Accessories

If you think Bluetooth is a rare dental condition and an app is what you eat before the entree, you might not be a candidate for today's high-tech, whiz-bang smart phones. Instead, you might be happier with a mobile phone geared toward seniors. Those phones typically don't have Web-surfing capability, GPS maps and video games. Instead they have large buttons, oversized digital readouts and hearing-aid compatibility, along with a relatively simple calling plan. Although senior-friendly phones aren't new, their lower prices and variety are. A recent price skirmish among wireless companies means seniors can get an easy-to-use cellphone and cheap service to go with it, said Mac Haddow, senior fellow on public policy for the independent and nonprofit Alliance for Generational Equity.

The concrete Indian on the forklift struck a precarious pose as he moved through a crowd of rummagers scouting the remains of Bud Hurlbut's workshop in Buena Park . From behind the wheel, Lonnie Lloyd waved everyone aside as he guided the 6-foot, 6-inch statue into a U-Haul van. Its new owners shimmied it against a wall. Toys, props, tools and memorabilia at Hurlbut Amusement Co. moved fast during the recent three-day sale, and Lloyd tried not to be sentimental.

Active parents of young children once had to stay home or find a baby-sitter if they wanted to jog or bicycle. Now, courtesy of fitness-oriented marketers plugging in to the booming baby market, a variety of safe and sleek devices help parents take their infants and toddlers on the road. Since 1984, parents serious about their jogging have been rolling their children out in jogging strollers, the three-wheeled devices that sometimes even have their own class in 10-K races.

Judging from the plethora of eye-catching eyewear that's been getting face time over the last few years - be it on the European ready-to-wear runways or in the adjoining office cubicle - it's clear that glasses have gone from nerd necessity to chic accessory. It's a shift reflected in the current look-at-me trends - retro, vintage-inspired frames, chunky tortoise shells and geometric shapes that attract rather than deflect attention - and reinforced by the laundry list of fashion-focused brands with a presence in the eyewear arena.

Showing those slackers in Copenhagen how it's done, cyclists -- already the greenest people on Earth -- can now go a shade deeper. Here are some environmentally friendly bike accessories that harvest the sun, return to the ground, come from plants or theoretically never wear out. -- Roy M. Wallack Biodegradable bottle BioGreen bottle: The first plastic water bottle designed to break down in a landfill in 18 months, not 1,000...

The scarf hasn't had so much attention since Grace Kelly wrapped one around her head and wore it with sunglasses in the 1950s. In those days, movie stars and teeny-boppers were tying them everywhere--on handbags, over collars and around ponytails. Now the scarf is back, in its most decorative form yet. The top designers--Chanel, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent and Geoffrey Beene, among others--have either launched a recent scarf collection or plan to next season. The venerable European fashion houses of Hermes and Gucci for years have been wrapping up both necklines and prestige with their top-of-the-line silk-screened creations.

Larry King's feminine attire was upsetting some of the students and faculty at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard. But there was nothing Assistant Principal Joy Epstein could do about it because King's high-heeled boots, earrings and eye makeup were within the Oxnard school's dress policy, Epstein testified Monday at the murder trial of King's classmate, Brandon McInerney. Epstein consulted with an administrator at the Hueneme Elementary School District after King started coming to school in late January 2008 in women's accessories.

After nearly a generation on the endangered accessories list, the old-school tie bar — the narrow piece of decorative metal (also known as a tie clip) that slides horizontally across a necktie and holds it flat against a gentleman's dress shirt — is enjoying a bit of a renaissance. "The tie bar trend is huge," said Macy's men's fashion director Durand Guion. "It's been trending strongly for us — as a nationwide store — for about the last two years. " J.P. Graytok, owner of the Collar Co. , a Somerville, N.J.-based e-commerce site that focuses on men's furnishings, describes a similar experience.

Los Angeles is a luxury testing ground where brands such as Prada and Chanel try out new retail concepts influenced by Southern California's acclaimed modern architecture, sunlight and indoor-outdoor lifestyle. With the debut of its Beverly Hills flagship, Missoni also takes advantage of the location to bathe the fashion house's seasonal collections, accessories and housewares in natural light. The Missoni store is a glass, steel and concrete box wrapped in woven aluminum bands (inspired by the house's signature knitwear)

In the summer, the complexities of throwing a party melt away like ice in a pina colada. The setting? No sweat. Your backyard, lit romantically with lanterns and tea lights. The food? Dishes you've made in advance and serve cold or at room temperature. Or even easier: a gourmet-to-go picnic. The attire? Flip-flops optional. This season, stores are filled with things to make your party-giving even easier.

