Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for tax evasion today.

A judge ruled that the 2004 sale of their brand to holding company Gado was an attempt to avoid declaring taxes on €1 billion of royalties.

The pair have been locked in a legal battle since 2008, as they continue to deny the allegations to the extent that they refused to attend the hearing today.

Given the length of the appeals process it is unlikely that Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana will have to spend any time in prison, but it remains a shocking turn of events. This ruling signals the beginning of the next phase in the case – the future remains uncertain for the men who have dressed the likes of Madonna and Kate Moss, but they have quite the battle on their hands.

The post Dolce & Gabbana sentenced to jail time for tax evasion appeared first on Metro.us.

Aveda Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser

Are you intending to spend your summer submerged in the sea? Ironically, while you’re getting drenched, the salt and chlorine are stripping your hair and skin of much-needed moisture, leaving your body feeling parched. The chelator, babassu and tamanu oils in Aveda’s Sun Care Hair and Body Cleanser help remove water nasties, while restoring and protecting moisture balance.
Aveda sun care hair and body cleanser, $21, www.aveda.com

The adventurer

If you’re the kind of guy who likes to feel the burn (muscles, not skin) during summer, this product is for you. Unlike conventional SPF creams, which tend to streak while you sweat, Kiehl’s Cross-Terrain Face Protector has a solid beeswax texture designed to sink into skin, keeping wind and sun damage at bay.
Kiehl’s cross-terrain face protector SPF50, $26, www.kiehls.com

Beach boy

While there can be no greater pleasure than a day in the sun, punctuated with a cooling dip in the sea, laying out has its obvious dangers. Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion+ SPF 50 claims to prevent sun spots by shielding the inner cells and DNA. It’s also water-resistant for 80 minutes — but you should still reapply every two hours.
Shiseido ultimate sun protection lotion+ SPF 50, $39, www.shiseido.com

The staycationer

Anthony Natural Advanced Formula Lip Balm is a matte balm (no girly lip gloss effect here) with antioxidant properties that nourish lips, and stevia, a natural sweetener that freshens your breath — ideal if you’re heading to some bustling urban bars.
Anthony Natural Advanced Formula Lip Balm SPF 25, $8, www.anthony.com

Follow Richard Peckett on Twitter @Rich_MetroStyle.

The post Which sunscreen is best for you? appeared first on Metro.us.

You love the Veronica Lake waves actresses such as Jessica Alba and Jessica Chastain sport on the red carpet, but you just can’t get over a dreamy braid crown, either (especially when temps rise to the 90s). Jenny Balding, styling and grooming expert at Cutler/Redken Salons, says to combine the two. She shows us how to create a modern version of the popular retro trend by adding an oh-so-now braid to the mix. “It’s rock ’n’ roll with the braid,” says Balding. “And it’s a way of getting the hair off your neck without having to do an updo.” Bring on the outdoor weddings.

Click through for Balding’s step-by-step instructions:

The post The perfect summer party hair appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Nicole Wayne
Spotted: Milan

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a Zara coat, a Topshop top, an ASOS stirt and Dolce & Gabbana shoes.”

The one item of clothing that she’d wear every day for the rest of her life:
“A white jacket that I found in a vintage shop in Paris. It’s a combination of different white materials, and textures.”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“I would banish studs and spikes.”

Her style:
“It depends where I’m going. I can be very dressed up, chic and elegant or even very sporty.”

The post Street style: Milan appeared first on Metro.us.

Megan Collins, creator of Style Girlfriend, doles out style advice and shopping recommendations for men who want to look good, but are lacking that trusted female perspective in their life. Here, the style expert shares three of her favorite gift ideas for dad.

Button-down shirt
“Every man needs a well-fitted oxford cotton button-down in his closet. This one from Bonobos fits the style bill for dads of all ages.”
Bonobos Oxford Cotton Button Down in Blue and White Stripe, $78, www.bonobos.com

Note card set
“If your father’s anything like mine, catching up over the phone is not his strong suit. Instead, keep in touch the old-fashioned way, with these handsomely embossed note cards.” Terrapin Stationers Engraved Note Card Pack, $18, www.terrapinstationers.com

Face wash  
“Your dad would probably be content washing his face with hand soap. That’s why it’s up to you to splurge on this fresh-scented face wash from Ursa Major. You know he would never buy it for himself.” Ursa Major Men Fantastic Face Wash, $32, www. ursamajormen.com

The post Father’s Day gift picks courtesy of Style Girlfriend appeared first on Metro.us.

Practically every fashion lover with an Internet connection has tweeted about it: Isabel Marant is officially teaming up with H&M.

It’s been some time since we saw hysterical, panic buying on their shop floors (not to mention the extortionate resells on eBay), as the brand’s most recent partnership with Maison Martin Margiela was plagued with rumours of poor sales. But change may well be afoot as, lest we forget, Marant is a woman with the power to single-handedly kickstart a worldwide obsession with wedge sneakers.

