Japanese Ice Bra Aims To Keep Women Cool This Summer.

Ladies, forget pocket fans and frozen margaritas: There’s a new way to keep cool this summer, and comes in your cup size.
Japanese manufacturer Triumph has released a bra that contains built-in ice packs so women can feel “comfortable” when air conditioning isn’t available, MyFox DC reports.
The bra also features a miniature fan to further aid in the cooling process and, for some reason, is designed to look like a fish tank.
The company — which is known for creating novelty products that never actually come to market — apparently came up with the idea in reaction to the need to conserve energy during the hot Japanese summers, particularly in light of the country’s lack of working nuclear reactors in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, according to Agence France-Presse.
While many women have been using their bras for practical purposes such as extra storage for years, it seems the undergarment’s other functions are starting to be taken more seriously by some manufacturers.
Last month, the JoeyBra, a bra that contains a side pocket to store a phone, money or other items was launched with a Kickstarter campaign.
According to Mashable, Mariah Gentry and Kyle Bartlow, junior business majors at the University of Washington, came up with the idea after noticing a large amount of Facebook posts from girls lamenting the loss of their cell phones during nights out on the town.

Bad news, Kate! Nancy Dell’Olio thinks you (and every other woman in Britain) have no style.

To illustrate her point, Nancy tells me about a recent Sunday evening at London’s Dorchester Hotel, where she was having supper.  ‘Two diners came in and they were wearing tracksuits!’ she says, shaking her head in both despair and disbelief. ‘Can you imagine that? At The Dorchester? Tracksuits! It would not happen at a luxury hotel in Italy. It shows a lack of respect, not just for the other diners but for yourself too, no?’

One can only imagine the dagger-looks directed from Nancy’s table towards the poor, unsuspecting tracksuit-wearers who dared to chose comfort over fashion that day.  As far as Nancy is concerned, there is never any excuse for not making an effort.  ‘Even dressed casually you can look glamorous and groomed,’ she states.  To emphasise her point she says that since it was a Sunday, she, too, was dressed down at The Dorchester. Although in her case ‘dressing down’ meant black leather trousers, high-heeled boots, a white T‑shirt and a statement piece of costume jewellery.

Nancy, who harbours ambitions of being given her own British chat show, believes that some British women are scared to embrace glamour and dress sexily as they have been brainwashed into thinking that they will not be taken seriously.  ‘The idea that you cannot be clever and sexy at the same time is something I fought against from an early age, and it’s one of the reasons I became a lawyer and not an actress.  ‘I knew I had a good brain and a good body, and I felt I was entitled to show off both. At law school, I dressed to show off my figure. I make the same effort to look good now. It’s as natural for me as the air I breathe.’

‘When I look around here I see baggy jeans, hooded tops, hair scraped back, no make-up. It’s as if British women think it’s better not to make the effort. They think it’s frivolous, but you can be intelligent and sexy and glamorous all at the same time.’

Today, Nancy is resplendent in a skintight Dolce & Gabbana pencil skirt, a Vivienne Westwood top and a black Moschino leather jacket, complemented by sky-high heels and full make-up, including her trademark smoky eyes and pale, glossy lips. Glamorous? Yes.  Wash-and-go? Hardly.

‘It’s not unusual for me to spend an hour-and-a-half on hair and make-up,’ she says with a shrug. I know what suits me, and getting ready is an enjoyable part of being a woman.’

As a woman who has no children and, let’s be honest, no ‘proper’ job, some might argue that Nancy has more time to devote to herself than, say, a woman who juggles working full-time with raising a family. She’s having none of it though.  ‘I’ve heard the excuses. Women say: “I don’t have the time to fuss about my appearance.” And I say: “Find the time.  If you need 30 more minutes in your day, set your alarm half an hour earlier. Is simple. Being a woman is hard work, much harder than being a man, and it requires commitment. You need to plan ahead.’

While Nancy has an enviably slim size eight figure, and, judging by the admiring glances she attracts, I can testify to the fact that men seem to be mesmerised by her, the fact remains that her own high‑maintenance style is not to everyone’s taste.

Certainly, her fashion sense has been heavily criticised, with the words ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ often appearing alongside her name. But Nancy offers no apologies for her colourful and daring choice of clothes.

‘Yes, I like to draw attention to myself,’ she purrs. ‘It’s fun to be noticed, to be glamorous. It is one of the things Sven loved about me. He knew he could always rely on me to look wonderful on his arm — though I think sometimes he was, how you say, a little upset because I upstaged him.’

Nobody could ever accuse Nancy — who still lives in the Knightsbridge apartment she once shared with Sven — of lacking in confidence, and it’s this Continental va-va-voom which she believes would elevate British women out of the fashion foothills.

In part, her attitude is probably cultural. Nancy hails from Italy, home of Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Armani and a clutch of the world’s other finest designers. It is, she says, a country where bambini are taught the importance of grooming almost as soon as they can handle their first forkful of pasta.

‘Dressing with style comes naturally to most Italian women,’ she says. ‘We learn it at our mother’s knee. I think maybe you do not have this here.
‘But style has nothing to do with being wealthy, or slim, or beautiful. Every woman must find what suits her then develop her own style. I know, for example, that I suit classic, structured-but-feminine clothes with a sexy twist.’

