Simon Carter Celebrates Style Manhattan Chic

Simon Carter rocked the Manhattan skyline to celebrate the brand's 25th Anniversary and entry into the North American market. The Atelier Sky Lounge, on the newly fashionable West 42nd Street, served as the venue for this by invitation only event. The address has become well known by New York trendsetters as high profile celebriti women's coats es like Lindsey Lohan, Nick Lache, Eve, and CNN's John Roberts have called this luxury address home.

High above the ordinary bustle of the local street scene, 47 floors high to be exact, the crème de le crème of the fashion industry gathered to see the emerging trends in men's fashion. Hand rolled cigars, delectable bites, signature cocktails, scotch tastings, and a gelato bar all served on the cities highest outdoor rooftop lounge provided an evening of good taste, good style, and good fashion. The breathtaking view of a New York City sunset was the back drop and spot light for the Men's Spring 2011 collections presented at MRKETNY this week in Manhattan. Simon Carter was the show favorite.

After burning up the Red Carpet this season on every major entertainment award celebration, Simon Carter's signature London Chic lifestyle has become Hollywood's elite brand of choice. High profile celebrities such as Jason Mraz, Alice In Chains, Adrian Grenier, Josh Sussman, Edin Gali, Crispin Glover, Russel Wetanson, Mike Inez, and Dennis Keene shined on one of the most important nights in their life with Simon Carter.

Grammy Nominee Dennis Keene wore the Simon Carter at this years event. " I am amazed at the design. quality, fit and simply how it made me feel. Simon seemed to know me and how to connect on a personal level."

With a fashionable lifestyle as the hallmark for this swanky celebration, international charity Dress For Success was the biggest winner. Bagir International, the host of the event and the exclusive clothing manufacturer for Simon Carter, provided support for the organization and donated tailored women's suits from its private label collections. Bagir was joined by Bliss Spa?, Russian Standard Vodka?, Chambord?, Dalmore Scotch?, Cheryl's Cookies?, Billy's Bakery?, All Night Invite.com, Jam Printing?, and 1800 Flowers? who all graciously provided support for this anniversary bash.

London Chic Simon Carter welcomed Manhattan Chic designer Jay Godfrey with an opportunity to give the market a first look at his new menswear collection. Up close and personal during the celebration, the evenings VIP's were the first to experience Godfrey's collection. Stunning models, which included rising male supermodel Zenel, were live at the event to showcase what jetsetters on both sides of the Atlantic will be wearing next season.

"Simon Carter is a quintessential brand for men everywhere looking to establish his own personal style, while Jay Godfrey is the perfect choice for a man with a refined taste looking to maintain his rebellious rock star youth," says Tim Danser, Vice-President of Bagir International, represents both Simon Carter and Jay Godfrey in the USA.

About Simon Carter

Simon Carter, the "King of Cufflinks", is known for excellent quality and great design with a touch of British wit. Simon retains the hallmarks of class and high fashion which are always London chic. West End by Simon Carter is retro cool, fun, and edgy while Simon Carter London is the modern gentleman's brand.
Simon Carter has its flagship store in Covent Garden, London and boutiques in Toronto, Osaka and Tokyo and is also available globally in stockist such as Bloomingdales, Lord and Taylor, Selfridges, John Lewis, Brown Thomas and David Jones, and in a growing number of specialty stores worldwide. Simon Carter London and West End by Simon Carter clothing linesare manufactured in an exclusive partnership with Bagir International.

Carter has quickly become red carpet favorite in the USA outfitting Jason Mraz, Alice In Chains, Adrian Grenier, Josh Sussman, Edin Gali, Crispin Glover, Russel Wetanson, Mike Inez, and Dennis Keene

About Jay Godfrey

New York-based designer Jay Godfrey is the founder and creative director behind his eponymous collection of sleek, sexy and sophisticated designs. Perpetually inspired by the chic New York woman, Godfrey's goal as a designer is to meld the classic tailoring techniques of Savile Row with modern silhouettes and luxurious fabrics. The result is his distinctive contemporary collection of dresses and separates that accentuate the female figure.

Godfrey realized his dream of becoming a designer while working his first summer job at Hugo Boss. He studied finance at Montreal's McGill University in order to gain a grounding in business and accounting. Upon graduating, Godfrey headed to Wall Street and worked for Citigroup. While learning the finer points of finance, Jay's goal of designing a collection led him to Parsons School of Design. An internship with Oscar de la Renta fine-tuned the young designer's style and technique, and helped him determine the ultimate Jay Godfrey woman.

Having only been in business for a little over four years, Godfrey has quickly cultivated his signature aesthetic which perfectly lends itself to the fashion-forward and glamorous woman. The collection has caught the media's attention and has been featured in WWD, ELLE, Cosmopolitan and the New York Post. Godfrey's designs have also captured a loyal celebrity following and he is proud to have dressed Megan Fox, Eva Mendes, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Walsh, Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Eva Longoria Parker, Angie Harmon, Zoe Saldana, Hayden Panettiere, Ali Larter, Eve, Carrie Underwood, Zoe Kravitz, and Kim Kardashian to name a few.

Last year ushered in new accolades for Jay Godfrey. Parsons the New School for Design presented the designer with the 2009 Parsons Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of his talent and recent accomplishments; in addition Godfrey appeared on America's Next Top Model as a special guest designer, where he had the honor of dressing the contestants for a red carpet event. On the heels of his success in the womens business and his unwavering love for tailoring, Godfrey will launch a contemporary mens business in late 2010.

Jay Godfrey is sold in Barney's, Intermix, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom, Harvey Nichols Hong Kong and Holt Renfrew as well as numerous luxury boutiques worldwide.

About Bagir International

Bagir is an exceptional designer and manufacturer of men's fashion with innovation and technology. A triad of excellence receiving international awards such as The Queens Award for Innovation, and Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor Award, Bagir is one of Europe's largest suppliers of commercial men suiting. In addition to Simon Carter and M&S, Bagir provides tailored suits in Europe for fashion giants such as Kenneth Cole, Next, Patrick Cox, Moss Brothers, Hugo Boss, Balmain, Burton, Belissimo and has its sights on the US market. Bagir is a leader and multiple patent holders in textile innovations, and designs. With technology innovation as a building block Bagir continues to be a juggernaut by turning their focus wholeheartedly to fashion and design. With their London Design Center, Bagir continues being the leader of commercial fashion by leveraging their expertise of UK fashion and their collection archives to create fashion forward designs for all their global markets and divisions. Their London Design center was created specifically to assist all divisions' capacity to produce quick response fashions, as trends forecast youthful fashion changes every three to four months.

About Dress for Success

Dress for Success, an international non-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 550,000 women work towards self-sufficiency.

To learn more about Bagir, Simon Carter and Jay Godfrey contact:

Tim Danser
Vice- President
Bagir International
499 Fashion Ave
New York, NY 10018
212.560.9650

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Roar Custom Designs a 2010 Camaro Grand Prize for "The Open Road Sweepstakes" Exclusively With Buckle Stores

Roar Clothing announces "The Open Road Sweepstakes" exclusively partnering with The Buckle, to give away a custom 2010 Chevy Camaro to one lucky winner.? Roar Clothing designed this specially customized 2010 Chevy Camaro to reflect the Roar positive and strength based lifestyle.

The contest opened this August 9, 2010 and runs until October 4, 2010 and Roar Clothing & Buckle invite the public to enter to win at http://www.Buckle.com/sweepstakes or http://www.RoarUSA.com. No purchase necessary, and anyone over 18 can enter. For official rules please visit http://www.RoarUSA.com.

Roar Clothing: A Men's and Women's fresh casual clothing company dedication to newness and quality. As richness Roar's throughout our clothing, and a "get it done" positive attitude, moves the company into the future of fashion.?Roar's style "Fresh Casual" exudes confidence and individuality. Roar is currently carried nationwide at The Buckle, Canada Dist., Macys, Dillard's, Metropark, and select specialty boutiques. Fi women's jackets nd our store locator at?http://www.ROARUSA.com.

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Visa Survey Unwraps Gift Giving Insights Just In Time for the Holidays

A new survey commissioned by Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) reveals that 78 percent of respondents will have a holiday budget in place before they begin their shopping. Of that 78 percent, 42 percent start with a specific budget for each individual on their shopping list, and 36 percent start with a specific overall budget number and plan accordingly.

For consumers trying to keep holiday spending under control, prepaid gift cards are seen as one way to stay on track: 64 percent of respondents agree that giving a Visa Gift card can help them stay within their holiday budget.

Visa Gift cards make it easy to stick to a financial plan while giving friends and family a gift that will be well-received. 85 percent of U.S. consumers would appreciate receiving a branded gift card – like a Visa Gift card – to buy something they really want or need. In fact, 65 percent of respondents would prefer to receive a branded gift card rather than a "non-essential" holiday gift, such as a holiday scarf or a bottle of cologne.

The data was collected in a national survey examining consumers' perceptions and habits relating to gift giving.

"Visa Gift card givers enjoy one-stop shopping and the ability to tailor gift card amounts to their budget – which is especially important as consumers keep a keen eye on spending this holiday season," said Hyung Choi, head of U.S. consumer prepaid products, Visa Inc. "At the same time, gift card recipients have the flexibility to treat themselves to a little luxury they've wished for, but might not otherwise experience, or to cover more practical needs."

Give a gift they really want

The survey also revealed the fate of well-intentioned, but off-the-mark gift ideas:

•     42 percent of consumers still have at least one unopened holiday gift from last year in the back of their closet
•     Nearly as many (38 percent) admit to returning at least one holiday gift from last year
•     28 percent admit to re-gifting at least one women's jackets of their holiday gifts from last year

The price of giving the wrong gift can add up. Of those unused and unwanted gifts, 24 percent of respondents estimate the dollar value to be worth $51-$100 and 11 percent estimate the gifts to be worth more than $100.

Visa Gift cards let recipients choose the gift that means the most to them. When asked how they would use a Visa Gift card if they were to receive one this holiday season, the top three responses were:

•     To indulge in something they might not normally be able to afford, such as a special dinner, jewelry, clothing or personal electronics (65 percent)
•     To get what they didn't receive from their holiday wish list (57 percent)
•     To buy "life essentials" such as groceries or household products, or to pay bills (54 percent)

Visa Gift cards can be used at the millions of locations that accept Visa Debit cards, giving recipients the convenience and flexibility to use the card where they want, for exactly what they want.