We’ll have to wait and see if they’ll be part of the collection that hits around 250 stores on the November 14th (you can also avoid the tussle by buying online). This is a heads up for the boys, too as Marant will be creating clothing and accessories for men for the first time.

So what can we expect from the collection? Marant commented: ‘I aim at creating something real, that women want to wear in their everyday lives, with a certain carelessness, which I think is very Parisian.’ It may not be easy to wear $640 trainers with carelessness, but at H&M collab prices? We’re in.

The post Isabel Marant teams up with H & M appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Chiara Totire
Spotted: Milan
Occupation: Stylist and blogger

The one item of clothing that she would wear every day for the rest of her life:
“A maxi dress. It makes me feel comfortable, elegant and if there is some defect in your body, a maxi dress hides it perfectly.”

The one trend that he would banish from existence:
“I would banish Bon Ton. I prefer rock or indie looks.”

Her look:
“I love to mix and match different trends.”

The post Street style: Milan appeared first on Metro.us.

The brighter, the better.  This season’s trainers are a sportier replacement to your brogues and ballet slippers, wear them with everything from dresses to tailored trousers. Click through our picks below.

The post Trend of the week: Sneakers that pop appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Aurora Sansone
Occupation: Fashion editor and stylist
Spotted: Milan

What she’s wearing:
“I can’t remember where the jacket is from but the dress and sandals are both from Miu Miu.”

The one item of clothing that she would wear every day for the rest of her life:
“I would wear my green Prada dress. It’s from the last summer collection and I am in love with it.”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“I wouldn’t banish any. I love some aspect of every trend.”

Her style:
“I like a relaxed look.”

The post Street style: Milan appeared first on Metro.us.

Dads love golf, and they’re suckers for gizmos. Combine them with one of these high-tech golf gifts this year.

SwingSmart
One of the coolest tech products at this year’s PGA Show, SwingSmart is a unique game improvement tool that provides instant and accurate feedback on the critical elements of dad’s swing. The Bluetooth-enabled module captures information, such as tempo, swing speed and shaft lean. The highlight is the virtual 3-D Swing-View — very eye-opening.
SwingSmart, $249.99, www.swingsmart.com    

OptiShot
There are indoor simulators that cost tens of thousands of dollars to buy and install, but the OptiShot is an affordable way to play golf indoors 12 months a year. Using real clubs, a real or foam ball (or no ball at all), dad can spend rainy days or the endless winter months keeping his swing honed. With replica courses, OptiShot isn’t just a practice tool, it’s a real game.
OptiShot Infrared Golf Simulator, $399.95, www.optishotgolf.com

GolfLogix
GolfLogix is a smartphone app that uses GPS to provide distances and course layouts for more than 32,000 tracks worldwide. The app itself is free, but give dad an upgrade and he’ll be able to track every shot to learn club distances and shot trends. Instead of having one more gadget (a stand-alone GPS unit or a laser rangefinder), GolfLogix works right on dad’s phone.
GolfLogix, $20, www.golflogix.com.

The post Three high-tech golf gift ideas for Father’s Day appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Joey Tang
Occupation: Fashion editor
Spotted: London

What she’s wearing:
“The jacket and boots are vintage and dress, shirt and bag are from Topshop.”

Her style influences:
“I’m inspired by London’s street style.”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“Fur. It looks over the top.”

The post Street style: London appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Gala Gonzales
Occupation: Socialite and blogger
Spotted: Milan

What are you wearing?
“I’m wearing a Roberto Cavalli jacket and trousers.”

The one item of clothing that she would banish from existence:
“A cotton button shirt dress because it’s both versatile and comfortable.”

The one trend to banish from existence:
“Anything too preppy. It’s dated and looks out of context in the 21st century.”

Her style:
I like an easy, dressed-down style.”

The post Street style: Milan appeared first on Metro.us.

Why should mom always be the hipper parent? Help the wisest and sweetest man you know shed his dorky status with these. Don’t worry, he’ll still repeat the same jokes over and over again.

The post Father’s Day Gift Guide appeared first on Metro.us.

The film: “The Hangover Part III”
The look: Phil (Bradley Cooper)
The frames: Ray-Ban Aviator large metal II, $145, www.ray-ban.com

The film: “The Great Gatsby”
The look: Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio)
The frames: Bottega Veneta round-frame sunglasses, $480, www.mrporter.com

The film: “Natural Born Killers”
The look: Mickey Knox (Woody Harrelson)
The frames: Vintage surplus color round sunglasses, $33, www.urbanoutfitters.com

The film: “Public  Enemies”
The look: John Dillinger (Johnny Depp)
The frames: Quay Eyewear round sunglasses, $31, www.asos.com

The film: “Reservoir Dogs”
The look: Mr. White (Harvey Keitel)
The frames: Lanvin black acetate sunglasses, $341, www.matchesfashion.com

The post Five movie-famous sunglasses appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Andrea Porro
Occupation: Stylist
Spotted: London

What he’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a Gucci jacket, Jil Sander shoes and H&M pants.”

