Do You Have These in Green?

I am excited. And it's all Steve Madden's fault. I can't tell you how many times (okay too many) I've seen a great pair of shoes and wished, "If only they had these in another color." Well someone at Steven Madden Ltd. must have read my mind. The company is launching a Steve Madden "Design Your Own" collection--with different patterns, materials, finishings, color choices and heel heights that you can mix and match until you create your own version of the perfect shoe. According to a press release from the company, there are more than 4,221 possible combinations. (yes--4,221--I know!) The idea that I can customize a pair of shoes for any given outfit, mood or style is almost too much to handle--okay maybe that's a little over the top, but lets just say I'm very pleased. To access the "Design Your Own" collection, shoppers need only visit the Steve Madden Web site at www.stevemadden.com.  I'm betting that a lot of other retailers are going to jump on this bandwagon soon since you can already customize a plethora of other products--so why not shoes! Commenting on this new personalized collection, Steve Madden said, "Fashion is a personal choice. It should really belong just to you." I couldn't agree more.

--Jessie Bove

Photo: The green shoes I've always wanted, but never found, could soon be mine!

Mirror Mirror Not on the Wall

Here is a little advice for retailers to take note of: if you want customers to purchase your products, put mirrors in the fitting rooms. Seems pretty obvious you say? Well think again, because a handful of apparel and other retailers don't think so. Awhile back when I was in hot pursuit of the perfect Halloween costume, I stopped by a certain store (that shall remain unnamed) to try my luck. I quickly found a costume and was assisted right away by a friendly associate who handed me my size. I followed the signs to the fitting rooms and wasn't surprised to find two modest rooms in the back of the store (it's not like this was Saks Fifth Avenue, so I wasn't expecting much.) What did surprise me, was that the fitting room had no mirror inside.

I stood inside the small white box for a moment, dumbfounded, before realizing that the only mirror available was nailed to the outside of the door. The outside! I don't even like coming out of my dressing room to use the big three-way mirror in department stores, and now this store expected me to walk out into the middle of the store (in full costume) just to see how ridiculous I probably looked. Yeah right. Once this dawned on me, I stood there for a moment and carefully eyed the getup I was contemplating trying on. All I saw was bunched elastic, too-short shorts, bulky fabric and lots of pale skin in my future, and that was it. No way! I crammed the costume back into its bag, never taking off even so much as a shoe.

For a split second I thought about maybe just trying it on and trying to get a "feel" of it without stepping outside to look in the mirror. That idea was foiled when I remembered that exactly three years ago, I stood in a very similar store, in a very similar mirror-less fitting room wearing a costume that "felt pretty good." I ended up purchasing it, only to be disappointed when I got home and tried it on--it was awful. And so my excursion to buy a costume was over. I don't know why there wasn't a mirror in the fitting room. Maybe all the costumes don't fit well, maybe the employees just want to laugh at you, maybe it's for no reason at all. All I know, is that I went and spent my money somewhere else.

--Jessie Bove

Get It Straight

Anyone who has ever spent an hour and a half straightening her wavy/curly/frizzy hair with an arsenal of heat styling tools, only to have her hard work ruined by unexpected rain showers or the humidity of a packed nightclub, is going to want to here about this: the Straight Up vending machine. Entrepreneurs Richard Starrett and Neil Macka patented this hair straightening vending machine and have already installed 500 units in bathrooms of clubs and gyms throughout the United Kingdom. The Beautiful Vending Company installs the coin-operated units, which provide hair straightening flatirons for a quick heat styling touch-up for your carefully coiffed 'do. For about $1.85 you can use the The Straight Up machine's award-winning GHD irons, a popular U.K. brand used in salons, for 90 seconds. Pretty cool. It would be nice to be able to fix a frizz flare up after a tough workout at the gym, or to be able to look a little less insane after shaking your thing on the dance floor for five straight songs. The creators of the Straight Up vending machine have hinted at possible expansion overseas, which means this hair savior could be heading our way soon.

The only thing that might not be so cool about having access to these ultra-hip vending machines in our bar bathrooms is that already overcrowded women's bathrooms will get a lot worse: wait in line for the bathroom, then for the straightener. Oh, and I'm not so sure how well three Red Bull and vokas will mix with a scorching hot flatiron and my head. (I can smell the burnt hair/skin already.) I'm going to need a DHS--designated hair straightener. And imagine how annoying it will be if bathroom attendants start trying to offer you hair straightening in addition to the usual junk that you feel obligated to accept, therefore forking over even more cash. (Why can't they just leave us alone--I can pump my own soap, thanks.) At least we'll all look fabulous...for about 15 seconds, then poof!

