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No need for toil, trouble and eye of newt. You can look quite bewitching, drop-dead gorgeous, if you check out the skeletons already in your closet, advises Michelle Zhang.

A grinning skull and crossbones, once a morbid emblem of the goth counterculture, pirates and paleontologists, have become today’s “smiley face.”

The symbol of death, danger, poison and toxic waste - a reminder that all vanity turns to dust - has moved from the shades of questionable taste to the glittery fashion mainstream.

Skulls with gaping eye sockets and grim smile can be found on virtually anything nowadays - dresses, jackets, T-shirts, jewelry, handbags, scarves and so on.

While older generations might have a few reservations about decking themselves out in death’s heads and regard it bad luck, young people in China dismiss that old-fashioned message. “It’s so cool” is young people’s response, if they ponder it at all.

“I’ve seen many Hollywood celebrities wearing skull scarves in the magazines or on the Internet,” says shop owner “luxuryskymall” on Taobao.com, China’s most popular online shopping site. “They all look super cool.”

Her shop sells skull scarves of various colors and styles, priced between 48 yuan (US$7) and 220 yuan. The bestseller, a simple black-and-white skull scarf made of silk, priced at 99 yuan ?? more than 1,000 have been sold in three months.

According to “luxuryskymall,” as Halloween is around, it’s normal to sell 50 to 60 scarves in one day. “Anything with skull prints is popular these days,” she says. “T-shirts, jeans, bags and shoes with skull and crossbones sell quickly on Taobao.”

Liu Xiao, a 30-year-old Shanghai lady, bought a skull-bedecked hoodie last year in a boutique. “I like it very much,” she says. “The cute, crystal-paved skull print on the back makes the otherwise basic streetwear style very chic and unique.”

When asked what their parents think of her fashion statement, she says: “Who cares?”

Lin Qing, 55, has seen her daughter wearing a watch with a skull pattern. “I suppose it’s fashionable with young people,” she says. “I think it looks fine, as long as she likes it.”

But not everyone finds the skull fashion drop-dead gorgeous.

“Some of my schoolmates wear T-shirts or caps with skull and crossbones and feel good about themselves,” says college student Jenny Zhang, 20. “But to me, they just look stupid.”

Still, she once was tempted to try on a skull scarf, only to be told by her boyfriend it was ugly. “He thinks girls should not wear skulls, which is not feminine at all,” she adds.

The skull fashion goes back two years, when famous English designer Alexander McQueen created an exquisite scarf covered with skulls. Followed by designers like Thomas Wylde and Tiffany Alanas, the design soon became a fashion statement that had been tied, knotted, or slung over many Hollywood celebrities like Sienna Miller, Lindsay Lohan, Ashley Olesen, Nicole Richie and even the ladylike starlet Mischa Barton.

“Skull fashion isn’t just a fad,” says J. Huang, a visual merchandiser at US fashion chain Forever 21, calling himself a “fashionista.” “It has always been a phenomenon among streetwear fashion lovers both in the US and Japan.”

It isn’t all about that “cheap and chic” stuff that people find in small stores along the streets either, he adds. Some skull-and-crossbones fashion can be unbelievably expensive.

For example, one of Huang’s favorite brands, Mastermind, is a high-end menswear label from Japan targeting the well-heeled fashion customers. All products are made in limited quantity, emblazoned with the Mastermind Japan skull-and-crossbones logo.

They use super luxe materials such as sea island cotton and feature a simple palette of black and white. A plain Mastermind T-shirt has been sold for as much as 10,000 yuan in an Internet auction.

“Many people might think it is ridiculous to spend that much money on a T-shirt,” says Huang, “but a quality T-shirt like that can be worn over the years. It never goes out of fashion.”

A more affordable alternative is Cheap Monday, a Swedish denim manufacturer known for its skull logo with an upside-down cross. The brand’s stylish jeans are sought all over the world for their classic high waist, tapered legs and reasonable price.

However, when it first hit the scene in 2004, Cheap Monday generated controversy over its logo use of an inverted cross on the skull’s forehead.

Many outlets have banned sale of articles bearing the logo, citing an unacceptable “anti-establishment vibe.”

