Brooklyn

• What's a good, warm jacket to wear when going out to a lounge or restaurant with friends or the girlfriend? Coats seem to be all clunky. I also like wearing blazers, but don't know what to wear over them to keep warm.

  - Anonymous

• It sounds like you could use a good quilted vest. Not a thick, puffer vest (though one of those could work), but a leaner diamond-quilted version that you can wear under a lighter jacket or cardigan, or you could even wear it over or under your blazer. Both J.Crew and Club Monaco offer handsome versions that aren't too expensive, considering how much wear you'll get out of them.

Atlanta

• I'm going to a friend's house for Thanksgiving and was told I didn't need to bring anything. I feel like a mooch showing up empty-handed. Should I really come with nothing?

  - Ben

• Your instincts are right. No one wants to be seen as a freeloader and, really, showing up with nothing is simply bad form. But for specially planned meals like Thanksgiving, the host or hostess most likely has everything taken care of and thus, a small token of appreciation would be fine. A box of chocolates or nuts to nibble on beforehand, a small bouquet of flowers (that could easily be dropped into a vase of water) or the de rigueur bottle of wine would all be good to bring along. And don't be upset if your gift doesn't get used that day. If you gave someone a shirt, you wouldn't expect them to put it on right then and there would you?

Baltimore

• It's embarrassing, but I just turned 31 and I'm suddenly suffering from bacne. How do I treat it?

  - Travis

• Unfortunately, there are no new medical explanations for why some people get zits on their back as they get older. Just like the ones that appear on your face, they crop up due to your body's natural changes in hormone levels, clogged pores, or an overproduction of sebum. The trouble with treating bacne is that the skin on the back is thicker, so it's harder to get deep into the pores and eliminate those pimples. But clarifying salicylic acid sprays, like this one from Murad, do actually work, according to Jeffrey Benabio, M.D., a San Diego-based dermatologist. The 360° acne treatment spray works at any angle, which means applying it yourself is a lot easier and the quick drying formula means no waiting before.

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