Fashion

Two years after selling her original namesake company, Taryn Rose is back in full force. The orthopedist/shoe designer, who made her name crafting fashion-forward designs that are as comfortable as they are pretty, has debuted a luxury line that is available at Neiman Marcus, with new designs rolling out this fall. A less expensive division is featured on the Home Shopping Network. And with new partners the Schottenstein Group, Rose will have a midrange line available at stores including Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and Macy's next year.

Looking for a stylish read? Here are some very fashionable books out this spring. "City of Style" (Harper Collins, $21.99) is an approachable field guide to L.A. style in all its incarnations, whether Laurel Canyon bohemians or Mexican American cholas, written by former Los Angeles Times Image section staff writer Melissa Magsaysay. "L.A. style is ever-changing and moving in a direction not solely dictated by what's happening on the runway. It blends the past with current trends and a lifestyle determined by the varied landscape, golden light and sense of freedom," Magsaysay writes in the introduction.

It's been a long time since wearing sunglasses was just about shading the eyes from the glare of the sun. Just as often, that pair of Wayfarers, cat-eyes or aviators is used to create an air of inaccessibility and mystery. That's especially true among the celebrity set seeking a disguise and rock musicians trying to cultivate an anti-establishment vibe behind impenetrably inky or mirrored lenses. But, thanks to the latest celebri-trend - custom-made, lightly tinted lenses in light neutrals or pale pops of color - sunglasses are no longer an accessory that looks cool at the beach or behind the wheel but affected indoors and elsewhere.

The pirate with the knife in his teeth perched in the palm tree beside the store isn't real. Neither is the armed buccaneer greeting visitors inside the front door. But the booty is. True to its name, Hidden Treasures is an amazing discovery for motorists passing through Topanga Canyon. Located at a crossroads where the '60s never ended, this vintage store has lured shoppers all the way from Japan and has been featured in publications ranging from Playboy to Vogue. Kate Moss has said she shops for vintage here.

Whether perusing the beauty and personal care products at Target or Whole Foods or shopping online at Sephora, consumers are increasingly encountering the phrase "paraben-free. " What exactly does paraben-free mean, and why might it matter? We take a closer look — including sussing out pretty makeup products that are paraben-free. What are parabens? Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products such as soap, moisturizers, shaving cream and underarm deodorant, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

From corsets to sky-high stilettos, women have been suffering in the name of fashion for years. Thanks to the Beverly Hills-based footwear line Dana Davis, named for its founder and chief executive, high-heeled- shoe lovers can breathe a sigh of relief. In its third season and selling well locally at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza and at danadavis.com, the label features chic styles with invisible comfort technology such as customized arch supports and strategic cushioning. Imagine heels that may actually be good for you. With designs including embellished flat sandals, driving moccasins and the 41/2-inch platform heels she introduced for spring-summer 2010, Dana Davis just might be the brand to make a comfort shoe go mainstream in the fashion world.

At dress shops across Los Angeles, mother-and-daughter pairs dressed in jeans and high school sweat shirts that read "Seniors 2012" are on a mission. It's officially springtime, and for many a young woman in high school, that can mean only one thing: prom season has arrived. The hunt for just the right dress can be a challenge. The little black dress may be the suitable go-to for almost every other occasion, but for prom, a simple black dress won't do. The perfect prom dress has to dazzle in pictures, make the wearer feel like a princess and hold up to a full night on the dance floor.

For the longest time, John Gregory had a denim dilemma. Gregory favors ultra-low-slung, dangerously tight, rock-glam jeans, but most men's brands are just too baggy or look too blah for the self-described "skinny dude." So at the suggestion of his wife, Brandie, the 32-year-old musician tried on a pair of women's jeans. He now regularly dons women's size-12 denims because, he says, such brands as Seven and Lucky work wonders on his lanky 6-foot physique.

Imagine having the fountain of youth as close at hand as the bathroom. We're not there yet — but there's a burgeoning number of at-home, high-tech beauty gadgets that claim to smooth wrinkles, whiten teeth and remove hair without the need to invest in pricey beauty treatments at the spa, dermatologist or plastic surgeon's office. Some of these gadgets are so high-tech the Food and Drug Administration considers them medical devices, so approach the world of cosmetic gadgetry with caution.

