Waist

It happens every spring. The weather warms up. The clothing racks begin to bloom with swimsuits and thoughts turn to that depressing chore: choosing what to wear in the water. Mature women often find slim pickings. The tops are low-cut, the bottoms are high-cut and a hankie would hide more than some of the suits. Little strings tied together are designed more for perfect bodies in repose than older women who want to go swimming. Faced with such skimpy choices, some women just stayed out of the water.

Bill Scott says that one time when he was playing tennis, he tripped on a loose tennis ball and landed on his head. He says it hurt a lot. Now, Scott owns a Sun Valley manufacturing company that produces high-speed mixers for restaurants. But when a business partner suggested a new product, a belt that holds loose tennis balls, Scott fell for the idea. Thus was born the Ace Tennis Ball Caddy. The device straps around the waist and can hold up to five tennis balls. The belt is made of polyester.

Sophia Amoruso doesn't care if you're offended by the name of her company. "If it's a big shock when you hear it," she says, "you're probably not our customer anyway. " She's earned the right to be dismissive. Amoruso, 28, is the founder and chief executive of Nasty Gal, a fast-rising e-commerce site that has managed to keep a low profile despite a cult following of young women who can't get enough of the company's edgy and provocative clothing. Sales rocketed 10,160% from 2008 to 2011, making Nasty Gal the fastest-growing company in Los Angeles and the fastest-growing retail company period, at least according to the Inc. 5000 list released this month.

For some people, no amount of sunscreen feels like enough protection from harmful ultraviolet rays. So when they're ready to hit the shore, they can slip into a long-sleeved, thigh-length Sarasota ZnO Beach cover-up ($68) and matching full-length ZnO Beach drawstring pants ($54) from Coolibar, a Minneapolis-based maker of "sun protective clothes. " Or, if they actually want to go in the water, Sun Precautions of Seattle offers a high-neck, long-sleeved swim top ($98.95) and waist-to-ankle "water legs" ($82.95)

As swimmers go for the gold at the London Olympics, swimwear companies are ready to sell the latest Olympic-themed swimsuits back home. Recreational and competitive swimmers alike can benefit from the same technologies swimsuit manufacturers are using to help the likes of Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Natalie Coughlin (all sporting Speedos), and Matt Grevers, Nick Thoman, Ricky Berens, Ariana Kukors and Amanda Weir (all in Tyr). The controversial suits of the 2008 Olympics, which prompted accusations of "technological doping," are no longer allowed.

When it comes to shopping, the average American man has it made. At 189.8 pounds and a size 44 regular jacket, he can wear Abercrombie & Fitch, American Apparel or Armani. Department stores, mall retailers and designer boutiques all cater to his physique -- even when it's saddled with love handles, a sagging chest or a moderate paunch. In menswear, shlubby is accommodated. But the average U.S. woman, who's 162.

What happens when being in the right place at the right time is also the wrong place at the wrong time? When what saves you could ultimately destroy you? That's the terrifying minefield that the terrific "Miss Bala" navigates in a modern-day Mexico where beauty pageants, politics, police, power and a billion-dollar drug business mingle to deadly effect. Directed with great verve by Gerardo Naranjo, and the country's Oscar entry in the foreign language category, the film takes on the bloody running turf wars of the narcotics trade from street level.

The call came on the eve of his Los Angeles concert, just as he was leaving his home in Mexico. We have your son. Follow our instructions. Don't make trouble. It was a year ago, and Vicente Fernandez was about to headline four sold-out shows at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena, his annual Memorial Day pilgrimage to the Eastside suburbs of L.A. Now this voice, saying his 33-year-old son, his namesake, was being held for a ransom of millions.

Where do basketball players go to celebrate the signing of their first NBA contract? No, not Disneyland. Many of them make tracks to a tailor. Some players are just too tall to wear off-the-rack menswear--suits, jackets, pants--typically designed to fit men 6 feet, 3 inches and shorter. Others may be able to find a suit jacket that will fit, but the matching pants will be too large. So most NBA players are only too happy to indulge in custom-made clothing. And why not? Suit prices may start at about $1,000, but the average NBA salary is $1.33 million.