Sole MateClogs might be the hippest trend...

Sole Mate

Clogs might be the hippest trend in footwear right now, but most styles won’t do when it comes to dressing to the nines. Enter Prada’s patent leather slip-on ($220). The clog design paired with a platform heel in glossy black patent gives the shoe a fresh look, says Judy Gilliard, women’s shoes buyer for Barneys New York. And you can count on the combination’s simple elegance to carry through beyond the current season.

Dino Duds

Put that Batman Tee in mothballs. In the great tradition of movie capitalism comes a full line of wear promoting Steven Spielberg’s summer flick, “Jurassic Park.” The film, about a dinosaur amusement park, opens next weekend. But the malls are already brimming with “Jurassic Park” boxers, caps, pajamas, sweaters and polo shirts. “The logo is part of everything because we’re using it like an icon,” says John Hornick, a spokesman for MCA/Universal merchandising. “People will see that mark and think dinosaurs.” It will also, he adds, allow people the fantasy that they visited the fictional theme park.

Uncle Sam I Am

A month shy from Independence Day and some stores are already heavily stocked with flag wear. The menswear chain Structure looks like a patriot’s paradise, with denim shorts and shirts and cotton knit vests and sweaters bearing the Stars and Stripes. Seems Europeans are going gaga over anything Americana, says a saleswoman at the Westminster Mall store. So the chain’s buyers figured homeboys here would dig the look too. She adds the trend is expected to far outlast the Fourth of July.

Silver Jubilee

Whether it’s the economy or just a coincidence, sterling silver is the metal of choice among an unusually high number of jewelry designers and customers this year. And nowhere is this more obvious than in the prevalence of silver pendants--especially those of a sculptural or primitive influence, notes Billur Wallerich, a spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus at Fashion Island Newport Beach. “We’re seeing the full gamut of truly global symbols--a lot of medieval charms such as crosses--with the most unusual workmanship,” she says. “It’s the artisan aspect that makes some of them almost art pieces to collect.”