Clothing

From simple knit and purl to fancy shell and loop stitches, some 35 women throughout the city transform balls of yarn each day into baby clothes, bootees, bonnets, blankets, bibs, diaper covers and children's sweaters. The women, all members of the Needlework Guild of America's Fullerton chapter, waste no time in their quest to make beautiful garments for the poor. In all, the 44-year-old group has 382 members--most of whom donate yarn and money for the cause.

A POLITICAL convention is not really the place to find people serious about fashion, at least not judging by the preponderance of T-shirts and goofy campaign regalia on display last week on the opening night of the Democrats' quadrennial shindig in Denver. And anyway, for sheer fashion cool, who on Earth is going to try to trump Sen. Barack Obama and his fashion-mad wife, Michelle? Still, among the throngs jostling through the Pepsi Center, it was possible to find some folks who put some thought into their attire.

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino may have the ripped abs of an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. model, but the high-end teen chain wants the "Jersey Shore" reality television star to stop wearing its clothing. In a news release titled "Abercrombie & Fitch proposes a win-win situation," the retailer, through its "Brand Senses Department," said: "We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans.

Sheriff's detectives seized hundreds of thousands of counterfeit designer clothing labels Wednesday at a Montebello self-storage facility, authorities said. Among the labels were such designer names as Gucci, Nike, Fila, Tommy Hilfiger and Gianni Versace. An anonymous informant told detectives about a Walnut Park garment factory where the labels were being sewn on clothing, said Sgt. Jim LeBlanc.

Target Corp. said it would sell designer Isaac Mizrahi's line of women's sports clothing and accessories created exclusively for the company. Target Chief Executive Robert Ulrich is offering more designer items to differentiate the discount chain from larger rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which has lower prices. Shares of Minneapolis-based Target rose 28 cents to $28.51 on the NYSE.

Older Americans are twice as likely to be killed by fires as the rest of the population and also tend to be at particular risk for clothing fires, says the American Association of Retired Persons. The AARP cites a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study which showed more than 90% of clothing fire deaths occurred in people age 50 or older. The AARP suggests these shopping tips: --Choose garments made of flame-resistant fibers (tight-weave, tight-knit, non-fuzzy).

A Marine Corps uniform from World War II and a beaded lace dress with matching hat from the 1940s were among the vintage clothing donated to Cal State Northridge by a private collector in Ohio. The clothes will be added to the university's collection of about 300 pieces used in the fashion design and merchandising program at CSUN. Other articles of donated clothing included a beaded jacket and several fur pieces from the turn of the century.

If you walked the floor of the recent Magic and Project fashion industry trade shows, you probably noticed two major themes for fall 2011 casual wear: the Old West and a continuing interest in classic American work wear. The worn-in, vintage look of work wear has been extremely popular for men for several seasons, especially with the revival and hipsterization of labels such as Pendleton and Woolrich. Now that look is marching into fall for women's accessories, unisex knits and denim.

While it has no evidence of a specific plot, the FBI said it has information that terrorists are interested in downing airliners using shoe bombs. Such an attack was prevented a year ago. In an intelligence bulletin, the FBI urges law enforcement agencies to stay vigilant to the possibility that terrorists might try to hide bombs in winter coats, shoes or other garments. Last December, a similar attack by Richard Reid was foiled.

Re "Turning Donated Rags Into Riches," July 28: The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Center program, administered through its western territorial headquarters, is financed solely through the collection and resale of donated items and does not receive cash donations or United Way allocations. While the Salvation Army does sell a portion of its donated clothing because much of it is unusable, it takes issue with the article that "Although some donors think they are giving their used clothing to the local poor and homeless, very little is ever given to anyone."