A Costume Baby Can Snooze In
DEAR HOT: Our whole family plans to trick or treat next week and everybody’s got an outfit except the baby. It seems cruel to inflict an uncomfortable costume, mask or even war paint on an 8-month-old, who may be a little freaked out by her first night with goblins anyway. But we really would like to include her in one of our favorite traditions. Any suggestions?
DEAR HOT SHOPPER: One of the kindest, gentlest and cutest solutions we’ve seen comes from Carter’s, makers of children’s wear. Their tiger- and leopard-print sleepers (pictured) serve as Halloween costumes one night, regular clothes the next. The sleeper/costumes cost about $19. They’re sold at Kids R Us stores nationwide. If you can’t find one, you can always borrow the last-minute idea a friend of ours had. She pinned huge mums to her child’s diaper, tossed him over her shoulder and wore him as a homecoming corsage. She, of course, went as a homecoming queen, in tulle and a tiara.
DEAR HOT: I’ve landed my first “adult” job after college in a banking firm, where gray suits are the acceptable uniform and everybody carries serious briefcases. I have the suits, but I’m temporarily using my dad’s old, ratty briefcase. What should I get? Hard-sided? Soft-sided? Black? Brown? And I thought making the dean’s list was tough.
DEAR HOT SHOPPER: Making the dean’s list seems like a piece of cake compared to making zany real-world decisions, doesn’t it? When it comes to the essential yuppie accessory, the briefcase, stick with what’s practical, looks presentable and works for you. Soft-sided briefcases allow you to cram in a lot of stuff, but hard-sided cases look a bit more slick and conservative--a definite plus in banking circles--and you can lock them.
Don’t even think about buying one of those high-tech, corrugated rubber briefcases. Or a black-and-white cowhide style--unless you want to be known by your colleagues as The Trendy Banker (we doubt it).
As for color, coordinate the leather with the most prevalent colors in your wardrobe. If you tend to wear grays and blacks, choose black. If your suits are navy or khaki, go for brown.
We hate to break the bad news, but it’s going to cost you some bucks. There are few worse sins in the corporate world than carrying a cheap-looking briefcase.
DEAR HOT SHOPPERS: It looks like a toy. Or the sort of outrageous futuristic sunglasses rap star Flavor Flav of Public Enemy often wears. It buzzes. Loudly.
It’s a mask-like, health-and-beauty product called Eye Ease Facial Massage, which was highly recommended to us by Paul Dennison, the internationally known founder of a branch of kinesiology (the science of human muscular movements) called “educational kinesiology.” He tested the product and concluded that it relaxes the muscles around the eyes and relieves eyestrain better than anything else he has tried, including acupressure massage.
We and several of our friends also road-tested Eye Ease, which is manufactured by Edison, N.J.-based Luimiscope and sells for $14.99 at Target stores. The verdict’s profoundly split. Some people loved this little machine (it runs on a single AA battery) and rushed right out to buy one. Others hated the experience, calling it the Chinese water torture of the ‘90s.
Wondering how those bizarre Paris designer creations will eventually filter down to K mart? Questions in Hot to Shop come from conversations and reader mail, so send your inquiries to Krier and Stein, Hot to Shop, The Times, Los Angeles 90053. Questions may also be faxed to (213) 237-4712.