Celebrity sightings and New York Fashion Week go together like a navy blue blazer and gold buttons, and the fall-winter 2012 shows, which officially wrapped up here on Thursday, were no exception. It's to a designer's advantage to invite high-profile potential customers - and sometimes even pay them for coming - since they attract publicity and help build buzz for the brand. So stargazers had plenty to watch, starting as soon as New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz - three days off a Super Bowl win against the New England Patriots - cut the ribbon at Lincoln Center to kick off a series of Mercedes-Benz fashion week events.

At the headquarters of Jakks Pacific Inc. on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Chief Executive Stephen Berman is busy playing with his toys. "Look, this is an amazing, 'toyriffic' product. Just a really magical toy," Berman said, twirling around a small plastic cylinder that is part of a new line of toys for boys. "It's truly magical. " Jakks isn't as known to consumers as nearby rival Mattel Inc., which is nearly 10 times its size in sales, but it has built itself into one of the largest second-tier U.S. toy companies mainly by bulking up on products it makes under name brands such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Cabbage Patch Kids, Hannah Montana and Pokemon.

The most surprising thing about West Hollywood's Gray Gallery isn't that in the 13 months since opening its doors the combination interior-design studio and jewelry boutique has emerged as a key resource for stylists looking to borrow unique jewelry to accessorize their celebrity clients. The surprise is how much of that red-carpet clientele is male. Pieces from Gray's collection of vintage cuff links, watches and rings have appeared on A-list actors including Johnny Depp, Jeremy Renner, David Boreanz and Ryan Gosling.

Adam Bernhard The gig: Founder and chief executive of HauteLook, an online "flash sale" marketplace where members can buy designer apparel, accessories, home décor and other products at deep discounts during a limited time period. HauteLook, with headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, was founded four years ago and was acquired in March by Nordstrom Inc. for as much as $270 million in stock. The company had revenue of more than $100 million in 2010 and expects sales to rise 50% to 60% this year.

Truck driver Wang Yonggang has never seen a baseball game or sung "Take Me Out to the Ballgame. " He couldn't explain a sacrifice bunt. But Wang's got a good eye for bats. His is a lightweight aluminum model with a long barrel and a sticky rubber grip. He treasures his Chinese-made club so much that he keeps it tucked under the seat of his rig. "I need it for protection," said Wang, 32, a native of Inner Mongolia who hauls heavy equipment across busy northeast highways stalked by thugs looking to steal loads and siphon fuel.

Nails may be less than an inch wide, but women love turning them into tiny canvases of personal expression. Just look at Katy Perry, who has adorned her nails with eye-catchers such as rhinestones and images of husband Russell Brand, or Rihanna, whose digits have been tipped with neon yellow painted with black smiley faces, and it's clear that nails have become a major statement accessory. It's not just celebrities who are paying attention to the ends of their fingers. Sales of hand- and nail-care products in the U.S. totaled $707 million in 2010, an increase of 11.9% over 2009, according to Mintel, a consumer product market and research group that tracks the beauty industry.

Red was a distinct note on the fall runways, and plenty of red accessories are turning up in stores this season, adding a punch of color to wardrobe staples. It's a longtime "power" color (remember the power tie? Nancy Reagan red?) and is traditionally believed to be stimulating and energizing. It's a hue associated with anger, sin, sex and virility. (Red-blooded anyone?) Red is especially complementary to all of the camel hues and leopard prints seen in stores at almost every price this season.

Henri Bendel -- a milliner from New Orleans in the late 19th century -- probably never imagined that his hatboxes, instead of the hats themselves, would one day become symbols of his legacy. By 1895, he was making debutante gowns and had opened his eponymous Manhattan department store. Earlier this year, the tony retailer announced that it would stop selling clothing and instead focus on accessories and beauty products. And it would spread into new areas of the country, seeking to conquer far-away realms like Los Angeles.

China has sentenced three Tibetan monks as accessories to murder for having helped another monk burn himself to death in a political protest. In the closely watched case in Sichuan province, Drongdru, the uncle of the monk who committed suicide, was ordered imprisoned for 11 years for "intentional homicide" in hiding the young monk, Phuntsog, and preventing him from getting medical treatment. Two other monks were sentenced to 10 and 13 years in prison after a separate trial Tuesday in which they were accused of "plotting, instigating and assisting" in the self-immolation of the 16-year-old monk, according to Tibetan exile groups.

Clothing and accessories that use fake fur and exotic skins are available in a range of prices. Here's a list of lines and brands whose offerings feel more fine than faux: Aldo Fake fur is showing up on just about every kind of accessory that's offered by this Canada-based retailer, including shoes, bags, ear muffs, scarves, belts and hats. And the result is surprisingly stylish, with prices ranging from $18 to $60. A backpack with "rabbit" pockets is especially chic and adds a little texture to an otherwise sporty staple; the Aldo "Pursel" backpack is $55. Burning Torch The L.A.-based brand is known for an earthy boho vibe.