David Roemer for The New York Times

A NEW AMSTERDAM Can the arrival of Dutch bicycles in New York free men to pedal to work in a Gucci suit?

Dress Codes

Riding the It Factor

By DAVID COLMAN

Looking cool and grown-up has been a challenge for bike commuters. Problem solved.

TV Royalty, but No Longer a Housewife

By RUTH LA FERLA

The countess from “The Real Housewives of New York City” has an autobiographical etiquette guide in which she offers tips on how to seduce and hang on to a man. But will readers respond to a recently separated author?

Does Bo Know He’s Top Dog?

By DOUGLAS QUENQUA

The Obamas’ new pet is a celebrity. Trainers and psychologists ask: Does he understand?

Wife/Mother/Worker/Spy

There’s a New Docent in Town

By MICHELLE SLATALLA

A mother volunteers at her local public library and discovers the power of history.

Skin Deep

Many Cutbacks but Not for Straight Teeth

By CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS

Even in a recession, parents see braces for their children as an investment in the future.

Physical Culture

ZEN ARCHERY A student of kyudo selects a bow at a class in New York.

Choose Your Weapon: Exotic Martial Arts

By MANDY KATZ

Here are some of the best fighting arts you may never have heard of, all taught in and around New York City.

Fine Points

NOT SAD SACKS Clockwise from top right: raffia and suede shoe, $840 at Fendi; Serpui Marie purple straw clutch, $100 at Ruth Sussman in Great Neck, N.Y.; Serpui Marie turquoise straw clutch, $175 at Calypso; burlap and black satin T-strap pump, $595 at Miu Miu; Kotur natural rattan clutch with a turquoise closure, $348 at Henri Bendel; woven straw bracelets, $15 each at surevolution.com; Erickson Beamon flat metallic raffia bangles, $228 each at Beyond 7; distressed linen V-neck dress, $2,015 at Miu Miu in Beverly Hills; raffia and water snake Peek-a-Boo bag, $3,770 at Fendi; patchwork straw gardening hat, $295 at Burberry.

The New Primitive, High in Fiber

By KARIN NELSON

As spring arrives in fits and starts, and our wardrobes get the proverbial cleaning, it seems time to take it down a notch.

Front Row

STYLE AND SQUALOR Drew Barrymore as Little Edie Beale on HBO’s “Grey Gardens.”

Exploring the Style Behind ‘Grey Gardens’

By ERIC WILSON

The new film dramatization of “Grey Gardens” attempts to explain how the style of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Little Edie, came to be, without so blithely celebrating it, as has happened in fashion.

Sunday Styles

Presto! Coco’s Costumed Life

The Boyfriend Suit Makes a Comeback

American Idol’s Big Tease

Community Organizing Never Looked So Good

Generation B: Résumé Writing for C.E.O.’s

Pulse: When the Horizon Looks Cloudy

A Night Out With | Bob Saget: Going for the Flip Side

Modern Love: Finding Forgiveness in a Ziploc

Social Q’s: The Gift of Giving Again

Shaken & Stirred: A Cocktail Mixed With a Punch Line

Styles Multimedia

Interactive Feature

Civilized Riding

The Dutch bicycle is increasingly imported to the United States and is starting to be seen on the streets of New York. David Colman explains why this vehicle is so fashion friendly.