For additional holiday insights, visit the Visa Gift Giving Survey Fact Sheet here. For more information about Visa Gift cards, please visit http://www.visa.com/gift.

About Visa Inc.
Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 10,000 transactions a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit http://www.corporate.visa.com.

About the Visa Gift Giving Survey
The 2010 Visa Gift Giving Survey was a telephone survey conducted among a national probability sample of 1,005 adults comprising 504 men and 501 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States. Interviewing for this CARAVAN? Survey was completed during the period July 8-11, 2010.

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Living XL Products Help You Ease Into a New Year's Exercise Routine

Sticking to those New Year's resolutions, getting in shape and creating a healthy lifestyle for 2011 is now a lot easier for big and tall men and women with the help of new, innovative products from Living XL.

Living XL, a division of Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMRG) proudly introduces the latest innovative products to make life more convenient and comfortable for plus-size men and women.

From burst-resistant Body Balls to Professional Exercise Machines, Living XL offers a variety of durable products and ways to stay healthy.

Start With A Scale
The Escali? Body Fat/Body Water Analyzing Scale, one of our top selling items, has a 440 lb. weight capacity and measures body fat, hydration and weight.
http://www.livingxl.com/store/en_US/catalog/browse_sku.jsp?clear=true&catID=cat40200&prodId=X1946&id=cat40200

Many Living XL scales have 500-1,000 lb. weight capacities, and are made of heavy-duty materials that make them extremely durable.

There are even multifunctional digital kitchen scales, perfect for precise measurement of foods, in both pounds and ounces.
http://www.livingxl.com/store/en_US/catalog/browse_sku.jsp?clear=true&catID=cat40200&prodId=X1854&id=cat40200

Exercise Equipment
Strengthening arms and legs without heavy lifting or joint stress is easy with the motorized E-Z Cycle. Whether pedaling with hands or feet, the 10" adjustable straps fit safely and securely. There's even a digital display that tracks calories, revolutions and time. Priced at under $150, the E-Z Cycle is the right piece of equipment to ease into a strengthening routine at home.
http://www.livingxl.com/store/en_US/catalog/browse_sku.jsp?clear=true&catID=cat10097&prodId=X1782&id=cat10097

Taking a routine up a notch is made simple with a Cardio Bike. Available in a standard upright style or a seated comfort style with full back support.
http://www.livingxl.com/store/en_US/catalog/browse_sku.jsp?clear=true&catID=cat230188&prodId=X1805&id=cat230188

Exercise accessories, including hand weights, exercise balls and oversized gel bike seats as well as foot, knee and back braces and stabilizers also ensure a safe, secure workout.

Whatever the routine, Living XL is dedicated to providing big and tall men and women products that are specially and proportionally designed with certain needs, sizes and weight capacities in mind.

About LIVING XL and Casual Male Retail Group
Living XL is a division of Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. CMRG is the largest retailer of big and tall men's apparel with operations throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. operates more than 460 Casual Male XL retail and outlet stores, over 20 Rochester Clothing stores, and direct to consumer businesses which include several catalogs and e-commerce sites. The Company is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, and its co women's coats mmon stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "CMRG."

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2005 Sore Thumbs Awards Â?Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas awarded Game of the Year

Tips: Find Street Fashion Online(may be you can find what you want on the oasap.com)

Club Dresses Worn by Celebrities Selling at Amiclubwear.com Summer Sale Event

While professional fashion designers may find inspiration for their looks in the most unlikely places, casual fashionistas tend to find theirs among magazines, TV shows and Web sites geared toward celebrity gossip and red carpet reviews. Ami Style, Inc. is capitalizing on this trend by launching a massive summer sale event on amiclubwear.com.

The new summer fashion lineup on amiclubwear.com includes several club dresses that have soared in popularity due to their appearances in paparazzi and promotional photos of young stars like Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba and Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen. Other summer hits among the site's fashionable women's clothing online selection include swimwear, footwear, handbags and jewe Tips: Find Street Fashion Online(may be you can find what you want on the oasap.com) lry.

"Amiclubwear.com is dedicated to the ideal of providing the finest online purchasing experience," says Yang Yang, President of Ami Style, Inc. "Our shoppers will find runway styles including brand-name fashion heels, boots, stilettos, dresses, jumpers, rompers and more at affordable prices."

Although the actual fashions worn by the celebrities that most frequently appear in fashion magazines and tabloids can easily cost several hundred dollars or more, the summer sale on amiclubwear.com features dozens of the same popular club dresses for less than $30 per garment.

"Amiclubwear.com stands out from its competitors by providing true celebrity style at genuinely affordable rates," explains Yang.

In addition to offering substantial discounts on a diverse, fashionable women's clothing online inventory, amiclubwear.com also offers its customers several unique ways to browse for new fashions. Shoppers can not only browse by garment category, they can also review all fashions of a specific color or from a particular designer.

Amiclubwear.com even features celebrity-specific product listings so that customers can easily buy all of the dresses, shoes and accessories inspired by their favorite celebrity's signature look. Shoppers that need a little extra help keeping up with the newest styles can also navigate directly to the latest summer fashions to be added to amiclubwear.com by browsing through the "Just In" section.

To see the low summer sale prices on the most fashionable women's clothing online or to learn more about Ami Style, Inc., please visit amiclubwear.com.

About Ami Style, Inc.:

With its focus on making fashion-forward, celebrity-driven styles available at discount prices, Ami Style, Inc. quickly rose to prominence within the online fashion sales industry. Through its Web-based storefront at amiclubwear.com, Ami Style, Inc. has sold thousands of affordably priced club dresses made famous by Hollywood's hottest young celebrities. Today, amiclubwear.com features an enormous range of fashions that includes swimwear, shoes, intimates, costumes and accessories.

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New Zaggora Hotpants Fan Page Goes Viral: Fans Eager to Try Clothing Designed to Attack Cellulite and Help Them Lose Weight

The upcoming launch of Zaggora Hotpants has the company's fan page buzzing. Using only Twitter marketing since launching the website 2 weeks ago, the company has had over 23,000 visits and over 10,000 Facebook 'likes.' Over 1,000 women, eager to lose weight and reduce cellulite, have signed up to be brand ambassadors for Hotpants. On Saturday, the fan page went 'viral' registering over 500 'likes' in just an hour.

The official delivery of Zaggora Hotpants is scheduled for June 29th. Zaggora currently has 300 women signed up to write about their experiences on Zaggora's Facebook fan page, providing real life testimonials, or 'social proof,' for anyone interested in Hotpants.

Hotpants were specially designed by Dessi Bell in London after finding that there wasn't anything in the market to really help her attack cellulite and lose weight before her wedding. She researched materials and fabrics after realising that comfortable clothing that targeted the areas women care about such as bum, thighs and tums, was the way forward.

After 12 months of development she found that during Hotpants trials women lost weight as well, an average of 2 jean sizes in 2 weeks.

Speaking about the craze so far, Dessi says, "It's been such a fantastic response, we're quite overwhelmed. On some days, the team doesn't have time to do anything but respond to emails and tweets - women just seem to love the idea - we haven't even delivered any yet.

"Women every Tips: Find Street Fashion Online(may be you can find what you want on the oasap.com) where want to lose weight and look good naked this summer. Wearing Zaggora Hotpants helps them use natural body heat to maximize workouts," says Dessi.

Specially designed with Celu‐Lite? technology, Hotpants maker Zaggora says they work hard to reduce body fat and the visible appearance of cellulite by using natural body heat to increase perspiration by up to 80%.

Hotpants are available for media outlets to review.

http://www.zaggora.com

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Online Shopping Mall MyReviewsNow.net Spotlights Fall Jennifer Lopez Collection at Kohls.com

Ladies who want to shop online for elegantly affordable women's clothing and turn more than a few heads this season can now head to reviews leader MyReviewsNow.net, and explore the new fall additions in the Jennifer Lopez Collection at their affiliate partner Kohls.com.

Designed for sophistication, style and versatility, the Jennifer Lopez Collection at Kohls.com features stunning wide leg chiffon pants, chic accordion-pleats tanks, sizzling straight-leg jeans, trend-setting double-breasted cardigans, and much more. Plus, ladies who shop onlin Tips: Find Street Fashion Online(may be you can find what you want on the oasap.com) e now at Kohls.com will save big on a number of specially-selected women's clothing items available in an array of sleek colors and styles. They'll also enjoy 99 cent shipping on every item.

"The Jennifer Lopez Collection empowers women to look and feel their best," commented Lina Andrade, Affiliate Relationship Spokesperson from MyReviewsNow.net. "And now, ladies can shop online at Kohls.com and take advantage of the great new fall additions. It's the ideal time to shop and save, or browse for perfect gift ideas!"

Shoppers can browse the new fall-inspired women's clothing items in Kohls.com's Jennifer Lopez Collection via MyReviewsNow.net's Online Department Stores Portal. They can also read helpful reviews left by other shoppers, and leave their own feedback.

For more information or media inquiries, contact Lina Andrade at info(at)myreviewsnow(dot)net. Press release issued by SEOChampion.com.

About MyReviewsNow.net

A virtual shopping mall of men's, kid's and women's clothing in addition to thousands of services, products and publications available online, MyReviewsNow.net is a business directory that sets itself apart from similar sites by offering both professional reviews and customer testimonials on the Internet's hottest offerings in a fun, simple format that is easy for visitors to shop online and enjoy. Access to MyReviewsNow.net is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there are never any registration or membership fees.

About SEO Champion

SEO Champion was started in 1999 and is owner operated by Michael Rotkin, SEO Specialist for over 17 years. Michael Rotkin's goal for his clients is to "own" keyword placements for the top 3 slots organically, so that his clients can earn a higher return on investment from their advertising dollars. Rotkin realizes the value of SEO over Pay-Per-Click campaigns, where click-throughs are generally more expensive and harder to convert into sales. SEOChampion's intense work ethic can be seen in daily and weekly reports that show progress through organic keyword gain. This effort is the reason his SEO firm has been able to build a loyal client base for many years. Learn more at SEO Champion.

