5 Casual Clothing Essentials

Imagine relaxing times, like hanging out with friends or enjoying a casual meal out. Now, imagine doing those activities in fancy clothes. Not so relaxing, right? Casual times call for the right clothes, ones that wear easily and allow you to enjoy life.

But casual doesn't mean sloppy. Today's designers offer styles that can either dress you up or dress you down. From running errands to catching a hip concert, the right casual clothes give you tons of flexibility. Let's take a look at some of the staples in casual wear that can help you build a great wardrobe.

5: Blue Jeans

Jeans can work almost anywhere, anytime.

Blue jeans are the uniform of casual. With so many styles on the market, they can be perfect for day or night. From rugged jeans to body hugging jeans, these pants come in styles fit for every shape. Pick a pair that flatters your body style and shows off your assets. Whether you go for flared legs, skinny jeans or straight legs, there's a pair of jeans out there for everyone.

4: Shorts

For cooler casual wear, go with shorts.

From Daisy Dukes to Bermudas, shorts are the cooler alternative to casual pants. Much like jeans, shorts have become an "anytime" piece of clothing. Whether you choose cotton, silk or denim, shorts now come in such a wide array of fabrics that they can go out day or night. Since they come in all lengths, from cropped to knee-length, you're sure to find a style that flatters your body and plays up your best body features.

3: T-shirts

What's more simple and comfortable than a T-shirt?

The T-shirt has come a long way from the role of a simple undershirt. Today, tees come in all colors of the rainbow, with a variety of necklines and sleeve lengths. Make a statement with a logo, or have fun with striped and patterned tees. Nothing comes close to its versatility or comfort. What other article of clothing can be thrown on to run an errand or bedazzled for a jazzy, nighttime look?

2: Cotton Skirts and Dresses

Cotton skirts and dresses can fit almost any occasion.

For a polished and stylish casual look, make sure you have a few cotton skirts and dresses in your wardrobe. With various lengths and cuts, it may be difficult to choose, but be sure to wear what suits you best. Show off a little leg in a shorter straight skirt. Flatter your body's curves with an A-line skirt that flairs out at the bottom. Add some volume with a full skirt. Whatever you wear, you'll look cool, comfortable and feminine.

1: Sneakers

Kick back with some comfortable sneakers.

These athletic shoes aren't just for sports. Today's sneaker styles can perform on a run or at the courts, but they can also be fashionable gear that you wouldn't necessarily play in. Casual sneakers add the finishing touches to your look. Choose a simple lace-up sneaker for daytime. Wear a hip, colorful sneaker with crisscrossed Velcro straps, sport some slip-ons or flaunt some Mary Jane's. Sneakers are a fun way to add flair to your casual wardrobe and make a leisurely walk even more enjoyable.

10 Trends We Wish Would Die Already

10: Crocs

Crocs may come in many different styles, but they're not exactly stylish.

These utility shoes are designed to be sole-hugging and ultra-lightweight. We're not advocating fashion over comfort -- OK, we kinda are. When you wear shoes that make you look squat, thick-ankled and like a rubber ball just melted around your foot, you're in definite danger of joining the ranks of those people who eschew personal relationships in favor of a closer spiritual connection with their miniature train sets or scrunchie collections. Hey, we like comfort, but we like looking good, too.

9: Cutout Dresses

Did You Know? Although knees are indispensible as joints go, they aren't the most attractive part of the human form. In the olden days, designers used to proclaim that the most flattering skirt length was just below the knee. It showed the leg to advantage (coming and going) and created a dynamite silhouette.

How much can some thread and a pair of scissors cost? We really thought mummy wrapping went out with the pharaohs. Peek-a-boo fashions have been around forever, but the goal is to come up with an attractive way to remove a portion of a garment to leave a tantalizing bit of skin showing, not construct a garment to look like you ran out of fabric, decided to tan yourself in decorative wedges or were too lazy to buy a pattern.

8: Leggings as Pants

Save the leggings for your workouts like Jessicas Biel and Alba. They don't belong on a night out on the town.

If you've got a great body, this can look almost good, but for most women, it's reminiscent of the thermal underwear gold miners wore in those old black and white Westerns. Sometimes with fashion, less is more, but this is one instance where less is definitely not enough. Mommy's rule No. 78: Always put your pants on before you go out. It's the polite thing to do.

