Return of the Ugly 80's/90's Trends

First leggings, now this.
We noticed a couple weeks ago that American Apparel had introduced hypercolor T-shirts, but we dismissed them as a fashion outlier because, well, it's American Apparel. They sell metallic unitards and acid-wash hoodies that were last seen in a commercial for Vagisil. AA is fashion-quirky, but not exactly fashion-forward, ya know?
But it turns out that this hypercolor thing is actually a trend. At least, that's what this writer from LA Times is saying. If this writer is correct, we are not pleased. Of all the retro trends to bring back, did it have to be hypercolor? Did those sweatshirts look good on anyone? If we wanted to look unpredictably blotchy and dirty, couldn't we just throw some bleach on our brown PJs instead?
Also, did you notice that the areas that change color are over your breasts and stomach? Really? Is that an attractive look now? Because to us, it just looks like a demented smiley face.

Storefront: Basil and Lizzie

Remember that store we were shamelessly gushing about last week?
The story ran today. Click here to read about Wayne Martin, amazing former music-publicist-for-Mariah-Carey-turned-children's-advocate.

Used Cars, Used Women

Bloggers are having a field day with this new ad from BMW, where a picture of a sexy young thing is accompanied by the words, "You know you're not the first." The not-too-subtle parallel between used cars and not-so-virginal women leaves us with a pretty icky feeling. We're not sure how to weigh in on this, but here are a few things we're asking ourselves:
1. Does this model look a bit inappropriately young?
2. The idea of ownership and women: never ends well, no?
3. Car makers have, for many generations, used sex (in some form) to sell cars. Is this any worse?
4. How would we respond if the ad used a hot young male model instead?
5. Does this make you want to buy a used BMW?
6. What does this say about the used BMW market? (Or at least, what the folks at BMW think of their used car market?)

Storefront Preview: Basil and Lizzie

Normally, we try not to get too gushy about the shops we review on our weekly Storefront column.
To be perfectly honest, sometimes we're downright annoyed with the stores we write about (for various reasons, which sometimes involve arrogant employees: cough, urbanoutfitters, cough!), but we try to be fair both ways. Not too nasty, not too gushy.
But we just can't control ourselves with Basil and Lizzie, the sweetest, classiest children's boutique we've ever seen. Owner Wayne Martin is also the most delightful businessman we've met in a very long time, and we're so moved by his life story, his business philosophy, everything. Please pick up Monday's Record to read all about it: Basil and Lizzie is available on-line BasilandLizzie.com; showroom is located at 905 River Road in Edgewater (at the Whole Foods mall).

Reality Bites

Bravo quietly aired the Season 5 premiere of "Project Runway" last night, and we're... a bit underwhelmed.
For the first challenge, the 16 designers had to repeat Season 1's challenge of creating an outfit out of materials purchased at Gristedes.
Most of the contestants thought they were being clever by choosing shower curtains and table clothes, but came to their senses later when Tim Gunn called them unimaginative slackers. The end result was pretty hideous across the board, but in the end, the judges ruled Jerry's psycho-axe-murderer raincoat the most hideous of all. It sucks that he was the first the be eliminated, but he was way too quick to dismiss other contestants' outfits as ugly and garbage-y, so that's karma for you!

We couldn't quite agree with the winner, though.

Partisan Chocolate

Who are you supporting this election season? Obama? McCain? Chocolate?
Just in time for the fall elections, Moonstruck Chocolate Co. has introduced the adorably political truffles in shapes of donkeys and elephants. The Donkey Truffle features Moonstruck Chocolatier’s Mayan Ganache (milk chocolate, cinnamon and crushed almonds), while the Elephant Truffle features a dark chocolate Extra-Bittersweet Ganache.
A four-piece box includes two of each and retails for $15. Visit the newest Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe at The Mall at Short Hills. (973) 564-6023

How to make your legs look short and chunky

The legging trend has been around for some time now, and so far, we've managed to ride that fine line between trendy and fashion victim pretty safely. We're conscious of what kinds of leggings work for our body types (personal fave: the knee-length leggings that slim the thighs while showing off the tones calves) and what styles don't work at all (the full length ones that seem to exaggerate every curve in a less-than-flattering way-- why God, why??).

Well, anyway, here's the news we were trying to get at: Just in time to see the trend fade into oblivion, Lindsay Lohan has introduced her own line of leggings: 6126 by Lindsay Lohan , supposedly inspired by Marilyn Monroe and named for the screen siren’s birth date. The collection includes “Mr. President” leggings with quilted leather knee patches ($132) and leopard-print ankle gloves (left, $42) that could not possibly flatter anybody’s legs. But hey, if you’re up for the challenge, pre-order yours through ShopIntuition.com.

Storefront: Mishelyne's Fashions

At Mishelyne's Fashions, the term "alteration" takes on a whole new meaning.

"We don't just alter," says Sara Fuks, who runs the store with her mother, Michele Rosenberg. "We don't just do a hem and take it in a little bit. We remodel things."

Read full story here.

Flip-flopping about flip-flops

Here at Shoptalk, we are a little ambivalent about flip flops.
On one hand, they are extremely versatile, cheap (relatively), and leave plenty of breathing room for your hot little toes. They're as close as you can get to going prancing around barefeet. Whoo!
On the other hand, they provide no arch support, leave your feet vulnerable to being trampled (my personal nightmare), and if you walk around a bit, the rubber thong can dig into that tender skin between your toes and do some serious damage. Flip flops can also lead to more bigger problems as well, according to a story by The New York Times.
One exception seems to be FitFlops, which are supposedly super comfortable AND helpful in toning your butt and thighs. The shoes use "micro-wobbleboard" (seriously, we didn't make this up) that stimulates a bunch of muscles with each step. They retail for about $50 and are available through Bath and Body Works, Macy's, and various other retailers. We want! We want! We want!

Storefront: WaterLeaf

Almost every product sold at WaterLeaf is socially or environmentally conscious in some way. From biodegradable umbrellas to jewelry made by the Maasai women of Kenya, the boutique offers countless ways to feel good about spending money.
Click here for full story.