NATURAL HEALTH CALLANAN HAT COVER

Callanan Resort, hat style CR133, as seen on the cover of the April/May 2012 issue. This 5 1/2 ribbon/toyo brim offers great sun protection and is rated UPF50+.

Is this fur real?

Enforcement of New Fur Label Law to Begin Sunday

March 16, 2012 by Accessories Staff1 Comment

Tags: Industry News, What's New, Faux Fur, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Fur, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Truth in Fur Labeling Act, U.S. Congress

The Truth in Fur Labeling Act includes all accessories categories except handbags. Fur collar from Chris Benz Fall 2012 collection.

Washington—Although the new Truth in Fur Labeling Act—which includes most accessories—has been the law of the land since President Obama signed it more than a year ago, the one-year grace period for enforcing the new standards ends Sunday, March 18.

Groups, including the The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society Legislative Fund, say they are “putting retailers on alert” that they could received fines and even jail time if they sell animal fur trimmed garments (and accessories) without proper information in advertising and on labels as required by the Act.

The Truth in Fur Labeling Act has been one of the few pieces of legislation to receive nearly overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. The law a loophole in federal laws that previously allowed many fur-trimmed garments to go unlabeled if the value of the animal fur material was $150 or less. Now all garments, including all accessories classifications (except handbags) must be labeled.

“Retailers should check their shelves and websites to ensure that any animal fur garments are properly advertised and labeled—which includes providing the species and country of origin of the animal, even on fur trim,” said Michael Markarian, chief program and policy officer at HSUS. “We urge the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to aggressively pursue fur advertising and labeling scofflaws, both to protect consumers and to create a level playing field for law-abiding retailers.”

FTC to Pursue ‘Advertising and Labeling Scofflaws’

Under the provisions of the new law, the FTC is charged with enforcing the Fur Products Labeling Act and protecting consumers from deception, primarily when fur products were labels as “faux” when they really consisted of animal fur. The FTC permitted a one-year enforcement grace period for any previously exempt garments that were already in retail stores.

After the grace period ends Sunday, violators  can receive up to a $5,000 fine and up to a year in prison. Each instance of mislabeling is considered a separate violation.

Besides enjoying support from Congress and the President, the Act has been endorsed by a range of designers and retailers including: Gucci Group, Burberry, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Buffalo Exchange, Overstock.com, Ed Hardy, Victoria Bartlett, Charlotte Ronson, and Andrew Marc, among others.

The federal fur label loophole was closed following a series of investigatations by HSUS that turned up scores of jackets trimmed with animal fur being sold at many major retailers across the country without labels or falsely advertised as “faux fur.”

Last fall, HSUS found an Elizabeth and James boot advertised on Shopbop.com as "faux fur" while laboratory tests found it contained genuine animal fur.

Raccoon dog fur is the most commonly unlabeled, falsely advertised, and misrepresented species found being sold in the United States, and there is documentation of this animal being skinned alive in China, according to HSUS. THIS IS GROSS AND DISGUSTING!!

Despite its widespread support in the fashion industry, some retailers apparently have yet to stop mislabeling on their store floors.

In November 2011, HSUS filed a legal petition with the FTC detailing evidence of 15 different animal fur-trimmed items falsely advertised as being made with “faux” fur, even though the products contain real animal fur.

That petition named Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus, Barneys, Beyond the Rack, ShopBop, Dr. Jays, Revolve Clothing, Gilt Groupe, Ssense, Summit Sports, and Yoox, each of which falsely advertised jackets, cardigans, shoes or other products as containing “faux” fur.

HSUS said the alleged mislabeled merchandise including garments and accessories from brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Elizabeth and James by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Mark + James by Badgley Mischka, Crown Holder, Mackage, and Woolrich.

Independent laboratory testing confirmed that the products contain real animal fur.

For an overview on the new fur labeling regulation, click on the FTC’s “In-Fur-mation Alert”.

Color me ORANGE this summer 2012

Interesting article from the February issue of the Mercury News by Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone.. I have always loved orange, orange crush or Hermes Orange to be more precise, so I am delighted to see orange tending for this summer. It was so refreshing to walk through the SF Shopping center a few weeks back and see all the orange, yellows and fuchsia in the windows. Make orange and navy your updated "nautical" look for this summer. Orange may signal caution but throw caution to the wind this summer and have fun.

QUEEN OF HATS

Great photographs of queen Elizabeth curtesy of people Magazine February 2012.  Fashion may come and go, but not for the Queen, who is never caught without her hat and radiant smile. She certainly has her own head ware  style and seldom veers from it. The princesses Beatrice and Eugenie would do well to ask grand mama for a little hat advise now and then.

Her coquettish hats from the 50's are so classic and elegant. 1961 and 1962 look a little scary as do 1972 and 1973. No wonder women stopped wearing hats in the 70's. Those turbans are not very flattering. I remember my grand mother arriving at our home every Wednesday wearing some type of turban. 1992 is not a flattering hat, she looks more like the queen mother than herself.

The queen really comes into her own hat style from 1989. She starts to wear hats that have more angles which compliment her round facial features. She also picks hats with a side up-swoop which optically give her a little extra hight. 1994 and 1995 were bad hat years for her. She looks best in a blue/teal/aqua pallette. The pastel of 2000 and 2012 just wash her totally. She should avoid Breton/saucer brims like 2012, they never flatter a round face. No fascinators for the Queen. No the Queen of Hats is much too stylish for that silly trend. Long live the Queen of Hats, long live Queen ELIZABETH!!!

