Q: Because of a medical problem,...

Q: Because of a medical problem, I am losing my hair. I can disguise that fact during the day by wearing berets and other hats, but now I’m faced with attending an important black-tie event and don’t know what to do. My dress is a champagne-colored charmeuse satin with a halter neckline and scooped-out sides. What kind of head covering would be appropriate? I will not wear a wig.--J.S. A: Wrap your head in a champagne-colored chiffon scarf, as illustrated here. Make sure to wind it around your neck and let the long ends flow gracefully over your dress. You might also be able to wear one of the new snoods. Norma Kamali makes an evening version in knit covered with lightweight paillettes. You can get it in black, white or red for $37 (medium) or $40 (large) by writing to OMO Norma Kamali, 11 West 56th St., New York, N.Y. 10023. Snoods without paillettes are also available there.

Q: How do I tie a pareo to look like a sarong skirt? The fabric was purchased in Tahiti, and it is 71x35 inches.--A.A. A: The authentic Tahitian pareo is exactly the dimensions of your fabric. To convert it into a sarong (or, as the Tahitians prefer, a bora-bora ), put the pareo around the small of your back, right at the hip line, so that you will have a short piece and a long piece in front of you, in the middle. Take the corner of the pareo (the short piece) and a small part from the long piece and make a knot. That leaves about 20 inches of pareo in front of you . Make a double fold, and tuck the upper piece of the fold behind the knot.

Q: I’m the mother of the groom and have chosen a gray dress to wear to my son’s formal church wedding and reception. It will be held in the late afternoon and extend into the early evening. When I told the bride’s mother about my choice, she bridled--probably because her dress is gray too. Is it totally inappropriate for me to wear the same color as the bride’s mother?--H.O. A: The “Bride’s Book of Etiquette” (Putnam: $16.95) says that the mother of the bride traditionally selects her outfit first, then describes it to the mother of the groom. “Today it’s more likely that the mothers will talk about the wedding style and agree on a ‘look’ and complementary colors before either shops. It’s fine if both mothers end up with pink dresses, so long as it isn’t the same pink dress.” So you have the blessings of the editors of Bride’s magazine, who wrote the book. Perhaps if you show this information to the mother of the bride, she will unbridle herself.