18 spring fashion trends for women

1. Asymmetrical pieces — a daring diagonal at the neckline or hem
2. Big, bold necklaces — multiple strands are hot
3. Chunky bracelets — stacked high on one arm
4. Festoons — bows, sashes, floral appliqués on tops, skirts, dresses
5. Dramatic collars — large and in charge
6. Fringes — on dresses, skirts, evening shoes, bags
7. Jumpsuits — updated 70s chic for all body types
8. Caftans — modernized in gorgeous prints and breezy fabrics
9. Clutches — carry them days as well as special occasions
10. Exotic and abstract prints — artsy, museumesque, tropical
11. Billows — dramatic full blouse sleeves and harem-style pants
12. Red dresses — confident and alluring
13. Shades of Blue — all are in, from sky to indigo
14. Bold yellow — canary makes every day sunny
15. Black-and-white — the spectator look is clean and sophisticated
16. Mini and micro — hemlines go dangerously high

17. African inspiration — print, drape and embellishment reflect the Motherland
18. Bejeweled shoes — crystals and stones on everything from flats to stilettos

9 spring fashion trends for men

1. Polos — especially acid colors, alone or doubled up
2. Flip-flops — minimal, comfortable, cool
3. Dressed-up sneakers — think Ed Hardy or John Varvatos Converse
4. Electric colors — a jolt from pants, shorts, shirts
5. Deconstructed sport coats — lived-in but not beat-up
6. Vests — dressed down or up
7. Bermuda shorts — plaid is the print du jour
8. Body-conscious knits — a handsome look for toned upper bodies
9. Hats — from fedoras to porkpies, brims are a debonair finishing touch

Strategies for shopping yard sales

Now that spring has arrived and temperatures are rising, yard and garage sales and outdoor flea market will begin cropping up. Spring cleaning always generates lots of stuff to paw through, and there are bound to be more pickings with the unfortunate reality that lots of folk will be selling off stuff to survive in this merciless economy.

As you troll the sales, here are 12 tips for maximizing the experience:

• Make an itinerary after checking the local daily and Sunday papers, those little throwaway community publications, and Internet billboards for sale announcements.
• Dress for comfort. Check the forecasts the evening before and wear comfortable shoes. Don’t wear clothes so loose that they can catch on objects.
• Start early. Literally. Show up `15 or 20 minutes before the advertised start of a sale, when you’re most likely to have first dibs.
• Equip your vehicle with some old newspapers, bubble wrap and a few boxes in case you need them to transport your loot without fear of anything breaking.
• Take cash, mainly in small denominations such as 1’s and 5’s. It will save you and the seller a lot of time and trouble.
• Dicker. On every purchase. It’s expected. Give yourself an extra advantage by arriving at “checkout” with multiple items and asking for a bulk discount.
• If you oversleep or get started very late, just wait and go about an hour before a sale is over. Sellers will be more likely to make a great deal to avoid having to haul all their stuff back to where it came from — especially if they had a slow day.
• Before buying, inspect all clothing for tears, stains, holes, defects, etc.
• Make sure underwear and lingerie purchases are new with original tags, or new in their original packaging. Don’t buy used. Ever.
• Be extremely careful with used shoes. If you find a pair you must have, disinfect them before wearing and add disposable sole inserts.
• Wash all clothing, or get it dry cleaned, before wearing.
• Take a friend, an extra set of eyes and hands devoted to helping you find your treasures and move along expeditiously.

‘Pie in the Sky’ jewelry colorful, vintage-inspired

Pamela Squires’ cottage jewelry industry was born one day five years ago when — trying to stave off boredom while recovering from surgery — she twisted silver wire into a necklace that garnered repeated compliments. When a sister told her with love and concern that her entrepreneurial endeavor was “pie in the sky,” Ms. Squires turned the term into the name of her handmade jewelry line.