Bjorn Atldax, designer of the logo, once told The Associated Press that it was an active statement against religion. “I’m not a Satanist myself, but I have a great dislike for organized religion,” he said.

The designer said young consumers should consider the message that wars and death have been caused by religious intolerance and extremism.

Anyhow, it’s easy to look drop-dead gorgeous for Halloween, or any time.

When billionaire Leona Helmsley passed away in 2007, she shocked many by willing $12 million to her Maltese dog, Trouble.

While it seems none have surpassed Helmsley in the amount bestowed on a pet, the average pet owner in the U.S. is not afraid to splurge on their Mr. Fluffles. According to the American Pet Products Association, total pet spending has nearly doubled in the past 10 years. In 2008, sales topped $43 billion, up from $41 billion in 2007; sales for 2009 are expected to reach $45 billion.

The association says every pet sales category is growing, including gadgets and other technologies. While sales figures aren’t widely available for pet tech products, Amazon.com says this category has become quite popular on its site. “Amazon customers are showing considerable interest in pet-based technology. We are seeing strong sales in 2009,” says Chris Nielsen, Amazon’s home and garden store vice president. “The most significant year-over-year growth is technology applied to pet training and behavior.” Nielsen declined to provide Amazon’s pet tech sales.

Experts say high-tech novelty items tend to be top sellers. One popular product has been the Takara Bowlingual/Meowlingual pet translation device. The company claims that the device can translate a pet’s barks and purrs into intelligible sentences, such as, “I can’t stand it.” Other popular novelties include the Pet’s Eye View Camera, a digital camera that attaches to your cat or dog’s collar and takes photos at timed intervals. When you come home, you can view photos of what your pet has been up to that day.

But not all novelty items are designed with frivolous, fun intent. At first glance, the Zen Dog, a kit that provides therapy and relaxation for your pooch through calming music and massage, seems like a luxury but experts say it has practical uses. “This is great for dogs who have been through puppy mills, bad homes or traumatic experiences,” Pet Enthusiast editor Dawn Pieke says. “For some dogs, it’s really something to be able to reach the point of being touched again.”

After novelty products, Amazon says practical gadgets that help owners care for their pets are the next best sellers. One example is the HydroSurge Rapid Bath Dog Bathing System, an “all-in-one” wet, wash and rinse device that resembles a garden hose with a spray-nozzle comb head. The product’s patented InjectAir technology draws shampoo and oxygen into massaging shower jets to simultaneously create a sudsing action and eliminate long, messy baths.

GoDogGo, a fetch machine for dogs that automatically shoots out tennis balls at timed intervals, is another practical product that has been successful. Sales reached $200,000 in 2008. Creator Ron Thompson expects sales to double this year, due to a recent factory and distribution reorganization.

“We’ve always sold consistently,” Thompson says. “We started 10 years ago, and there are some pet gadgets that haven’t stood the test of time, but ours is basic. It achieves what it is intended for: to provide exercise for your dog.”

Thompson also said he has received testimonies from owners who had been paralyzed or were in need of service dogs, and rely on GoDogGo to help keep their dog healthy.

Animal safety products also rank high with pet owners. Products such as the Komfort Pets climate-controlled pet carrier fit the bill. It’s ideal for times you need to leave Chuckles in the car when you’re running errands. The carrier automatically keeps pets cool when the temperature is hot and warms them when it’s too cold.

If your pet is more exotic than a dog or cat, there are tech gadgets for these creatures too. The ReptiPro 5000 is a small incubator for reptile and bird eggs that allows you to watch your pets being hatched at home. ReptiPro ’s creator, Chris Baker, says egg incubators had existed before, but they were made of unreliable Styrofoam or too large and cost thousands of dollars. “I had used Styrofoam incubators before, but they usually fall apart in about a year or so,” Baker says. “When I tested out this thermal incubator, my hatch rates went up 25%. The difference is that this incubator both heats and cools, and it only costs $250.”

