Skinny Jeans

IF YOU think wearing high heels to work is a grind, try tramping around the stage at the Viper Room in stilettos with a guitar strapped to your back. But spiky shoes -- along with skinny jeans and loads of black eyeliner -- are part of what defines the slinky, dark-glam look of new L.A. band Uh Huh Her. "People are astonished that I can play bass in heels," says Camila Grey, lead vocalist for the dreamy, electro-pop duo, which she co-founded with singer and keyboard player Leisha Hailey -- the elfin blond actress who costars in the Showtime series "The L Word," about fashion-savvy lesbians.

French contemporary labels are expanding their retail presence globally at a fast clip. Besides Sandro, several others are moving into Los Angeles, where their takes on effortlessly undone chic resonate particularly well. They all have similar offerings (biker jackets and skinny jeans are mainstays for each label, for example, and I challenge you to distinguish them from one another). But there are subtle differences between the brands in terms of look and feel. Maje The look: Casual but polished women's wear, resort-ready glam with a heady dose of embroidery and lace.

On a still Thursday night, Ben J is talking about how cool his mom is. This is not what you would expect from the 18-year-old MTV star of New Boyz fame. Ben J, or Earl Benjamin as his mother calls him, is one of the main faces of jerkin', the hip-hop-influenced dance, music and style that started spreading around Los Angeles more than three years ago but blew up last spring when the New Boyz' "You're a Jerk" became the first tune of the genre to get radio playtime. It has since inspired kids from Indonesia to France to make YouTube videos of their own loose-limbed dancing.

Ever since Echo Park Lake was closed two years ago for a $20-million face lift, I've been dreaming of what it would be like to have a real cafe in the park. Promises had been made that when the park reopened, its early-20th-century boathouse would serve food and coffee. That day has now dawned. During my morning run (OK, it was more like a fast walk), I passed the boathouse and was excited to see a smattering of tables out front with a few people eating sandwiches served on simple cardboard trays.

Backstage before the Hurley-sponsored Walk the Walk fashion design competition at the U.S. Open of Surfing last month, we surveyed some of Southern California's most fashion-forward teens about their post-Labor Day wardrobe choices. Not surprisingly, denim was at the top of the list, but what kind (skinny versus straight, 1980s-era acid-washed versus 1990s-era ripped grunge) was very much up for discussion. A few of the comments: "My friends and I are wearing a lot of capri jeans -- making them with scissors.

We asked PacSun Chief Executive Gary Schoenfeld and Hot Topic Vice President Cindy Levitt what's hot for back-to-school this season. Clearly, denim is still the top-of-the-closet favorite. Hot Topic The look: Skinny jeans in black or red or deconstructed. Combat boots paired with a dress, tights, a hoodie and a little jacket. A backpack. Emerging: Panel-leg skinny jeans. Vests. Studs, spikes and pins to DIY-embellish backpacks and vests. Classic rock, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath.

The 69th Venice Film Festival is underway in Italy, and all eyes are on the red carpet. Kristin Scott Thomas turned heads in a silk, paisley print dress from the Giambattista Valli resort 2013 collection; Winona Ryder appeared statuesque in a black lace Dolce & Gabbana gown; and Naomi Watts looked radiant in a beige Marchesa frock at the opening ceremony.  High fashion is taking center stage at the festival, but the stars are getting style nods...

OLYMPIC APPETITES Olympic athletes consume several thousand calories a day -- often in the form of junk food . "I love fatty desserts," says gold medalist swimmer Nathan Adrian , such as white cake topped with rainbow sprinkles. [ Wall Street Journal ] BURNING QUESTIONS Norman Lear answers the query : What's the best meal you've eaten in New York? (And he's 90 but has 17-year-old daughters?!)  [New York magazine] ON VALUE AND TRUFFLES " Is it really worth spending money on fine dining when so much of the happiness we experience is simply our brains fleeing from cognitive dissonance?"

Your butt's not getting bigger. The jeans are getting smaller. Just ask shopper Lisa Korn, who is doing a torturous tango with a pair of skinny new jeans inside the Ron Herman boutique on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. She tugs at the garment, performs deep knee bends in front of the mirror, and even hoists her slender self on a display table to see whether the jeans dip too low in the back when she sits down. "I'm dying," she groans. "Even in a [size] 28, I'm dying."

How to dress like a jerk Kids can be found jerkin' in streets, classrooms, grocery stores and even on top of ice cream trucks, so it's no surprise that jerkin' fashion stands out. Jerkin' style is about invention: cutting off skinny jeans to create "half-calves," wearing colorful shoelaces as belts or screen printing your crew's name on T- shirts. You can put together pieces — skinny jeans, Vans, a colorful T — to replicate the look, or check out the offerings at Hot Topic or Zazzle.