The former executive with a national health care firm, unable to continue that career, found a new passion in Pie in the Sky. From her home in the Norman Rockwellian Pittsburgh suburb of Sewickley, Ms. Squires fashions hip necklaces, earrings, bracelets and pins from materials as diverse as found objects, black diamonds, papier-mache, gold, sterling silver and precious and semi-precious gems and stones. “I work with anything that can be molded, shaped and is sustainable,” she said.

She’s inspired by antique jewelry and has a fondness for incorporating hard-to-find sterling silver antique sports medals into pieces. Another Pie in the Sky hallmark is lavishly long necklaces that can be adjusted to accommodate different looks.

“I also do a lot of intricate beadwork, such as wide cuffs, pins and very cool bugs,” she said. Dragonflies and other bugs are popular items in her “Little Tarts” children’s collection. By special order, she does custom pieces for bridesmaid gifts, proms, and other special occasions.

“I was frustrated with the high prices one-of-a-kind pieces usually carry,” she said. “One day I was looking very closely at a fairly intricate necklace. I decided to make one and cost it out. I was amazed at the mark-up on jewelry! My mission is to make high quality, sustainable, one-of-a-kind jewelry at reasonable prices.”

Prices range from $32 to $375 and above for custom pieces. They’re available at pieintheskyjewelry.com and by appointment at her studio-boutique, where she also will soon begin offering jewelry-design classes. Reach her via the site, at prsquires@yahoo.com or at 412-741-7666.

Conditioning for healthy summer hair

Winter weather can be brutal to hair, but summer is full of factors that conspire to jack up your locks, ranging from scorching heat and humidity to chlorine and salt. To keep hair hydrated, silky, strong and untangled, Ecru New York has launched a new product called Silk Nourishing Spray. The leave-in conditioner, a lightweight mist formulated for all hair types, has silk proteins and other agents that can help prevent split ends and damage from blow dryers, curling irons and flatirons. There’s also aloe vera to promote a healthy scalp. It’s $24 at ecrunewyork.com.

The timeless tee goes 80’s-retro

Timeless and universal, the tee shirt is one of the cheapest fashion statements one can make. The wide variety of Eighties-inspired novelty tees by Pennsylvania-based 80s Tees are smart, hip wardrobe additions for both men and women. They can be layered under a jacket or over a long-sleeve henley, or just paired with shorts, slacks, jeans, capris or a skirt. The tees are inspired by movies, musicians, video games, children’s books, cartoons and TV shows. They’re cotton or a cotton-poly blend; sizes run up to XL for women and 3XL for men. They start at a mere $20 at 80sTees.com.

Stamp your lips for the perfect pucker

Women who like the perfect pucker might want to try LipStamp. The new beauty tool does just what its name suggests. All you do is pick your desired lip shape from among 10 options (such as “bow-dacious” and “pouty”), stick a pre-shaped sponge onto the mirrored applicator, add your favorite lipstick shade to the sponge and press it against your lips. It’s $24.95 at AlconeCo.com.

Jo Malone’s alluring Sweet Lime and Cedar

Noted British perfumer Jo Malone has added some ancillary products to complement her newest women’s fragrance, Sweet Lime and Cedar. The cologne, inspired by Thai cuisine, is an exotically enticing blend of the two namesake ingredients and notes such as coconut, blood orange, spearmint, gardenia, jasmine, ylang ylang, clary sage, coriander and amber. Part of its allure is that it smells like nothing else. Fans of this fragrance will be delighted that now it has been captured in a shower gel, body crème, body oil and candle. Sweet Lime and Cedar cologne is $55 for 1 ounce and $100 for 3.4 ounces, and the sister products range from $50 to $75 each, at jomalone.com, Bergdorf Goodman and select Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Nominees for fashion’s ‘Oscars’ same old faces

New York may be the fashion capital of the world, but there are only a few American designers worthy of honor. The rest can go pound salt.

You might be tempted to believe that if you’ve noticed annual nominations for the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards, the Oscars of the U.S. fashion industry. Except for categories for emerging designers, it seems that the same designers are nominated year after year after year.