If you’re allergic to animals or can’t have one where you live, check out The Haptic Creature, a robot designed to recreate the touch-based communication between pet and owner. The creature resembles a small rabbit with long “ears” and fur. When petted, it responds with breathing, ear movements and purring vibrations. Although the Haptic Creature is not available for purchase, creator Steven Yohanan says he is interested in marketing the product.

Still, there are those in the pet industry who believe the old-fashioned, low-tech way of doing things is always best. Sal Peretz, the owner of Groom-O-Rama, a pet store in New York City, is one such advocate.

“The GoDogGo is a fun toy as long it doesn’t replace having daily time spent with your dog,” Peretz says. “I’ve been in this business for 19 years, and the products that sell best have been on the market for a long time. We have to remember that pets don’t ask for much.”

When Lee Burbage feels stressed, he turns to the mini Zen garden he’s constructed in his 10-by-10-foot cubicle.

“When I need to be cool, calm and collected,” he says, “I can just talk to my little bonsai tree.” The plant sits on a small red tablecloth he picked up at a Crate and Barrel store near his Alexandria, Va., office. It’s surrounded by three unlit, light blue tea candles that match the blue rocks around the bonsai.

Burbage, 38, is head of human resources at the online investment advice company The Motley Fool. He’s also one of 42 million Americans who spend most of their waking hours in cubicles. Instead of succumbing to depression induced by those chest-high gray, beige or blue partitions ubiquitous in Cubicleville, Burbage has transformed his space into a comfy, individualized refuge.

“You spend more time in your cubicle than you do at home,” notes Kelley Moore, the author of Cube Chic: Take Your Office Space from Drab to Fab! “If you design your space in a creative way that inspires you, it will inspire you to be more productive.”

Along with Moore and Burbage, we canvassed a New York employment lawyer named Edward Hernstadt and several other thoughtful folks to come up with advice for those who want to decorate their partitioned workspaces to please themselves without displeasing their colleagues.

First rule of thumb: Look around the rest of the office you work at and note what your colleagues have done. At The Motley Fool, pretty much anything goes, Burbage says. Every one of the 225 employees at The Fool, as they call it, sits in a cube, including the chief executive. Not even flashing holiday lights and balloons are frowned upon.

But many offices, particularly those of law and accounting firms, are far more conservative. Either a written or unwritten policy dictates that workers keep their style toned down.

Jonathan Spaet, executive vice president for U.S. sales at career Web site Vault, suggests you stick to what he calls the “three P’s and a C”–photos, plants, post cards and calendars, that is–which are all safe bets in a cube. Make sure the photos depict appropriate scenes. Don’t post a beach vacation shot, for instance, that shows you in a bikini. “The rule is, if you can’t wear it to work, don’t capture it on your wall,” he says.

Edward Hernstadt, a partner at the New York law firm Hernstadt Atlas, offers a further caveat. “You have virtually no First Amendment rights in a cubicle,” he says. “A sense of humor is not protected.” Putting up any kind of image that mocks your boss or any colleague is considered reasonable grounds for firing, he advises. Worse, you can open yourself up to a sexual harassment or defamation suit. “If you use Photoshop to create a picture of a colleague getting intimate with a donkey,” he says, “that could be construed as defamatory per se.”

Granting that cautionary note, you can still show some creativity. Kelley Moore suggests you start by expressing a little flair on the organizational front by using brightly colored file folders and linen-covered containers from Target or The Container Store.

When it comes to lighting, don’t feel you have to settle for those brutal overhead fluorescents. Bring in a lamp with a soft shade. Ikea offers an array of low-cost choices.

Most important, says Moore, are those beige dividers. “If my space is gray and drab,” she says, “all I’ll think about is ‘How do I get out of here and when am I going on vacation?’” The solution? Bring your vacation into your cubicle. Find an ocean scene or fall leaves printed on posterboard, and stick it up on your cubicle wall. Or try your favorite wallpaper, attached with Velcro. Just leave that bikini shot at home.

Vladivostok, Russia’s largest port city on the Pacific Ocean bordering north China, translates to “rule the East” in Russian. But for most Chinese, the city that was controlled by China 140 years ago has another name: Haishenwai, which literally means “sea cucumber cliff.”

