Fashion

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.

"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.

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.

There may be no better time to escape the city for a sun-drenched jaunt to the desert than spring. Flowers are blooming, temperatures are moderate, and music and art beckon with two major festivals — the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival April 15 to 17 and the Stagecoach country music fest April 30 and May 1. This is all on top of the year-round lure of golf, tennis, pools and spas. And for the serious shopper? There's a small but mighty fashion scene to be found in Palm Springs and its southeastern neighbor Palm Desert that includes the same sartorial trappings available in the city (Gucci, Trina Turk, Sephora)

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.

Tracy Anderson Given all the buzz last month around the opening of fitness guru Tracy Anderson's flagship super-studio in Brentwood - a partnership with Gwyneth Paltrow, who is Exhibit A for Anderson's handiwork - it comes as no surprise that the celebrity trainer is extending her lifestyle brand into fashion. Just weeks ago, the Tracy Anderson line debuted with compression-fit capri leggings ($60) in three eye-catching fabrics: red tartan plaid, oversize multi-color polka dot and glittery metallic.

Topshop, the global fashion juggernaut with more than 400 stores operating in 38 countries, has arrived on the West Coast at long last, opening a new store at the Grove in Los Angeles last Thursday. At 25,000 square feet with nearly 40-foot ceilings, the London-based brand's new flagship boasts the grandiose size and presence common to its other properties, with multiple levels housing the various women's collections under the Topshop umbrella, as well as Topman for menswear. "Topshop is one of the all-time great retailers on a global platform, and they are really planting a flag here," says Rick Caruso, chief executive of Caruso Affiliated, the developer of the Grove.

Darlene, Bob, Betty and Chuck--their names remain enshrined in embroidery on old bowling shirts. Little did they suspect that those bowling shirts, with their tacky ads for Al's Diner and the Corner Bar stitched on back like miniature billboards, would someday be treasured as quaint souvenirs from America's happy days. After all, "bowling shirts are not good looking," says Donna Saucedo, who nevertheless owns 20 of them.

There's an adage that finding the perfect wedding dress is like finding a perfect partner: You want one that hugs your body, offers support, lifts you up and makes you feel beautiful. So wouldn't it be great to get a dress from a brand that, like your future spouse, you trust to give you these things on an average Wednesday as well as on what's supposed to be the most memorable day of your life? That seems to be the philosophy behind the slew of major mass-market retailers now offering bridal gowns.

In the rarefied, regimented world of ballroom dancing, an incident in 1982 proved nothing short of a fashion coup: During an international competition, half a dozen of the world's reigning ballroom dancers--queens of the floor--threw down their tutus. For decades they'd been consigned to wear short skirts with layer upon layer of netting that made them look as if they had stick legs and huge hips. They'd had enough.