Never before has the layered look been quite so sexy.
A new line of hosiery, the first clothing line by new designer Dorothy Shuford, piles on the fabric, but still manages to make legs look shapely.
"They've got a punk and '80s edge," Shuford says, "but with a feminine spin."
The most obviously '80s-influenced styles in the Longstockings by Dosty collection are the leg warmers, but these aren't the leg warmers we wore to dance class way back when. Shuford's are a much thinner knit. They hug your leg, bell over your shoes and button at the thigh or knee to tights worn beneath, suggesting some sort of invisible garter belt.
Stocking versions, also in knee-high and thigh-high styles, button in the same way to a second pair of tights, flashing a bit of color between your micro-mini and the start of the Longstockings.
Longstockings, which sell for $16 to $30, are available at www.dosty.com or by calling 212-353-0228.
Dripping with gems
Talk about overdone. Crystal tattoos -- those little plastic jewels grouped in shapes of hearts, flowers, swirls and sayings -- are all over the place, crammed onto shelves in every department, drug and discount store. Is anyone over the age of 13 really wearing these things? If you're even thinking about it, take a look at this alternative first: Body Gem.
Created by Swarovski, Body Gems are tiny drops of color you adhere right to your skin as a simple and seductive eye-catcher, and they're the real thing, too. Amethyst, peridot, topaz -- all are shaped into tiny accents between 3 and 6 millimeters in diameter, and you just need one to make a statement.
Try wearing a single gem near your eye as a sparkling beauty mark, above your naval in that tummy-baring T or at the nape of your neck. Body Gem, available exclusively at Gem.net (866-243-6638), comes in relatively inexpensive packages of three for $38 or five for $59 -- not bad for real stones. -- T. B.
Makeover Day -- starring you
A little wine, a little cheese, a total overhaul -- that's what you'll get at the third annual Star Makeover Day sponsored by Women in Film and Video of Maryland, a nonprofit group created to further the careers of women in the entertainment industries. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, stylists and manicurists from Mount Washington's Europa International Salon and makeup artists from FaceWorld are volunteering their time and services to turn you into a diva du jour.
A total package -- haircut, makeup application and manicure -- is just $45, and all proceeds benefit the WIFV scholarship / mentorship fund. Individual services, from mini-massages to just a haircut, range from $10 to $25. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended. Europa International Salon, 5701 Newbury St.; 410-367-1111. -- T. B.