The one item of clothing that he’d wear every day for the rest of his life:
“Anything from Prada. The style and the quality is timeless.”

The one trend that he would banish from existence:
“I wouldn’t banish any trend. However, it’s important not to overdo a look.”

Today’s style:
“I like to look smart and elegant in a very economic way.”

The post Street style: London appeared first on Metro.us.

Remember last year in an exclusive interview with Metro when fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld called the universally-loved Adele “a little bit fan” in response to a question about singer Lana Del Rey?

His controversial statement made headlines worldwide and now the famous designer is crediting the singer’s weight loss to his comment.

In a new interview for Alina Cho’s upcoming “Fashion Week: Backstage Pass,” Lagerfeld says he never called her “fat,” just “roundish.”

“After that she lost eight kilos so I think the message was not that bad,” he then said.

Lagerfeld visited the Metro Paris office in 2012 and acted as Guest Editor for the day. After his comments made headlines around the world, he later issued somewhat of an apology:

He later responded to the frenzy surrounding his comments about Adele’s weight saying, “I’d like to say to Adele that I am your biggest admirer. Sometimes when you take a sentence out of the article it changes the meaning of the thought. What I said was in relation to Lana Del Rey and the sentence has since been taken out of the context from how it was originally published. I actually prefer Adele, she is my favorite singer and I am a great admirer of her. I lost over 30 kilos over 10 years ago and have kept it off. I know how it feels when the press is meal to you in regards to your appearance. Adele is a beautiful girl. She is the best. And I can’t wait for her next CD.”

The post Karl Lagerfeld: Calling Adele ‘fat’ paid off appeared first on Metro.us.

“Gossip Girl” and “Sparkle” actress Tika Sumpter has a flawless face and a weakness for budget beauty products. We look inside her makeup bag.

Her beauty takeaways from “Gossip Girl” and “Sparkle”
“Everything on ‘Gossip Girl’ was simple and pretty, very much like that Blake Lively fresh-faced look. But the movie ‘Sparkle’ introduced me to ’60s makeup. Now, if you’re going to line my eyes, it has to be the blackest liner possible.”

Her favorite DIY beauty elixirs
“At night, I take a washrag, add a pump of coconut oil and remove my makeup. Then I wash my face with the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser (www.murad.com) and moisturize with Keri.”

Her go-to complexion fixer
“I’ll apply the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque (www.queenhelene.com). It shrinks your pores and dries up pimples.”

The post Product junkie: Tika Sumpter appeared first on Metro.us.

Not like Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz’s new makeup collection with Lancome needs any hype, but the brand just released the second teaser for the line, set to hit counters on June 15. In the latest animated video, we watch as cartoon editors with gorgeous long lashes and red lips sit front row during a fashion show. Models with equally impressive lashes then strut down the runway before the real show-stoppers hit the stage: That would be the three adorable tubes of mascara designed by Elbaz, which feature fun and girly stars, hearts and polka dots. Cut to a scene oversees, where hoards of young women following the fashion show ohh and ahh over the upcoming release — which was exactly our reaction. Oh la la indeed.

The post New video: Alber Elbaz for Lancome appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Ellen Kim
Occupation: Student
Spotted: London

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing Dr. Martens shoes, an Acne jacket, an American Apparel skirt, a Givenchy bag, a Topshop necklace and a Michael Kors watch.”

Her style:
“My style always matches my mood.”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“I wouldn’t banish any trend.”

The post Street style: London appeared first on Metro.us.

”Many models are too skinny,” H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson told Metro in an interview last week. But his admission doesn’t seem to matter – according to news reports, H&M retouched the photos featuring her in the clothing chain’s summer campaign.

Beyonce seems unable to escape the discussions surrounding her body. Her current world tour has been praised by critics and the audience, but the big topic right now is instead H&M’s efforts to retouch the photos of her in its current campaign. “When Beyonce discovered that they’d retouched the way her body looks like, she hit the roof,” a source tells The Sun. “Her people refused to give the pictures the green light, so H&M were forced to use the originals.”

In an exclusive interview with Metro, Persson admitted that the clothing chain has had problems with models’ efforts to be as skinny as possible. “We have a huge responsibility here,” he said. We’re a large company, many people see us, and we advertise a lot. I don’t think we’ve always been good. Many models are too skinny or obviously underweight, but there are also those who’re just slim, and they’re the ones we’ll keep working with, provided that they look sound and healthy.”

