Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Halloween stores scare up sales, solve unemployment nightmares

Outlets that sell skeletons, zombies and other macabre merchandise are curing a real-life nightmare for some North Jersey residents – unemployment.

Non permanent Halloween shops have employed, and are still hiring, hundreds of workers in New Jersey, and thousands nationwide, to meet what is expected to become strong demand for costumes, lawn decorations and fog machines.

Pat Zinke of Clifton said the seasonal employment opportunities are a single from the reasons she loves Halloween night. She had been out of function for any 12 months plus a half prior to she was hired by the Halloween night Costume Warehouse on Route 17 in Paramus, a pop-up keep operated by a local Occasion City franchise owner.

"There's nobody out there hiring," said Zinke, 46, who was seeking part-time jobs that would allow her to be residence from the afternoon, when her daughter gets out of elementary school. "I even went up for a midnight shift [at a supermarket] and nobody's hiring."

funny halloween costumes Warehouse owner Ellen Samra, who also operates five Occasion City merchants in North Jersey, stated she is hiring "big time" this year. She estimated she will hire "in the hundreds" for her Celebration City shops and her short-term keep. "This is our Christmas," she said.

Samra, along with the Get together Metropolis chain nationwide, are expecting it to be a content Halloween party for retailers. The chain plans to employ 10,000 momentary workers throughout the country for October, about 300 to 400 more than last year.

The National Retail Federation is forecasting that Americans will be less spooked about the economy this calendar year and far more inside mood to spend on costumes, occasion accessories, and decorations. The NRF explained total spending by American families is going to be close to $6 billion, with the average American boosting spending by greater than 17 percent and returning to 2008 levels.

Samra mentioned she has employed a number of people like Zinke, employees who've been unable to procure jobs despite numerous attempts. Yet another Halloween Costume Warehouse worker, Pat Schultz of Lodi, mentioned she had been out of function for 3 years after she was idled by Automatic Data Processing. A brother who was working at the store referred her, and she was satisfied to have the job, she stated.

"It's nice to obtain up and go to give good results each day," said yet another Halloween Costume Warehouse employee, Donna Hayes, 55, of Saddle Brook, who explained she's been in search of jobs "everywhere" with no luck. "I've applied and they'll say we'll give you a call, but they do not call. Instead, I get calls from trade schools. I do not need to go to college. I just want to perform."

At the Spirit Halloween night store in Totowa, district manager Gary Slotais hoping his second season of operating at a short-term keep will translate into permanent employment with Spencer Presents, the parent firm of your Spirit Halloween shops.

Slota worked within the Spirit store on Route 46 eastbound in Totowa last year, then stayed on to work at ToyZam, a temporary toy retailer Spencer Presents operates for your Christmas season. He then was unemployed from January until July, when he went back to give good results for Spirit Halloween night. He is district manager for Spirit shops in Hoboken and Paramus too as Totowa.

Slota claimed he is still hiring for your 3 merchants and is getting applications from people who have been out of work for a yr or longer, too as those who need a second job to supplement their income. But most of his staff, he explained, "are here because they love Halloween night."

Steve Weil, proprietor from the Social gathering Box, an independent celebration store in Lodi known for its large selection of girls halloween costumes and decorations, mentioned he hires a few momentary workers for the holiday but mostly he gives his permanent employees extra hours in the course of the busy season. "And in this economic system, people today are thrilled to have them,'' he explained. Weil predicts the busiest night this season is going to be the Thursday before Trick or treat, as parents rush to acquire costumes for Friday parties at schools.

Spencer Gifts, based in Egg Harbor, opened 850 Spirit retailers this year, 125 more than in 2009, according to a spokeswoman for the corporation. "We're offering five in-store experiences to keep everybody entertained," the spokeswoman mentioned, including displays of animatronic Zombie Babies – "they are creepy and disgusting within the most loveliest Halloween night way possible" – a graveyard display along with a Hollywood Halloween party section featuring life-size screen villains including Freddy Krueger.

