It is a nightly rite of passage for most women. Off go the high heels, on go the slippers. And a simultaneous ahhhhhh escapes the lips. We wear them while we cook dinner, sip cocktails, entertain, even walk the dog. And the slipper industry has responded, offering slippers that are comfy, functional and attractive.
Judi Flowers, co-founder of Bonjour Fleurette, has been making gourmet footwear since 1999. Flowers ("It's a real name -- it's an ex-husband name, but it's a real name") has always loved blooms, and while visiting Paris she got the great idea of plopping them onto slippers. "We all work so hard," she says. Whether running around, working out or schlepping to work, "our feet get a beating, so people love comfort."
And with fall approaching, fur thongs and darker colors -- browns, blues, blacks -- are making a quiet comeback. Women seem to be buying multiple flavors -- not just one fuzzy pair.
Details: (866) 754-7737 or flowerslippers.com .
Diamond rings take a step to the right
For centuries, women have worn diamond rings on their left hands -- on the ring finger, or "wedding finger" -- as a symbol of love and fidelity. So why are we beginning to see diamond clusters on the right hand, especially on the ring finger?
There's no clear answer. What is apparent, however, is the celebrity and runway trend toward "diamond right-hand rings." Some look like cocktail rings, others like novelty rings. And some very much like engagement rings. But all are worn on the right hand.
The four stars of "Sex and the City" all sported Fred Leighton ice on their right hands at a party to kick off the premiere of the final season of the HBO smash. Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Debra Messing, Cameron Diaz and Victoria "Posh" Spice all have right-hand diamond rings. The rings have been spotted, too, on Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Janet Jackson and Sharon Stone.
According to the Diamond Information Center, the trend is expected to show up on the runways at Fashion Week in September, when designers will pair brilliant right-hand rings with creations for their spring/summer '04 collections. Which means that this emerging fall trend will have legs through the winter and into next year.
What does it mean⢠It's simply a personal style that flouts tradition in a creative way, says Sally Morrison, director of the Diamond Information Center.
"The diamond right-hand ring is a perfect showcase for a new generation of women who want a unique, very personal piece of diamond jewelry that they can enjoy every day," Morrison says in a press release. "It's also a reflection of the more spirited, creative approach to diamond jewelry that's invigorating both the established luxury diamond houses and many of the younger up-and-coming designers."
New right-hand styles, some priced less than $2,500, are being made by jewelry designers including Stephen Webster, Damiani, Leslie Greene, John Hardy, Stephen Russell, Craig Drake, Stefan Hafner, Picchiotti, Bianca, Kwiat, Barry Kronen and Heidi Klum for Mouawad.
The trend is the latest in changing styles for diamond lovers and wearers. Last year, a craze for colored diamonds was sparked after Jennifer Lopez got a pink engagement ring from Ben Affleck. That was followed by the continuing trend toward fancy cuts for rings -- specifically the marquise, oval, heart and teardrop shapes.
Who knows⢠If things don't work out between Hollywood's hottest power couple, J.Lo can switch her engagement ring to her right hand.
L.A.M.B., LeSportsac team up on handbag line
Gwen Stefani's new fashion brand, L.A.M.B., is making its first mark this fall with a limited-edition collection of handbags and accessories in a partnership with LeSportsac.
L.A.M.B. stands for love, angel, music, baby -- all words that Stefani says are meaningful to her and are heard often in her songs.
Many of the Gwen Stefani-L.A.M.B. for LeSportsac bags are made of black rip-stop nylon and covered with words and phrases in a white gothic font. The handles -- graphic-print grosgrain tape -- are supposed to look like guitar straps.
Of course, there's a "concert bag," a small 8- by 8.5-inch pouch.
"I was flattered that someone would give me the chance to design something. I've designed tons of things for myself, which is no big deal because I'm wearing it. But to do something for other people -- that's cool," the 33-year-old singer says.
The accessories line will be followed with a L.A.M.B. ready-to-wear collection in the spring that matches Stefani's own fashion aesthetic -- a mix of "punk and Paris, of rock and roll, of color and pattern."
Details: www.nodoubt.com .
Clothing exhibit follows women's liberation
Scarlett O'Hara, fictional heroine of the antebellum South, could have dispensed with that corset had she come along a few years later in fashion history.
"Gone with the Girdle: Freedom, Restraint and Power in Women's Dress," opening Nov. 1 at the Atlanta History Center, traces women's sartorial liberation from 1860 to today with an exhibition of clothing, accessories and accompanying photographs drawn from the center's extensive textile collection. Although the show focuses on Atlanta women, this evolution was taking place all over the United States and Europe.
Reflecting the patriarchal plantation system of the American South around 1860, the exhibition includes an olive green silk brocade day dress.
As the 20th century approached, Atlanta women became more politically involved, campaigning for reform and the vote, and they worked for wages. Within the next two decades, they adopted shorter dresses and bobbed hair. An 1895 brown tweed bicycling suit with leather trim represents this era.
Women started wearing pants in public during the Depression and World War II; although they were mostly employed in low-end jobs, there still was some glamour in work uniforms, as represented by a 1935 female pilot's flight suit and accessories.
When women took on wider rights and roles in society, they could be found wearing embroidered denim jeans and jackets.
Representing the more recent past is a dark-blue United Nations-U.S. Police Monitor uniform worn in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1998-99.
Details: www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com .