Nancy, who says fellow Italian Sophia Loren is her all-time style icon, insists that her criticisms are well-meant.  ‘I am not wanting to be nasty. Women should be nice to other women,’ she says. ‘But they must understand that their appearance sends a message. And unfortunately, often that message, it says: “I can’t be bothered.” ’

With that, our chat is over and Nancy teeters away in a puff of powder and perfume.  Heads turn and jaws drop as the woman who has undoubtedly never uttered the words ‘I can’t be bothered’ in her entire life makes her glamorous exit.

Essentials by the book.

The experience taught them that rather than focusing on occasional or seasonal dressing, a wiser approach would be to concentrate on ‘’something very real and unfussy and uncluttered”. Even the name of the label – meaning a volume of a greater work – reflects a sober, clean-cut philosophy.

This focus on simplicity means the two-man team don’t have to compromise on quality or muddy their long-term vision. The response to their first collection – for spring-summer 2012, launched in September – has been particularly instructive.

”We love the idea that women will pick up our pieces and think that they’ll slot really easily into their wardrobes,” Lobo says.

”It’s really important that TOME is not a head-to-toe label because it’s not how we design it and it’s not how we intend it to be worn.”

Eventually, they hope to sell TOME worldwide and to see the label stocked in a few key stores. And, of course, they would love to dress some ”dream people”. Lobo was gratified to discover French fashion blogger Garance Dore bought a TOME shirt from a store in New York. The label has also rated gushing mentions in Russh magazine and on websites such as Style by Kling and style site.

But the most important things are still the basics, he says, explaining that – despite all the clothes, look-books, videos and pictures that go into building a new collection – there is just one fundamental measure of success: ”We finally have [our] clothes on bodies,” he says.

”It [all the work] doesn’t mean anything to us until we see a woman put on our clothing and decide it’s worthy of paying for.”

Get a recession-proof style.

You might be clever and well-connected in the office, but this won’t necessarily shield you if the grim reaper of retrenchment sweeps in.
Years of loyalty can be dismissed with a single tap to the shoulder as economic downturn selects its victims more often from the older and “more expensive” ranks of employees.
So how about some “retrenchment proofing” by ensuring you look modern and engaged, that you belong and know what you’re doing?
Appearance matters in business as much as anywhere else, says branding expert Murray Chenery.
“Perception is reality,” he says. “Look the part, dress appropriately to the highest integrity, be astute and read the game. The ability to dress to get the respect of the room is all part of making sure your appearance and persona are retrenchment proof. I’ve seen some very bright people let themselves down because they looked like they were not up to the standard of the decision-making process.”
The attention to detail extends to grooming – often the first thing people notice is your hair. Premature hair loss can still, cruelly, be a deal breaker (behold the number of carefully shaved heads around the office and join them if necessary) but grey hair can work to men’s advantage as it can convey a certain gravitas.
“Few women can get away with it,” says Melbourne salon owner Robert Weir. “They might want to think carefully before allowing their ‘wisdom’ to show.”

Men should also stringently maintain a clean-shaven face and short hair, cut by a stylist in a modern style rather than shaved by a barber to a prescribed number setting.
“With the credit crunch it’s about change,” says celebrity stylist Kevin Murphy. “It shakes you up. There’s all these pigeons sitting there, doing the extra 9 yards to keep their jobs; they never complain, and they’re the first to go. Change is good now.”
Murphy says that this season women should take their hair shorter, “up to the join of the bra strap at least”, and if they’re curly-haired, they should go straight, and vice versa.
Men whose hair has dulled rather than whitened could consider a subtle colour to enhance the eyes “and potentially take off some years”.
Any extra kilos can be addressed through judicious choice of outfit. Clothes should fit properly – no straining seams or gaping buttonholes. Dark colours streamline. Belts, however, highlight expanding girths, as does a too-short tie.
A style adviser to the top end of town, Bronwyn Fraser, reckons updating work clothes each season is essential. “It keeps you looking fresh,” she says.
Dressing for the occasion is crucial, Chenery says.
“Wear pinstripe suits if you’re a stockbroker, be stylish if you’re in retail,” he says. “If you’re not the CEO, look at how they dress themselves to give you an inkling of how you should dress. If the CEO doesn’t wear a tie, that gives you permission not to. If they’re a power dresser like Laura Inman (former Target chief executive) and Gail Kelly (Westpac chief executive), take your cue.”

Sydney public relations director Ian Thomas says while he is happy about Haviana jandals in the office, he expects his staff to be “client ready” with designer shoes under the desk, “so they can stand up and feel comfortable in what they’re wearing”.

“We work in an industry where there’s very well-dressed women from media and fashion,” he says. “I don’t want [the staff] to dress ‘corporate’ but they need to feel comfortable in their presence without necessarily competing with them.”

Says Fraser: “Clothing has got to be appropriate to you, to your workplace and your position. It still needs to reflect your personality and to feel right. But you should also be dressing for the position you want.”

Whether that means “promotion” or keeping the status quo in these interesting times, it must also mean “eminently, remarkably employable”.

Both sexes should also look after themselves – good diet, plenty of exercise – as this shows in the face, which they present each day to the corporate world.

Here, women have the advantage.

“You don’t have to wear a lot of make-up but some good make-up, carefully applied to just where it is needed, can give a fresh and pleasing appearance,” says one of Australia’s leading make-up artists, Paddy Puttock.

“Fresh, modern make-up for the workplace means less is more. You want to look beautiful without people realising you’ve got make-up on. Less is more if you’re older.”

Men and women should be aiming for clear skin rather than wrinkle-free skin, Puttock says. “You’ve just got to look after yourself. In the long run it’s the most economical thing you can do.”