But Beyonce – who’s world-famous for her music, but also for her curves – apparently didn’t look sound and healthy enough. H&M spokeswoman Camilla Eriksson Falk tells Metro that Beyonce was the chain’s top choice for this year’s summer campaign. “Since the very beginning, our goal has been to show Beyonce as the incredibly strong and beautiful woman she is,” she says. “It has been a close and good collaboration. Both parties are pleased with the pictures that we’ve approved together with Beyonce and her team.”

The post Beyonce furious over H&M retouching of photos appeared first on Metro.us.

It’s finally summer, that sweet time of year when we get to shake off our winter doldrums and shed the extra layers of clothing we’ve been bundled in for the past six months. But though the long, hazy days ahead are synonymous with relaxation, this doesn’t necessarily translate to your work wardrobe. It may be beach weather out there, but that doesn’t mean you can start showing up to the office looking like you’re headed to the shore. We asked four style experts to weigh in on the summer staples that are appropriate for the workplace and the ones you’re better off saving for the weekend.

Do: Colored jeans
While jeans are typically seen as a “Friday only” look, a pair with a pop of color is a great way to show off your personality. The right colored jeans definitely do work at the office, says Dani McDonald, the owner and manager of Flock, a Boston area boutique. “It’s a great way to incorporate the colors of the season into your work attire,” she says. For a dressier look, McDonald recommends pairing your jeans with a silk blouse.

Don’t: Flip-flops
While these casual sandals are many people’s go-to footwear on a swelteringly hot day, flip-flopping your way to your desk won’t win you any marks at the office. Flip-flops should be worn only at the beach, says Emily Benson, founder and owner of The Fashion Truck, a mobile fashion boutique. “There are so many cute ballet flats, leather sandals and wedge options — flip-flops shouldn’t even be an option,” says Benson.

Don’t: Maxi dresses
While long, flowing maxi dresses are both incredibly comfortable and versatile enough for most occasions, they don’t pass for professional office attire. “Maxi dresses tend to [either] be a little too casual [think swimwear or bathing suit cover-ups] or too dressy for a formal work environment,” says Pam Santorelli, the owner of Habit a boutique. Santorelli recommends saving the maxis for the weekends, when you can dress them up — or down — as needed.

Do: Tank tops
Gone are the days when baring shoulders at the office was a no-no. Tank tops are great layering pieces for work. Just remember to save the rib-knit tanks for the gym. “Tank tops in the office are a ‘do’ if they’re dressy,” says McDonald. To keep the look work appropriate, McDonald suggests something structured, like a peplum tank, paired with a skirt.

Don’t: Shorts
Unfortunately, the days of it being uncouth to bare one’s knees in a pair of shorts are still very much with us. While shorts can exude a preppy confidence, Benson recommends steering clear of them. “There are few occasions and few styles of shorts that actually work for a business setting,” says Benson. So when it’s 90 degrees out there and pants just won’t do, go for a dress, says Benson.

Our experts suggest:

… If you’re wearing open-toed shoes or sandals, a pedicure is a must, says Dingwell.

… You should invest in a good strapless bra. Bra straps, especially plastic, shouldn’t be seen, says Benson.

… Lightweight dresses can be a little sheer, so wear a slip, says Santorelli.

… If you’re not a fan of denim, then colorful ankle-length khakis are a great option, says Benson.

The post Summer fashion at work: DOs and DON’Ts appeared first on Metro.us.

It’s finally summer, that sweet time of year when we get to shake off our winter doldrums and shed the extra layers of clothing we’ve been bundled in for the past six months. But though the long, hazy days ahead are synonymous with relaxation, this doesn’t necessarily translate to your work wardrobe. It may be beach weather out there, but that doesn’t mean you can start showing up to the office looking like you’re headed to the shore. We asked four Boston-based style experts to weigh in on the summer staples that are appropriate for the workplace…and those you should save for those weekend seaside jaunts.

Do: Colored Jeans
While jeans are typically seen as a “Friday Only” look, a pair with a pop of color is a great way to show off your personality. The right colored jeans definitely do work at the office, says Dani McDonald, owner of Flock. “It’s a great way to incorporate the colors of the season into your work attire,” says McDonald. For a dressier look, McDonald recommends pairing your jeans with a silk blouse.

Don’t: Flip-Flops
While these casual sandals are many people’s go-to footwear on a swelteringly hot day, flip-flopping your way to your desk won’t win you any marks at the office. Flip-flops should be worn only at the beach, says Emily Benson, founder and owner of The Fashion Truck, a mobile fashion boutique, (various location stops). “There are so many cute ballet flats, leather sandals and wedge options, flip flops shouldn’t even be an option,” says Benson.

Do: Floral Sundresses
Think a fun floral print is too youthful for the office? Think again! “Florals are on trend and work perfect for the office,” says Ann Dingwell, owner of Turtle. As long as the dress is the proper length, and not too low-cut, they’re an office do, says Dingwell. To keep warm in AC blasted offices, Dingwell recommends pairing dresses with a jacket or lightweight cashmere cardigan.

