A Guitar Is Rocker’s Best Fashion Accessory

Singer and guitarist Lisa Mathews has run the gamut in her personal style, from the extreme (“very high heels and tight dresses”) to absolute comfort (“bare feet and flouncy dresses”). The former member of the now-defunct group Love Riot (“Heaven Can Wait”) is in the studio working on a compact disc of lullabies (she had a baby girl named Jesse in June) and took a few minutes to tell us about her fashion sense:

Question: How would you describe your style?

Answer: I’m a casual chick, but still elegant.

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Q: What’s your favorite thing in your closet?

A: I have a couple of favorites, but one I’ve never worn, except to show my girlfriends. It’s a full-length gown in shiny peach material with a beautiful, low-cut bodice (I have a great neckline).

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Q: Do you have a signature accessory?

A: I always have liked rhinestones and sparkling stuff, but I’m not one for much jewelry. For a good two years, I always felt strong wearing big black boots, though. I consider my guitar an accessory. It’s very empowering. A girl should always have a guitar, an electric one.

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Q: Where are your favorite places to shop?

A: Thrift stores.

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Q: What styles drive you nuts?

A: Fake tans or too much makeup. Platform shoes, too. What a bad thing.

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Q: What’s your best piece of fashion advice?

A: If you keep it simple, you’ll always look hip.

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Forget the gloss? Oh, thank heaven: Convenience stores are supposed to be, well, convenient. But who really has an emergency need for a bag of chips or a bottle of soda?

Women know what would be really convenient: a place to stop and grab some new stockings when yours run, or pick up the lip gloss you forgot to drop in your bag. 7-Eleven has finally caught on, too. It’s just broadened its product selection to include jewelry ($2 to $4.29), pantyhose ($3), cosmetics (including eye shadow, nail polish and glitter gloss ($2.59 to $6) and even fragrance (Curve by Liz Claiborne, $12).

It may not exactly be top-of-the-line stuff, but it’s certainly better than nothing when you’re out on the road, out of time and out of cosmetics.

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Attention, young designers: Got a future Vera Wang or Tommy Hilfiger running around the house? They’re the mini-fashionistas always finding new ways to wear their jeans or decorate their backpacks, and they aren’t shy about telling you what to put on either.

Budding fashion designers up to age 12 can test out their ideas and potentially win $10,000, a trip to New York and a head start on a fashion career by entering a contest sponsored by Ohio Art, the makers of the mix-and-match fashion doll Betty Spaghetty.

The contest asks kids to design a Spaghetty theme set complete with descriptions and drawings for all accessories, clothes and hairstyles. For information and to enter, visit www.bettyspaghetty.com