FASHION TIPS FOR WORK SUCCESS

Grey hair is becoming on a man and is seen as a sign of gravitas. Conversely, grey hair can make a woman look older than she is, so If you are a woman employed in any capacity, colour your hair.

Men should favour short hair and a clean-shaven face. Women have much more leeway with their hairstyle.

Men should try to be subtle with their fragrance.

Womens make-up should look like no make-up (only better). No make-up can take as long to apply as full make-up and costs more, but it is worth the investment.

Everyone, keep your feet well shod. Replace soles and heels; shine boots and shoes. Buy handbags and man-bags/briefcases as needed.

Smile. But not too much.

Western women politicians should take lessons about style from their Indian counterparts.

Women politicians in the West believe that it is fashionable to be frumpy. It is as if they are afraid that elegance will be equated with frivolity. So, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prefers mannish trouser suits, unstyled hair and stodgy jewellery; German Chancellor Angela Merkel is almost her doppelganger barring the shorter hair; and Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard wears jackets almost like protective armour. Only the redoubtable Margaret Thatcher opted for a personal style (albeit quasi-regal) instead of stodge, but that was a generation ago.

Clinton, Merkel and others of their ilk clearly prefer to leave the flamboyance to the First Ladies – and maybe the western electorates want it that way too. Michelle Obama’s overflowing cupboards are rationalised in the public mind as boosters for the flagging US retail sector, Samantha Cameron is said to do the same for the British rag trade, and, of course, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s ineffable chic is seen as a reiteration of France’s soft power.

It is unfair, of course, to focus on Ms Clinton’s lank hair and dowdy appearance given the punishing schedule she keeps as the most jet-setting secretary of state in recent times. But the critiques may have something to do with her acceptance of the uniform of the ’serious’ western woman politician: unflattering variants of the bland male business suit, made worse by strong colours. And it’s contagious, as the new US ambassador to India Nancy Powell also favours them. The difference between professional or spouse in the West seems to be settled by the question, “Trouser or skirt?”.

By adhering to this hierarchy, though, women politicians can be accused of making stereotypes if not caricatures of themselves. They could even be unconsciously reiterating the old patriarchal norm that only people in pants can exercise power. This, despite there being no evidence to suggest that the powerful women politicians who did not wear trousers – such as Thatcher, Indira Gandhi and Golda Meir – were considered pushovers. If today’s women political leaders are not afraid to deal with crashing economies and terror threats, why steer clear of style for fear of the fashion police?

In this context, the two photo-ops that Clinton had with Mamata Banerjee and Sonia Gandhi are illuminating. Her distinctly unstylish trouser-jacket ensembles came off worse when seen alongside the two ladies in sarees, one elegantly patrician, the other emphatically plebian. No one would dare suggest that either of the saree-clad leaders is perceived to be political patsies because they wear what millions of other women in India do, irrespective of their employment status or power quotient. Why western women of similar stature are not accorded the same discernment?

Ms Clinton should note that in a country driven by great inequalities, particularly gender, women who have risen to the top of many professions in India have not masculinised their sartorial choices to ‘fit in’, unlike their western counterparts. And that may be due to the adaptive quality of the saree, its ability to reveal or conceal and morph into workwear or leisurewear at the flick of a fold or tuck of a pleat. That makes it ideal not only for offices and boardrooms, but also on a scorching Indian election campaign. Or a sedate photo-op with a weary, pants suit-wearing foreign dignitary.

Fashion show of exclusive abayas.

Katara Art Centre Fashion Boutique is set to host “The Art of Being a Woman” fashion show, showcasing a line of exclusive abayas, from tomorrow at 7pm.
The fashion show will consist of 15 abayas designed for the Katara Art Centre Fashion Boutique and available in-store from tomorrow until May 31.
The fashion show will be presenting the work of Italian designer Enrica BB, who is also an artist, a choreographer and theatre director, reflecting upon her experiences from Africa to the Middle East observing the culture and the feelings of women.
Her unique experiences with each of the women she encountered provided her inspiration to create a fusion of styles that merge the character of each single woman.
Katara Art Centre commercial manager Garine Kekejian said: “After the success of ‘Common Thread’, we are proud to continue showcasing emerging talents, to contribute to the growing fashion scene in Doha.”
“The fashion show is testimonial of Katara’s long term vision to provide a platform for talents whilst building cultural bridges,” Kekejian added.
Since its opening, Katara Art Centre has hosted several fashion exhibitions, including “Common Thread” and Lina Hajjar.
The Centre provides retail spaces which include a design shop, art bookshop and the Fashion Boutique which houses the latest collections from Qatar-based fashion designers.

Warming Up to Neon Colors.

Neon-bright splashes of color are ubiquitous this season as fashion designers trotted out fluorescent shoes, dresses and handbags to add a shot of newness to women’s wardrobes.

“We’re in a time of uncertainty right now—neons are very happy, optimistic,” says Tomoko Ogura, fashion director of Women’s Co-Op at Barneys New York, noting that such super-bright colors haven’t been a big fashion trend for decades. “With a small taste of it you can add a lot of flavor to your wardrobe.”

There is a way to indulge in the psychedelia without looking like you’re stuck in the 1960s, however. For starters, Ms. Ogura avoids pairing neons with black, an intense contrast that makes the bright hue all the more stark. “Black and neon reminds me of disco,” she says. Instead, she suggests putting together neons with neutrals like camel or ivory. “I love the combination of neon orange with camel,” she notes.