Don’t: Maxi Dresses
While long, flowing maxi dresses are both incredibly comfortable and versatile enough for most occasions, they don’t pass for professional office attire. “Maxi dresses tend to [either] be a little too casual [think beach wear or bathing suit cover ups] or too dressy for a formal work environment,” says Pam Santorelli, owner of Habit. Santorelli recommends saving the maxis for the weekends, when you can dress them up — or down — as needed.

Do: Tank Tops
Gone are the days when baring shoulders at the office was a no-no. Tank tops are great layering pieces for work, just remember to save the rib-knit tanks for the gym. “Tank tops in the office are a do if they’re dressy,” says McDonald. To keep the look work appropriate, McDonald suggests something structured, like a peplum tank, paired with a skirt.

Don’t: Shorts
Unfortunately, the days when baring one’s knees in a pair of shorts are still very much with us. While shorts can exude a preppy confidence, Benson recommends steering clear of them. “There are few occasions and few styles of shorts that actually work for a business setting,” says Benson. So when it’s 90 degrees out there and pants just won’t do, go for a dress, says Benson.

Summer Rules: Our experts also tell us that…

…If you’re wearing open toed shoes or sandals, a pedicure is a must, says Dingwell.
…You should invest in a good strapless bra. Bra straps, especially plastic shouldn’t be seen, says Benson.
…Lightweight dresses can be a little shear, so wear a slip, says Santorelli.
…If you’re not a fan of denim, then colored, ankle length khakis are a great option, says Benson.

The post Summer Office Attire Dos and Don’ts: Style experts weigh in appeared first on Metro.us.

Metro catches up with “Fatkini” designer Gabi Gregg, who launched a wildly popular swimsuit line for plus-sized women. The GabiFresh.com blogger’s line can be found on swimsuitsforall.com. Gregg dishes on accepting her body, the magic behind her flattering suits and being criticized for not being fat enough.

In school, did you realize you were bigger than everybody else?

Yes and no. I wasn’t teased too much, luckily. It was mostly internal, feeling insecure next to my classmates, if they were thinner than me or had blonde hair. Nobody had to say anything. And I started trying to diet when I was in middle school and high school, and it wasn’t until college that I came to accept myself.

How do the suits… work?

What do you mean by work? [Laughs]

They fit so well. Is it made out of a binding material, with latches or something?

Actually, no. I’ve had people ask about support, of course, but there’s nothing special about the fabric of the suits. It’s normal bathing suit fabric. In terms of the Galaxy suit, what makes it so special is the print — it’s graphic and fun and looks great because it’s so busy that it… I don’t want to say it distracts the eye, because I don’t care about that sort of thing, but that’s what it does. And the high-waisted cut looks great on all women.

Are you OK with the term Fatkini?

Yes. I didn’t use it this year because it went so viral last year, and it was inspiring for many people but took away from it, for others, because they were stuck on the word and got angry and started commenting. It’s a reclamation of the word “fat;” especially in our community, we all get it. When it goes outside the community, people get angry and send emails. But I’m fine with it. At the end of the day, it’s a Fatkini because I’m fat and wearing a bikini. [Laughs]

How much do you weigh now?

I believe I’m around 225.

How tall are you?

I’m 5’5’’.

Do you get flack for not being ‘fat enough?’ Early on, there were some comments.

I don’t get a lot. Once in a while, like when the bikini pictures come out. It’s funny to see half the people commenting are disgusted by my body and the other half are, like, fat women saying, “She’s shaped so nicely so it doesn’t count! I have fat hanging from my arm that she doesn’t have!” I try to avoid the comments on other sites. Some women wish they could see women bigger than me on a bikini, and I understand that but I can only be myself.

The post INTERVIEW: ‘Fatkini’ swimsuit designer Gabi Gregg on accepting her body appeared first on Metro.us.

Name: Laura Hinttula
Occupation: Associate editor of Fashion Monitor
Spotted: London

What she’s wearing:
“I’m wearing a Topshop jacket, an H&M shirt, YSL shades, boyfriend jeans, Kurt Geiger heels, a Zara bag and a Dominic Jones ring.”

Her style:
“My ‘work uniform’ varies from day-to-day and I can wear anything from an African jumpsuit to high-waisted Nineties trousers.”

The one trend that she would banish from existence:
“Personally, I’ve never been a fan of the boho look.”

The post Street style: London appeared first on Metro.us.

We know that once the weather warms up, your dance card is full. But don’t be that boring guest who shows up in her go-to black dress. This summer, embrace color and prints with these picks.

The post 8 dresses to get you through summer party season appeared first on Metro.us.