DownEast Basics Selects Colorado for First New Store Opening in 2011

DownEast Basics, a high-style, low-price fashion retailer that specializes in trendy fashions as well as modest clothing, will celebrate the opening of its Littleton, Colorado, store by offering the chance to win a shopping spree. The store, located at the Southwest Plaza Mall, is the first new opening of a DownEast retail location this year.

"As a former Denver resident, I'm familiar with the fun, family-oriented culture the metro area has to offer," said Klane Murphy, CEO of DownEast. "We're excited to make Denver our first new store location in 2011 and to offer its shoppers boutique-look fashions at a value price point."

Denver Store Part of DownEast's Western Expansion

Denver is the second-largest city in the Mountain West and Southwest after Phoenix, and according to Murphy it was a logical continuation of the brand's expansion strategy in the Western United States. DownEast's western expansion has included new stores in Wyoming, Nevada and California in the last 24 months. In Arizona, the brand has enjoyed such a surge in consumer demand that the Phoenix metro area now has a total of five DownEast locations.

"In the same way that we quickly grew our footprint in Arizona, we plan to open additional stores in the Denver market – especially if the Littleton store performs to our expectations," said Murphy.

DownEast Offers "Shopping's More Fun with Your Girlfriends" Giveaway

To celebrate the store opening, DownEast will offer shoppers a chance to enter a "Shopping's More Fun with Your Girlfriends" giveaway that will run from Friday, March 4, to Friday, March 11, 2011. Customers will have the chance to register for the giveaway in person at the Southwest Plaza Mall location and also take advantage of other special grand-opening promotions. The giveaway will award one lucky winner a shopping experience valued at $200 and also present a $50 gift certificate to each of four friends selected by the winner. The winner does not have to be present at the time of the drawing on Saturday, March 12, to win.

For contest updates and apparel fashion news, local customers can join the DownEast Basics Facebook Fan Page. They can also follow the DownEast By Design blog (downeastbasicsblog.com) for special insights from DownEast's Product Development Team.

Visit the New DownEast Basics Store in Littleton

The new DownEast Basics store is in the Southwest Plaza Mall at 8501 West Bowles Avenue in Littleton, Colorado. It is located on the mall's lower level next to Pac Sun and across from Buckle.

Amy Miley will manage the store's staff of four. She began her retail career as a style consultant for Gap Inc. and most recently served as store manager for Blockbuster Video in Littleton.

About DownEast Basics

DownEast Basics (http://www.downeastbasics.com) offers high-design looks on a bargain basement budget for today's cost-conscious yet fashionable consumer. The DownEast Basics clothing line features smart layering pieces and wardrobe enhancing garments so you can embrace the American classic look wi women's jackets th your own sense of style.

Shop for cute tops, modest dresses and accessories for women and girls at DowneastBasics.com.

The fast-growing retailer operates nationally with its Basics line via its online store in addition to 42 locations throughout the West including Utah, Colorado, California, Idaho, Arizona, Washington, Nevada and Wyoming.

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Forever 21 Holographic Fashion Show Wows Vienna Crowds

Forever 21, the global fast fashion leader, wowed crowds in Vienna, Austria today with the first of eight holographic fashion shows around the world, conceived and produced with the help of space150. The show, held in a special venue at Volksgarten, Vienna, Austria, to celebrate the opening of the flagship Vienna retail store, gave invited fans and customers the chance to see breaking fashion trends in a runway show comprised entirely of holographic models.

"Our customers are always searching for the next big thing, or fashion trends before they happen," says Linda Chang, senior marketing manager, Forever 21. "We love that about them, so we are always thinking about how to surprise them, show them things they've never seen before and give them new exciting ways to get involved with Forever 21."

Conceived by digital agency, space150, the show features a runway first: no live models. Holographic models, wearing designs from Forever 21's new line, walk the runway, disappear into starbursts and climb invisible staircases that light up underfoot. The Vienna premiere is the first of eight events including upcoming holographic runway shows in London, Belgium and New York.

"Forever 21 is a phenomenon," says space150 founder and CEO Billy Jurewicz, "They're a leader in bringing accessible, up-to-the-minute fashion to customers everywhere. We designed these holographic shows as a more advanced way to premiere a new line that is more controllable, less hassle and has much greater impact for the same price as a traditional runway event."

Forever 21's program of digital brand entertainment began in June 2010 with the introduction of an interactive Forever 21 billbo women's jackets online ard in Times Square, New York. Also conceived in partnership with space150, the board located on the site of the iconic Virgin billboard, features giant onscreen models interacting in real time with customers on the streets outside the store. Models snap Polaroids of the crowd in real time or pick people up and drop them into a store shopping bag.

"Our whole approach at space150 is about destroying convention to create demand," adds Jurewicz. "We're not saying the traditional runway show has seen its end, but this technology and concept really rethinks the idea of what a runway can now do."

For more technical information, photography, video, interviews, contact: steve.gill(at)space150(dot)com or 612 839 9730.

About Forever 21 (http://www.forever21.com)
Forever 21 headquartered in Los Angeles is a specialty retailer of women's and men's clothing and accessories, known for offering the hottest and most current fashion trends at a great value to customers. Forever 21's model of fast fashion works by keeping stores exciting with fresh inventory brought in on a daily basis. The brand operates 450 stores in the United States with operations internationally in Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand and UAE (Dubai and Abu Dahbi). For more information visit http://www.forever21.com.

About space150 (http://www.space150.com)
space150 is agency of record for Forever 21 and one of the fastest growing digital agencies in the country with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Minneapolis. Founded more than a decade ago by digital visionary Billy Jurewicz, space150 is a rare combination of digital strategy, creative concepting and technology development. The firm is a business partner for the digital age and works with creative brand startups to industry leading companies including Forever 21, International Dairy Queen, Optum Health and American Express. The firm employs 150 people across all disciplines in its three growing offices.

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Still in Style Consignment Store is Having a Grand-Opening July 9th Weekend Introduction Event

Vintage and modern labels fill the shop. Recently partnered with the Alala Cancer Society of Greater Columbia, Still in Style now carries Ball Gowns in all sizes ranging from 2-24. The Alala Cancer Society of Columbia, SC consigns large lots of beautiful short and long gowns in a variety of colors. A percentage of all the gowns that are sold are donated to help fight a disease that has afflicted so many. Additionally, any item consigned that doesn't sell within the 90 day period, with the customer's permission, is donated to "Sister Care." They pride themselves on helping the community in some small way, as well as serving the customer who is on that "Still in Style" budget.

Being Pioneers, Still in Style, strives to be different from other full-line consignment stores. They carry women and men shoes, clothing, home décor, and furniture. Many consignment stores do not carry masculine items, but in their desire to be trailblazers, decided to appeal to male consumers. They carry men's new and gently used shoes and sneakers, casual and dress shirts, suits, ties, polo shirts, and a large variety of jeans. Brands such as Carole Little?, Old Navy?, Talbots?, still have the tags on them. In men's footwear they carry lines such as Stacy Adams ?, Puma sneakers ?, and other popular brands.

Absolutely pleased to find rare and unique items no longer found in local department stores, the owner, Roz, decided to share her unique talents and offer those findings to you. With a background in customer service, both Roz and her daughter, whose detailed eye knows just what a customer needs, are there to greet clients as they walk into the shop. They strive to make customers feel a sense of pride through the store displays, placement of the merchandise, and the overall attractiveness of the store. The new store has a variety of furniture, bric-a-brac, and unique collectibles sure to trigger the imagination of many in this special corner of the world.

With over 1500 feet of showroom space, the store has room to display items you desire to consign, showcasing them in their best light, allowing them to receive their best price. All are invited to join in celebrating the grand -opening on July 9st, 2011 from 11am to 4pm. They will be having a huge sale for the event and are looking forward to introducing their new facility to the neighborhood. This is the best place in the area to find rock bottom prices on beautiful and unique designer furniture and clothing.

"Many have donated good quality clothing to charitable organizations, in the past but in today's economic climate, more people are turning towards consignment as a cash earning alternative when cleaning out their closets." In turn, more consumers are looking for alternatives to mainstream department stores. Shops are seeing as much as a 20% increase in sales this year.

Find a unique line of;

•     Wedding Dresses
•     Prom Dresses
•     Bridesmaid and Ball Gowns
•     Men's Suits
•     Men's Jackets
•     Women and Men's Shoes
•     Purses and Accessories
•     Jewelry
•     Bed and Bath
•     Appliances
•     New and Used Furniture
•     Art
•     Crystal Glassware
•     Men and Women's Clothing
•     Bric-A-Brac
• &nbs fashion jackets p;   Gifts

Located across from the Bi-Lo Plaza
Still In Style
West Friarsgate Plaza
7971-2 N. Woodrow Street
Irmo, SC 29063
(803) 445-2707
Thank You for your business!

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Momentum is Building for Simon Fashion Now® at Town Center at Boca Raton with a New Presenting Sponsor, Exciting Retailers and More

Simon Fashion Now?, the nation's premier, trendsetting free fashion event, will make a lasting impression at Town Center at Boca Raton on Sept., 23-24 with new presenting sponsor Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach, Bentley & Rolls-Royce and a host of leading retailers showcasing the newest fall trends. The event is a must-see for all fashionistas with exciting runway shows, the "Design Wars" Ga Ga Over Fashion Challenge, style and beauty demonstrations, in-store events, special retailer discounts and more.

Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach, Bentley & Rolls Royce will be recognized as the presenting sponsor of this year's Simon Fashion Now. Town Center at Boca Raton shoppers will revel in the opportunity to preview the latest ultimate luxury cars.

Their participation will be a welcome addition as the event gets into high gear in support of Boca Raton Regional Hospital's "Partners in Pink" community effort with a VIP Reception on Fri., Sept. 23. This will be an invite-only opportunity that will be immediately followed by a special public preview of Simon Fashion Now's trend setting runway fashion shows at 7 p.m. The much-anticipated event continues on Sat., Sept. 24 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. with more runway shows featuring an abundance of styles for men and women ranging from casual daywear to sophisticated evening attire.

"Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach, Bentley & Rolls Royce is thrilled to be a part of Simon Fashion Now, a signature and fashion forward national event," said Ralph Avila of Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach, Bentley & Roll-Royce. "As the automotive leader in ultimate luxury and excellence, we feel this event is a perfect showcase for our discerning and distinguished customers who enjoy shopping at Town Center at Boca Raton."

Simon Fashion Now presented by Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach, Bentley & Rolls-Royce will feature an impressive collection of retailers during the Friday evening runway event, as well as the afternoon runway shows the following day. Top retailers will include Anne Fontaine, Cache, CH Carolina Herrera, Custo Barcelona, Elie Tahari, Guess, Lilly Pulitzer, Lucky Brand Jeans, Tommy Bahama, Neiman Marcus and Ulysse Nardin. Unlike fashion week runway shows, though, each featured look will be available for immediate purchase.

To add to the excitement on Saturday, TV celebrity models including Nathalie Poza, NBC6; Keli Fulton, WPTV Channel 5 and Shelli Lockhart, WPBF Channel 25 will walk the runway in support of area local charities. Also, avant-garde fashion fans will get their groove on with this year's "Design Wars" Ga Ga Over Fashion Challenge, featuring cutting-edge creations inspired by Lady Gaga's iconic and eclectic sense of style. The challenge will be judged by local celebrities Michelle Visage of 93.9 MIA FM personality and LOGO Network's RuPaul's Drag Race, Boca Raton's own American Idol Season 10 contestant Brett Loewenstern and City Link's pop culture blogger, Glamazon Files writer and Boca Piquant editor Joanie Cox. Rounding out the fashionable happening will be "style stops" hair and cosmetic demonstrations by leading beauty retailers, giveaways, the Ready, Set & Style shopper challenge and more.

"Town Center at Boca Raton is the perfect backdrop for this premier celebration of luxurious and affordable style. With Bentley and Rolls-Royce as two iconic luxury brands that resonate deeply with our shoppers and a great collection of leading retailers presenting hot fall looks, we know this event will be every fashionista's dream come true," added Ellen Korelitz, director of mall marketing and business development for Town Center at Boca Raton.

For additional information about Simon Fashion Now presented by Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach, Bentley & Rolls-Royce, please call (561) 368-6000 or visit http://www.simon.com.

Town Center at Boca Raton, South Florida's premier luxury shopp women's jackets ing destination, features 220 prestigious and internationally recognized stores, including Coach, Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari, Cartier, Ulysse Nardin, Michael Kors, Williams-Sonoma, Intermix, Pottery Barn, Ann Taylor, Louis Vuitton, Origins, Juicy Couture, Godiva Chocolatier, abercrombie, anne fontaine and Tory Burch, as well as leading anchor stores Bloomingdale's, Macy*s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Sears. Town Center at Boca Raton, owned by Simon Property Group, is located at 6000 Glades Road in Boca Raton. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Mon. through Sat. and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sun. Restaurants enjoy later hours. Shoppers can follow the activities at Town Center at Boca Raton on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TownCtrAtBoca or Twitter at twitter.com/TownCtrAtBoca

About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 392 retail real estate properties comprising 263 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company's common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group website at http://www.simon.com.

About Simon Fashion Now?
Originally conceived from grand opening events at properties like The Galleria in Houston, TX, The Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas, NV and The Domain in Austin, TX, Simon Fashion Now has evolved into a coast-to-coast tour of vibrant fashion shows and events designed and presented by Simon Property Group, Inc. This free signature event designed to make the runway relevant for the everyday fashionista features fashion presentations rivaling industry shows in production values and makes the hottest men and women's clothing, cosmetics and accessories trends of the season immediately accessible from retailers. As part of the celebration of luxurious and affordable style, Simon Fashion Now features Style Stops where shoppers can gain advice and insight into the season's trends in an interactive format. Fashion-savvy shoppers can visit http://www.simon.com or each participating mall's Facebook fan page for the latest event updates, style news, contests, photos and additional information.

About Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach, Bentley & Rolls-Royce
Braman Motorcars has been serving the Palm Beach County area for over 30 years as the premier retailer of new and used Bentley, Rolls-Royce, BMW, Mini, Porsche and Audi vehicles. Acclaimed as the most successful multi-line automobile dealership in the country and regarded as a sound community partner, Braman Motorcars' of Palm Beach sales staff and top-trained technicians are dedicated to making auto shopping a fun, easy and financially advantageous experience. Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach is located at 2901 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach and at 1555 West Indiantown Road in Jupiter, Florida. Follow Braman Motorcars of Palm Beach on Facebook at facebook.com/BramanMotorcars on Twitter at twitter.com/BramanMotorcars or please visit http://www.bramanmotorcars.com for further information.

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Dubai Fashion Week to Showcase Indian Fashion from US

Although South Asian fashion designers are well recognized globally, they earned their international reputation by catering to Western taste. Thanks to a growing and successful Indian diaspora, the international fashion audience is beginning to recognize the distinctive taste of South Asian community. A few US-based Indian designers, like Parna Ghose of Pure Elegance, are taking up the challenge further and blending trend with tradition effectively to make Indian fashion relevant among international audience. Parna is the first designer ever from US to be invited to showcase ethnic Indian fashions like sarees, bridal lehengas, salwar, and kurtis to the upcoming Dubai Fashion Week? (DFW). This invitation from DFW marks a new trend in recognizing Indian fashion that is created globally.

Increased globalization and Internet has given modern South Asian women instant access to the latest global trends. However when it comes to picking their own style, they choose fashion that is tasteful, contemporary, and practical. "My primary clientele is modern, successful, South-Asian women," said Parna Ghose of Pure Elegance - USA. "They are constantly balancing between their external existences in professional life and their internal values at home, with families and in social environments. My goal is to help them manage this disparity and strike a balance through style and fashion".

"The hallmark of our design is in its flawless craftsmanship and attention to detail. We focus on bringing out the individuality and exuberance through our unique, unforgettable pieces," said Parna Ghose of Pure Elegance - USA. Pure Elegance is a fashion brand created in US for South-Asian women worldwide. It is the first of its kind in the USA to combine both high-end Indian fusion fashion and accessories, with exquisite ethnic clothing and jewelry under one roof. Pure Elegance captures the essence of India and blends it with the best that the contemporary West has to offer.

Since its inception about three years ago, Pure Elegance enjoys a strong following worldwide. It now has nearly thirty thousand Fans on its Facebook social-networking page and is one of the fastest growing South-Asian fashion brands in US. With its recent success at the Washington DC Fashion Week, Pure Elegance is eyeing the lucrative and fast-growing Indian bridal wear market that is over four billion dollars in size globally. With this invitation at Dubai Fashion week, Pure Elegance is also hoping to tap into growing South Asian fashion market in the Middle East and beyond.

Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) is a 'by invitation only' fashion design and trade event that brings together major players of the fashion industry from around the globe. DFW "Spring Summer 2012" will be hosted at The Arena Dubai World Trade Center from October 20-24, 2011. This even women's coats t takes place twice every year and enables fashion designers from the Middle East and around the region to showcase their collections to the media, individual and commercial buyers (retailers, buying houses, distributors, wholesalers, agents, and potential franchisees) from around the globe. The five-day event comprises of collection shows as well as exhibition by the designers and their sponsors. As the only industry based fashion design trade event in Middle East, DFW provides fashion designers and corporations the ability to launch their brand throughout the region.

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Spacecat Introduces Shorts That Make Women Stronger and Beautiful Inside and Out

The environmentally conscious sportswear company SPACECAT INC introduces its unique and versatile line of shorts for women, taking sports activities to new levels of fun, comfort and sexiness. Owner, Japanese clothing designer Yumi Miyanishi, and internationally known Certified Ashtanga Yoga teacher Kino Macgregor united forces to create a new type of yoga wear called the Deepfold and the Kino Shorts, thus reinventing the common-place sports garment often seen at yoga studios and elsewhere.
Says Macgregor: "I love to wear shorts while I practice Ashtanga Yoga fashion coats , and it has helped me develop much more inner strength. Instead of relying on the fabric to prevent slipping I have to find the strength from within. I also love bright colors and fun patterns, and I wear these colorful shorts so often that people asked me if I would one day make my own. So now I am happy to introduce these fun Yoga shorts in two styles designed by SPACECAT."
They are perfect for yoga, skateboarding, rollerblading, running, biking, working out at the gym and even sexy new trends like pole dancing. SPACECAT uses technologically advanced textiles, such as the moisture-wicking Supplex, which feels as soft as cotton but prevents stickiness during perspiration, and a high-performance lining called Coolmax for faster drying and a cooling effect during the activities of today's women. SPACECAT'S innovative Deepfold also uses an ingenious and versatile flap that can either fold down for low waist comfort or fold up for more tummy coverage. The Kino shorts offer a range of cool designs you won't see anywhere else. In "short" they are for women who love to work out and get stronger while still looking their best, inside and out.
"Having a fashion and active wear design background gave me the inspiration to create the kind of yoga and sportswear garment that I would want to wear to do my Ashtanga Yoga practice," says Miyanishi, who launched the line in May 2010 from her home in Miami Beach, Florida. "I shared my vision with many of my yoga friends, who supported and inspired me, and SPACECAT was born." SPACECAT specializes in shorts that have been created outside the box, literally! The site delivers its products in earth-friendly packaging, eliminating the use of wasteful plastics and individual tissue inserts. Also, all SPACECAT garments are happily and proudly made in the U.S.A. by a mother-and-daughter team passionate about the endless possibilities of working with such versatile designer.

About Spacecat:
Spacecat was created in New York City in 2000, when Yumi Miyanishi made a claymation short film called "Katzilla"

As a four year old, my favorite thing was making clothes for my Barbie doll! Always interested in fashion and being different, after I started practicing Ashtanga Yoga, I noticed what women were wearing. Seeing the same old yoga/athletic-wear everywhere I thought there must be other women who would like to dress differently to practice yoga or work out. Moving from New York to New Orleans and then to Miami Beach the idea of my own line gradually took shape.

With the encouragement and help of many friends I decided to use my background in fashion design and create yoga/athletic-wear that I wanted to wear.