Slota said company has been really good since the Spirit shop opened. The Totowa save, which opened two weeks ago, has already sold out of a single shipment of your "Twilight Zone" effect green laser machine, priced at $79.99, and fog machines are flying out the door.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Oprah Winfrey gives away 50 Vera Wang wedding dresses on television

Oprah Winfrey has done it again. While the famous daytime talk show host has been known to gift her audience with everything from goodie bags to new cars, the woman just presented 50 engaged women with their very own Vera Wang wedding dresses!


Af her show. It was then that she asked all the brides-to-be to stand up and proclaimed, "Miss Vera Wang is coming to your rescue!"

After screams and squeals from the audience, the scores of brides-to-be in the audience were shown 11 creations from the designer's White by Vera collection, which will be available at David's Bridal beginning in February 2011.

"These dresses will be available to so many more brides than I've been able to ever reach before," Wang told Winfrey on the show. "So it's a whole new world for us and bridal, with all the same aesthetics and design philosophy."

Sadly, women hoping to score a free wedding dress from Winfrey in the future are out of luck - this is the talk show Queen's final season.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Runway Report: Spring/Summer 2010


From flirty dresses and utilitarian separates to ’60s trompe l’oeil and futuristic motocross, the spring/summer 2010 shows offered looks that were smart, playful, and chic

The strong woman that has dominated the runway the past few seasons was swept aside in a flurry of tulle, ribbon, and bows at the spring 2010 runway shows in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. It appears designers are abandoning a woman whose fortitude matches her survival instincts in favor of something more flou and flirtatious. Their reasons may have to do with cutting budgets—short, transparent chiffon dresses cost less than their longer, more structured counterparts. But while women will always want to look sexy and beautiful, that doesn’t mean they want to appear as if they couldn’t run the world if asked.
That’s not to say there isn’t any sass in this season’s boudoir babes. John Galliano took the ’40s Hollywood siren approach to his state of dishabille by channeling Lauren Bacall in her Humphrey Bogart days, when all a femme fatale had to do to get a man was purse her lips and exhale. Peter Copping’s first collection for Nina Ricci was a delightful exercise in lingerie dressing with layered ruffles and lace. Opting for faux innocence, Chanel had one of its best shows to date, complete with models tromping among haystacks in Karl Lagerfeld’s barnyard wearing eighteenth-century poof-shouldered jackets and short pannier skirts, flower-colored crochet suits, and lace-covered burlap or beribboned dresses. At the show, Lily Allen’s surprise performance of “Not Fair” was proof positive that Lagerfeld knows the younger generation prefers to take its frills with more than just a soupçon of irony. Girls don’t want to just look pretty; they sometimes want to pair a smart-alecky loud mouth with their interlocking C’s.
Oh, the days of just yearning to be a supermodel, mere designer, or lowly slogging-it reporter. Now you have to be a superstar before launching a career in fashion. The lines between pop culture industries have blurred so much that it’s no longer enough to have just one career by the time you’re 25. You need to have three: singer, actor, and, now, clothing designer. What next, brain trust physicists and astronauts? Peripatetic early starters like Justin Timberlake, Allen (who, in addition to modeling for Chanel, launched clothing and jewelry lines), and the Olsen twins (the Row is a favorite of fashion editors everywhere, by the way) know that their style (stylist-manufactured or not) is a beacon for their millions of fans, but they’re doing more than trying to fill their already bulging bank accounts, I think. There is a sincere desire to take a populist approach by sharing one’s ideas of what’s cool to wear, and if you make some extra moola on the side, all the better.
But celebrity designing disastrously careened into a 42-model pileup on the runway at Ungaro, where actress Lindsay Lohan was appointed artistic adviser. The show itself looked more like a rehearsal for a finale of leg-kickers at a porn convention than a runway show for a storied atelier. Heart-shaped pasties bobbed on bare breasts (and, oddly, foreheads) under shirred-jersey, crotch-grazing dresses and skirts, and oversize boyfriend jackets replete with heart-shaped cutouts and fringe, now and again—at times paired with leggings (Lohan’s signature), of course.

