fashion

Midday Market Minute: Michael Kors Shares Jump To Lifetime High

Fashion company Michael Kors Holdings Ltd raised its full-year forecast after handily beating Wall Street estimates for its third-quarter results with the help of strong sales of luxury items in North America and Europe during the holidays. The results sent the company's shares up 13 percent to a lifetime high on the New York Stock Exchange.

EverPurse: A Mobile Wallet Accessory With a Ladylike Twist

Using your smartphone as your mobile wallet is great -- until the battery dies. A number of technical solutions exist to solve that problem -- but none so fashionable as the EverPurse, a stylish zippered clutch with a built-in phone charger.

Endless.com Is Ending: Amazon to Absorb Designer Fashion Site

In the end, the name of Endless.com was a lie. Amazon.com will be shutting down its standalone high-end apparel store later this month. Endless.com will redirect to Amazon.com/fashion, where the leading online retailer is beefing up its fashion-savvy merchandise.

Why Gap Will Never Be Great Again

Gap investors may feel pretty stoked right now. Shares of the company behind Old Navy, Banana Republic, and its namesake apparel chain have been on fire this year. But look closer and you'll see why this former fashion darling is still fading.

Sorry, Target: Future Fashionistas Prefer Justice

You might not have heard of tween-focused chain Justice, but young girls are swooning over its fashions. In fact, girls age 7 to 12 now call the specialty retailer their main clothing crush, as opposed to their former steady, Target.

Target Makes a Test Run at Trendy Sportswear Biz with C9 Store

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?

Women's Heels Fall Out of Step With Economic Outlook

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.

How Your Facebook Wall Could Become an Online Mall

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 Flagship Store to Receive $400 Million Facelift

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.

Walmart's Latest Fashion Fail: It's No Target

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.

Can Uniqlo's Clever Clothes Refashion the Retail Market?

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.

Would You Hire Him?

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...

Hermes Families Fend Off Louis Vuitton Bid

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.

J.C. Penney Takes Aim at Fashion Leader Status

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.

Fashion Forward: eBay to Open Virtual Outlet Mall

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?

Can Athleta Give Gap a Much-Needed Win?

Athleta, a women's sportswear merchant that the Gap bought in 2008, opened its first two East Coast stores in New York this week. At a time when 200 Gap stores are closing, Athleta is sprinting toward its goal of 50 stores by 2013. But can it beat out its fast-growing competitors?

The World's Most Expensive Flip-Flops

Chipkos hopes its latest pair of fashionable flip-flops could help save the Costa Rican rainforests. One purchase will protect 100,000 square feet of the eco-rich land. But it's had no takers so far. Did we mention the sandals cost $18,000?

Bloomingdale's Shoppers: Get Your Close-Up With NBC's Stars

Have you ever imagined walking down the red carpet with Christina Applegate, Eddie Cibiran or Kathryn Hahn? You don't have to stop dreaming. A fall marketing campaign by Bloomingdale's and NBC will enable customers to take pictures with digital versions of NBC's stars.

Researchers: Open Dressing Rooms Could Lower Sales

Consumers who don't feel good about their body image are less likely to purchase something they try on if they see an attractive shopper wearing the same thing, according to a study in the August issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

Madonna Brings Edgy Teen Clothing to Macy's

Madonna and her 14-year-old daughter, Lourdes "Lola" Leon, have designed a juniors line for Macy's called Material Girl. But will the edgy style prove too sexy for teens -- and the parents they're shopping with?

Can a New CEO Fill
Lands' End's Sails?

Lands' End has named Edgar Huber, former CEO of Juicy Couture, as its new chief executive. Will he be able to breathe new life into the 48-year-old brand?

Back to the Future: Gap Remakes 1969 Jeans

In an attempt to turn around flagging sales, Gap has launched a new brand devoted to jeans from 1969, the year the company was founded. But can retro styles alone bring back its old popularity?

Gap Goes to Rome: Italian Store Builds on Global Push

As part of a larger push to bring its classic American design aesthetic to international markets -- and build on its recent Italian successes -- Gap will debut a flagship store in Rome on Via del Corso, a key shopping area, on Saturday.

Retailers Pin Back-to-School Hopes on Exclusive Lines

The nation's big retailers are betting on exclusive lines to ring up back-to-school sales, and also targeting kids and teens where they wile away the hours -- online -- with digital campaigns designed to both entertain and stoke a social-shopping experience tailor-made for the tech-savvy generation.

Gilt Groupe's CEO on Flash Sales' Fabulous Future

Gilt Groupe pioneered the private "flash sale" fashion website biz, which is now one of the fastest growing sectors in retail. Kevin Ryan, Gilt Groupe's CEO, spoke with us about growth opportunities, the world of private-sale sites, and competition -- including why it has a leg up on Amazon.

Retail Watchers Upbeat on Back-to-School Outlook

Firecracker remnants may still dot the nation's sidewalks, but retail forecasters are already talking about back-to-school shopping season -- and they're happy to do so. The improved economic environment is setting the stage for sales gains in everything from tablet computers to bold-colored jeans.

Refashioning Gap: CEO Sees Future in Outlets, Online

Gap (GPS) might be undergoing an extreme makeover, but the chain is no longer the key growth engine, CEO Glenn Murphy told investors Wednesday. Learn why the apparel giant is shifting its emphasis to its outlet businesses, newer divisions such as Piperlime and Athleta, and overseas growth.