetime . . . well a month, at least. But judging by the SI’s celebrated “fashion” spread, nudity isn’t really the point. (Nor is fashion, but you knew that.) It’s more of a relationship thing. A back-arching, pelvis-tilting blue-eyed blonde in a mondo bondage monokini, matching crystal drop earrings, and a read-my-smirking-lips smile can make a guy think she likes me, she really likes me in a way no steely-eyed unclad runway model ever will.

Devil With a Red Dress On: We were seeing red watching President Clinton’s “shared sacrifice” speech Wednesday night, but not for the same reasons as all those $100,000-a-year fat cats we know. No, our crimson epiphany came when the camera panned the Capitol chambers and we saw all those ladies in red. Hillary Rodham Clinton led the way, ironically prompting an attack of Nancy Reagan deja vu.

Oscar, but Not De La Renta: Actress Mercedes Ruehl announced the Oscar nominations Wednesday wearing a crisp black-and-white Valentino suit. We know that because Valentino’s people like to keep us informed. To wit, a fax headlined: VALENTINO REFUSES TO DRESS MADONNA FOR HER MOST RECENT FILM. The designer’s explanation? “Madonna will be wearing too many different designers in this film. I enjoy collaborating with an actress in order to help create not only the wardrobe that she will be wearing, but also the personality that she will portray.” Too bad. Madonna in Valentino--now that’s Italian.

Shoe Fetish: With the economy dreary, a trunk show of $400-and-up shoes was unthinkable even a year ago. “But now I think everybody’s ready to go buy a new pair of shoes,” says shoe connoisseur Mary Trasko, regarding next Friday’s Roger Vivier show at I. Magnin in Beverly Hills. We at Inside Out are always ready for new shoes, especially after drooling over Trasko’s book “Heavenly Soles,” a luscious tribute to the wild imaginations and consummate craftsmanship of modern footwear design. Vivier, whose six-decade career includes collaborations with the House of Dior, Yves St. Laurent and filmmaker Luis Bunuel, was a favorite of Marlene Dietrich. The actress lived near Vivier’s Paris shop in the 1950s and would visit often, as did a passing parade of women such as the Duchess of Windsor, Catherine Deneuve, Jean Shrimpton, Bridget Bardot and Jeanne Moreau. The 85-year-old designer’s shoes from the ‘50s--platforms, mules, pumps--look remarkably contemporary, and his latest designs are both fanciful and spare. As for us, we’ll be wearing our new brown patent pumps by Walter Steiger ($5 at the Goodwill).

Escape Hatch: New York designer Marc Jacobs is leaving Perry Ellis International to start his own line with partner Robert Duffy. Even though Jacobs--dubbed the King of Grunge for turning the low-life look into high style--has earned the fashion world’s praises, in the end it was the bottom line that counted: The board of PEI decided the line was not profitable enough to continue. PEI will, however, bankroll Jacobs’ new venture, which comes at a time when the young pony-tailed designer’s name recognition is higher in certain circles than Perry Ellis’. “It’s time for me to build a company like the company I’ve been working for in size and scope,” Jacobs told Women’s Wear Daily. Jacobs will show his first collection--for spring ‘94--in November.

Unlisted: Old-school Democrats made this year’s International Best Dressed list, but not the new kids on the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. New York publicist Eleanor Lambert, who started the venerable who’s who of clotheshorses back in 1941, gave this year’s honors to Democratic party gal Pamela Harriman and handsome, hunky John F. Kennedy Jr. but Clintons Hil and Bill were deemed too new to the scene. “Her name never came up,” Lambert said, and neither did the President’s. But Lambert did offer this small hope for the future, “she might make it next year.”

Block Those Acronyms: As if models don’t have enough problems with self-esteem what with all that Sports Illustrated-mandated butt-thrusting, WWA (writers with an attitude) are dropping the acronym MAW (Model, Actress, Whatever) into their copy at what, from our POV, is an alarming rate--first at the New Yorker, then in the pages of Buzz. MAW (not to be confused with MOW, which, of course, means Movie Of the Week) is a conversational place-holder used by BIAs (that’s Boys In Armanis) trading industry chit-chat at Morton’s.

Tales From the Ladies Room: At Santa Monica country-Western bar Denim & Diamonds, we discovered where denim- and diamond-wearing women keep their valuables while doing the “tush push” on the dance floor. Why, in their boots, silly. Lipstick, cash, driver’s license all tuck nicely into a pair of Tony Lamas.

Nerd Alert: Marlene Stewart, the L.A. costume designer who gave Terminator-busting Linda Hamilton her sexy tough-guy look, has done an opposite number on Michael Douglas in the upcoming film “Falling Down.” In his anachronistic flat-top haircut, short-sleeved button-down white shirt, pocket pen holder and cheap vinyl briefcase, Douglas makes it hard to imagine he was ever the lust object of a deranged woman . . . or any woman, for that matter.