For 24-year-old Pritula Anna, who hails from the port city, her only desire last Friday was to be as cool as a cucumber to conquer a panel of tough interviewers. She was not aiming to be a Russian-Chinese translator and she wasn’t trying to work as a tourist guide, a job she had in Dalian, Liaoning province.

Anna was interviewing for the job of a flight attendant with Hainan Airlines, China’s largest privately owned air transport company that was established in 1989 and based in Haikou, capital city of Hainan. A quickly expanding airline with both domestic and international flights - a rarity among Chinese airlines - it has operated nearly 500 routes in and out of China since 1993, including to major cities in Russia. It is one of the few Chinese airlines that is currently hiring foreign flight attendants, which is vital to the company as it deals with both Chinese and foreign passengers.

Anna knew this coming into the interview, having read an advertisement two weeks ago. She had studied the Chinese language for five years, an attractive aspect on her resume.

Before coming to Beijing, Anna studied Chinese in Harbin for two years and worked in a hotel and a travel agency in Dalian.

“I am so familiar with the Chinese people and their culture,” Anna said. “There are many Chinese people in Vladivostok doing business. Many Russian merchants have also been coming through my city to do business in China for a long time. My next dream is to get a master’s degree in business in China. But I need to find a job in Beijing to fund myself.”

Sitting in the interview in the Grand Building, Anna was staring at the four interviewers from the airline, including a woman surnamed Haiqing, manager of human resources and a Chinese attendant who spoke fluent Russian.

“Imagine that you are working in a hotel,” the manager asked Anna in Chinese. “And a client was complaining that he didn’t have the sea-view room, but all of such rooms had been booked. In this situation, what would you do?”

Anna didn’t understand the question initially. But she was clever and soon answered, “I would introduce our hotel’s best room for him and offer him a good discount. But if he insisted, I would recommend him to other hotels with available sea-view rooms and welcome him the next time he came to the hotel.”

The answer seemed to satisfy the manager before she fired away with another question.

“What kind of people you dislike?”

“I am easy-going,” Anna answered. “But I don’t like those who are late. Therefore, I am always punctual.”

“Anna’s Chinese is good and she has shown her enthusiasm and determination for this job. She has a good chance to be with us,” said an interviewer surnamed Hai. “Foreign attendants can provide a feeling of home for the foreign passengers and also good services for our Chinese passengers.”

By last Friday, the panel of interviewers had decided to recruit 20 attendants, including three male interviewees, from over 150 applicants. Hainan Airlines, which officials said has eight attendants from Russia, the Republic of Korea and Japan, plans to recruit at least 40 attendants this time. The successful interviewees will be sent to Hainan for a three-month training.

Hai said the attendant’s first contract is for three years, with a monthly salary about 9,000 yuan ($1,320) plus bonus and an accommodation subsidy of 2,500 yuan. The next contract will raise the number to 20,000 yuan a month.

Anna most likely would be on her way to Haikou, a seaside resort like her hometown, where her dream will take off.

Xiangshan is the place to be every autumn as the hills near Beijing come alive with fall colors. This budget day trip gathers a mixed group of Chinese and foreigners to discuss the history and significance of the mountain and have lunch at a local restaurant.

Contributor Description

Hello guys,

This ad is aimed to all Chinese learners and interested in Chinese culture and language but don’t really do much about it and/or cannot afford to spend much money. Sounds familiar?

We are a bunch of young Chinese and foreigners that believe that language cannot be taught in a classroom but only in real life communication.

Every second weekend we are going to organize a trip in Beijing and it’s surrounding for Chinese and Foreign students and young professionals who are interested in the others’ culture. All the trips are using local transportation and all the locations are less visited places in and around Beijing, thus you won’t only be able to practice your language and meet new people but also discover cool places without having a hole in your wallet.

Dark glasses, black suits, white ponytail: Chanel top designer Karl Lagerfeld has long since turned from a mere designer into an icon of fashion, style and eccentricity. His unchanged appearance almost seems like a mask never taken off.

Nevertheless, on Sept. 10, his 70th birthday will arrive — at least, according to the official version. “There even are people who say I will turn 75,” Lagerfeld recently told reporters. The truth actually lies in between, he added.