7: Rompers

Did You Know? Flesh-colored shoes, or close approximations like khaki, tan and taupe, will make your legs look longer, your ankles more delicately tapered and underplay the size of your feet. They're also a neutral that goes with almost anything.

We can understand being nostalgic for those carefree days of childhood, but when you cram an adult body into a garment devised for an adolescent, you're stretching things -- literally. If you want to recapture some youthful zeal, there are better ways to do it than running around looking like a daycare refugee.

6: Layered Statement Jewelry

It's important to self-edit your jewelry; you don't want to look like you're wearing every piece you own.

Accessories are designed to enhance your look, not obscure it. Where layered statement jewelry can create a focal point if you keep everything else simple, overdo it, and you'll look like a garage sale fashionista with magpie tastes and more closet space than good sense. When layering jewelry or anything else, if you think it may be too much, it probably is.

5: Distressed Designer Denim

Did You Know? If you grew up in the '50s, you probably had a string of pearls (real or artificial) in your jewelry box. Real pearls have an iridescent sheen that reflects upward, enhancing the glow in a woman's complexion. It's the one jewelry item that's a cosmetic enhancement, too.

How do you launder designer jeans that are so raggedy they look like they're disintegrating while you're wearing them? If your clothes have to be falling apart for you to look pulled together, there's something terribly wrong somewhere. Unless you're painting or taking out the trash, leave this design trend in the rag bag where it belongs.

4: High Heels and Socks

Rihanna should just say "NO" to this fashion faux pas.

Oh, come on now. How could this ever stop reminding us of Dorothy and her ruby slippers? If you want your legs to look long (and who doesn't?), there's no reason to truncate them with socks, booties or other foot gear that will emphasize your knees, the girth of your thighs or your overall weight. We're thinking that even savvy amazons, ballerinas and long-distance runners with great legs will avoid this one.

3: Dressed-up Sweatpants

OK, so you're a high-powered professional type who entertains constantly and can't take the time to change clothes between the gym and your evening commitments. In an inspired moment, you devise a plan to save time by wearing your sweatpants gussied up with a couple of decorative doodads you carry around in your gym bag. Ta-da, instant elegance.
No matter what fabric you make them out of or what you stick on them, including an exorbitant price tag, you just can't make sweatpants into evening or luxury attire. Sorry, you'll just have to wait until you get home to get truly comfy.

2: Super High Heels

These shoes border on dangerous -- and not in a good way.

Choosing clothing and accessories to create a look is an art (and a moving cultural target), so most fashionistas can be forgiven for missing the mark every once in a while. The one absolute requirement for good and sensible dressing, though, is not to wear anything that can actually hurt you or someone else. Spiky heels of 5 inches or more definitely fall into the excessive and dangerous category. Sitting out the season with a broken ankle because you fell off your shoes would be a shame -- and embarrassing, too.

1: High-waist Pants and Shorts

Ladies, one of the big complaints of petite women everywhere is that they look disproportionately short in the waist area. This is a polite euphemism for dumpy. High-waist garments, especially when coupled with different colored tops, create this illusion when worn by most women, short or not, so it's hard to understand why anyone would choose them. High-waist pants were designed for models, and models are among the very few people who can pull off wearing them. The rest of us should be spending our wardrobe dollars on clothes that actually flatter our bodies.

Top Trends for Summer Style

Here comes the sun

The key is tapping into trends, and this summer's fashions are big on color. All the colors. Sunglass-prompting floral-prints play a starring role in everything from from A-line dresses to Zorro-like blouses with frilled collars. Along with these poppy-covered cottons and linens, sunny yellows and cheerful violets round out the mix. We're also heading straight for the shiny stuff. Metallics -- in silver, bronze and gold -- are still (thankfully) go-to hues. And, we're seeing these glitzy tones show up on all types of clothing.

This means that whether you're in the mood to play "stranded castaway" or "ethereal goddess," there's a wardrobe to match. Sheer, gauzy fabrics in draped layers are oh-so-in, along with wavy goddess hair and subtle makeup tones (Hint: Pick up some peach lip gloss. Now!). For a deserted island look, we're opting for something a bit more deconstructed: shorts with worn-looking edges and shirts with simple tie closures at the shoulder, all in subdued tones.

