The two-hour premiere AMC’s “Mad Men” will air on Sunday, March 25. Banana Republic intends to reprise “Mad Men” capsule collection just prior to the beginning of the season. Like the first collection, the latest collection is designed in collaboration with Emmy-award winning costume designer Janie Bryant. The 40-piece collection of apparel and jewelry for men and women takes inspiration from the 1960’s country club scenes depicted in the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning hit series. The collection is slated to go on sale beginning March 1, but Banana Republic cardholders can get early access to a pre-sale of the full collection at 5 p.m. on February 29, before Banana Republic doors open to the public at 6 p.m. Tweet

Pastels were the influence on the spring runways, so it’s only logical that these proper feminine jewels should land a spot on the hit list, too. Instead of a substantial belt, opt for more romantic accessory (à la Chanel) and wear opera pearls, like this freshwater strand by Mikimoto, above, as a belt. Iris Apfel says, “Chanel did it, I do it. Why not? Most of us today wear cultured pearls, man-made by people who insert a bead or other object into an oyster or clam. The clam coats the foreign matter with nacre, the patina that gives pearls their unique appearance. Even cultured pearls with thicker coatings are more fragile than most other gemstones, so you must handle them carefully to keep them in the best condition. Taking care of your pearls: Your pearls will stay cleaner if you put them on after you've applied your makeup and perfume. Be sure to take off your pearl rings before you apply hand and body creams. Wipe your pearls with a soft, lint-free cloth as soon as you take them off. The cloth can be dampened with water or it can be dry. If damp, allow the pearls to air dry before putting them away. Dirty pearls can be cleaned with a mild soap and water. Never clean your pearls with solutions that contain ammonia or harsh detergents. Don't put pearl jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner. Don't use abrasive cleaners or rub pearls with abrasive cloth. Both can wear away the nacre coating, leaving your pearls with no luster. Tweet

The fabulous bloggers at TheElite asked "The Gals" at Soho Accessories to sponsor a giveaway. Of course we said yes! Here are the rules: TheElite Check it out. Sneak peek at what you can win....

and also:

Good luck everyone. Tweet

JCPenney Has No More Games

The ads state: "No more pricing games. Just great prices from the start." In a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Penney said: "We're not interested in being the biggest store or the flashiest store. We want to be your favorite store." We like this. No more coupons that you either forget to bring or just forget to use. A department store without Columbus Day sales, no more percent discounts if you buy a certain amount, no more early bird specials and no more clearance racks? No more rubbing your belly and patting your head to get the best deal. Hurray!!! I hope this pricing plan works for them so that maybe other stores will follow. The store changes will take until 2015 to complete. Tweet

Mathieu Mirano-One to Watch

New Yorker Mathieu Mirano a New Yorker at only 20 years old is launching his own line. "Creating something from scratch isn't always easy, and sometimes you have to be patient and wait for it," says Mirano. Using high fashion level crafting techniques and handmade embellishments, Mirano gravitates towards exotic skins, sequin embroideries, and elaborate applique detailing. “Heroic, legendary, feminine dragon riders” inspired his Spring ‘12 collection. We may not see any literal, fire-breathing references in the clothes, but who wouldn't want to wear a gown with a sci-fi back story, especially with the The Hunger Games gaining such a cult fashion following? The designer’s presentation will be at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Lincoln Center on February 12th. Tweet

Trina Turk to Design for Banana Republic

Famous designer Trina Turk will debut her collection for Banana Republic in June,2012. The apparel will be priced from $49.50 to $150. Since Banana Republic did so well with their collaboration with the "Mad Men" TV show designers I guess they are going to give designer partnerships a go!

Simon Kreen, creative director describes the collaboration as including a wide range of looks: "from flirty dresses to printed swim separates, that will take customers effortlessly transition from desk side to poolside and everywhere in-between.”

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Couldn't Resist !!

Are these the original "Snakers"?

Now these are really "Fish Flops"!

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Put on False Lashes

Something so simple that you maybe surprised how easy they are to apply, and what a dramatic difference it makes to your eye make-up. Prep Your Lashes: Apply mascara to your lashes. The false lashes will stay in place better. Pick a Lash Style: Dense strip lashes are the easiest to apply. The fuller the strip the more dramatic the look.. Trim the edges so that they fit your eye shape. Apply them: Apply glue to the strip and wait a minute until the glue is tacky. Tilt your head back, look down in a mirror and press on the strip so that it sits on your natural lashline. Finish with more mascara. All you need is patience and a little practice and you can create a fantastic look with false lashes.

Since we decorate ourselves with jewelry for the ears,toes,wrist,neck,fingers and even belly buttons maybe the new trend will be to adorn our eyelashes with feathers or crystals. Would be a fun look for a night out on the town. Tweet

Recyclable Dress at Golden Globes

Livia Firth, who is the creative director of eco-consulting group Eco Age Ltd. in London, wore an Armani gown created out of fabric made from recycled bottles to the Golden Globes.
Livia said, "To the touch this dress feels like silk, and sways and moves in way that is classically elegant. It is cut with the precision that you would expect from - Armani."
The Firths hosted a brunch Saturday at the Soho House in West Hollywood to introduce this year's Green Carpet Challenge collection of one-of-a-kind sustainable gowns by Armani, Tom Ford, Alberta Ferretti and others. The project is in its third year.
Pretty amazing.
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Hack Attack

For anyone that has missed the news Zappos has been hacked. Twenty four million people received an email Sunday to change their
password. Online thieves have made off with “some” customer’s account information and personal details (possibly including a customer’s name, email, billing and shipping address, and the last four digits of their credit card, plus a “cryptographically scrambled” version of their password).
Here is the email that was sent to consumers:
First, the bad news:
We are writing to let you know that there may have been illegal and unauthorized access to some of your customer account information on Zappos.com, including one or more of the following: your name, e-mail address, billing and shipping addresses, phone number, the last four digits of your credit card number (the standard information you find on receipts), and/or your cryptographically scrambled password (but not your actual password).
THE BETTER NEWS: The database that stores your critical credit card and other payment data was NOT affected or accessed.
SECURITY PRECAUTIONS: For your protection and to prevent unauthorized access, we have expired and reset your password so you can create a new password. Please follow the instructions below to create a new password.
We also recommend that you change your password on any other web site where you use the same or a similar password. As always, please remember that Zappos.com will never ask you for personal or account information in an e-mail. Please exercise caution if you receive any emails or phone calls that ask for personal information or direct you to a web site where you are asked to provide personal information.
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