Otherwise, he is unlikely to be touched by his upcoming anniversary. “I hate birthdays,” he said. Although the same is true for retrospectives — Lagerfeld likes to quote the Jewish saying “You don’t get credit for the past,” — his timeless facade is worth a look behind.

However, Lagerfeld has given his blessing to a German company to make a high-style teddy bear modeled on the Paris-based fashion designer. The bear will be exact in detail, right down to his white-collared shirt and jet black tie.

Everyone knows that celebrities who slink down a red carpet have had their clothes, makeup, jewelry, handbag and hair vetted by a professional stylist. Stylists like Rachel Zoe and Robert Verdi have become famous enough to land their own cable TV shows. But there’s an entire branch of the business of styling that never appears at a movie premiere or Oscar ceremony. Female executives and entrepreneurs–and the just-plain-busy or those in need of fashion guidance–often turn to stylists to improve or update their look and wardrobe.

“I think anyone who is part of corporate America in a leadership role has a responsibility to look professional, interesting, well-tailored and act as a role model for other women,” says Bernadette Kenny, head of human resources for staffing giant Adecco. Kenny, who updates her wardrobe semi-annually, has employed a stylist for the past 15 years and buys directly out of designers’ showrooms. “[Fashion] is not my strength,” she says. “This way, it requires very little thinking on my part.”

Executive women will also hire stylists just for special events or when they might appear in the media. A fashionista’s finesse can also help when a woman is making a transition from one industry to another.

In 2006, when Eva Ziegler was hired by Starwood Hotels and put in charge jazzing up the Le Meridien and W Hotel brands, she felt she needed to shake off the wardrobe remnants of her last job, which was in branding for Toyota. “It’s important to ensure that as a spokesperson for a brand, you represent some flavor of that brand,” she says.

For Ziegler, who works with Henri Bendel stylist Ann Watson, this meant trading in her corporate power suits for designers with cleaner lines and edgier bents, like Balenciaga. She also spiced up her look with interesting accessories, such as a Heaven Tanudiredja necklace of silver and black beads that hangs all the way to her waist, or pairing a lace-trimmed Sharon Wauchob skirt with knit stockings and black leather boots for work events. “I was now part of a hospitality company with a more contemporary lifestyle feel, and I wanted to reflect that,” she says.

However, stylist Jill Markiewicz warns that too much emphasis on style can sometimes have the opposite effect. Google’s first female engineer and VP Marissa Meyer, for example, has often been flayed in the media over her wardrobe. One blog derides her fashion sense as “nouveau gauche” and “Skittles-inspired.” Says Markiewicz: “The focus can easily become about what a woman is wearing and not the professional advances she’s made.”

Like most executives, Meyer is not on record regarding the stylist “does she or doesn’t she” question. Jill Markiewicz’s five full-time clients, executives who spend up to $100,000 a year on clothes and are admired for their style, keep mum about having her on their personal payroll. “Most of my clients’ husbands don’t even know I exist,” she says. “And I respect that. Does anyone need to know you get Botox?”

Markiewicz says she no longer even gives designers the name of her clients, fearing a leak to the press. She tells the story of one client, an executive at a Wall Street firm that was “sliding quickly and having many troubles,” who mentioned to the media that she loved wearing Chanel and Oscar de la Renta. The press, Markiewicz says, raked her over the coals: “Certain people felt like she was another example of Wall Street excess.”

But Ziegler, for one, won’t closet the contents of her closet: “It’s part of my approach to life, and I’m not spending tremendous amounts. And it’s my personal money.”

In fact, stylists and clients alike argue, hiring a wardrobe professional essentially saves money. “One bad Chanel jacket ends up being our fee,” says Joe Lupo, who owns New York-based image-consulting company Visual Therapy with partner Jesse Garza. The two charge clients $450 an hour. He adds: “It’s not about being indulgent; it’s about having a smart, streamlined wardrobe. People will wear their stuff to death. It’s anti-waste.”

Lupo and Garza will not name any clients, other than to say that they work with “major families in America.” “They know we don’t talk,” says Garza. “Our clients are not showy and flashy. They don’t want to give the wrong impression. They just would rather focus on their businesses and families instead of running around on the weekends putting looks together.”

