Camille Paglia's so disgusting intellectually I think one would find it difficult to use her as fashion inspiration. (I personally also have trouble because she more than casually resembles my mother. Which is not, for me, a good thing.) Judith Butler is way more butch than MN - she is genius inspiration for butches, but less so for the rest of us. Susan Sontag could work for MN, but I still think MN rocks a more femme vibe than any of them. It may be related to the teen tendencies she cops to. Who are some of the hot old intellectual femmes? I'd say Isabel Allende, but she has old lady hair.

I was looking at that NYT picture and thinking if MN wore over the thigh boots, I'd buy it. Those booties just show she can't wear stockings like I can, or like the kids do. Stockings with those booties look old on her. Over the knee boots would've looked, perhaps, kickass.

What's a PIB?

Also, I'd say it's a situation of having the hat to go with the cattle in MN's case.