Are we as a society doomed now that Regis has his own line of clothing? I mean, I don't really know any millionaires, but even if I did, I doubt they'd want to wear his line of clothing. I used to dig the solid tie, solid shirt thing. Now I'm not so sure. Help me, I'm confused. Mark S. - St. Louis, MO

Rivers running red with blood. Fire raining down from the skies. Locusts. Regis Philbin as style icon. Although these are indeed sure signs of the coming Armageddon, it could be worse. Thankfully, the Richard-from-Survivor bare-assed look never quite took off, saving us from scads of flabby, pasty buttocks flapping in the summer breeze. But we digress. TV personalities as style icons traditionally last as long as the ratings dominance of their shows. Remember the "Jennifer Aniston" haircut? The "George Clooney" caesar cut? The "Blue's Clues" rugby shirt craze? (OK, we made that last one up).

The point is that trends are transient and style is perennial. Regis may have popularized the monochromatic shirt-and-tie combination, but he certainly didn't originate it. Designers such as Giorgio, Donna and Calvin have been working this look for years. If it works for you, then there's no reason to change.

However, if you'd like to distinguish yourself from the Reege, you don't have to be a millionaire -- or even want to marry one -- to exercise a couple of options in spicing up your shirt and tie combinations. First, and cheapest, is to mix what you've got. Or, if you've got a little cash to spend, invest in some new ties -- although vibrant colors are making a comeback (most notably orange), you can deviate from the strict limitations of perfectly matched shirts and ties by going for a muted tonality. Mix light grey shirts with darker grey ties. Experiment with similar earthtones. Think subtlety instead of uniformity in your combinations. The variations are endless, and so are the possibilities. And that's our final answer.

Got a style question? Send it to us at comments@ffwdmag.com.