The pattern continued with the recently announced nominations for 2009. The nominees in womenswear and menswear design categories reveal basically the same faces occupying the lion’s share. Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez and Rodarte are the three nominees for womenswear, all prior (and regular) nominees or winners. Calvin Klein is again in the running for menswear, and accessories nominees are part of the band of usual suspects: Mr. Jacobs, Proenza Schouler and Vera Wang.

These designers do exceptional work. But they’re not the only ones who do great work by any stretch of the imagination. America has many talented designers who turn out fine collections each season. Designers such as Ralph Rucci and Tracy Reese, Carmen Marc Valvo and Zang Toi, Carlos Miele and Pamella Roland — and scores of others too numerous to name.

Why, then, do they remain unsung heroes in this competition? Because, like most industry awards, the CFDA Awards is a popularity contest. And the 800 or so council members, press, retailers and stylists chosen to nominate and vote are a fundamentally incestuous, East Coast-dominated group who as a whole seem uninterested in spreading the accolades around to more of those who deserve them.

Winners will be announced June 15 at the usual star-studded gala. Also at the event, First Lady Michelle Obama will be given the Board of Directors’ Special Tribute, likely because she has boosted the visibility of American fashion. The mere perception of her as a fashion icon has been a boon to an industry hanging from a penthouse window ledge by its French tips.

The CFDA ought to make some changes in the nominating and voting process to include more designers who deserve to be recognized. The domination by the same handful of names year after year is insulting to the design community and the American public.

9 tips for looking recession-proof

The economy might be in the tank, but your appearance doesn’t have to go south along with it. Here are 9 tips for looking recession-proof — even if you’re not — on a shoestring budget.

1. Shop sales. Apparel and early everything else eventually goes on sale. Sales also cycle around much sooner than in the past, so end-of-season clearance events have become mid-season clearance markdowns. That means you can wear you’re the bargains immediately.

2. Shop around. See a pair of shoes you can’t resist? Google them, check various retail stores, and scour online gold mines such as eBay. With some persistence, you’re likely to find a better price than the first one you encountered.

3. Shop discount department stores. These are places such as Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross. Get familiar with the delivery days for the categories of clothes, accessories and other products you like. If you ask a sales associate, they’ll gladly tell you what those days are.

4. Get on retailer mailing lists. This can be done online or at a store counter in a matter of seconds. You’ll be among the first notified of new merchandise, sales and special promotions and may even get special coupons sometimes.

5. Shop resale and consignment stores. Big chains such as Plato’s Closet and independent local stores have some great finds in excellent condition. Don’t forget Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift shops. We recently scored two vintage-style women’s necklaces and two men’s brown leather jackets — one a distressed bomber, the other a soft-as-buttah blazer style — for a total of $60 at the Salvation Army on 46th Street in Manhattan.

6. Don’t be afraid to dicker. Even on new, non-sale items. Ask the clerk to knock off $5, $50 — whatever seems reasonable to you based on the price tag. Your request may be deferred to a manager. Be willing to walk out the door empty-handed if they won’t deal. In this economy, if they don’t, it’s their loss. You’ll be alright — some other merchant will be glad to get some of your money immediately rather than settle for a possible sale at bigger discount down the road.

7. Ask for price checks. You may be pleasantly surprised, especially on sale and clearance items. We recently nabbed a debonair, European-cut men’s overcoat at Century 21 in Manhattan. The original price was $645, the mark-down ticket price was $149, but the item scanned for $99.99.

8. Organize a trade party. Contact some stylish friends, have them round up theirs and have everyone bring clothes and accessories that they no longer need or want. Of course, the items need to be clean and in good condition. Then guests can trade with each other — a different way of “shopping” and getting something new. One person’s trash is another’s treasure.

9. Sort and sell. Like virtually everyone else, you have all sorts of clothes and accessories that you don’t, can’t or shouldn’t wear. Separate those in good condition and sell them at a yard sale, garage sale, even on eBay. Use the proceeds to fund new purchases, including those impulse buys that often leave you feeling guilty.

Check this page regularly for updates, advice and tips on how to stretch your hard-earned dollars while maintaining great style. You’ll also find sales and special promotions at many of the merchants on Style Avenue.

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