Besides women’s fear of being seen as wasteful or indulgent by hiring a stylist, there are other, more emotional issues. “They don’t like to admit they don’t know how to dress,” says Nancy Berger, who charges clients $150 an hour, with a two-hour minimum to shop and overhaul closets. “I walked into one woman’s apartment, and the first thing she said to me was, ‘Don’t judge me.’ I handle women with major kid gloves.”

As anyone who has ever looked in a mirror and wailed, “Does this make me look fat?” knows, dealing with women who have body issues can be a challenge. Berger shares how she had to cut ties with one client, a “major financier who has written a book.” Says Berger: “She didn’t like the way anything looked on her. We hired a nutritionist, a hairstylist, but nothing could make her happy. Go get some therapy and then call me.”

Women can also get overly attached to certain styles, and getting them to update can sometimes be a trial. Jose Parron, who has been a stylist at Barneys New York for 16 years, tried to get a woman to get rid of a pair of big black shoes with a heavy sole. Parron was able to convince the woman to toss her “clunker Frankenshoes” and replace them with a pair of Azzedine Alaia wedges, but it took him, literally, three years. “Part of what we do is growth, and fashion is about trends, and that means moving people out of their comfort zone,” he says. “But I can’t push someone too hard. Otherwise, no matter how great I think something looks on them, they won’t reach for it.”

Parron is currently big on Isabel Toledo, a favorite of Michelle Obama. But he says his clients are not coming in and asking for a Michelle Makeover: “They are a little more fashion savvy than that,” he says. “They just want to look good and have their own style.”

Everyone knows that celebrities who slink down a red carpet have had their clothes, makeup, jewelry, handbag and hair vetted by a professional stylist. Stylists like Rachel Zoe and Robert Verdi have become famous enough to land their own cable TV shows. But there’s an entire branch of the business of styling that never appears at a movie premiere or Oscar ceremony. Female executives and entrepreneurs–and the just-plain-busy or those in need of fashion guidance–often turn to stylists to improve or update their look and wardrobe.

“I think anyone who is part of corporate America in a leadership role has a responsibility to look professional, interesting, well-tailored and act as a role model for other women,” says Bernadette Kenny, head of human resources for staffing giant Adecco. Kenny, who updates her wardrobe semi-annually, has employed a stylist for the past 15 years and buys directly out of designers’ showrooms. “[Fashion] is not my strength,” she says. “This way, it requires very little thinking on my part.”

Executive women will also hire stylists just for special events or when they might appear in the media. A fashionista’s finesse can also help when a woman is making a transition from one industry to another.

In 2006, when Eva Ziegler was hired by Starwood Hotels and put in charge jazzing up the Le Meridien and W Hotel brands, she felt she needed to shake off the wardrobe remnants of her last job, which was in branding for Toyota. “It’s important to ensure that as a spokesperson for a brand, you represent some flavor of that brand,” she says.

For Ziegler, who works with Henri Bendel stylist Ann Watson, this meant trading in her corporate power suits for designers with cleaner lines and edgier bents, like Balenciaga. She also spiced up her look with interesting accessories, such as a Heaven Tanudiredja necklace of silver and black beads that hangs all the way to her waist, or pairing a lace-trimmed Sharon Wauchob skirt with knit stockings and black leather boots for work events. “I was now part of a hospitality company with a more contemporary lifestyle feel, and I wanted to reflect that,” she says.

However, stylist Jill Markiewicz warns that too much emphasis on style can sometimes have the opposite effect. Google’s first female engineer and VP Marissa Meyer, for example, has often been flayed in the media over her wardrobe. One blog derides her fashion sense as “nouveau gauche” and “Skittles-inspired.” Says Markiewicz: “The focus can easily become about what a woman is wearing and not the professional advances she’s made.”

Like most executives, Meyer is not on record regarding the stylist “does she or doesn’t she” question. Jill Markiewicz’s five full-time clients, executives who spend up to $100,000 a year on clothes and are admired for their style, keep mum about having her on their personal payroll. “Most of my clients’ husbands don’t even know I exist,” she says. “And I respect that. Does anyone need to know you get Botox?”