For a more modern look, Ms. Ogura sometimes wears the new brights with colors in the same tonal family—neon yellow with a pale lemon yellow, for example. Or she mixes in unexpected deep shades like deep burgundy or hunter green. “Pairing neon green with hunter green, or burgundy with neon pink, elevates both of the colors,” she says.

For the less adventurous, not all the neons are glaringly bright. One of her favorite items this spring is a hand-printed silk georgette scarf bearing an abstract pattern in a pale neon yellow and ivory. “It has a washed-out feeling but still offers a strong shot of color,” she says, adding that she’ll wear it with a trench coat or jacket in a neutral hue to ground the bright color.

Instead of wearing a full-on neon orange dress, Ms. Ogura may work in a dose of the bright color, wearing a neon-orange polo shirt under a gray crewneck sweater or jacket, for example, “so you have just a little bit of it showing through.” She might add a thin neon belt to a dress in a neutral shade or pick a blouse or jacket with neon piping or stitching. “Anchor them with things that you’re more comfortable wearing,” she advises.

Accessories are an easy way for women to try the color. Adding a bright orange or pink shoe to an earthy ensemble adds immediate edge. Small leather goods such as wallets or clutches can have the same effect, adds Ms. Ogura, who has a new tri-color neon wallet by Commes des Garcons this season. “You only see it when I’m paying for something,” she says.

If you’re worried about whether a neon color clashes with your skin tone, she advises wearing the color further from your face. “There’s a variety of neons in jeans or shorts,” she says. “And then on top you can stick to the colors that complement you more closely.”

Ms. Ogura believes “neon coupled with neon is a little overwhelming” for most women, and she avoids patterns with multiple neon colors. She also makes sure she doesn’t have too many textures in the overall look. “The beauty of this bright color trend is the color itself—and that can be diminished when there are too many other ideas and colors,” she says.

Yates St. clothing retailer tests real estate market.

Philip Nyren has put his Yates Street properties up for sale, but says he’s only testing the real estate market and his high-end fashion retail store is still a going concern.

Philip Nyren Men’s and Women’s Wear at 960-962 Yates St., across from London Drugs, was listed this week for $3.49 million. The Harris Green neighbourhood on the eastern approach to downtown is considered prime ground for new condominium and retail development.

“I’m heeding my realtor’s advice and giving it a try to see what options – if any – are out there,” Nyren said Wednesday.

He insists the listing doesn’t mean his business is having trouble. “It’s the same everywhere . . . the retail sector has been hit hard. All you have to do is look at the empty storefronts downtown. But we’re doing fine. It’s not like it was in 2008, but we’re still here and banging the drum,” said Nyren.

He said if the Yates Street property sells, the store would seek an alternative site to re-open. Nyren is also hopes it could be part of ground-floor retail in a condo development.

The store, formerly known as British Importers, traces its roots to 1923 under various owners. Nyren has owned it since 1979 and moved into the Yates Street site in 2004 after decades in the Bay Centre. In recent years, he added women’s wear to the mix.

Nyren told the Times Colonist in 2004 he paid “in excess of $2 million” for the property. This week, he said “it was much more than that” with improvements to the buildings and site.

Rick Pettinger, of DTZ Barnicke, the listing agent, originally sold Nyren the property when Bartle and Gibson, a plumbing company, closed.

“We knocked on Phil’s door because we see it as a real active spot for retail or, down the road [when the market improves], as condominiums,” said Pettinger.

“The Harris Green Village offers a mix of office, retail and residential use . . . the city has targeted this area for future growth and expansion of the central business district, promoting higher density development,” the real estate agency said in its sales data.

Nyren’s property is actually two lots – 960 and 962 Yates St. – covering 14,740 square feet. There are two separate buildings and a parking lot on the site.

They are both women, Italian and innovative fashion designers but Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada worked in different eras and had distinctive views and approaches to their work.
A new exhibition organized by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art examines the work and affinities of the two luxury designers.
“Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations,” which opens on Thursday and runs through August 19, features about 100 designs by Schiaparelli, a fashion fixture from the late 1920s to the early 50s, and Prada, whose work ranges from the late 80s to the present.
“We wanted it to be intellectual. We wanted people to read it and to actually get into the heads of these women,” said Harold Koda, the curator in charge of the show.
Koda and his co-curator Andrew Bolton found inspiration for the show in Miguel Covarrubias’s satirical “Impossible Interviews,” which appeared in Vanity Fair magazine in the 1930s.
The show includes short films by director Baz Luhrmann in which Prada has a conversation at a dining table with Schiaparelli, played by actress Judy Davis who uses paraphrased dialogue from the designer’s autobiography “Shocking Life.”
The videos of the conversations are played in the seven themed sections of the show, giving it a tight cohesion. Schiaparelli’s tailored and embroidered jackets and hats, her response to 1930s cafe society in which women were seen mainly in restaurants from the waist up, are paired with Prada’s modern emphasis on skirts and shoes.
Their interpretations of different types of chic — hard, naive and ugly — and their thoughts on femininity, age-appropriate dressing and the use of discordant colors and materials is shown in their designs and explained in their own words.
Schiaparelli said she created clothes for women of whatever age who “wear my clothes with the poise of youth,” while Prada hated the idea that women shouldn’t wear something just because they are a certain age.
“We wanted the audience to understand that the creative processes of these two women are different but they also lead to very similar resolutions, but find out how they are different. You get that in their own words,” Koda explained.

BRAINTEASER

Schiaparelli’s most riotous collection was based on the circus, evident in a 1938 pink silk bolero jacket embroidered with circus elephants and acrobats.