Hemlines in the negative

As for jeans, if you still have a closet full of '09 denim, holey and thread-worn enough for any grunge band member wannabe, you're in luck. To work for summer 2010, seen-better-days denim needs a seductive spin. Glam it up by pairing them with sheer, draped tops and oversized metallic jewelry casts just the right balance. See, how cute are you?

If you really want to mix it up, snag a threadbare denim miniskirt or a pair of boy shorts. And we do mean "shorts." If you measured hemlines in degrees this summer, you'd hear nothing but negatives. As in minus-20. But we'll tell you this: Even with these miniature minis, you can still pick up a $10 bill if you drop it in the street without revealing your knickers. How so? Patterned tights. Or leggings. Get a bunch and wear them under everything: minis, short shorts, ripped jeans, your favorite little dress. After all, how else would you make all those rows of flounced ruffles look casual instead of pretentious? And this summer, we're seeing ruffles on just about everything. Even shoes.

Skyscraper heels, precocious flats

Sandals are great for showing off your new pedi. But plan to pick a brilliant polish because this season, there's nothing subtle about sandals. We're seeing mega-metallic straps with jumbo embellishments. Flats are perpetually popular, but heels have risen to skyscraper heights. So, while we soar into summer in glitzy ankle-twisters, we plan to land one of its hottest trends: over-the-knee socks. Sure, last winter we partied in those OTK boots like it was 1999. But now it's summer and pulled-up-to-there socks are perfect with little dresses or minis. Plus, they'll protect your knees if you take a runway-style spill while rocking those higher-than-ever heels.

So, if you follow our head-to-toe mantra -- bright colors, short shorts and shiny sandals -- you'll be the hottest thing under the sun this summer. Wondering what to do when the leaves turn? Don't worry. Together, we'll figure out fall fashions, too.

Top5 Most Expensive Shoes Ever

Iconic shoe designer Stuart Weitzman is well-known for his sumptuous style and sophisticated designs. So it should come as no surprise that he's also known for designing the world's most expensive shoes. Renowned for using unique materials, he's kicked it up a notch -- his heels, that is. Packed full of diamonds and rare gemstones, these stilettos will dazzle your eyes and drain your wallet. For full effect, read aloud in your best Robin Leach imitation.

5: Weitzman's Platinum Guild Stilettos

Laura Herring arrives in (expensive) style to the 74th Oscars in 2002.

These gorgeous strappy stilettos were styled from platinum fabric and adorned with a whopping 464 diamonds supplied by jeweler Kwiat (rhymes with "Fiat"). The round and pear-shaped diamonds were designed to be removable so they could also be worn as jewelry. These were the first million dollar shoes to be created for an Oscar nominee to wear on the big night, and lucky "Mulholland Drive" actress Laura Harring was chosen for the honor. With a price tag of $1.09 million, you wouldn't want to be the one to step on her toes.

4: Weitzman's Ruby Slippers

These red gems also spent some time on display in Tokyo in 2003.

Valued at $1.6 million, these "Wizard of Oz"-inspired heels are more couture than Kansas. The sophisticated stilettos were designed with a cherry red insole, replete with a delicate upper of red satin and encrusted with an impressive 642 Burma rubies. The settings alone contain half a pound of platinum and boast a total carat count of 123.33. These dazzling delights were scheduled to make their red carpet debut in 2003, but were shelved because of the sober mood due to the war in Iraq. They came out of the closet later that year for display at Harrod's in London.

3: Weitzman's Tanzanite Heels

These stunning shoes were a design collaboration between Stuart Weitzman and high-end jewelry designer Eddie Le Vian. The evening sandals were crafted from silver leather and topped with an ankle strap that more closely resembles a necklace worn by royalty than an ankle holster. Encrusted with 185 carats of gorgeous bright blue tanzanite gemstones and embellished with 28 carats of diamonds, the ankle strap is crowned with a dangling 16 carat tanzanite drop -- think pendant on a necklace. A delicate toe strap trimmed with tiny diamonds rounds out the design. And for a cool $2 million, they can be all yours.

2: Weitzman's Cinderella Slippers

Priced at $2 million, they may not be made of glass, but they certainly contain a lot of ice.