Hat Design competition

Enter the Mad Hatter Hatmaker Competition

So you think you can design hats? Well, here's your big chance to be discovers. Now get your freak on and kick philip Tracy's arse!

Hey Philip Treacy, want to see if you can top this design you made for Princess Beatrice at the Royal Wedding?

Joppatowne, MD–In honor of the recent National Hat Day (Jan. 15), amateurs as well as experienced milliners are invited to submit designs for the Mad Hatters’ first MHS Hatmaker Competition.

Any style or material may be used and all themes –outrageousness, surrealism, irony and inventiveness–all apply. Unusual materials are encouraged.

Teams of no more than two people may collaborate on a hat and entrants may enter more than one hat. Rules:

• The hat must be made from scratch by the entrant(s) themselves. A hat that is merely decorated would not qualify.
• It must be made between National Hat Day and the contest entry deadline, April 1.
• The hat must be worn by someone in a public place and photographed.

The Mad Hatters Society page is open to anyone on Facebook, but you have to send a request to join. Click here for the link.

To enter the contest, upload photographs to the MHS page and in the caption state the maker’s name and name of the hat plus a brief description. Anyone can enter but they must join the MHS (at least temporarily) to upload the photos to enter the contest.

The winning photo will become the icon for the Mad Hatters Society page.

All prizes haven’t been announced yet, but winners will definitely receive a free copy of the Mad Hatters’ interactive eBook Hatatorium: An Essential Guide for Hat Collectors.

According to the Mad Hatters, if enough people enter the competition it might be expanded into several categories, and they are open to suggestions. One area under consideration Virtual Hats, which are hats only existing digitally.

In the era of big boxes, a day for the little guy

This is such a nice story. More people should support their local boutiques and family run stores. These store create community, safe downtown areas and are there for you when you are short a buck.

By AMY SANCETTA | Associated Press –t

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• View Gallery
  In this photo taken Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, shoppers and long time friends Cheryl …
• 
  In the early morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, Rob Schwind shovels the sidewalk in front of the Chagrin Hardware in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The Shutts family, which has owned the hardware for the last 72 years, was preparing for a community-driven "Cash Mob" of the store to happen that day. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (AP) — It began quietly, as an email to 40 friends.

But when a steady stream of customers began coming through the door before the family-owned Chagrin Hardware had even opened for the day on Saturday, it was clear that it had turned into much more than that.

The idea started with Jim Black, a resident of Chagrin Falls, a close-knit village in Cleveland's eastern suburbs that is part artist colony and part bedroom community. Black posted the email to a group of his friends. "Let's show our support for one of our local businesses," he wrote. "I challenge everyone to spend AT LEAST $20 at the hardware on the 21st."

Although his email referred to the idea of a "Cash Mob" or the notion to "Occupy CF Hardware," he really had no political agenda. And it wasn't meant as a protest against the big-box stores that have created an ever-tightening circle around the community.

It was just a way to thank Chagrin Hardware's owners for a beloved shop that has been a fixture in the village since 1857.

"These are good people who needed our support," Black said. "It's just that simple."

The store, overlooking meandering Riverside Park and the Chagrin River in the middle of town, has been run by the Shutts family for the last 72 years. It passed from uncle to father to older brothers Rob and Kenny and the three youngest, Steve, Susie and Jack, who run the store today.

Black's note was forwarded and forwarded and forwarded again. Calls started coming in from folks out of state who wanted to make a purchase over the phone.

And when the day came, so did the shoppers — one by one, with dogs on leashes and children in tow, hour after hour until the hardware was teeming with customers.

"This is small-town America," said resident Martine Scheuermann, a bag of pet-safe ice melt in her arms and her Springer Spaniels tapping their toes on the worn wooden floor at her feet. "This is a special family business in a town where everybody knows you."

The store has seen its share of tough times. Road construction on Main Street at the store's front door some years back crippled business for a time. More recently, the weakened economy and the big boxes have stolen away customers.

On this day, though, those storylines were forgotten.

By 10 a.m. the place was jammed. By 1:30 p.m., the credit card machine was overloaded and had to be reset. "This is so cool," said Steve Shutts, a mix of joy, wonder and happy exhaustion spread across his face. "I've seen people today I haven't seen in years."

The line at the checkout stretched in two directions as people with snow shovels and light bulbs and fireplace grates and vintage movie posters and horse shoe caulk — yes, horse shoe caulk — waited to pay.

Chad Schron, 38, came with his 8-year-old son Robert. "We didn't have anything we had to get, but we found things we had to get," he said. As he spoke, Robert clutched an Ohio State desk lamp and two flying monkey toys to his chest.

"When I was a kid, my Mom would send me down here with a note to let me buy BB's," Schron recalled. "Lots of kids did that back then. The notes still are in a drawer over there," he said as he pointed past the register to a wall of wooden drawers containing everything from old springs to screws. In the drawer still labeled "BBs" were stacks of crumpled notes dating to the '50s, from mothers just like Schron's

When the final customer had finally left well after closing time with her fuzzy dice and floodlights, Schwind and Steve Shutts tallied the day's receipts. Shutts shook his head at the wild and unexpected ride.

He wouldn't say how much the store made that day, but was clearly pleased with the outcome.

"Thanks to Jimmy Black," he said. "Thanks to everyone. Thanks to Chagrin Falls.

"What a place to live."

The Swim Journal

Callanan resort hat style CR147-ASST as seen in the current Jan/Feb 2012 edition of The Swim Journal.

It is merchandized with a bag from my sister devision Cappelli Straworld.