Fashion

This fall, Target will launch its first spin-off store concept, based on its C9 by Champion athleticwear brand. Can the cheap chic icon muscle in on an activewear game dominated by trendy and pricey names like Lululemon, Athleta and Under Armour?

Historically, women's heel sizes reach new heights when the economy is down, and fall when it's prosperous. But come winter and spring, we'll be seeing more women in kitten heels and flats, despite the continuing economic doldrums.

Ah, Facebook: It's where you banter with "friends," share vacation photos and "like" everything from candy bars to political parties -- so why not shop there, too? Now, retailers are making it easier to do just that.

Macy's has set out to create another miracle on 34th Street with a $400 million revamp of its fabled flagship store in New York City. The planned makeover includes a new focus on upscale food with 22 eateries, and an emphasis on technology that reflects Macy's courtship of Generation Y.

For years, Walmart has been out to prove it could provide some substance for stylish wardrobes, but shoppers didn't buy the idea of fashion from the retail giant. No shock, its high hopes to emulate Target's "cheap chic" reputation have failed: Walmart's shutting down its Manhattan apparel office.

Uniqlo has a simple plan: To revolutionize how people wear clothes. As its next step, the Japanese retailer of utilitarian but sexy fashions with cutting-edge features is making a massive push into the U.S. And if you haven't heard the buzz Uniqlo's generating, you will soon.

Style Scavenger, our new column, is about finding good stuff in unexpected places. Our first challenge: Helping a recent college grad evolve his look from funky-grunge to interview- and office-ready. But before we get to the clothes, we'll have to figure out what to do with the tie-dyed hair...

French fashion house Hermes is refusing to be bagged by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. On Thursday, a French court of appeals confirmed a January decision that will allow the descendants of Thierry Hermes to form a holding company to keep a majority of shares in family hands.

Style watchers have their eye on Fashion Week, under way in the Big Apple -- and so does J.C. Penney. The jcp design groupe is bringing legitimate fashion cred to the retailer, with trendy looks that rival higher-end chains. Follow their new camel cape from conception to consumer with us and you'll get the message they're sending: This is not your mother's J.C. Penney.

In September, EBay plans to open an online outlet store with products from Brooks Brothers, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Spanx and Bluefly. It could help the company grow, but it's also another step away from its madcap auctioneer roots. Is eBay getting boring?