Spacecat Inc was launched in June 2010 in Miami Beach Florida.

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Sierra Trading Post’s New Social-Savvy Referral Program Hugely Successful

This fall, Sierra Trading Post put significant resources into retooling its customer referral program – Get $10, Give $10 – to create a more user-friendly and social-friendly platform for customers. The result has been substantial growth in new customer acquisition and program revenue for the multichannel retailer.

For the month of November, Sierra Trading Post reports new customer acquisition up 888% and program revenue up nearly 1000%.

"Acquiring new customers is always one of our top company-wide initiatives," says TJ Croissant, marketing manager for Sierra Trading Post. "We connect with many of our customers socially, and our hope is that these loyal fans will spread our brand message to their friends and family. Of course, rewarding new and existing customers with gift cards helps, too."

Sierra Trading Post has made the program very easy to use. It works like this:
1. An existing customer sets up a free account and invites friends to shop STP.
2. If those friends are first-time customers, they get $10 toward their first purchase.
3. The referring customer then gets $10 for each new customer.

"I love the program," says David Simonsen, STP customer and Cheyenne resident. "I referred my daughter in Iowa, and she has already made a purchase. I will be referring others, too."

For details about the program or to create a free account, visit http://stp.me/get10give10.

About Sierra Trading Post: Headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyo., Sierra Trading Post is a multichannel retailer known nationwide for offering "Great Deals. Great Brands." Sierra Trading Post purchases brand name overstocks, closeouts and 2nds, and offers customers 35-70% savings every day. Founded in 1986, Sierra Tr fashion coats online ading Post is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and has saved customers more than $3.25 billion on outdoor gear, shoes, men's clothing, women's clothing, accessories and home furnishings. A top 100 Internet retailer in sales per Internet Retailer Magazine, Sierra Trading Post operates four outlet stores in Boise, Idaho; Reno, Nev.; Cheyenne and Cody, Wyo.; with customer service call centers in Cheyenne and Cody.

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The Xxtra Mile Announces 2012 Triathlon Race Calendar – Danskin Triathlon Series to Feature Eight Races

The Xxtra Mile LLC (http://www.xxtramile.com), a women's and girl's active lifestyle company based in New York City, announced its 2012 Events Calendar today, which includes the eight-race Danskin Triathlon Series (http://www.danskintriathlon.net) and two stand-alone Events. It is anticipated that, collectively, the 8 all-women Danskin Triathlon Series events, each comprised of a half-mile swim, 12-mile bike and three-mile run, will attract more than 20,000 women and girls and close to 60,000 spectators. Details regarding the two stand-alone Events will be disclosed soon.

"The Danskin," which has been conducted for more than 20 years, has provided the opportunity to "TRI" for more than 375,000 women in more than 150 races, since its start in 1990. It is the largest and longest running multi-sport Series in the United States. In 2012 races will be held in:

•     Orlando, Florida – May 13
•     Austin, Texas – June 3
•     Howell, Michigan – August 5
•     Seattle, Washington – August 19
•     Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin – August 26
•     Sandy Hook, New Jersey – September 9
•     Palm Springs, California – October 7
•     Webster, Massachusetts – TBD

"Our team has delivered the triathlon experience to hundreds of thousands of women and girls across the country, and it still excites us to see the look of sheer joy and achievement as each woman crosses the finish line," said Xxtra Mile Partner and Series Director Maggie Sullivan. "The stories that we hear from women about how our event has changed their lives is something we cherish. It is what motivates us to continually listen to our participants about what they want and need in order to produce the best races in the country."

Ms. Sullivan continued, "We are thrilled women's coats online to announce that joining long-standing Platinum level sponsors of the Danskin Series - BIC Soleil and Whole Living Magazine - will be Giant Bicycle, under the Liv/giant brand.

A multi-year agreement that launches with the 2012 Danskin Triathlon season will position Liv/giant securely in the Official Bike category of the sport's pre-eminent Series for women through 2014. Liv/giant is a cycling brand dedicated to the female rider. As the Official Bike Sponsor of "the Danskin," Liv/giant makes clear its support of female consumers and their desire to ensure that the call to action to "get back to bike riding" – on whatever level one chooses - is heard far and wide. I say – let's go ride our bikes!"

"We're proud to join the Danskin Tri Series," said Elysa Walk, General Manager of Giant USA. "We launched the Liv/giant brand only last summer, and the response from women cyclists has been overwhelmingly positive. More female athletes will discover the fit, form, and function of Liv/giant bikes and gear at Danskin events." She added, "The Liv/giant mission fits perfectly with 'the Danskin' – we're both all about women leading happier, healthier, more adventurous lives."

As part of the Series' continuing effort to make this experience available to the broadest portion of the gender, it will offer seven official entry categories – Age Groups (separated by five-year increments), Mixed Age Group (so women can do the race with family and friends), Athena (150lbs +), Women in Uniform (military or government), Physically Challenged, Elite and Relay Teams (2 or 3 women; sharing the 3 legs of the Race). Participants aged 14-21(14221), can take advantage of a reduced entry fee of $60 at each Race.

The Xxtra Mile is proud to continue its partnerships with both The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and The National Association of Team Survivor (NATS). BCRF was founded in 1992 by the Lauder family has raised over $270 million to support the most advanced and promising breast cancer research that will help lead to prevention and a cure in our lifetime. NATS is a non-profit organization that provides women who have a present or past diagnosis of cancer with free group exercise, health education classes and support programs. One hundred percent of money raised through the Participant Pledge Program goes directly to these organizations.

The Xxtra Mile will again partner with a local women's shelter and local food bank in each race market. Race participants will be encouraged to donate personal care products, clothing, food and other miscellaneous items that will be collected and donated to the organizations.

For more information about the Xxtra Mile, the Danskin Triathlon Series or our other Events, visit http://www.xxtramile.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Xxtra Mile LLC
The Xxtra Mile LLC is a women's and girls' active lifestyle company based in New York City. Its properties currently include the Danskin Triathlon Series, Team Future?, a mentoring and training program for women and girls, and BRAIDS?, a think tank for women's and girls' active lifestyle initiatives. Danskin is a trademark of Studio IP Holdings LLC. Xxtra Mile?, Team Future? and BRAIDS? are trademarks of the Xxtra Mile. The Xxtra Mile is a women-owned business.

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Rapper Nelly Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of His Clothing Line, Apple Bottoms, at CitiTrends in Atlanta!

Multi-platinum, Grammy-award winning rapper, actor and entrepreneur- Cornell "Nelly" Haynes- will hold an autograph signing and meet and greet for fans at CitiTrends in Atlanta, GA. Kicking off the 10-year anniversary of his women's apparel line- Apple Bottoms- Nelly will appear at the retail store to celebrate the success of their partnership and growth of the brand.

CitiTrends, whose corporate office is headquartered in Savannah, GA and has 482 stores in 27 states, will host the Apple Bottoms and Nelly in-store autograph signing.

Showcasing the new spring collection, Nelly and his design team will mark their 10-year anniversary in the apparel business. The lifestyle brand has evolved from signature apple pocket denim to a full scale collection that includes: Apple Bottoms Girls and infant apparel, plus sizes, fragrance, home & bedding, handbags & accessories, footwear, intimates, swimsuits, scrubs, sunglasses, optical and jewelry.

Apple Bottoms, renowned for designing pieces that embrace and celebrate the natural curves of a woman's body, Nelly believes: "A woman should not try to fit into the clothes; the clothes should fit the woman!"

Created to offer the perfect fit for all silhouettes, Nelly is involved in the creative process ensuring that his clothes enhance the beauty of all women who wear them.

Customers who attend the appearance will have the opportunity to meet Nelly, take a photo with him and receive his autograph. One on one media interviews with Nelly will be available prior to the event.

WHEN:    

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Autograph Signing: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Media Interviews: 1:00 p.m.

WHERE:    

CitiTrends

We women's coats st Ridge Shopping Center

3050 MLK Jr. Drive

Atlanta, Georgia 30311

MEDIA: CONTACT APPLE BOTTOMS TO CONFIRM AN ON-SITE INTERVIEW W/ NELLY.

CONTACT:

Apple Bottoms

Chie Davis

chie1(at)att(dot)blackberry(dot)net

Water’s Edge Dermatology Shares New Skin Cancer Studies, Treatments and Prevention Tips for Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. And during Skin Cancer Awareness Month this May, Americans can learn of the many ways to protect their skin and prevent skin cancer—and of the new pharmaceutical options recently approved by the FDA to treat skin cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States, with one in five people having some form of skin cancer. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, will account for more than 75,000 cases of skin cancer in 2012, resulting in roughly 9,000 deaths annually.

"The incidence of skin cancer has reached epidemic proportions and is rising," says John Minni, D.O., a board-certified dermatologist at Water's Edge Dermatology, a leading practice with 16 locations in Southeast Florida. "A recent study showing the large increase in cancer rates among young women due to ultraviolet ray exposure from the sun and indoor tanning—is most alarming."

A study published last month in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that between the years 1970 and 2009, the incidence of melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men ages 18 to 39.

"Men, mostly due to working outside longer, have had a higher lifetime risk of melanoma than women—but this new higher rate among our young women can be attributed to lousy sunscreen protection while laying around the pool and an increased use of tanning beds," says Minni."It's been called the 'Jersey Shore effect'—tanning beds were huge in the '70s and '80s, decreased in popularity and have resurged in the last several years."     

Minni suggests that there are many new self-tanning products and spray-tan booths available to those who want to be tan like the Jersey Shore cast. And, he strongly stresses for sun worshipers and tanning-bed regulars the importance of full-body skin cancer screenings by a dermatologist for early detection. Surgery is the best way to remove early melanomas, with later stages usually requiring more extensive treatment.

For more advanced stages of melanoma, Minni says Water's Edge Dermatology refers many of its patients to Martin Memorial Cancer Center in Stuart, Fla., for oncological opinions and access to the most-advanced options for treatment. Minni has been following the results of a patient he referred to the center with late-stage, nonoperable metastatic melanoma for palliative care, and has seen promising results with Roche's Zelboraf drug, approved by FDA just last August, in extending this patient's life.