Inspired by the peasant-turned-princess Cinderella, these sparkly shoes were made of Italian leather. The ankle and toe straps were crafted into an intricate lacelike design created from 565 Kwiat diamonds in platinum settings. The right slipper hosts a rare, five carat amaretto diamond that alone is valued at more than a million dollars -- and provides the only sliver of color in the shoes. Country singer Alison Krauss was the lucky princess to wear the slippers to the 2004 Oscars. The 4-inch clear stiletto heels were designed to disappear, leaving the masses of glittering diamonds in the limelight.

1: Stuart Weitzman's Rita Hayworth Heels

Singer Kathleen "Bird" York wore these expensive stunners to the 2006 Oscars.

The aptly named Rita Hayworth heels were inspired by a favorite pair of earrings worn by the late actress. The open-toed heels were created from rust-colored satin (that would be called burnt sienna if it were a Crayola) and adorned with rubies, sapphires and diamonds nested in a satin ruffle at the toe. These beauties are worth a staggering $3 million, but they're not for sale -- they're owned by Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, Rita Hayworth's daughter.

Holiday Shopping on a Budget

Whether you’re shopping at the mall, online, or by phone or mail, our tips can help you shop smart and stay on budget.

Make a list and set a budget. List the people you plan to buy gifts for, the type of gifts you plan to buy, and how much you plan to spend. Include the cost of cash gifts, holiday travel, extra food, wrappings, decorations, greeting cards, and postage. If it relates to the holiday season and it costs money, add it to your budget.
Shop around. A “sale” price isn’t always the “best” price. Some merchants may offer a sale price on the item you want for a limited time; other merchants may offer items at a discount everyday.
Look for price-matching policies. Some merchants will match, or even beat, a competitor’s prices.
Go online. Check out websites that compare prices. If you decide to buy from an online merchant, keep shipping costs and delivery time in mind.
Carefully consider bargain offers that are based on purchases of additional merchandise. For example, “Buy One, Get One Free” or “Free Gift with Purchase.” If you don’t really want or need the item, it’s not a deal.
Clip coupons. Coupons are useful when they save you money on what you’re already planning to buy. Check coupons for any restrictions. For example, do expiration dates apply, or do you have to spend a certain amount before you can use the coupon? Some retailers will accept expired coupons, and even coupons from their competitors. Check with the retailer before you leave home to learn their policy.
Keep an eye on your wallet. Don’t flash cash. Keep an eye on your credit or debit card during transactions, and get them back as quickly as possible. If your cards are lost or stolen, report the loss or theft immediately to the card issuers.
Use credit and debit cards with care. Save your receipts. You need them for returns and exchanges. Check credit and debit card sales and return receipts against your monthly bills and statements, and report any problems to the credit card issuer promptly.
Ask about refund and return policies. Many merchants may have different refund and return policies for sale items. For example, clearance merchandise may be on final sale, meaning no refunds or exchanges.
Keep good records. Whether you’re ordering by mail, phone, or online, it’s important to keep detailed information about the transaction, including your order number, shipping costs and dates, warranties, and refund and return policies.

Shopping Tips for Tourists

Many tourists look for bargains in the US

Many tourists visiting the USA on vacation enjoy shopping for bargains. American whiskey, fashion jeans, children's clothing, plush bath towels and fine bed linens are all popular items for shoppers from other countries. You can find many bargains in the US if you know where to shop and how to take advantage of the competitive sales.

The big shopping malls are in the suburbs

There are still some department stores and downtown shopping areas in most US cities, but the big shopping malls and discount stores are usually located out in the suburban communities. Some of the major outlet centers are located in the countryside miles from the nearest major city. It is best to have an automobile if you want to do any serious bargain shopping.

Department stores offer good quality and high fashion

© Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
King of Prussia Mall

Department stores are large establishments that offer a wide selection of merchandise including fashion clothing, house wares, appliances, luggage and jewelry. They normally offer good quality merchandise, well known brands and the latest fashions, but not low quality products at bargain prices. They frequently have seasonal sales with attractive discounts. At such times, you can get high quality or fashion merchandise at bargain prices. In July and August, they have end-of-summer sales. In November, the Thanksgiving Day sale of pre-Christmas merchandise is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. From December 26 through mid-January, they hold big after-Christmas sales. In February, all the winter merchandise goes on sale. In addition, they have many special promotions and clearance sales.