Prada’s self-described most playful designs were inspired by musicals and featured dresses printed with black stripes, cherubs, monkeys, bananas and scrolls.

Schiaparelli as a child thought of ways of beautifying herself, while Prada said if she has done anything, it is to make ugly appealing.

In the final sections of the exhibit, which cleverly uses photographs of Schiaparelli’s work alongside Prada’s creations, the designers’ influences and approaches to the female form are shown in elegant, timeless gowns and dresses inspired by the Greeks, and in exotic creations influenced by the Orient, Far East and Africa in fabrics such as lame and silk jacquard with metallic thread.

Schiaparelli, who collaborated with Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau, incorporated the surreal into her work with hats shaped like a black shoe and another as a pork chop. Both designers used unusual materials and trompe l’oeil.

“You really have to absorb the words because our strategy was to compare and contrast but when you compare things that are similar but then the words are contrasted, that to me is really interesting,” Koda said.

“We wanted this to be a brainteaser. We kept calling it that from the beginning. McQueen was emotional, experiential. We wanted this to be intellectual,” he said, referring to last year’s phenomenally popular exhibition “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.”

The retrospective show of the works of the British designer who killed himself in 2010 at the age of 40, attracted more than 650,000 visitors.

Misericordia Women’s Auxiliary Fashion Show raises $200,000+.

The 28th annual Misericordia Women’s Auxiliary & Saks Fifth Avenue Open Hearts Open Doors Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show was held Friday, April 20, 2012 at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago.

Seven hundred people attended the luncheon and fashion show which included a reception, silent auction and raffle. The event was sponsored by American Airlines, Accretive Health, Bel-Air Manufacturing, Schultz and Chez, LLP, and several individuals.

More than $200,000 dollars was raised to fund the next Misericordia CILA, Community Integrated Living Arrangement. Misericordia currently has seven CILAs located in the neighborhood communities. Each CILA allows up to eight adults, along with staff, to enjoy life in an independent setting while remaining connected to Misericordia’s vocational, spiritual, social and recreational programs.

Misericordia supports 610 children and adults with developmental disabilities, and is located in Chicago.

Spring Fashion Trends Find An Unlikely Customer: Orthodox Women.

Jewish Orthodox women follow three core rules of modesty, or tznius: a garment’s neckline should extend to the collarbone; shirt sleeves should cover the elbows; and skirts must cover the knees. Pants are strictly forbidden, and married women must also cover their heads with a wig, scarf or hat.

While many Orthodox women shop in specialty stores that cater specifically to these guidelines, over the past couple of seasons, they’ve found it much easier to shop for appropriately conservative looks in mainstream chains like Zara and H&M. That’s because tznius is now hip — and Jewish Orthodox women are becoming more fashionable than ever.

“It’s amazing how much fashion is shifting,” says Adi Heyman, an Orthodox stylist living in Manhattan, who is starting a blog about conservative fashion. “These days it’s easy to dress modestly and be on-trend.” Button-up blouses, long-sleeved denim shirts, flowy vintage dresses and pleated maxi skirts are among the items you’ll find in any Zara or Forever 21 right now that Orthodox women are stocking up on this season, she says.

Also popular are airy pastels and vibrant prints, along with bold accessories. “Things like belts and necklaces can change an outfit from being ‘blah’ to being something really special,” notes Sharon Langert, who writes for Orthodox style blog Fashion Isha (isha means woman in Hebrew), which compiles Orthodox-appropriate looks as seen on the runways, in magazines, and on non-Orthodox fashion blogs. “Jewish Orthodox women are fashion savvy — they want to look up-to-date.”

Although not all Orthodox women allow fashion magazines in their homes, many do follow runway trends and hunt for style tips on the growing number of Orthodox fashion blogs like Fashion Isha. “If they can afford it, Orthodox women like to get Burberry accessories,” says Langert. “They like that style a lot. In fact, this season of Burberry — almost every single look is modest and it’s all so chic.”

The New Elements of Boss Style.

The power suit is over.

The latest fashion collections reflect a new power look for women. The style, fueled by variety and feminine tailoring—peplums, pleats, darts, draping and shawl collars— makes room for soft colors, busy prints and details like embroidery and beading that were once deemed inappropriate for the office.

Career women have long added bold colors to gray or black suits. But it’s now common to see them wearing pink and other soft hues, and even mixing them together.

The new look carries a higher degree of difficulty and may be harder to pull off than a plain matched suit and white blouse. That is in part what gives it so much power: It is more sophisticated. It shows off a woman’s taste, her authority—and her access to high-fashion trends.

Executives themselves have led this trend. Now more well-established in the workplace, women have been seeking more choices. Even designers who made their names with seductive party dresses, like Pucci’s Peter Dundas and Zac Posen, have recently veered toward professional-woman looks, with suits and eveningwear that could be appropriate for a chief executive.

Designer Diane von Furstenberg, whose spring 2012 collection included new-power pairings such as ankle-length peach slacks and a moss blouse paired with a dove gray jacket, says that women have more freedom in dressing for work today. They can even choose menswear-inspired suits—though today’s versions have a decidedly feminine cut. “It’s no longer about wearing a men’s suit—well, in some cases, it is,” Ms. Von Furstenberg says. It’s about choosing what you feel good in. “It’s about confidence,” she says.

Women’s confidence in the office allows them to integrate more of their own selves—including personal style—into their clothes. “The power shouldn’t come from the clothes, but rather from the person,” says Rachel Roy, a New York fashion designer and mother of two whose work-life juggles mirror those of many modern women.

More women have risen to positions of power, offering more-varied role models. Trailblazers like Cristina Kirchner, president of Argentina and Neelie Kroes, a European Commission vice president, wear a variety of astoundingly bright, frilly, fashionable clothes. There has been a “seismic shift in what’s considered appropriate for powerful women to wear” around the globe, says Robb Young, author of “Power Dressing: First Ladies, Women Politicians & Fashion.”

After three years as First Lady, Michelle Obama’s fashion choices no longer appear controversial. A pedigreed lawyer, Ms. Obama mixes high fashion with low—as do many working women these days. Her ease in baring her shoulders at state functions and her willingness to wear vivid prints, curvy shapes and fashion-forward designs has freed other women to do the same. “I think she is allowing women to be more brave and trust themselves more,” says Ms. Roy.

Women now have more professional work-wear options than ever—from chains like Banana Republic and J. Crew to high designers such as Marc Jacobs and Roland Mouret. New brands are emerging to cater to working women. At Quincy, a brand that places an emphasis on fit, the description of its “Sophia” silk georgette blouse pretty well sums up the new look: “Borrowing a little from the boys and a lot from the girls,” it begins, “a slight ruffle collar and contoured waist play up your femininity.”

For years, women have been seeking alternatives to the power suit, with its big shoulders, wide sleeves and boxy torso that mimicked men’s suiting. The power suit “has had a total demise,” says Bridget Brennan, chief executive of Female Factor, a Chicago-based consulting firm that advises clients on marketing to women. She says she once “could have won the Heisman trophy” with her bulky power suits, but she now aims for a trimmer, more comfortable and feminine look. “I think women are feeling more comfortable in their own skins,” Ms. Brennan says, “and that they have permission to dress in their own way.”

The matched crimson suit—once deemed essential for a female executive—reflected an era when women tried, often clumsily, to fit into male molds. There was also a militant element to that office apparel. At Procter & Gamble in the 1980s, where I worked as a financial analyst, I was informed by a boss that only the “secretaries” wore dresses.

“I don’t think that women are that combative and aggressive today,” says fashion designer Norma Kamali, who has launched Kamalikulture, an affordably priced line of trim suits and dresses. For a meeting last week, she donned a trim pinstriped $79 Kamalikulture jacket that was simply tailored but curvy, with high feminine armholes and an obvious waist.

Freedom to dress as you like also can mean going for comfort. Famously ill-tailored leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tarja Halonen, president of Finland until this year, “have challenged the idea that, to be successful or popular, women leaders must always be immaculately polished and stately-looking,” says Mr. Young.

But all this freedom is not without risks. In general, women still have to be dressier than their male counterparts. Low-cut blouses and short skirts remain off limits for the office.

Women who have grown comfortable in a wardrobe of simple sheath dresses with a blazer or coordinated separates may be concerned that mixing prints or wearing soft feminine hues will look sloppy or silly. To make sure a look feels pulled together, designer Rachel Roy advises seeking a balance at all times. Pair pinstripes with flowers, for instance. She recently paired a floral pencil skirt with a more masculine black-and-white blouse. Shoes can be colorful, but Ms. Kamali warns that many of today’s big chunky shoes are out of balance with a professional outfit.

Ms. Roy says it’s important to find your balance between fashion and authority. “If it feels like a costume, it probably is—for you,” she says.

‘I have a nice boy (girl) for you’ Internet dating lets Jewish moms set up their single kids

Alexandra’s 28-year-old daughter, Alina, did not have trouble meeting eligible men to date; she was just having trouble finding the right one, her beshert.

So, as Jewish mothers have been doing for centuries, Alexandra decided to take matters into her own hands.

After reading in her local Jewish paper about ukrainianwomenlove.com, an Internet site designed for Jewish mothers trying to find matches for their children, Alexandra logged on, creating first a profile about herself, and then uploading information about Alina.

“I first asked my daughter if it was OK, because she was negative about Internet dating,” said Alexandra, who was born in Ukraine and moved to New Jersey with her family in 1996. “She said ‘OK,’ to please me.”

That was in December 2010. Alexandra checked the site periodically, looking for a potential match for Alina. In March 2011, Alexandra found him.

“I happened to see this guy. He was cute and he had a lot of similarities to my daughter,” Alexandra said. “I told her if you give me your permission, I’ll send his mom an e-mail.”

After Alexandra and Anatoly’s mom made their own connection Internet dating , they shared photos and other information with their children. Alina and the young man, Anatoly, who lived in Texas, soon began e-mailing each other directly. Four and half months later they met, and Anatoly proposed shortly after that.

They were married last month.

“Kids don’t have much time for internet dating,” Alexandra said. “And it’s hard to meet people. I think the internet dating website is a great thing. Parents should be involved. Kids may be busy and not have the time.”

The JMom is the brainchild of Chicago siblings Brad and Danielle Weisberg, who had the idea for the internet dating site one day when they were visiting their mother. She was unhappy with Brad’s relationship status (i.e., single), and she asked Brad if she could look at his ukrainianwomenlove.com profile.

“I had just turned 30,” Brad Weisberg said. “And I just let her do it.”

He and his sister left the house for about an hour, and when they returned they found their mother glued to the computer screen, pencil and paper in hand, with the names of 10 girls she thought might make a good match for Brad.

“We were laughing hysterically,” Weisberg said. “Then my sister said, ‘Wait. This is not a bad idea.’ ”

Realizing that moms often have more time — and money — to spend on perusing internet dating websites than their busy offspring, Brad and Danielle decided to set up a network of Jewish parents all wanting their children to find Jewish mates.