"It's always great to add another weapon to the treatment toolbox," says Minni. "Similar to Zelboraf for melanoma, just this past January the FDA approved Erivedge to treat metastatic basal cell carcinoma and Picato to treat Actinic Keratosis (AK), a potential precursor to squamous cell carcinoma."

Minni added that the approval of Erivedge and Picato will be helpful, since basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers—although far less harmful than melanoma if detected and treated early—make up the majority of the 2 million new skin cancer diagnoses annually.

"Although it is great to have new medications, currently surgery—and especially Mohs surgery—is the golden standard for treating basal and squamous cell carcinomas," says Minni. "Pending the case, excisional surgery and radiation may be a better choice for select patients, but we are seeing incredible cure rates with Mohs surgery."

Mohs surgery saves the greatest amount of healthy tissue, appears to reduce the rate of local recurrence and has the highest overall cure rate — about 94 percent to 99 percent — of any treatment for squamous cell carcinoma, and generally, 98 percent or better for basal cell carcinoma, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

"Those are great cure rates, but what is even better is if you protect yourself from harmful UVA and UVB rays and prevent yourself from having to go through any skin cancer treatments," says Minni. "Skin cancer is one of the easiest cancers to prevent if you follow a few easy tips."

Side Bar:

Water's Edge Dermatology recommends the following tips to have fun in the sun and reduce risk for skin cancer at the same time:

•     Generously and regularly apply water-resistant sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more. Make sure the sunscreen is labeled as "broad-spectrum," indicating it protects against ultraviolet A (U fashion coats VA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming or sweating—and use it year-round.
•     Use extra caution when taking sun-sensitizing medications or are near water, snow and sand. Some over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen, and prescription drugs, such as antibiotics, can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Water, snow and sand can reflect and/or intensify sun rays, making it easier to burn.
•     Wear protective clothing, including long-sleeved shirts and pants, a wide-brimmed hat that provides more coverage than a baseball hat and UVA/UVB protective sunglasses.
•     Seek shade during the middle of the day, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest, and try to schedule outdoor activities for other times of the day—even when it is cloudy.
•     Say no to tanning beds. Ultraviolet light from tanning beds can cause skin cancer. New self-tanning lotions and spray booths provide a tan without the risk of cancer.
•     Check your entire body routinely and report skin changes to your dermatologist. New growths, changes in existing moles or bleeding on the skin, require an immediate appointment with a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.

About Water's Edge Dermatology
Water's Edge Dermatology is a leading dermatology practice for medical, surgical and cosmetic skin care in Southeast Florida, specializing in skin cancer prevention and treatment. With its 16 locations and an experienced team of medical professionals, Water's Edge Dermatology provides patient-centered, compassionate care and serious medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of the most difficult cases. For more information, visit http://www.WeDerm.com.

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Mom Entrepreneur is Hopeful to Pitch hipKNOTies? on ABC's Shark Tank

Sarah Yonover, creator of hipKNOTies, the ultimate, one size fits all convertible garment, was continuously being told by friends and customers that she should submit hipKNOTies to Shark Tank. What are the chances? Well, apparently her chances are pretty good. An email sent to Shark Tank back in December resulted in a reply from their casting department in April. After a 20 minute telephone interview, Yonover was informed that she has made it to the video submission round of ABC's primetime #1 watched program.

The hipKNOTies? concept, like most good ideas, developed out of practical necessity. Creator, Sarah Yonover, was packing her family of 4 for a trip to the East Coast where they would be for several weeks. During that trip, they would be in 5 cities with events that ranged from picnics in the park and time on the beach to an elegant evening function in NYC and even a hosted visit of The White House. Packing women's coats can be a challenge to say the least; If only there were clothing and accessories with limit...

And what that thought in mind, Sarah began to play with a simple piece of fabric, some bands, and hipKNOTies? was born! Yonover knows first hand that all women experience frustration getting dressed as a result of clothing not fitting the way it should. "How often do you put on a piece of clothing and take it off because you don't like the way it looks on you, the fit of it, the style of it.... ?", That is a question Yonover poses to all women. And the answer is usually "All the time!" With hipKNOTies, Yonover promises that will never happen again. A one size fits all garment, hipKNOTies is available in 3 lengths; short, medium and long. Based on styling needs and not a one's physical size, women can manipulate and style it to their own desire using a simple, patented hipKNOTies band. There is no wrong way to wear this garment; go from the beach in Hawaii to the best restaurant in New York. hipKNOTies? is available in a variety of colors and fabrics and can transform from a scarf, wrap, dress, top, skirt and more, making it an ideal travel piece.

hipKNOTies is sold online at http://www.hipknoties.com. Priced at $45-$55, hipKNOTies is well on it's way to great success. Regardless of the outcome with Shark Tank, Yonover is humbled to have made it this far.

Contact:
Anjuli Morse
hipKNOTies
Marketing Manager
sales(at)hipKNOTies.com

Top Women’s Clothing Designer Chooses Computer Generated Solutions’ BlueCherry PLM to Integrate Creative, Production Teams

Computer Generated Solutions (CGS), a leading global provider of technology solutions, announced today that Velvet by Graham and Spencer has chosen the BlueCherry PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) software solution to help manage its creative and production teams.

Velvet by Graham and Spencer, a contempora fashion jackets ry clothing manufacturer based in Culver City, California, has been in need of a PLM system in order to better monitor the design process and to integrate it into the BlueCherry system. With a wide collection of PLM solutions on the market, Velvet by Graham and Spencer had other options but chose to go with CGS's BlueCherry PLM based on a core set of factors.

"After a review of products in the marketplace, BlueCherry PLM was an easy decision due to its functionality, ease of use and expanded capabilities with ERP integration," said Henry Hirschowitz, President of Velvet. "As a result of the implementation, we expect to see improved productivity and increased visibility which will allow for better communication and decision making."

As a longstanding BlueCherry customer, Velvet by Graham and Spencer continues to develop its alliance with CGS and the selection of BlueCherry PLM further demonstrates this commitment.

"We at CGS are delighted to have the opportunity to expand our partnership with Velvet by Graham and Spencer," said Paul Magel, President of the Application Solutions Group at CGS. "With its selection of BlueCherry PLM, Velvet by Graham and Spencer will now be able to decrease lead times, improve internal and supplier collaboration, increase process visibility, and achieve many other strategic business enhancements that were previously unfeasible."

BlueCherry PLM helps companies manage design images, product and raw materials development, purchasing and sample approval, and end-to-end workflow tracking.

About Velvet

Velvet by Graham and Spencer designers, Jenny Graham and Toni Spencer expertly fuse soft sumptuous fabrics with modern feminine fit resulting in a timeless contemporary collection that women covet each season. From your treasured weekend tee to your cozy cashmere cover up, Velvet is a chic stable for everyday life. The brand is sold in upscale department stores and boutiques across the U.S. and worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.velvet-tees.com.

About CGS

For more than twenty-eight years, CGS has enabled global enterprises, regional companies and government agencies to drive breakthrough performance through technology. Headquartered in New York City, CGS employs over 4,500 professionals in 20 offices in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. With global delivery capabilities, expertise across leading platforms and deep experience in multiple industries, CGS has become the IT partner of choice for thousands of organizations worldwide. CGS delivers a wide array of proprietary and third-party business applications, technology, business services and business process outsourcing solutions, including customer care, technical support and corporate learning & training. For more information please visit http://www.cgsinc.com
About BlueCherry

A fully integrated enterprise solution with the power to manage the entire concept-to-consumer product lifecycle, BlueCherry enables Soft Goods companies to streamline processes, gain visibility, reduce costs, increase productivity, and enhance competitiveness. Comprehensive BlueCherry capabilities include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Shop Floor Control (SFC), Warehouse Management (WMS), E-Commerce, Salesforce Automation (SFA), Business Intelligence (BI), Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and more.

Long considered the most functionally-complete ERP in the soft goods industry, the BlueCherry enterprise solution leverages the latest Microsoft? .NET, SQL Server? and Silverlight? technologies to deliver a superior user experience and the lowest total cost of ownership for CGS clients. Learn more at http://www.bluecherry.com.

Hunger Games Ready for Shipping on August 18

The Hunger Games,based off of the popular book by Suzanne Collins, is available for preorder at Myhotelectronics.com, and will ship on August 18 at midnight. The movie stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Helmsworth, Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks.

The story focuses on the Hunger Games battle that teenage men and women are sent into once a year and a young woman's story and fight of survival against humanity and live against love.

My Hot Electronics has the DVD and a special edition 2-disc DVD+blu-ray set available.

For more information, visit Myhotelectronics.com.

About My Hot Electronics -

My Hot Electronics is a leading on fashion coats line e-commerce provider of electronics which range from tablets, PCs and cameras to video games, DVDs, Blu-Ray Discs, appliances, lawn and garden products and more.

The store also carries the top brands in electronics and apparel including, Nike, Adidas, Apple, Sony, Samsung, Microsoft, EA Sports, and many more. The company recently began its initial expansion into clothing and jewelry and will continue to expand over the next several months.

Recently, the company launched a new sports-based website specializing in sporting goods and team apparel - sportsfanplayground.com. The store specializes in apparel and memorabilia from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, International Soccer, NCAA and many more.

San Francisco Adaptive Clothing Company, Simple Closures, Launches New Clothing Line

Simple Closures, the creator of a stylish adaptive clothing line for women with physical or cognitive challenges, recently announced several innovative new additions to their line of highly versatile apparel. The new additions, which include several styles of scarves, are a stylish fashion solution for women who want to protect their clothing from spills. In addition, they have introduced new garments with front openings that allow those with fine motor challenges to dress themselves independently.

Simple Closure's vision is to provide high-quality, stylish garments that adapt to the needs of their customers, significantly improving their quality of life and instilling a positive self-image. This unique clothing company is owned and operated by Lynn and Melissa, two registered nurses, who share a desire to help women maintain their sense of self, despite their difficulty with dressing.

"Psychological well being is an often overlooked but critically important aspect of living with physical and mental impairments --- hence our motto: Look Good, Feel Good!" said Lynn Dow, RN, co-owner of Simple Closures.