--Jessie Bove

Caught in Wal-Mart's Web

Wal-Mart's new snazzy Web site has done what no previous Wal-Mart site has done before--it's made me want to shop. I have a difficult time leaving the Web site of Target, Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel without either A) spending $200, or B) making a list of the $200 worth of goods I planned to buy later in the store. Wal-Mart's site, until now that is, has never enticed me in this fashion. It used to be just the site I'd visit to see if their price on Christmas lights was cheaper than Home Depot. Now I want to buy the lights, tree and even the blue tinsel and ornaments. This is all thanks to the site's new "virtual" buying guide, which helps customers (read: suckers like me) see the products as they would appear in the home (read: if you gave your house a Martha Stewart makeover). It's amazing the power a visual picture can do for a rabid shopper like me.

Check out the new home section for some inspiring ideas. If you hold your hand over the top banner logo, you might just forget where you're shopping.

--Alison Embrey Medina

Day of the Dead

With Halloween only a week away, skeletons are in; in fact, death is the latest trend. No, not the graveyard variety, but the ever-popular death’s head--skull and cross bones--that is appearing on apparel and fashion accessories these days. The movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean,” capitalized on the trend--Disney has done a number of merchandise items around this theme--but actually these skulls started appearing in Europe on clothing and accessories in around 2003. The look was first made popular by punk fashions in the '70s in London by designer Vivienne Westwood. More recently, jewelry and fashion accessories retailer Chrome Hearts has shops filled with belt buckles and other death’s head paraphernalia--one of their shops opened in Las Vegas a little more than a year ago. We have seen skull motifs and imagery from designer Alexander McQueen and even Gucci. Indeed, Dior featured a $20,000 piece of jewelry with the popular skull signature, and there’s that expensive diamond-pave skull watch by Lucien Pellat-Finet. Now, we’re seeing the trend at Hot Topic, JCPenney (Miss Bisou) and even Wal-Mart, on T-shirts, sneakers (Vans), handbags, belts and other accessories. Skulls have been associated with rock bands and their fans for many years as well--and that whole Goth thing reemerged this fall on fashion runways. So, celebrate October 31 in style, and if you want to be a bit elitist or impress your friends, you can call it by the French name: tête de mort. And if you don’t feel like getting tricked-out in full Halloween drag this year, maybe a death’s head signature scarf will do.

--Diva

Photo: A mannequin at the Bloomingdale's in San Francisco's Westfield Centre sports a skull and cross bones belt.

What’s with all the glam-nots?

All of a sudden, Diva has noticed, the ugly people are getting all the attention. Look at TV--“Ugly Betty” is the season’s runaway hit. The program is based on a Hispanic telenovela, “Betty la Fea,” and the role is played by America Ferrera, who magically is transformed into a vile (from a fashion point of view) creature, but otherwise loveable dote, who bungles her way into a position at Fashion mag Mode. It’s very similar to “The Devil Wears Prada,” except Anne Hathaway was beautiful and stayed that way, even though she hadn’t a clue how to dress. Betty wears loud colors and outrageously tacky prints that clash, and her hair looks like it came through a Magimix. And by the way--“The Devil Wears Prada” will soon also be joining the Fox TV line-up, with it’s own spin-off program. Then, there’s that movie about “The Queen.” Now, if ever Diva saw a dreadful dresser, her majesty is it (sorry, your Grace). Those dowdy tartans and tweeds are enough to make Diva shiver, let alone, all those preposterous, pastel hats in the summer. Designer Paul Smith in London is promoting the new dorky look this season, and I am told that we’ll be seeing more glam-nots on the runway and off, as this look catches on. Don’t you love that word--glam-nots? Dive just made that up.

--Diva

Photo: Ugly Betty

 

Shoo Flu...Don't Bother Me!

Stuffy noses, headaches, coughs, chills and fever are heading our way America, and I for one am a happy camper knowing I have an appointment for a flu shot next week. (Last year's short supply of the shot left me with a miserable week hovering under a blanket with a cold sweat and a headache I'd rather not recall.) This year, people are heading out in droves to their local doctors and pharmacies to get the magic juice--and retailers are turning out to lend a helping hand...or syringe.

Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Theraflu are teaming up to stick up to 1 million customers and members in the arm over the next two weekends--hosting the country's largest flu vaccination event. The Fluvirin(R) influenza virus vaccines will be doled out at more than 3,300 Wal-Marts and 450 Sam's Clubs around the country. Other retailers are offering out vaccinations as well from drugstores like CVS, Eckerd and Walgreens to supermarkets such as Ingles, BI-LO and Costco.

According to the CDC, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 people die from influenza and its complications each flu season, which typically lasts from October through April. Not to mention the thousands of hours missed at work from sick employees. Do us all a favor (especially your co-workers) and go sign up for a flu shot. Your customers will thank you for it.

--Alison Embrey Medina

Airport Spas Climb Onboard

As air travel becomes more of a burden--making sure not to leave your favorite lip gloss in your purse, or attempting to fit all of your 3 oz. cosmetic tubes in a small zip lock bag (why bother)--airports just may have an opportunity to capitalize on a new type of customer. This post 9/11 customer is most likely tired, achy and frenzied beyond belief, all thanks to the headache of traveling.

As more and more travelers are arriving at airports earlier in anticipation of long security lines, some are finding they have spare time waiting for their flight. And what a perfect time to relax a tired back or sore feet. This explains why, in the past couple of years, the trend of airport spas has taken off as quickly as a jet engine. D_parture Spa  started its business opening a spa in Newark International Airport four years ago. Now, a plethora of spas are popping up all over. XpresSpa is also one of the first of its kind, offering travelers an array of spa services, including massage, manicure, pedicure, facials and waxing. With limited locations in U.S. airports, the company is planning to expand.

So, next time you're stressed out and have time to kill, go for that relaxing 30-minute back massage before boarding your flight, or if you're time-starved and headed out to a corporate meeting, stop in for a 15-minute manicure, that is if you're lucky enough to find a spa in your terminal.

--Rachel Brown

Photo: XpresSpa at New York's JFK

Where are you H&M?

H&M, a retailer much adored by budget-conscious fashionistas, has more than 1,200 stores in 24 countries. I adore H&M (officially called H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB), but I haven't even been inside an H&M store. Not that I wouldn't jump at the chance to peruse the racks and snatch up the latest runway-inspired apparel at one its locations. It's just that there aren't any stores in Atlanta.

My love for H&M was kindled several years ago when my roommate began bringing back hoards of trendy sweaters, purses, dresses and other delightful treats from her frequent trips to Boston. She would empty out bags full of chic merchandise from H&M, boasting about the affordable prices. I'd eagerly await her return from Boston and the ensuing fashion show, followed by what my friends and I referred to as "The Unveiling of the Prices." Thus my affair with H&M began.

For years, I've been waiting for H&M to come to Atlanta so that I could experience the rush of shopping in this fast-fashion mecca first-hand. Recently I've been reading a lot about the company's booming expansion--and yet, Atlanta remains H&M-less. Given, the company has only been in the United States since 2000, when it opened its doors on New York's Fifth Avenue. And according to their Web site, H&M has more than 100 stores here, mostly on the East Coast. Over the past two months H&M even launched a franchise operation in the Middle East, in Dubai and Kuwait.  So why not Atlanta?  I guess I'll just have to continue waiting patiently and spend my money at a comparable retailer, like Zara. Oh wait, we don't have one of those either.

--Jessie Bove

Cause for celebration?

Whatever happened to the population bomb? In the '70s, the buzz was about the country needing population control because there was a “population bomb.” According to the experts at the time, America’s [and the world’s] population would reach explosive levels beyond which we would not be able to properly feed and care for people. Warnings also were sounded about shrinking oil reserves--oil sources were supposed to be completely exhausted in 30 years. Well, it’s been 30 years, and we are still chugging around in gas-guzzlers. A green revolution has made it possible to feed millions of people, who might otherwise starve. And we can still find space to put everyone, though subway riders and workers with commutes of more than an hour might disagree with that.

This morning, America reached a milestone. The 300-millionth American was born. If you watched TV, doctors were holding up babies around the country, and the experts were trying to decide which baby got the honors, though it’s doubtful that anyone will remember the lucky infant a week or two from now.

Though food and gasoline are still abundant, people might examine the quality of life in America today. Are our lives better or worse, as our cities push their borders out onto the plains, far from urban centers; as we live in cramped production-builder developments, but don’t know our neighbors; as crime [and terrorism] becomes a fact of everyday life? Our population numbers are being influenced more by immigrants than at any time in history. Multiculturalism brings richness and dimension to our society, but it also pushes people of diverse cultural mores and differing social and economic expectations into close, intimate contact--causing differences of opinion to enflame. Environmentalists are concerned about sustainability and the impact of gigantic populations on the planet.

One could say, like Dickens’ London Town of yore: it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. No one would argue that more people [worldwide, and especially in America] have a better standard of living than in the historic past. But for the middle class in America today, the American dream seems more remote than it did 50 years ago, as wages stagnate and a greater portion of wealth accrues to the top economic strata. More and more people cannot afford health insurance or health care. And the hungry and the desperate for work are still among us, if not living in our own neighborhoods--just ask any one of the hundreds of charities trying to lend assistance [or the many residents of New Orleans who are still living in trailers and trying to hold their families together].

So is a population of 300 million a good thing or not? It makes America more competitive in world markets; it provides an abundant low-cost labor class [due to increasing immigration], which helps the corporate balance sheet; it gives Nielsen Media thousands of TV viewers to monitor; and it gives retailers millions of customers to buy plasma screens and Nikes at the mall each week. We don’t talk about the bad things about population growth any more--increased crime, for example, or rising problems with mental health or the spread of diseases [many of them brought into the country from abroad]. Population control is no longer promoted--having babies is a popular trend--just look at Hollywood starlets, crowding the tabloids and parading on TV with their "baby bumps."

Count your blessings, Americans--as you count the population--and hope the good times outnumber the bad. Our nation’s eternal optimism makes us believe that all problems will be resolved--with time, technology and enough money. Let's hope they are right.

--RoxAnna Sway

Photo: The population clock of the U.S. Census Bureau hit 300 million this morning at 7:46 a.m. (Xinhua Photo)