Remember when flips flops were considered beach wear?  Remember when they were only worn during warm weather?  Well, times have changed.  They’ve changed so MUCH, in fact, that many schools are re-writing their dress code policies to keep the shoes off campus.

Joyce Pellino Crane reports in The Boston Globe.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Trendy discount retailer Forever 21 is facing a slew of copyright infringement lawsuits, according to Women’s Wear Daily.  Gwen Stefani, Diane Von Furstenberg, Anna Sui, Bebe, and Anthropologie, among others, have accused the retailer of selling clothing and accessories that infringe on their copyrights.

“I believe the Forever 21’s business model is to copy the designs of other well-known designers,” said Marya Lenn Yee, a partner at law firm Donovan and Yee.  She’s representing Anna Sui and Toronto-based jewelry designer Foxy Originals, both of whom claim copyright infringement by the retailer.

Many of the designers claim the retailer has infringed by copying fabric prints distinct to their design houses, which can create confusion in the minds of the consumers.  That’s how Von Furstenberg’s claim began last March, when she charged the retailer with copying prints from two of her dress designs.  Later, they discovered several other items that they feel have been copied.  Anna Sui’s lawsuit claims the chain has copied some of her items dating back to 2005.

Forever 21 had no comment on any of the charges or pending litigation.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Looking for a designer wedding dress that’s beautiful and contemporary but that won’t break the budget?  Then you’re in luck!  You can grab on your next trip to Target.

That’s right.  Designer Isaac Mizrahi, who has been designing a budget-friendly line of clothes for Target for several years, has added wedding dresses to the mix.  Whether you’re looking for a sophisticated sheathe or ground-sweeping princess-like number, you can find it at Target in the $90 to $160 range.  Heck, you can even throw in a veil for under $15. 

So don’t spend a bundle a dress you’ll wear once.  Opt for one these beautiful numbers and you can stand in your receiving line with a straight face and say, “Oh, you love the dress?  Thanks!  It’s designer.”

No one has to know what you paid for it…

Popularity: 3% [?]

Aerin Lauder, granddaughter of late beauty mogul Estee Lauder, is taking a page from her grandmother’s playbook by re-creating one of Estee’s most popular promotions:  limited edition fragrances.

The Private Collection series will launch a little later this year with a fragrance called Tuberose Gardenia.  Gardenias are one of Aerin’s favorite flowers, just as they were one of Estee’s.  The limited-edition fragrances are high-end and luxurious smelling and will sell in the $300 per bottle range.  Aerin will also appear in the advertising for the fragrance, the first time a Lauder family member has done so since the company began in 1946.

Look for Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia in high end stores in August, 2007.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Neiman Marcus reported this week that personal information from 160,000 current and former employees fell into the wrong hands earlier this month when one of its computers was stolen from a third-party contractor working on the company’s pension plan.  Names, addresses, Social Security numbers and the like were among the sensitive information stolen for the period ending August 30, 2005.  Employees hired after that date were not affected.

Neiman’s has contacted all the employees whose information was jeopardized and has offered to pay for free credit monitoring for a year.

There’s nothing like taking every precaution to safe guard the information in house, only to have it fall into the wrong hands elsewhere, huh?

Popularity: 4% [?]

According to an article in WWD, consumers will spend more this year than last on Easter attire — an average of $135.07 per family, up 11% from last year.  That translates into nearly $14.8 billion dollars, world-wide.  And that doesn’t even include Easter baskets, Easter dinner, or flowers to put on the table.

So — ever wonder why you start seeing Easter stuff in stores the day after Valentine’s Day?  Take a look at those numbers.  I think you have your answer…

Popularity: 3% [?]

Hennes & Mauritz, the venerable Swedish fashion house known as H&M, opened a new store in Hong Kong over the weekend — that was so popular, it required crowd control.  Nearly 1,000 shoppers started lining up outside the new store at 5 am.  Why?  Because the first 500 shoppers were promised a pair of M by Madonna sunglasses.  The Hong Kong store is debuting the Madonna label, and several lucky shoppers were even given jackets signed by the Material Girl.

H&M, often called the “Ikea of Fashion,” H&M offers stylish, of-the-moment clothes at discount prices.  With more than 1,200 stores in 25 countries, the 60-year-old retailer continues to prove that fashionable women clearly love a bargain.

Popularity: 5% [?]