Sometimes, skinny jeans simply aren't skinny enough. Have you ever wished they were tighter? More form fitting around the thighs? Wish your jeans were so tight you could hardly sit down in them? To meet the demand, American Eagle has launched its skinniest jeans ever -- sort of. The new AE skinniest skinnies are so skinny, there's no actual denim involved. In fact, the skinnies are nothing more than cans of blue paint. The label nonetheless launched an ad campaign modeling the new jeans, which you can see here . Warning: Some of the images are not safe to view at work.

The 69th Venice Film Festival is underway in Italy, and all eyes are on the red carpet. Kristin Scott Thomas turned heads in a silk, paisley print dress from the Giambattista Valli resort 2013 collection; Winona Ryder appeared statuesque in a black lace Dolce & Gabbana gown; and Naomi Watts looked radiant in a beige Marchesa frock at the opening ceremony.  High fashion is taking center stage at the festival, but the stars are getting style nods...

Victoria's Secret model and bathing suit designer Selita Ebanks has never been one to go unnoticed.  Whether strutting on a Paris catwalk or scuffling in a Miami club cat fight, Ebanks is a hands-down showstopper. She debuted a popular swimwear line that is appropriately named "Sass by Selita" this past year, a reflection of her fierce attitude toward both life and fashion. Ebanks did not fail to impress us at last week's Clos Du Bois Winery celebration of the launch of the new wine, Rouge, in New York City.

We asked PacSun Chief Executive Gary Schoenfeld and Hot Topic Vice President Cindy Levitt what's hot for back-to-school this season. Clearly, denim is still the top-of-the-closet favorite. Hot Topic The look: Skinny jeans in black or red or deconstructed. Combat boots paired with a dress, tights, a hoodie and a little jacket. A backpack. Emerging: Panel-leg skinny jeans. Vests. Studs, spikes and pins to DIY-embellish backpacks and vests. Classic rock, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath.

Any parent who shops at Old Navy or the Gap sees the usual selection of skinny jeans and T-shirts emblazoned with skateboards and cheeky slogans. There's a sameness to the rough-and-tumble designs of boy's clothing that is particularly underwhelming to the fashion-forward mom who strives to not only dress her child but dress him well. But a new online boutique is broadening the field for children's clothing. One Jackson crowd sources its collections, allowing designers with fresh ideas to showcase new styles and potential buyers to vote on what they like.

OLYMPIC APPETITES Olympic athletes consume several thousand calories a day -- often in the form of junk food . "I love fatty desserts," says gold medalist swimmer Nathan Adrian , such as white cake topped with rainbow sprinkles. [ Wall Street Journal ] BURNING QUESTIONS Norman Lear answers the query : What's the best meal you've eaten in New York? (And he's 90 but has 17-year-old daughters?!)  [New York magazine] ON VALUE AND TRUFFLES " Is it really worth spending money on fine dining when so much of the happiness we experience is simply our brains fleeing from cognitive dissonance?"

Back when the jean pool was but a mere puddle, denim sold itself on fit and cut and signature back pockets. Jeans didn't claim to cure Lyme disease or make foamy lattes. But lately -- with more than 100 brands of premium denim vying for your backside -- designers will stop at nothing to get you in their pants. Seeking enlightenment and a "divine" derriere? Try the 35th Street jean from Bishop of Seventh.

Any parent who shops at Old Navy or the Gap sees the usual selection of skinny jeans and T-shirts emblazoned with skateboards and cheeky slogans. There's a sameness to the rough-and-tumble designs of boy's clothing that is particularly underwhelming to the fashion-forward mom who strives to not only dress her child but dress him well. But a new online boutique is broadening the field for children's clothing. One Jackson crowd sources its collections, allowing designers with fresh ideas to showcase new styles and potential buyers to vote on what they like.

Jonah Hill seemed entirely serious and a bit panicked as a rather unusual lawbreaker advanced toward him, ignoring profanity-laden orders to halt. With a prop gun wavering in his hand, Hill implored the perpetrator to think of his family and warned that he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. But the little white duck waddling through Lafreniere Park barely acknowledged the human in a bicycle cop's summer uniform of navy blue shirt-sleeves and shorts. It just continued to make its way toward the pond in the center of the park as the "21 Jump Street" crew stifled its laughter until the film's directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, could call an end to the silliness.

H&M and other big-box retailers are obvious go-tos for fast fashion. But they aren't the only stores in town for shoppers seeking that little black dress in lace or a cashmere sweater that won't break the bank. Many of L.A.'s independent boutiques offer a curated selection of dresses, sweaters, pants and accessories in a more intimate environment with attentive service. Below we look at five of those boutiques, with current styles and prices that frequently average less than $100.