DALLAS — There are two sides to J.C. Penney right now: the one working its way through a bankruptcy reorganization and the one that's getting ready for holiday shoppers.

The latter is rolling out a new women's apparel brand called Stylus in a category Penney calls "styleisure," a name it's trying to trademark.

The Plano, Texas-...Read more

'Tis the season to start thinking about how you can help the travelers on your gift list. As frequent travelers ourselves, we've put together some of the best Amazon presents for $50 and under. These products prove that you don't have to spend a fortune to give the gift of a better vacation. From in-flight footrests to portable solar-powered ...Read more

Now those are some sweet kicks.

Jolly Rancher-inspired sneakers and slides have arrived, marking the first time the hard candy company has a shoe line.

The colorful kicks are the latest from a collaboration between sports footwear giant New Balance and Los Angeles Clippers player Kawhi Leonard, who says the fruity snack was his favorite ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — There's been a lot of controversies and questions swirling around this year's presidential election. The fashion choices of the candidates haven't been among them.

Historically, pundits pontificate about who's wearing what, when and where. If the candidate happens to be a woman, that scrutiny is usually tenfold.

But that hasn'...Read more

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: During the pandemic I've been coloring my own hair and I've surprised myself: I've gotten really good at it! I used to pay $200 every six weeks and now I pay $5. When the salon I've been going to for many years reopened, I went in for a haircut, skipped the coloring and my long-time stylist commented on the color in a ...Read more

CHICAGO — Yes, people are still paying $1,000 for those rugged yet oh-so-fashionable Canada Goose parkas.

And no, you don't have to.

A few years ago, I invested in a very warm down coat from Eddie Bauer, and three years ago, my husband snagged a heavy-duty parka from The North Face. Neither cost more than $350, and both ticked off many of ...Read more

When it comes to big surprises, it's hard to top gifting someone with a surprise vacation. Whether it's a long weekend in Paris to celebrate a milestone birthday or a bucket-list adventure like seeing Machu Picchu, there's a lot of planning and thought that goes into giving travel as a gift.

Luckily, Oyster's editors have been on the giving ...Read more

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Could you please comment on men who wear wrinkled, faded, holey blue jeans, well, everywhere in public, including nice cafes and restaurants? I often see men with a paunch overhang that hides their belt buckle, shuffling toward their new-model imported SUV or sports car in faded denims that bag from ankle to knee and ...Read more

DALLAS — Did you think a pandemic and a bankruptcy reorganization would put Neiman Marcus out of the fantasy gift business? Not a chance.

The Dallas-based luxury retailer is back at it this year fulfilling its 94-year tradition of creating over-the-top gifts for the holiday. The book has plenty of bling, but this year it's adapting to the ...Read more

There's a lot to love about clothing-optional resorts: the sexy atmosphere, the ability to sunbathe sans restricting bathing suits, and the (often) fun entertainment. And after visiting many across the globe, we've found that the more luxurious resorts offer more impressive facilities and sleeker rooms than the mid-range or value options. So ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There was a time when Ontario Armstrong's dreams were as clear as the windowpane print on the pocket squares that defined his Philly-based haberdashery brand, Armstrong & Wilson.

"I had aspirations of major success," said Armstrong who cofounded Armstrong & Wilson 10 years ago. "My dream to the finish ...Read more

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Morning light streams into AnaKacia Shifflet's clean, spare shop off Main Street in Rye.

Your eyes land on the racks of lacy and shiny wedding dresses in shades of white, mauve, taupe and even light cornflower blue. This is a space where dreams come true, where blushing brides come together with Shifflet, a lifelong ...Read more

When it comes down to packing a coat, even travel pros can feel stumped. Coats take up a lot of space, so you have to think about them carefully. You don't want to pack something too warm, too light, or too ... ugly. Finding the right coat can be extra challenging in the fall when the weather is chilly enough to call for an extra layer, but it's...Read more

In the latest remake of its beauty section, Target will open Ulta Beauty shops within its stores, bringing the cosmetics chain to more than 100 Target locations in the second half of next year.

The plan is to then expand to hundreds of more Target locations.

Ulta will offer the makeup, skin-care and hair products typically found within Ulta's ...Read more

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I have a 10-year-old leather jacket in brown that's in like-new condition. It's about hip length, made of a "heavier" textured leather in a style that's form-fitting but not tight like some of the new styles. Kind of a "modified" bomber jacket is how I'd describe it. I hate to get rid of it, but I ...Read more

Cardi B has a lot to say — and it's mostly about fashion brands.

The 28-year-old "Please Me" hip-hop fashionista took to Instagram recently to expound on the flawed perception that minority women devalue high-end labels.

Sporting 4-inch-long, lime green fingernails that matched her low-cut blouse, Cardi B set off on an expletive-...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Before she came to Philadelphia five years ago, Gayatri Chopra's career was taking off in her home city of New Delhi, India.

After sticking a fork in her job in silverware design in 2009, Chopra — a graduate of India's National Institute of Fashion Technology — followed her dream and began her own handbag business out of ...Read more

After months of social distancing, and covering our lower faces, reality has set in that the top half of your head is now the thing that people are focused on.

The proof was on the recent spring 2021 runways — a sort of reflection on our current mood for skincare and DIY beauty, pared-down, laid-back beauty. Across the runways, models had ...Read more

CHICAGO — When The RealReal announced plans in February to open a store selling secondhand Gucci and Louis Vuitton steps away from those brands' Magnificent Mile boutiques, it was yet another sign resale shopping, once stigmatized, had gone mainstream.

Less than a month later, the coronavirus pandemic brought dramatic changes to ways ...Read more

The Container Store, the original storage and organization retailer, just scored a partnership with tidying up expert Marie Kondo.

The Texas-based retailer and KonMari Media, the company founded by Kondo, are co-branding more than 100 sustainably sourced products designed and inspired by Kondo's methods for creating a tidy and joyful home.

...Read more