Simple Closures styles are crafted by well-known San Francisco designer, Joanie Char. Every jacket, top, and pair of slacks is constructed from high-quality, stretchable, washable fabrics. Styles are designed for a fashionable look as well as simpli women's jackets city of use. Adaptive features incorporated into every design are virtually invisible while the garments are being worn.

"Putting on and taking off clothing--easy for most of us--can be a significant challenge for individuals with physical and mental impairments," continued Ms. Dow, RN. "Simple Closures' styles are designed to make these tasks much easier for the wearer, as well as the caregiver." For further information about the fashions that Simple Closures offers and to view the newest additions of Spill Catchers, visit their website at http://www.simpleclosures.com.

About the company:
Two registered nurses, Lynn Dow, RN and Melissa Lee, RN created the company, launching their first line in 2010. Their mission is to continue to assist those with challenges in dressing. For more information visit their website at http://www.simpleclosures.com.

Redondo Shores Shopping Plaza Launches Facebook Page to Offer Deals to Southbay Locals

Move over Groupon, Living Social and Daily Deals, Redondo Shores, a local south bay shopping plaza in Redondo Beach has a new spin on "deals" introducing their new Facebook page for the plaza offering special promotions to those who "LIKE" their page. Redondo Shores (A.K.A. Whole Foods Plaza) is home to the Whole Foods Market and Rite Aid and over 30 complimentary businesses, including Studio Pulse, European Wax Center, Fresh Brothers Pizza and Pure Barre.

"I just live around the corner and I LOVE this plaza because I can get all of my errands run at one place, including my Spinning workout, nails, dry cleaning, pet food and food for dinner!," says Amber Caudle of Redondo Beach.

The Redondo Shores Shopping Plaza is well known for it's Health, Beauty and Fitness shops. Three great workouts are found here, Spinning & Strength Training at Studio Pulse, Pure Barre and Vital Balance Pilates. Redondo Beauty, Cop-A-Tan, European Wax Center, Supercuts, Premiere Chiropractic, Lai Lai Massage, a Nail Salon and dental and optometry offices compliment this mix.

"This place is a hidden gem of the southbay and the fact that I can now get deals and find out about events & specials via their FB page is perfect," says Devesa Niro. "It's convenient, friendly and affordable, that's what brings people here."

"The concept is so simple that I'm surprised that we don't see more shopping plazas using Facebook as women's coats online a way to promote their businesses," says Elise Hartley of Studio Pulse. The management company, Haagen Company LLC backs it 100% and is excited to see its business owners come together and create a sense of community at their plaza.

"The great thing about it is that everyone understands it's about supporting one another and offering a resource for locals to get discounts on what they are already shopping for," says Andrew Graham of European Wax Center.

The Redondo Shores Plaza has free parking and plenty of it, making it easy to shop there. It's located on north Pacific Coast Highway between Beryl and Carnelian where locals will see the big "LIKE" us on Facebook banner. They plan to use this facebook page to communicate special promotions, deals or events going on at the plaza.

"It's a great resource if you have kids," says Jennifer, marketing manager of Whole Foods Market, who is always planning something educational and fun for kids. Fresh Brothers Pizza offers a Kids Club every Tuesday for lunch and at Studio Pulse, kids have fun with their Toddler and Kids Yoga Programs while parents sneak in a workout.

The Redondo Shores Facebook page is just the start of what is planned. Local residents will soon see a glossy flyer in their mailbox offering promotions from each business in the plaza. There will be something for everyone. So if you're local to Redondo Beach, you like deals and keeping a pulse on what's hot, give them the thumbs up!

About Redondo Shores
The Redondo Shores Shopping Plaza, located between Carnelian and Beryl on 405 North Pacific Coast Highway is home to over 30 businesses and has a variety of complimentary services from health, beauty and fitness to restaurants, groceries, pharmacy and pet food; one stop and you will find what you need here. Redondo Shores Businesses include: Studio Pulse, European Wax Center, Dickey's Barbecue, Fresh Brothers Pizza, Child's Play Toys, Masuoka Dental, Eyes on Redondo, Lai Lai Massage, Premiere Chiropractic, Ham Supreme, Redondo Cleaners, Redondo Beauty Supply, Panda Express, Subway, The Pitcher House, Cop-A-Tan, Vital Balance Pilates, Pure Barre, Whole Foods Market, Rite Aid, Citibank, Supercuts, XI Clothing, Frou Frou Women's Clothing, Centinela Feed and Pet Supplies, The UPS Store, Western City Bagel, Verizon, Radio Shack, Apfel Juice and Smoothie, Right-Time Watch and Bay Cities Nail Salon.

London and Bristol Private Clinics Now Offer Confidential Help for Embarrassing Problems

Since Embarrassing Bodies aired on Channel 4 in 2007, the British public have had a real insight into the range of medical problems and the embarrassment caused.
Dr Ross Perry explains:
"Brits may have become more aware of the types of embarrassing medical problems, but seeking help still can be quite problematic. Firstly, for many patients, a visit to their family GP is just too embarrassing to contemplate, which can delay treatment for years or even forever. In addition, the treatment may not even be available on the NHS and if it is, waiting lists can be long and the experience unsatisfactory."
"The private sector does offer an alternative route and the good news is that many of these conditions can be relatively quickly and easily treated with excellent outcomes."
One of the most common embarrassing complaints is hyperhidrosis, also known as excessive sweating. Where perspira women's coats tion is not stopped by anti-perspirant products and wet patches mark clothing, the patient can suffer immense loss of self-confidence. Cosmedics doctors can treat underarm sweating with injections that are guaranteed to work for months at a time.
Cosmedics doctors specialise in mole removal, using the latest laser technology for minimal pain and minimal scarring. For larger moles, excision is available using a light local anaesthetic for a fast comfortable experience.
Skin blemishes such as warts, skin tags are another common complaint. These can be stubborn and resistant to over the counter treatments. Skin tags in the genital area are particularly embarrassing for patients. However, Cosmedics offer fast treatment with the latest technology and methods for rapid healing with minimal scars.
Thread veins and spider veins on the face or body can look unsightly. Dr Perry says
"For these troublesome vein problems, there are a couple of options. For smaller veins or facial veins, laser treatment is very fast and effective; but we also offer sclerotherapy injections for larger veins. Depending on the individual, treatments may be combined for best results."
Another condition which quite commonly presents is excessive or unwanted hair. Dr Perry explains:
"Body hair is natural, but excessive hair can be quite embarrassing for patients, who find it socially unacceptable and unsightly. For example; men may have a particularly hairy back. For women, excessive hair growth can be a particularly distressing and visible symptom of PCOS (poly-cystic ovaries). Laser hair removal offers permanent hair reduction results by literally destroying the hair follicles while the hair is growing.

Cosmedics Skin clinics was established by Dr Perry in 2003 and remains a doctor owned and managed company. The company has 5 clinics in London plus one in Bristol and maintains high standards of professionalism and discretion throughout.

Cosmedics offer a full range of cosmetic treatments including popular botox and fillers; as well as medical treatments including mole removal, skin tag and wart removal, thread vein treatment, laser hair removal and excessive sweating injections.
Call 020 7386 0464 or email info(at)cosmedics.co(dot)uk to book an appointment. http://www.cosmedics.co.uk for further information.

Miss KL Drops Prices by up to 31% on Black Friday Plus Free Shipping

Karmaloop's ladies-only site, Miss KL, is proud to announce its Black Friday mega sale – up to 31% off on clothing, footwear, accessories, intimates, makeup, electronics, home décor, art, toys, and children's items.

But shoppers need to enter two codes at checkout to get the max 31% savings.

31% OFF + FREE Shipping (orders over $300)
26% OFF + FREE Shipping (orders over $150)
21% OFF + FREE Shipping (orders over $75)
16% OFF + FREE Shipping (all orders)

Shoppers must enter miss kl promo code: BLKJACK combined with miss kl rep code: UNLOCK

In the United States, the biggest shopping day of the year is Friday after Thanksgiving. Crowds line up outside malls as early as midnight to snag great bargains from their favorite brands.

Miss KL is offering shoppers the convenience of rummaging through hundreds, or even thousands, of deals from the comfort of their own bed. No more jockeying for position, trying to get in front of the line in a chilly night. And no need to go through hell with riot police, who are often called for crowd control during Black Friday.

This coming Friday, all Miss KL orders get a 15% discount plus free shipping. Orders over $75 get 20% off, orders $150 and up get 25% off, and orders over $300 get a whopping 30% discount.

The Miss KL 2012 Holiday Gift Guide offers plenty of choices in lingerie, bags, beauty, partywear, jewelry, stocking stuffers, luxe gifts, and bundle up items. For those who cannot decide what to buy, Miss KL gift certificates are the way to go. Also sister site PLNDR has huge black friday deal by entering the plndr promo code at checkout.

Miss KL has also launched a photo contest for girls who love nail art. Post those perfectly manicured claws on Instagram with the #NailAddiction hashtag and get a chance to win a limited edition NCLA holiday pack.

Apart from its Black Friday Coupon sale and holiday #NailAddiction contest, Miss KL is giving away $10 to every customer who signs up for its E-list. There's also an ongoing promo that offers $25 off on purchases over $145 plus another $25 on the next order. Shipping to the US and Canada is free, while international orders get $8 off on shipping.

Karmaloop has made it easy for the ladies to shop on the go – or during Thanksgiving festivities – through its exclusive Miss KL app for iPhones and Android devices.

About MissKL.com
MissKL.com is the ladies-only sister site of Karmaloop.com, global streetwear giant and leading voice on media, fashion, and culture for the internet generation. The women behind Karmaloop are now bringing their industry prowess, know-how, and loyal following to this exciting new endeavor. MissKL.com is more than just a retailer – it's a destination for like-minded ladies who give meaning and vitality to the Miss KL philosophy. A product mix of playful to women's coats sophisticated and street to chic is offered alongside editorial content including shoppable lookbooks, curated boutiques, interviews, and killer content. From inspired lookbooks to inspiring ladies, kickass girls the world over can discover, covet, and acquire unique fashion and culture on this fresh platform.

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How To Style Wordpress 2.5

It's soon going to be time to redesign my web site for the "Web 2.0 Age." I have seriously looked at two platforms, Drupal and Joomla, with which to accomplish this.