IF it's been a year or two since you've shopped for a mattress, you're in for some surprises. That memory foam bed that once seemed so novel? It's now decidedly mainstream. Latex is the hot material of choice. And that's not all that's changed. Choices are multiplying -- especially on the luxury end -- and prices are too.

Beatrix Molnar, 33, fell in love with Jason Whipple, 39, after dating him for just a few weeks. “He came over to my place and sharpened my knives for me,” she said. “It was such a small, sweet gesture that really resonated and stuck with me.” The couple met online in 2010, but realized they lived less than two miles from each other in Long Beach. “His old apartment is visible from my drive to work in downtown and I remember thinking I'd be really bummed if this didn't work out and I'd have to see his place on my drive to work every day,” Molnar said.

"Dark Shadows,"which hit theaters on Friday, not only revives long-dormant vampire Barnabas Collins, it also brings back some giggle- and cringe-inducing fashions of the early 1970s. Leisure suits. Mirrored aviator sunglasses. Bell-bottoms, chunky sweaters, macramé jewelry. These all contrast with the stand-up collars, cravats and capes worn by Johnny Depp as Collins. Costume designer Colleen Atwood was more than up to the challenge after numerous previous collaborations with director Tim Burton (her efforts for the director's"Alice in Wonderland" earned her a 2010 Academy Award)

When I discovered I was pregnant with our second child, I pulled out the storage bin containing the maternity clothes from my first pregnancy and was instantly depressed. After nine months of wearing a Diane von Furstenberg maternity wrap dress and Lilly Pulitzer maternity shift in heavy rotation — and I mean heavy in every sense — I couldn't face another pregnancy in these same few outfits. But at $300 for designer maternity dresses I would wear another half a year at most, I wasn't prepared to splurge on an entirely new pregnancy wardrobe.

Los Angeles supermarket magnate Ron Burkle went upscale with the latest addition to his portfolio: fashion retailer Barneys New York. Burkle's Yucaipa Cos. and Perry Capital took ownership of Barneys in a debt-restructuring deal, Barneys announced Monday. Perry Capital is the majority owner. The deal slashes Barneys' debt to $50 million from $590 million. "This agreement provides us with increased free cash flow that will be used to revitalize our stores, invest in Barneys.com and further enhance our customer experience at a time when our operational financial performance is very strong," Barneys Chief Executive Mark Lee said in a statement.

Worldwide rights to the Fred Segal name, a moniker that over the last five decades has become a sort of shorthand for the Los Angeles fashion-shopping experience, have been purchased by a New York City firm for an undisclosed sum. Sandow Media, which announced the acquisition, said the deal will allow it to put the iconic red, white and blue Fred Segal logo on merchandise as well as build Fred Segal stores around the world. Not included in the deal are the two brick-and-mortar Fred Segal retail centers — one on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles and one in Santa Monica.

"Tomboy Style" author Lizzie Garrett Mettler shares her must-haves for spring. They incorporate this season's trends — like colorful jeans — with classic tomboy staples such as a striped tee.

On any given day, in downtown lofts, Santa Monica ateliers and dozens of studios across Los Angeles, dressing rooms are filled with men and women who are slipping into suits, dresses and jeans that fit as if they were made just for them — because they were. They are donning custom-made wedding gowns, dress shirts, even entire wardrobes. Whether they were propelled there by the frustrations of poorly fitting commercial clothes or by a sense of style that isn't part of the trend du jour, they've discovered the rewards of made-to-order clothing.

If you are a woman who loves to wear fragrance but only if it's not too floral or girly, maybe it's time to expand your choices. This year, why not try a men's scent? Odd? Not at all. Much, if not most, fragrance is unisex. It's mainly the packaging, marketing and strength of the fragrance that categorize it as "male" or "female" and determine in which part of the department store the bottle is sold. "I think it's really quite outmoded to talk in terms of male and female fragrance anyhow," says Mandy Aftel, owner and perfumer of Aftelier Perfumes, an artisinal perfumery in Berkeley.

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.

Americans spend upward of 30 hours a month staring at their computer screens, shopping and browsing and seeking. We relish the efficiency, the expanse of information, the anonymity and the freedom. But we are social creatures and as such, can't seem to stop gathering in various online communities to share music or photos of fabulous dinners or handbags. We come together when rumors circle over a Kim Kardashian-Kanye West courtship or the replacement for John Galliano is announced at Dior.