"Guess what I'm wearing under this?"

Bleary-eyed, sans makeup, and in head-to-toe university emblazoned sweats, my pup and I made our way into the elevator this morning around 6:15 to find ourselves greeted by an extremely well-dressed thirty-something from a few floors up. Brown C Label open-toed t-straps, professionally-applied black toe and finger polish, impeccable bronzer swipes on the apples of her cheeks, clump-free mascara, two maybe three wisps of J'adore, and a perfect-fit khaki trench.

As is the case with most people who live in city apartment buildings, I don't really know any of my fellow rent-payers beyond the obligatory, "Gosh, it sure is warm for January!" conversation. She and I had bumped into each other a couple of months ago in the mail room while we sifted through holiday catalogues, and I'm pretty sure we ran on consecutive treadmills in the gym once, but other than that, we're as much strangers as that couple who goes an entire three course meal without talking or even looking at each other.

Given our less-than-acquaintances status, you can imagine my surprise when she turned to me and asked, "Guess what I'm wearing under this?"

Unalarmed, perhaps because of the early hour, perhaps because I could see myself asking a perfect stranger the same question, I looked more closely at her coat and saw it was cinched pretty tightly with no hint of bulk. Bare legs. No noticeable neckline peeking out of the coat's collar. Then, damn, it hit me.

"Nothing?"

"Is it obvious?" she asked more excitedly than nervously.

"Uh, no."

"Sorry, is this totally weird? I mean, not that I'm telling you but that I'm doing this?"

"Uh, where are you going in nothing but a coat and heels?"

"Picking up my boyfriend from the airport -- he's been on TDY for a month."

The elevator doors opened, and as we walked through the first set of front doors, I turned to her, full of admiration, and said, "It's not weird at all. It's pretty wonderful, actually."

Score a point for the less-is-more fashion approach -- and another for brave, hot women who talk the talk and walk the nothing-but-a-trench-coat walk.