Markiewicz says she no longer even gives designers the name of her clients, fearing a leak to the press. She tells the story of one client, an executive at a Wall Street firm that was “sliding quickly and having many troubles,” who mentioned to the media that she loved wearing Chanel and Oscar de la Renta. The press, Markiewicz says, raked her over the coals: “Certain people felt like she was another example of Wall Street excess.”

But Ziegler, for one, won’t closet the contents of her closet: “It’s part of my approach to life, and I’m not spending tremendous amounts. And it’s my personal money.”

In fact, stylists and clients alike argue, hiring a wardrobe professional essentially saves money. “One bad Chanel jacket ends up being our fee,” says Joe Lupo, who owns New York-based image-consulting company Visual Therapy with partner Jesse Garza. The two charge clients $450 an hour. He adds: “It’s not about being indulgent; it’s about having a smart, streamlined wardrobe. People will wear their stuff to death. It’s anti-waste.”

Lupo and Garza will not name any clients, other than to say that they work with “major families in America.” “They know we don’t talk,” says Garza. “Our clients are not showy and flashy. They don’t want to give the wrong impression. They just would rather focus on their businesses and families instead of running around on the weekends putting looks together.”

Besides women’s fear of being seen as wasteful or indulgent by hiring a stylist, there are other, more emotional issues. “They don’t like to admit they don’t know how to dress,” says Nancy Berger, who charges clients $150 an hour, with a two-hour minimum to shop and overhaul closets. “I walked into one woman’s apartment, and the first thing she said to me was, ‘Don’t judge me.’ I handle women with major kid gloves.”

As anyone who has ever looked in a mirror and wailed, “Does this make me look fat?” knows, dealing with women who have body issues can be a challenge. Berger shares how she had to cut ties with one client, a “major financier who has written a book.” Says Berger: “She didn’t like the way anything looked on her. We hired a nutritionist, a hairstylist, but nothing could make her happy. Go get some therapy and then call me.”

Women can also get overly attached to certain styles, and getting them to update can sometimes be a trial. Jose Parron, who has been a stylist at Barneys New York for 16 years, tried to get a woman to get rid of a pair of big black shoes with a heavy sole. Parron was able to convince the woman to toss her “clunker Frankenshoes” and replace them with a pair of Azzedine Alaia wedges, but it took him, literally, three years. “Part of what we do is growth, and fashion is about trends, and that means moving people out of their comfort zone,” he says. “But I can’t push someone too hard. Otherwise, no matter how great I think something looks on them, they won’t reach for it.”

Parron is currently big on Isabel Toledo, a favorite of Michelle Obama. But he says his clients are not coming in and asking for a Michelle Makeover: “They are a little more fashion savvy than that,” he says. “They just want to look good and have their own style.”

A Kuwaiti passenger plane bound for the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday was forced to return to the airport due to a bomb threat, the official KUNA news agency reported.

The Wataniya Airways plane returned after 40 minutes airborne when a passenger engaged in quarrel with an attendant over his refusal to put luggage on the shelf and claimed his bag contained a bomb.

All the passengers were evacuated after the plane landed at Kuwait’s airport, said Issam Al-Zamel, chief of operations at the Kuwait International Airport.

Security officials did not find the claimed bomb during a check and the male passenger was transferred to security authorities, the chief added.

Media reports and officials did not disclose the number of passengers aboard and phone calls to the Kuwait International Airport or Wataniya Airways went unanswered.

Wataniya Airways is Kuwait’s premium airline that operates flights mainly in the Middle East region.

Put that comb back in your handbag - a study by an Israeli dermatologist has found that too much combing of the coiffure leads to hair loss, the daily Haaretz reports.

During a test 14 women recorded their daily hair loss and combing habits, with those combing more losing more hair, the research finds.

“The women who combed twice a day lost three times more hair than those who combed once a day,” the head of the study, Alexander Kirdman of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, says.

“I was surprised by the results, as in medical circles the comb is believed to improve blood circulation and reduce hair loss,” adds Kirdman, whose study was recently published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment.