IndyStar.com: Shopping & Fashion
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Just the right fit for curvy bodies
A curvy body plus a lean budget can equal real distress when shopping for jeans. “I have big thighs, I have a big butt, but I don’t have a big stomach or big waist,” said Anansa Sims, a size 12-14 model who co-stars with other...
Aviator style landing
Jackets and jumpsuits hot Before they became staples of the runway, bomber jackets, flight suits and protective aviator sunglasses were born in the cockpit of an early — and cold — airplane. They were necessary in drafty flying machines...
Eyes on ties
During law school, Birk Billingsley found himself buying a lot of expensive ties that didn’t quite do the trick. So about six months ago, he started his own handmade tie company. Billingsley, an attorney at Krieg DeVault in Indianapolis, met...
Midwest Fashion Week: Elise Lyon
Elise Lyon is a junior in the Art Institute of Indianapolis’ fashion design program — she will be in the school’s first graduating class. The Jeffersonville native’s seamstress grandmother got her started on the sewing path....
Midwest Fashion Week: Catherine Fritsch
Catherine Fritsch is making a bold move into a bigger market — she recently had five pieces of her Sweet Revenge line manufactured in Los Angeles for retail sales and mass consumption. Fritsch will be showing her boudoir designs during the...
Midwest Fashion Week: Berny Martin
Originally from Haiti, Berny Martin found inspiration for his collection in another island: Ireland. After reading about the culture and drama of the Irish past, Martin found a kinship with the people of the Emerald Isle. “I felt something...
Midwest Fashion Week: Beth Bennett
Inspired by the tropics, Beth Bennett thought about what a bride would want for her destination wedding. “I’m looking at it as a collection for brides who want to go away and be married. If a bride goes down to a tropical climate, what...
More cosmetic products are doing double duty.
Although makeup is decidedly a luxury item, these days we often ask just a little more of our paints and potions. Plenty of cosmetics are punching the clock twice. Here are some great double-duty beauty finds. Huge Lips Skinny Hips: This lip gloss...
Nursery furniture grows with children
Your family is growing, and that means creating a new space. Part of the fun of welcoming a baby is planning the nursery. And more homeowners are designing rooms their child can grow into. “Moms want a room that can take their little one...
Getting ahead in the hat trade
If you think the days of elegant couture hats are over, think again. Emily Clark, an up-and-coming Indianapolis milliner, is at the forefront of this fashion comeback. Clark didn’t plan on making a career in hats. She fell into them, headfirst,...
She's ready for that first step
With nearly a year under her belt as executive director of Dress for Success Indianapolis, Barbara Ellsworth is gearing up to attend her first Stepping Out in Style event. Now in its seventh year, Wednesday’s fundraiser combines a fashion show...
Book time this weekend for a deal at library sale
Patrons and buyers will line up to get their hands on the 50,000 to 75,000 items on sale at the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library’s Secondhand Prose Booksale this weekend. Since 1986, the six-times-a-year sale has become one of the...
Peace, love and some style
Sure, Woodstock ’69 was billed as a festival of peace and music, but style also took center stage. Forty years later, Lucky fashion director Hope Greenberg says you can channel your inner flower child without looking like you’re...
Clothing designer calls upon motherly experience
NEW YORK — Cynthia Rowley, mother of two, says she had on-the-job training for her newest gig, designing a new line of infant and toddler clothes and gear. Too bad her own daughters are now too old to wear any of it. “I can try to squeeze...
Get stylish bag to-go
Paper, plastic or fashion statement? There’s no need to forgo style if you’re opting for today’s reusable bags in supermarkets and department stores. “They’ve been incredibly popular,” said Tony Warmus, district...
A few cheap tricks will keep your stuff safe in your home
As if the economy didn’t cause enough anxiety, we also have to worry about someone breaking in and stealing our stuff. Yes, it’s true — after years of decline, some cities are seeing a rise in burglary and other property crimes. So...
These cameras tough it out
Olympus was onto something four years ago when it launched the first in its “Tough” line of cameras. Consumers have long complained about point-and-shoot cameras breaking after dropping out of a pocket or getting wet. Olympus engineers...
Buying used
Smart tips for car shopping If you’ve changed your car-buying plans from new to used as a result of the uncertain economy, you’re not alone. The editors of Consumer Reports Money Adviser think it’s not a bad strategy. Here are Money...
Valuable advice
Finding great deals isn’t just a good idea these days, it’s a necessity. So we asked Candace Barnes, a mother and writer of the Frugal Indy blog (www.frugalindy .com), for some suggestions. Aunt Millie’s Bread Outlet:Buy organic...
Want longer eyelashes? Here's how
Here are a few options for thick, lengthy lashes In the blink of an eye, long, luscious lashes have become a more popular focus for makeup artists and makeup consumers. But what if your lashes are wimpy and weak? You can fake it. Here are plenty of...
What are you wearing? Lolly Glasel
Lolly Glasel, 75, enjoys color. Ask her what she’s wearing, and what she looks for in clothing, and it’s about adding a kick here and a kick there. Her style is “conservative with a kick,” she says “I just put on...
Spring fashion beat
Tune in here for a look at styles that will move you Can you hear the music of spring? There’s a new rhythm this season, and it’s time to pick up the beat. Pick your tune from bold floral prints, bright solids, charming accessories and...
Mix and match
Necktie and shirt should join forces for a good look You have a handsome suit and a crisp shirt to accompany it. But the devil is in the details: How do you tie it all together — and why should you bother? For starters, the finishing will turn...
Media scan
A peek at books, magazines and Web sites /b Jehan Sadat’s bMy Hope for Peace/b (Free Press, $25) was published to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the historic Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, the first agreement in which an Arab country...
Staying current
Surge protectors can prevent serious damage to your home electronics Thunderstorm season is upon us. Is your big-screen TV prepared for it? Lightning strikes and power line disturbances caused by thunderstorms generate surges in electricity that can...
What are you wearing?
Jaklin Idris, 44, fills a room with quiet energy. Perfectly groomed and classically dressed, this Chanel specialist at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Indy store exudes style and sophistication. Originally from Bulgaria, Idris is one of those rare...
Good style applies at work
Joyce Neave is That Mom. She's the mother of three who always shows up perfectly coiffed, stylishly dressed. She's flawlessly put together when other moms are clad in baggy jeans and T-shirts streaked with PB&J (or worse).But she's also That Mom:...
Shopping tips
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average American family of four spends $8,513 per year on groceries. Here are ways to save money:Make fewer trips to the grocery store.Bigger shopping trips less often will cut down on your impulse...
13 ways to cut energy costs
When it comes to saving money on energy, consumers are far from powerless.Smart choices can help save roughly $2,000 a year, according to the editors of Consumer Reports. A recent CR poll revealed that 61 percent of homeowners hold themselves...
Hair to dye for
"Does she . . . or doesn't she?" mused the iconic hair-color ad of the late 1950s. These days the odds are she does. About 55 percent of American women 18 and older dye their hair, according to a survey done by Behindthechair .com, an online...