The Weisbergs also realized that sometimes, in matters of love, mom does know best.

“My mom was looking at much more than the pictures , which is pretty much all I look at,” Weisberg said. “She was looking at common interests, and for an emotional connection.”

Family comes first on TheJMom, with moms posting photos and information about their families, as well as photos and information about their single children.

Alexandra believes that information about a child’s family is invaluable when looking for a match.

“If it’s a nice family, the kids are usually good, too,” she said.

The mothers using the internet dating site do not actually arrange the dates for their children, but rather make suggestions once they have pre-screened eligible men and women and their families.

“The moms don’t actually set up their kids,” Weisberg said. “But when both moms feel they have found a match, they press a button on the internet dating site with their contact information and profile information. It’s then 100 percent up to the kids to contact each other and go on a date.”

Busy singles have been turning to internet dating sites for years. Seventeen percent of couples that were married in the last three years met on an online dating service, and one out of every five singles in the United States has dated someone he or she met online, according to a study done in 2010 by Chadwick Martin Bailey.

“It’s hard to meet people, particularly in bigger cities,” Weisberg noted. “But I am open to being set up. Using the Internet is one way to have Jews meet other Jews.”

TheJmom, which currently has over 1,500 members from the United States, Israel and Canada, is now free of charge, although Weisberg says there will soon be a small fee to join.

The site has been well received, Weisberg said.

“One mother said, ‘This is like giving me the key to the bank vault,’” he recounted. “This is every Jewish mother’s dream.”

As for Alexandra, she believes that any Jewish mother hoping to find a match for her son or daughter should encourage her child to be open to the Internet concept.

“I would say don’t give up,” she advised. “Sometimes you have to push. If I didn’t push, my daughter wouldn’t have met this guy she loves. If you are Jewish, and you want to marry Jewish, this is the best way.”

“Dancing with the Stars”: The night of very personal dances

Many will have had their tear ducts torn asunder by the performers dancing their most deeply-experienced moments from life: tragedy, tragedy and, um, Cavallari. But true aficionados of “Dancing with the Stars” will have been far more focused on the experiences that are, allegedly, being felt deeply right now.

Rob Kardashian, he whose bottom is trying to become as taut as his personality, happened to reveal that “some professionals that are married are having an affair with their partner.”

Pictures: “Dancing with the Stars” Season 13

Surely the whole of America was, therefore, observing whether particular married bodies (but not to each other) would seem excessively bonded, or whether intimate gestures would be offered that would be yet another blow to the great institution.

Marriage, that is, not “Dancing with the Stars.”

The theory was that each star had to express the most memorable year from their lives. Kardashian himself was first. He chose 2003, the year his father died. Many might remember his father as one of O.J. Simpson’s lawyers. Some might remember Kim Kardashian being shocked that Casey Anthony was acquitted. But Rob Kardashian, though mentioning the O.J. trial, referenced the fact that when his father died he had to grow up with only women around. And what women.

So he danced to one of his Dad’s favorites – Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.” On this evidence, Kardashian would have trouble flying to the moon under his own propulsion. His arm movements suggested a swan with a severe case of arthritis. His leg movements suggested surgery from the same doctor who had created the Two Thousand Dollar Man. Still, this was better than his previous performances.

“You just put the dash into Kardashian,” gushed judge Len Goodman, presaging an excessive niceness on this night of excessive sensitivity.

Bruno Tonioli said it reminded him of “Guys and Dolls.” Kardashian had no clue what this was. Host Tom Bergeron offered that it was a new video game. Carrie Ann Inaba almost cried.

Chynna Phillips, one of those married stars under scrutiny after Kardashian’s less than dashing revelations, chose 1990 – the year of her first hit, “Hold On”. She wasn’t a happy woman then. She was drinking. But then she met Billy Baldwin.

As she struggled with the intensity of the rehearsals, her professional partner, Tony Dovolani did hug her very tightly. This is merely an observation, not an accusation.

Phillips’ rumba was highly intimate – just another observation. At one point she punched herself into Dovolani’s body, lifting her left leg in a manner not entirely dissimilar to that seen in several Pia Zadora movies. However, she described lines that Kardashian would not have managed, even with the help of an illustrator.

“You are a smoldering siren,” said Tonioli. “You belong in a museum.” Inaba was deeply emotional.

Chaz Bono was also tasked with the rumba. Bono said that this year, 2011, was his most memorable. He chose one of his Dad’s songs, about “being a different kind of man.”

Unfortunately, for much of this dance Bono was a static kind of man. While his partner, the indefatigably wonderful Lacey Schwimmer, danced all around him, Bono too often resembled a cowboy standing at a bar while the dancing girls tried to attract his attention. Still, he rolled his hips once or twice, perhaps in anticipation of another beer.

Inaba’s voice was, surprisingly, cracking when she commented. She did, however, offer that Bono seemed distracted.

“That was your best dance,” said Goodman.

Milla Jovovich revels in 17th-century action

Women Julia Ivanova got the idea for Family Portrait in Black and White while shooting another project in her native Russia. It happened when she read a newspaper item about Olga Nenya, a foster mother raising 27 mixed-race children in rural Ukraine. The Vancouver filmmaker eventually went back, gathered footage at the woman’s rundown home (and elsewhere), and assembled a deeply affecting and subtly complicated look at one extended family.

