Chic charities
Those yellow "Live Strong" bracelets made popular by Lance Armstrong helped a good cause and all, but they never did much for anyone's fashion ensemble.
Since then, wise charities and merchandisers have made fundraising fashion much more stylish.
The cutest item we've seen lately is the Lean Cuisine insulated lunch tote, which raises money to fight breast cancer.
It's a steal at $9.99. Plus, it's cute, eco-friendly (compared to a plastic Jewel bag) and big enough to hold a few extra things (because we all know no one eats just a Lean Cuisine).
The bags go on sale Saturday at www.leancuisine.com. For each purchase, Lean Cuisine will donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Supplies are limited.
Northbrook-based be.ology has made a business out of selling stylish clothing to benefit charities.
Each of their "be" lines supports a different cause, ranging from YouthAIDS to Hurricane Katrina assistance, and each line has a different inspirational message: be.bold, be.inspired, be.you, be.exceptional and so on.
Sorta reminiscent of the (Red) campaign for Africa, isn't it? The one Oprah and Bono were touting? (www.joinred.com/products)
Sorry to be.digressing. New this month at be.ology is the be.bright T-shirt, which will help fund education and support for young women at high risk for breast and ovarian cancers.
Depending on the style, all of the shirts range in price from $30-$43, but they do occasionally go on sale. Shop online at www.beologyonline.com or check the Web site for a full list of suburban boutiques that carry the line.
Remember: compassion and philanthropy are always in style.
Free shipping 4 U
Celebrimoms like Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum, Julia Roberts and Courteney Cox are filling their children's closets with Pedipeds, a new brand of baby shoes. When you see them, you'll understand why.
They have soft, flexible soles, Velcro closures, large openings (making it easy to stuff those chubby little feet in there) and the cutest designs. They have shoes for both boys and girls, sized for newborns up to 24 months. ($29 -$31 at Nordstrom, Stride Rite, Von Maur or www.pediped.com)
As a special for Daily Herald readers, get free shipping on www.pediped.com. Just enter promotion code "cdh." Offer's good until Nov. 14.
Fashion calendar
Representatives from Kinerase will hand out samples of their high-end skincare products, and offer skincare tips, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Union Station, 225 S. Canal St., Chicago. They're part of a Mercedes Benz promotional event that lets people test drive the new C class car.
-- Jamie Sotonoff