From: http://www.elle.com/

5 trends to buy, 5 to ignore


With so many clothing trends in the magazines, movies, and store windows, it can be tricky deciding which ones are best to sport. So for your next shopping spree, here are the top five summer trends to avoid and the top five to pick up on your next pay day.

Don't: Yes, shoulder embellishments are on trend but with any hardware, a little goes a long way. The combination of Kristin Cavallari's chains, spikes, bling and daring neckline dress are all a no-go.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Summer Trends 2010

I don’t know where you guys live at, but it’s starting to get really warm where I am, and I just couldn’t wait to hit the stores and start on my summer getup. So while I was walking around the mall, I noticed a few trends that I really really liked and thought I’d share them with you. If you have any favorite trends for the summer, let me know in the comments below!
Peasant Tops


I can’t tell you how many peasant tops I’ve seen everywhere from Aeropostale to Guess and to American Eagle. I think they’re extremely adorable for summer and what’s even better is that if you have a tummy pouch they hide it just right! So why not pick up a few peasant tops in different colors? So far I got two from Aeropostale, one pink and one white (see pics above!). Pair them with your favorite skinny jeans, ripped jeans, and shorts and skirts.
Ripped/Faded Jeans
Nothing looks better in the summer than a pair of ripped  or faded jeans (or a combination of both!). Pair yours with flats or flip-flops and layered tanks for the ultimate in summer chic!
The Boyfriend Jean


The boyfriend jean was never really my style until I tried on a pair with flip-flops and I couldn’t believe how adorable they looked! I especially love this ripped pair from Aeropostale because 1. the price is right, and 2. they just look sooo hot! I paired that with flip-flops and 2 layered tanks in pink and white.
The Hobo Bag
The slouchy, oversized boho bag is always in style, but this summer especially it stands out. As you can probably already seen, this summer it’s all about being laid-back and enjoying the sun. The styles evoke a relaxed, boho-type of attitude and the hobo bag is the perfect accessory.
Print Dresses
Prints are really big this season and there’s nothing cuter than a printed summer dress. They’re perfect for work, school, beach, and just about anywhere. Pair a printed dress with sandals, flip-flops, heels, and even boots at least until it gets a little warmer!

Hot swimsuit trends

Designers debuted their 2011 swimwear collections at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Miami.
Tyler Rose Swimwear offered bright, bohemian-style suits.


Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Christine Teigen walked the runway in Tyler Rose.
Tyler Rose Swimwear offered bright, bohemian-style suits.
Aquarella
Aquarella
Aquarella
Aquarella
Kooey Swimwear, created by Australian designer Joanne Pellew, uses vibrant colors in a sophisticated way.
Kooey Swimwear
Kooey Swimwear




More Pic : http://www.chron.com/

Sunday, July 18, 2010

How to Determine Your Face Shape

Almost everything you read in a magazine or anywhere else, asks you to determine your face shape in order to determine which hair style looks good on you, which colors, etc. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out my face shape no matter how hard I tried! I wasn’t sure if it was oval or diamond shaped, so I decided to figure out exactly what each face shape entitled. So here is a little glossary on the different type of face shapes. Hope it helps!
Oval Face Shape
Curvilinear shape. Length is equal to one and a half times width, with forehead and jaw the same width. So think of the oval face shape as an egg.
Round face shape
Circular shaped. Length is approx equal to width.
Oblong face shape
Face is longer than it is wide with a long straight cheek line.
Square face shape
Strong and broad forehead with angular jaw.
Heart face shape
Wide at the forehead and cheekbones, narrow at the jawline.
Diamond face shape
Forehead and jawline are narrow with wide and high cheekbones.
Triangular face shape
Forehead and cheekbones are narrow with a wide jawline.


From: http://styletips101.com/