“Honestly, I spent most of my time getting women Olga’s trust long before picking up a camera,” Ivanova declared during a conversation earlier this year. “That was the hardest part, because she’s a very old-fashioned, autocratic personality. It was very important to me that people don’t see women Olga as a saint or a villain. She is taking in children no one else in Ukraine will touch. The racism there is unbelievable.”

After we first talked, the filmmaker hit Sundance, where she was the only Canadian—and the only woman—in the 2011 documentary section. And the film subsequently won the best Canadian film award at Toronto’s Hot Docs fest. (Dragonslayer, which grabbed the international prize, is here too.)

“We still haven’t hit festivals in Europe,” the director said during a recent call before her VIFF screenings (October 8 and 10), which she will attend. “But then there will be 10 festivals within a month! I’ve been to many festivals in the past and have come to believe that Vancouver is one of the biggest and best. And we have a very engaged audience.”

After Vancouver, Ivanova will try to undo a snag in her itinerary.

“We were not given a grant to travel by Canada Council because we’re not viewed as an independent film—simply because I have a producer and because it has some sales for TV. This is how we were able to make it in the first place.”

Portrait was produced with younger brother Boris Ivanov and Sally Jo Fifer through Interfilms Productions. Their father was well known as programming director of the Moscow International Film Festival. And in the latter years of the Soviet empire, Ivanova studied at the prestigious Russian Film Institute. After school, she worked at the Canadian embassy in Moscow.

Moving here in 1995 rekindled her need to make movies. She worked as an adoption coordinator, documenting this post–Cold War process from both sides. The resulting From Russia, for Love was shown widely at festivals and on public TV. I Want a Women in 2003 looked at the travails of immigrant men looking for love in new places. Four years later, Fatherhood Dreams spent time with gay men struggling through challenging adoptions. Last year’s Love Translated followed western men travelling to an Odessa resort to meet women via an online dating service, with entertaining (for us) results.

“When I was at school,” Ivanova, now 46, recalls, “I spent a lot of time on other people’s sets. And there were just as many terrible fiction films being made there as you would find here or in Hollywood. I thought, even then: ‘If I’m going to take all the trouble to make a movie, I want it to be about something real.’ ”

Ukrainian church ready to build an oasis of peace in the city

The community of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kitchener wants to create an oasis on busy Victoria Street South.

They want local Ukrainians and the community at large to ponder Ukraine’s history and culture as they sit in the heritage park on Victoria Street South at Michael Street adjacent to the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Transfiguration.

A fundraising campaign for the Ukrainian Heritage Park has raised $55,000 for a $65,000 monument to be erected in the park next year. The donations have come solely from church members and their families which number about 100, said church member Pat Kalyn.

But the church community needs help to raise the remainder of the cash and is appealing to local Ukrainians which Kalyn says numbers about 5,000 to help with the building of the park to remember Ukraine’s history and culture.

“We want to leave this as a lasting memory of a people, honouring those people who first built this church,’’ said Kalyn, who’s been affiliated with the church community for 40 years.

Rev. Volodymyr Yanishevsky said the park will be a place for personal reflection, a quiet area open to anyone.

Kalyn said the park and the monument will also inform the community about the history of Ukraine.

The total cost for the park, which includes benches, lights, a donor wall and additional landscaping, will reach $90,000, said Kalyn.

The church hopes to collect the money by next February and break ground in the spring. The goal is to have the monument in place by September to commemorate Ukrainian Heritage Day on Sept. 7.

The day was enacted last year when a private member’s bill was introduced into the Ontario legislature by former Cambridge MPP Gerry Martiniuk. This year marks 120 years of the first arrivals of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada.

Other donations included a $10,000 gift from the Kitchener branch of the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada, the Ukrainian seniors’ club and proceeds from Ukrainian food fests were collected for the church.

Kalyn said the project started as a dream for parishioners in 2000. Some church members began speaking to city officials about purchasing the adjacent two residential lots to the church.

In 2006, the church purchased the land and two years later landscaping began with flowers and shrubs and a sidewalk through the park, all with in-house labour to save costs, Kalyn said.

The next phase involved parishioners and a competition to come up with drawings for a monument to honour local Ukrainians. Of the 15 designs put forth, the current plan was selected by the parish community.

The six-foot base is in the shape of an octagon and the entire monument, which will be made of black granite, will stand at about 11 feet high.

In the middle will stand a pole-like structure which symbolizes a candle with a cross sitting on top.

“Salvation came through the cross,’’ said Yanishevsky, who was appointed to the parish in 1996 from Ukraine. He also serves as the priest at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church on Eagle Street in Cambridge.

“The cross is a sign of Christ’s self-sacrifice in love,’’ he said.

The cross will be surrounded by three leaves which are symbolic of the Christian Holy Trinity and also a reminder of the Ukrainian coat of arms. Yanishevsky said the three leaves also honours the Ontario flower — the trillium — which is the emblem and official flower of the province of Ontario.

The base of the monument will have inscriptions with room for more in the future. The inscriptions mark the year 1891 when Ukrainians arrived in Canada, 1916 when Ukrainians settled in Kitchener and 1926 when the church was built in Kitchener.

Other inscriptions include 988 to 1988, 1,000 years of Christianity in Ukraine, the genocide of millions of Ukrainians from 1932 to 1933 and Ukraine’s restoration of independence in 1991.

The famine, from 1932 to 1933, is referred to as Holodomor which means death by hunger in the Ukrainian language. In 2008, the Canadian government recognized Holodomor as a genocide committed by the Soviet regime and established a National Day of Remembrance which is honoured on the fourth Saturday of November.