In anticipation of Season 2 of “Randy to the Rescue” (premiering Friday at 9 p.m. on TLC), we asked wedding whisperer Randy Fenoli for some advice on buying The Dress.

Know your budget
“You’ve got to have some kind of budget, and more importantly, a wedding budget. If you’ve allotted $1,000 for the dress and $1,000 for the flowers and you find a dress that’s $1,200, you’re like OK, what do I do? Maybe you take $200 from your flowers and put in on your dress or move the money around to what makes you most happy.”

Go to a reputable salon
“You’re gonna be working with this person to get your dress and to deliver it and alter it and take care of it. You want to be able to have that peace of mind.”

Consider your options
“Prepare for your appointment but keep an open mind. Go in with a wedding date and a venue. Getting married in December in Alaska is different from getting married in August in Mexico. you’ve got to have that. You have to kind of know what look you’re going for, how do you want to look? I usually try to get brides to give me three words to describe their look or what they want and then I interpret those words. But also keep an open mind because so many times brides come in say I don’t want strapless, I don’t want lace and I don’t want beaded and they buy a beaded, lace, strapless dress. I see it every day.”

And on the big day…
“Hold the flowers down and low. Don’t run down the aisle — just pause for a moment and take it all in. I hear brides say after the wedding, “It all went so fast, I don’t even remember it.” Be in the moment and realize that you’ve waited such a long time and spent so much time planning the event, so that once it’s over you have these great memories.”

The post Wedding-dress shopping tips from TLC’s Randy Fenoli appeared first on Metro.us.

Around this time of year, fashion stories telling you what to wear to summer’s big outdoor music festivals are inescapable. But what about glittery eyeshadow that won’t melt and tinted moisturizer that won’t streak after hours of dancing in the sun? We sort you out.

Melting Lip gloss
“It’s all about creating a base that grips,” explains LA-based makeup artist Melanie Inglessis, who has brushed up the likes of Lea Michele and Miley Cyrus. “For lipstick that lasts and doesn’t bleed, apply a light layer of concealer or powder to your lips before adding color. Or use a lip pencil that is the same color as your lipstick. Draw the entire lip and color it inside. The pencil is matte and creates a solid base. Avoid products that are moisturizing and contain emollients, such as lip balm, which will slide off your skin.”

L’Oreal Paris Infallible 24-Hour Eye Shadow in Eternal Sunshine, $7.95, www.lorealparisusa.com

Runny Eye makeup
“Glitter may be a summer festival must, but don’t use it on your eyelids. It’s a loose particle, so you’d need a creamy base to press the glitter on. And keep away from creamy eye shadow, which will smudge,” warns Inglessis. She recommends a matte eye shadow or waterproof mascara. Another trick is to dab some concealer under the eyes: “The more your skin is bare, the more oil it has. The concealer will keep things in place,” she adds.

Bare Minerals Ready Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20, $29, www.bareescentuals.com

Streaky foundation
“Rule No. 1: use the right foundation for your skin type. If you have oily skin, don’t go for a liquid foundation, but one that’s powder based,” says Inglessis. “A face primer will give you a good base.  It absorbs excess oil and mattifies your skin, ensuring that makeup doesn’t move.  But if you sweat a lot, it may be best to not use anything other than a good SPF and a concealer or powder as a cover up.”

The post Summer music festival makeup guide appeared first on Metro.us.

Depending on who you talk to, Newbury Street is either an over-crowded tourist trap of generic commercialization or a bastion of high-end culture and style. If you ask us, the truth is somewhere in-between. On a sunny day, strolling the boutique, restaurant and salon-packed stretch beats a trip to the mall hands-down and, of late, two new additions to the latter group have upped that ante.

Walk into most salons on a Saturday morning and you’re aurally assaulted with hangover-aggravating club beats. Not so at newly opened SalonCapri, where a live jazz group alternates between familiar standards and improvisation, throwing out mellow grooves for the salon’s Saturday jazz brunch. That’s right, this salon offers brunch. With its clean white-on-white design, warmed by rustic reclaimed upstate New York barn wood, SalonCapri’s ambience is calm and cool. Their continental brunch spread includes pastries, Mimosas, and cappuccinos. It’s salon owner Nick Penna, Jr.’s way of saying hello to his new neighborhood. “The jazz brunch is a fun way to introduce us to the city,” Penna says. “We’ll throw the windows open and people will hear the music and hopefully notice us.” (Complimentary jazz brunch with pre-booked hair appointments: Saturdays, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. 11 Newbury St., 2nd Floor. 617-236-0020. saloncapri.com)

