Rompers: Play Clothes for Grown-Ups

Floral prints? Baby doll dresses? No way, say today's stylists

(NEWSER) - Women are starting to turn their backs on girly pastels, floral prints, and strappy heels in favor of a more aggressive, tough-but-sexy look. “It’s not cool to be demure,” one stylist, who prefers big T-shirts over ripped jeans, tells the New York Times . The trend toward a more utilitarian look is partially a response to the struggling economy: “So-called luxury—people are tired of it,” says a boutique owner. More»

Once scary, now stylish, skulls are trendy—and not just at Halloween

(NEWSER) - Skulls, once seen as sinister symbols, are now used on everything from children's shirts to underwear. Sara Dickerman of Slate takes a look at how the trend developed:

• In the 16th century, artists like Albrecht Dürer were still using skulls to remind people of their mortality.
• French pirate Emanuel Wynn was the first to use the skull-and-crossbones logo on his ship's flag.
• As skulls came to symbolize bravado, fighters—from US special operations to the Nazi SS—used them on uniforms.

Jeans are back in the spotlight, but how much is too much?

(NEWSER) - Thanks in part to the recession, denim is all the rage—but the growing tendency to layer denim on denim (on, sometimes, even more denim) might be too much. “It can look silly, too contrived,” a video producer tells the Wall Street Journal . Nonetheless, the look is everywhere, from Jessica Biel wearing a denim jacket over a denim vest on the cover of Vogue, to the denim trench coats and shirt dresses for sale at Banana Republic. More»

Chest hair is no longer a 1970s relic—it's back

(NEWSER) - Plunging necklines: They’re not just for women anymore. Male cleavage is back, and if you like chest hair and heaving pecs, you’re sure to appreciate the variety of V-necks and scoop-neck tops for men that are hitting the runways. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the history of man cleavage, from bare-chested heroes of last century’s early swashbuckling films, to recent stars who just like to leave a button or three undone. View our gallery for the run down. More»

Cintra Wilson finds the retailer infused with sophisticated details, for less

(NEWSER) - After a game of fashion musical chairs brought Ann Taylor a new designer, Cintra Wilson decided it was time to reexamine the label—long a "corporate office submissive" look designed to "attract a nice tax attorney husband." She ate her words after checking out the new line (and buying a $175 gray silk-cashmere sweater she'll wear "every second until it dissolves into lint"). The line brings "less clutter and better details," from "the finished seams inside a little faille opera jacket" to "the velvet ribbon inside the waist of a peplum coat," Wilson writes in the New York Times. More»