Drupal and Joomla offer comprehensive packages that, in the case of Drupal, includes a blog and forum as core modules. Theming these platforms can be accomplished through both CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and PHP (Personal Home Page or PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) code modifications. However, these platforms are complex and learning enough to install, manage, and customize these platforms can be a daunting task.

After studying the two platforms, including using them both on my test bed platform and on the Internet, I decided to take a look at WordPress as a possible solution to my future Web needs. I was surprised to discover that the latest version of WordPress is easy to install, easy to use, and easy to theme.

In this article, I will describe how to customize WordPress 2.5.

STYLING WORDPRESS -- THE JAKOB DESIGN

The current design for my personal web site, SelectDigitals.com, is based on work and philosophy of Jakob Nielsen , http://www.useit.com/. Nielsen's work has been dedicated to making usable web sites that deliver content that is easy to find and easy to read.

The design of Nielsen's site (and my site, by permission) is elegantly simple and has the primary goal of delivering content. WordPress also has the primary goal of delivering content. So, my first WordPress design will endeavor to maintain the look and feel of our sites with the added feature of visitor interactivity. I will refer to this as the Jakob design.

There are six major components that make up the look of the default WordPress blog:

1. Header Graphic,

2. Blog Title,

3. Tagline,

4. Page,

5. Background,and

6. Footer.

In order to make the Jakob blog load quickly, I decided not to use a header or footer graphic; and since the design will essentially be the default WordPress theme with a new coat, only a little graphic design work needs to be done. In fact, I only needed to create one graphic to to generate the blog page with it's two column effect. The blog page will "float" centered in a dark-blue *body* background that will serve to frame the page.

Creating the Graphic

A look in the image directory for the default WordPress theme shows the default images used for the Kubrick look. For now, there is only one file of particular interest: kubrickbgwide.jpg. For the Jakob design, the other Kubrick images are not needed but will be needed for the "Fancy", more complex design.

The blog's page will be created from a "slice" through the center of the new design. The slice is a narrow image the width of the blog page.

I began my design by laying out a basic page (760px X 600px) in Adobe Illustrator. I like using Illustrator for artwork of this kind, although other programs could be used, too.

I filled the basic page with the page's background color (not to be confused with the dark blue *body* background). The light background color will will "show-off" colored text, such as the blog's title and tagline.

I overlayed the page with two rectangles, or "columns." The left-hand, 510px-wide column is filled with a pastel yellow color; the right-hand column, 230px wide, is filled with a pastel blue color. The two columns fit within the basic page with a 10px border of page background around them.

In Illustrator, I then placed a 760px X 40px rectangle on the page and used this to make a slice. A slice is nothing more that a representative piece of a larger image, in this case, of the blog design. I saved the slice as kubrickbgwide.jpg. Kubrickbgwide.jpg will be used to generate the blog-page background. As new content is added to the blog page, copies of the slice will be stacked vertically to "grow" the two-column background. This is the only image needed by a browser to generate the blog's home page. The Blog will, therefore, load very quickly.

Pretty easy so far, right? The rest of the design is accomplished through the theme's CSS file and/or through the WordPress administrative interface.

CSS Changes

The default CSS file is in the wp-content_themes_default directory. The CSS text below shows the code changes to style.css. Before making any changes to the default CSS file, I always make and save a copy of the original. The CSS file can be opened and modified with any text editor. Text to be deleted will be shown within square brackets. New or modified text will be shown without brackets.

/* Begin Typography & Colors */

body {

[background: #d5d6d7 url('images/kubrickbgcolor.jpg');]

background: #636f89; /* Set the Body background color to blue */

}

#page {

[background-color: white;]

[border: 1px solid #959596;]

border:none;

}

[#header {

background: #73a0c5 url('images/kubrickheader.jpg') no-repeat bottom center;

}

#headerimg {

margin: 7px 9px 0;

height: 192px;

width: 740px;

}]

#footer {

[background: #eee url('images/kubrickfooter.jpg') no-repeat top;]

background: #fffef2; /* Very light yellow */

}

h1, h1 a, h1 a:hover, h1 a:visited, #headerimg [.description] {

text-decoration: none;

[color: white;]

color:red; /* Make the title red */

padding-bottom: .5em; /* Put a little space between the title and tagline */

}

.description {

text-decoration: none;

color: blue; /* Make the tagline blue */

text-align: center;

}

/* End Typography & Colors */

/* Begin Structure */

#page {

[background-color: white;]

background-color: fffef2; /* Very light yellow */

[border: 1px solid #959596;]

border: none;

}

#header {

[background-color: #73a0c5;]

background-color: #fffef2; /* Very light yellow */

}

/* End Structure */

After making and saving these changes to the style.css file, the newly designed blog page is accomplished.

STYLING WORDPRESS -- THE FANCY DRESS DESIGN

Although I like the simplicity of the Jakob blog design, it will not appeal to everyone. Lots of people just love "glitz." The price of a fancy WordPress dress is often a slower loading blog with no increase in usability. However, for those who want to "dress up" the appearance of their blog, here are additional ways this can be accomplished.

First of all, it should be noted that the background of the default WordPress page uses header (kubrickheader.jpg) and footer (kubrickfooter.jpg) graphics. These graphics are not filled with a solid color, as in the Jakob design, but with gradients. There also appears to be a very small drop shadow under the page.

Because of the complexity of the default page, additional graphics are required and, thus, more slices will be needed. Additionally, when a more complex body background is desired in which to "float" the page, a "seed" image for this might also be required (this is what the kubrickbgcolor.jpg image is for).

As before, I created a drawing of the blog page in Illustrator. The page, with rounded corners, floats on the default WordPress background, has a yellow gradient, and has a small drop shadow.

I first created a 760px X 600px rectangle on the Illustrator artboard. I filled this rectangle with the background color (C:8, M:6, Y:6, K:0).

Next, using the Rounded Rectangle Tool, I drew a 736px X 584px rectangle and filled it with the yellow gradient. Essentially, I made the page as large as possible within the background while leaving enough room for the drop shadow.

Finally, I gave the rounded rectangle a small drop shadow.

In order to insure that the slices will merge perfectly into the *body* background, I created a 60px X 60px square of the same background color (C:8, M:6, Y:6, K:0) and saved it as kubrickbgcolor.jpg. The small image will be used to "paint" the body background. This is an important step as the background used for the body and the background used for the page must match perfectly for the Fancy design.

Creating the Slices

Using the Rectangle Tool, I placed a 760px X 200px rectangle on top of the layout described above. I positioned this rectangle at the top of the layout and used it to make a slice for the header graphic. Before doing this, I disabled stroke and fill.

I saved the slice as kubrickheader.jpg.

I created the footer and page slices in a similar fashion and renamed them as kubrickfooter.jpg and kubrickbgwide.jpg, respectively. Kubrickfooter.jpg is 760px X 63px and kubrickbgwide is 760px X 40px.

There are two other Kubrick images in the images directory: kubrickbg-ltr.jpg and kubrickbg-rtl.jpg (left to right, and right to left). These images are the same as kubrickbgwide.jpg. So, I made two copies of kubrickbgwide.jpg and renamed them accordingly.

CSS Changes

The default CSS file is in the wp-content_themes_default directory. The CSS text below shows the code changes to style.css. Square brackets show which code to delete and new code is shown without brackets. Before making the change, I copied and saved the original file. For the Fancy design, the CSS changes are minimal.

/* Begin Typography & Colors */

body {

[background: #d5d6d7 url('images/kubrickbgcolor.jpg');]

background: #e7e7e7 url('images/kubrickbgcolor.jpg');

}

#page {

[background-color: white;]

[border: 1px solid #959596;]

}

#header {

[background: #73a0c5 url('images/kubrickheader.jpg') no-repeat bottom center;]

background: #e7e7e7 url('images/kubrickheader.jpg') no-repeat bottom center;

}

#footer {

[background: #eee url('images/kubrickfooter.jpg') no-repeat top;]

background: #e7e7e7 url('images/kubrickfooter.jpg') no-repeat top;

}

h1, h1 a, h1 a:hover, h1 a:visited, #headerimg [description]{

[color: white;]

color:red; /* Make the blog title red */

padding-bottom: .5em; /* Put a little space between the title and tagline */

}

.description {

text-decoration: none;

color: blue; /* Make the blog tagline blue */

text-align: center;

}

/* End Typography & Colors */

/* Begin Structure */

#page {

[background-color: white;]

background-color: #e7e7e7;

[border: 1px solid #959596;]

border: none; }

#header {

[background-color: #73a0c5;]

background-color: #e7e7e7;

}

/* End Structure */

After the design and CSS work, the WordPress shows it's new clothes to the whole Internet.

STYLING WORDPRESS -- THE NO-GRAPHIC DESIGN

Nothing every goes wrong when a browser loads a page from the Internet, right? Even if this were, in fact, the case, it is still wise to consider how a page will display in case the graphics can't be found.

In the case of the Jakob design, if kubrickbgwide.jpg did not get downloaded, for any reason, the page would not display acceptably. Because of the light background used for the header and footer, they display normally on the dark-blue background assigned to the body. However, the page content becomes difficult to read: it almost gets lost in the dark-blue background. A lighter background for the body might have been a much wiser choice.

The creator of the Kubrick design solved this problem by assigning alternate background colors to be used if the graphics were not available. The assignments are made within the style.css file:

body { background: #d5d6d7 url('images/kubrickbgcolor.jpg'); }

#header { background: #73a0c5 url('images/kubrickheader.jpg') no-repeat bottom center; }

#footer { background: #eee url('images/kubrickfooter.jpg') no-repeat top; }

If the images are not available, the alternate RGB color value w fashion jackets online ill be used.

If the graphics are not available, the default WordPress blog is still presentable and usable. For an initial page redesign, starting with the basic Kubrick design, without graphics, might be a good place to begin. This can be accomplished by simplifying the statements above:

body { background: #d5d6d7; }

#header { background: #73a0c5; }

#footer { background: #eee; }

The colors can then be changed to try out various blog color schemes. Just change the RGB color codes, save the CSS file, and refresh the browser to see the changes immediately.

Yours for a more successful blog,

Royce Tivel