Down the street at Camille Albane, the stateside flagship of the Paris mainstay,“mixologists” literally shake up a personalized shampoo, on the spot,. The expert colorists at this airy, monochromatic salon mix up custom products to protect and serve a client’s individual hair color, and even tweak it slightly. If, for example, your blond is looking a bit rusty, they’ll create a shampoo to remove the brassy tones. Or, if one of the mixologists thinks your ‘do could benefit from an emphasis on your red tones, they’ll shake up a bespoke shampoo that would make Jessica Rabbit envious. It’s all part of a day’s work for creative director Nicolas Tisler — he’s worked his magic on the tresses of Robin Wright, Bridget Fonda, and Jack Nicholson, to name a few (though we suspect the latter didn’t take long) — who is over from Paris for a few months to oversee the salon’s U.S. launch. In keeping with the salon’s European roots, clients can also get a real French manicure while they’re in for a color consultation. (252 Newbury St. 617-379-3220. camillealbane.com/en)

Blown Away

Newbury Street isn’t the only area to welcome new hair specialists. Over in Chestnut Hill, Be Styled Blowdry Lounge does one thing and one thing only: treat customers to top-notch, expert blow-outs. They know their stuff, and offer different blow-outs depending on hair length, texture and style. Plus, they offer free mimosas, candy and yogurt-coated pretzels in goodie bags to go, and chick flicks to watch while you’re being styled. Plus, they’re bring two new locations to the ‘burbs this summer! Visit their website for details.
(49 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill. 617-734-4000. bestyled.com)

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Life is going swimmingly for Karl-Johan Persson, H&M’s young, handsome CEO: Despite the global recession, the cheap-chic chain is doing well. But the recent factory collapse in Bangladesh has put H&M in the spotlight – even though it, as Persson points out, didn’t use the factory. But in an exclusive interview with Metro at H&M’s headquarters in Stockholm, he proposed a new solution: a tag added to every piece of clothing informing the customer whether it was made in a safe factory.

Has the recession harmed H&M, or has it instead benefited you because people have turned to cheaper clothes?
When the whole apparel market diminishes it affects H&M as well, but at the same time I think more people discover H&M in times like these because they start questioning their clothing purchases. In general, too, people want a good look with a good quality for a low price, and that’s what H&M offers. And our attitude is that we always want to improve our offering, not just maximize profit. We’d been able to get a bigger profit if we charged somewhat higher prices and lowered the quality, and if we hadn’t invested many million dollars in sustainability, but this is a way for us of giving back to the customer, and that increases demand.

What’s your attitude about expensive brands? Are they an inspiration or an example of irresponsible extravagance?
There’s much to be inspired by on the design side, and we’ve collaborated with several of them, like Karl Lagerfeld and Viktor & Rolf. But when you look at the price-quality aspect, I don’t always think they’re very impressive. They have very high margins.

There’s a lot of debate about anorexic models right now. Shouldn’t H&M introduce curvier models? If it did, both consumers and the fashion industry would listen…
We have a huge responsibility here. We’re a large company, many people see us, and we advertise a lot. I don’t think we’ve always been good. Some of the models we’ve had have been too skinny. That’s something we think a lot about and are working on.

We want to show diversity in our advertising and not give people the impression that girls have to look a particular way. By and large, I think we’ve succeeded: We’ve many different kinds of models from different ethnic backgrounds. In our last campaign we had a somewhat more buxom model, and now we’re having Beyoncé, who’s a bit curvier as well.

I believe that the models in our advertising should look sound and healthy. There are models who’re too thin or obviously underweight, but there are also those who’re just thin, and they’re the ones we should keep working with, as long as they look sound and healthy. We can get more disciplined, because sometimes there have been mistakes.

If you were to go to the fashion industry and say: “We’ve introduced more buxom models, and you should too,” would they listen to you or laugh?
It’s hard to say. It’s possible that we can help make a change, but this is a huge industry. In some cases there are models where we say, “H&M doesn’t work with such models.” So we’re not blind to the issue. But I have to be honest and say that some of our models have been too skinny. That’s not OK.

So will you become more involved with H&M choice of models?
We’ve talked a lot about it here at H&M. I say, healthy model, always! And everyone here feels the same way.

Perhaps the change in public attitudes towards too-skinny models is similar to the growing interest in sustainability, which companies are now acting on, too?
Customers care about these issues, and that puts pressure on us as companies. It’s not just about maximizing profit; you have to do it in a fair way, too. I want to feel proud today and when I leave H&M and look back at what we’ve done. I want to feel that we were the just company regarding our social responsibilities: caring about the environment, choice of models, social issues.

Last month a clothing factory collapsed and killed more than 1,000 workers. Now H&M, the biggest manufacturer of clothes in Bangladesh, has signed an agreement where you agree to help your Bangladeshi suppliers pay for safety measures. Are the factories safe now?
The factory collapse was horrific, but our code of conduct bans use of factories in residential areas, so this was not an H&M supplier. But we’ve been working to improve conditions in Bangladesh for a long time. You can never be 100% sure. Accidents happen in Sweden, too.