The big department stores are typically parts of national chains, so you can find the same stores in many cities. They normally have a downtown store in a major city with several branch stores in the surrounding suburban shopping malls. Here are the names of some well-known national department stores. Lord & Taylor, Hecht's, Strawbridge's, Kaufman's, Filene's, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Burdine's, Lazarus, Rich's, Nordstrom's, Sak's, Dayton-Hudson's, Marshall's and Bergdorf-Goodman.

General merchandise stores offer affordable quality

Sears and JCPenny's are two large national chains with stores across the USA. They are similar to department stores but they do not offer high fashion merchandise or prestige brands. Instead, they feature good quality merchandises at affordable prices. They are particularly known for their selection of children's clothing, home appliances, housewares and domestic goods. Sears is famous for its selection of tools and lawn and garden products.

Discount stores sell at low prices

Discount stores sell some good quality merchandise at affordable prices and some lower quality merchandise at very low prices. If you are not looking for the latest fashions, or the famous brands, or the best quality, you can find some very inexpensive merchandise at a discount store. Some national discount chains with stores across the US are K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target and Caldor.

State and local sales taxes can be confusing

The US government does not levy a value-added tax on merchandise as governments do in many other countries, but most states and some cities collect a sales tax on all purchases. State taxes usually average 4% to 8%. Some cities add an additional 2%. Remember when you purchase something for $1.00, you may have to pay $1.08. Some states exempt all clothing and food purchases from sales tax. If you buy something big like a car or motorcycle, be sure to specify that it will be exported and you can usually obtain an exemption from the sales tax.

Words of caution about sizes and electronics

Clothing sizes in the USA are based on measurements in inches. If you purchase any electric appliances or electronics in the US, remember that all electrical items are normally 110v and 60Hz. Be sure that the item is adaptable to your local electric supply. US televisions, video recorders and cell phones use different standards than most other countries and are incompatible.

What is compulsive shopping and spending?

People who "shop 'till they drop" and run their credit cards up to the limit often have a shopping addiction. They believe that if they shop they will feel better. Compulsive shopping and spending generally makes a person feel worse. It is similar to other addictive behaviors and has some of the same characteristics as problem drinking (alcoholism), gambling and overeating addictions.

Compulsive shopping or spending can be a seasonal balm for the depression, anxiety and loneliness during the December holiday season. It also can occur when a person feels depressed, lonely and angry. Shopping and spending will not assure more love, bolster self-esteem, or heal the hurts, regrets, stress, and the problems of daily living. It generally makes these feelings worse because of the increased financial debt the person has obtained from compulsive shopping.

How can you tell if you are a compulsive shopper?

Shopoholics, when they are feeling "out of sorts, shop for a " pick-me-up." They go out and buy, to get a high, or get a "rush" just like a drug or alcohol addict. Shopping addiction tends to affect more women than men. They often buy things they do not need. Holiday seasons can trigger shopping binges among those who are not compulsive the rest of the year. Many shopping addicts go on binges all year long and may be compulisve about buying certain items, such as shoes, kitchen items or clothing; some will buy anything.
Women with this compulsive disorder often have racks of clothes and possessions with the price tags still attached which have never been used. They will go to a shopping mall with the intention of buying one or two items and come home with bags and bags of purchases. In some cases shopololics have an emotional "black out" and do not remember even buying the articles. If their family or friends begin to complain about their purchases, they will often hide the things they buy. They are often in denial about the problem. Because they can not pay their bills their credit rating suffers, they have collection agencies attempting to get what is owed, may have legal, social and relationship  problems. They sometimes attempt to hide their problem by taking on an extra job to pay for bills.

How do I prevent shopping binges?

• Pay for purchases by cash, check, debit card.
• Make a shopping list and only buy what is on the list.
• Destroy all credit cards except one to be used for emergency only.
• Avoid discount warehouses. Allocate only a certain amount of cash to be spent if you do visit one.
• "Window shop" only after stores have closed. If you do "look" during the day, leave your wallet at home.

LANVIN for H&M

 H&M is proud to announce that its next designer collaboration will be with Lanvin, one of the most influential brands of the 21st century. Designed by Lanvin’s artistic director Alber Elbaz and menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver, the collection will go on sale in around 200 H&M stores. It will be launched November 20th in North America and on November 23rd in the rest of the world. The collection of both womenswear and menswear will be revealed to the world on November 2nd, just three weeks before the clothes hit the store, making the launch of Lanvin for H&M one of the most anticipated fashion events of the year