We already have 100 full-time inspectors who travel around to our suppliers to make sure they adhere to our code of conduct when it comes to building safety, fire safety, wages, overtime pay and so on. Our inspectors make thousands of announced and unannounced visits every year. The major change with the agreement is that we join up with other buyers, with trade unions and with the government.

But isn’t the problem that people want cheap clothes? Then it will never make sense for a company to use better factories.
Yes, but it’s a common misperception that cheap brands use certain manufacturers and expensive brands use others. We’re one of 30-40 companies buying from many of our suppliers. There are apparel companies that charge their customers low prices, medium prices and high prices. The workers’ pay is the same regardless of which company is buying.If you look at an H&M top for SEK 99 and then look at one in a different chain that costs SEK 999, many people think, “These workers are much, much better paid.” But their pay is the same.

What’s interesting is not the price of the clothing item but what the company does. Don’t trust everything you see and hear in the media, don’t look at the prices. Maybe I sound cocky, but I dare promise that no apparel company in the whole world does as much as H&M. I don’t think customers have that image.

The best in the world, what does that look like regarding factory workers? Pesticides?
We have a long list of chemicals that we ban from our clothes. We’ve signed the new plan for building and fire safety in Bangladesh. And through our code of conduct we demand that workers are paid the wages they should have and also get overtime pay. We’re also involved in the social dialogue and educate workers about their rights, for example through a project with the Swedish metal workers union that teaches factory workers the Swedish model. And we try to influence decision-makers. I was recently in Bangladesh and spoke with the prime minister about increasing the minimum wage.

How did she respond?
We’ve already asked for it twice and they’ve raised it both times, and now it looks like they’ll raise it again. It’s perhaps not just thanks to H&M, but it shows that they’re listening to us. But the prime minister’s comment was also that she has to consider all the companies that might move to other countries if Bangladesh raises the minimum salary. The textile industry in Bangladesh employs four million people, and these people have gone from having no jobs to having these jobs, so of course many are afraid of losing them.

I often hear that H&M should pay higher wages on its own. But in a factory with 500 workers and 30 buyers, of which we’re one, it would be complete chaos if we give the 20 workers who sew for us during a certain period higher pay. So we have to find a model that’s sustainable for the workers, the factories and the country. I’d love to find a model where we can pay more as long as it’s sustainable for the country, like Fair Trade. But it’s not an easy nut to crack when you consider the country’s competitiveness and the fact that other companies have to be willing to do the same.

But couldn’t consumers play a role here? If clothes that are made in safe factories with decent minimal wages had a special tag I, as a consumer, would know exactly what to buy and wouldn’t need to read companies’ sustainability reports.
That would be the very best. Then you’d remove many of these misperceptions that low store prices mean bad conditions for the factory workers or poor sustainability.

Are you going to promote this idea to other apparel companies?
I’d love to sit down with other companies and find a model for this. I can say here and now that H&M definitely is interested in participating as long as we can find a sustainable model. I think we’ll have that kind of Fair Trade-designation in a couple of years. But it has to work for the country itself as well. We can’t sit in the spectator stand and say that worker wages should be quadrupled in Bangladesh.

How often do you wear H&M clothes?
Very often. The majority of my wardrobe is H&M.

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Graduation gowns are tough to pull off. They’re exactly flattering, what with their tablecloth-like shape and plastic-y material. Make sure you rock something sassy under that humdrum cloak and you’ll be set for post-commencement festivities. You can go for fancy and frilly or vintage and sweet, but either way your look will have graduated from boring to best in show.

David’s Bridal has several options if you’re opting for a celebratory new dress. Jaime Bradford, the Assistant Manager at David’s Bridal in Plymouth Meeting says that dresses with pockets are a huge trend right now. “The pockets work well for carrying lip gloss, camera, or phone,” says Bradford. A little extra bulk in the pockets will hardly be noticeable under all that polyester regalia.

Bradford also sees sleek dresses becoming a staple of graduation season. “You don’t want something  too bulky under the gown. It’ll look weird in pictures.” Opt for a streamlined silhouette instead.

Similarly, Melissa Granum, manager of Philadelphia’s Sazz Vintage says “try to avoid puffy sleeves as they will cause the gown to hang funny on the shoulder.” But don’t let that stop you from going retro with your outfit. “Sleeveless dresses, such as the 1950s cotton day dresses and the 1960s shift dresses work especially well,” adds Granum. “They are easily dressed up or down and won’t be too warm under the gown.”

Commencement may seem to drag on, but the day flies by. You may not have extra time afterward, so it’s better to wear something versatile. “Some of the girls are really taking it to the next level,” says Bradford. “They’re finding dresses that can transition easily for parties and dinners. Sometimes you don’t have time to change out of what you’re wearing.” Just remember, as Granum and Bradford both point out, comfort is key. If you find a dress that you can can sit in all day, you’re already well on your way.

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