Well, we’ve talked about Christmas sweaters before, but this year things are different. According to the Wall Street Journal, the item is actually “enjoying a moment of irony-infused popularity”.

Apparently many individuals and organizations are having holiday parties where the Christmas sweaters are part of the theme. Large companies like Dunkin’ Donuts are even creating humorous promotions around the Christmas sweater.

It’s not all anecdotal. There are hard numbers to back up the item’s surge in popularity:

Searches for “ugly Christmas sweaters” are up 30% in December compared with December last year, according to Google’s research tool Insights for Search. It’s “one of the most-searched-for terms among people looking for information about sweaters,” a Google spokeswoman says.

Is this something you have noticed this Christmas season? And will you be wearing one? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to post pictures in the forum.

This is a trick that I learnt while on a Museum hop in Amsterdam. On my way into the museum, the staff at the coat check pushed a portion of the scarf into the inside armhole of my coat for safe keeping before they hung it up. That way I was much less likely to lose my scarf or leave it behind at the museum. So simple, yet so effective!

It is an especially good trick for blokes, who usually take off their coats and scarves when indoors, but still out and about, like at a restaurant or the cinema.

Outside our home I rarely remove my scarf when I’m indoors because I’m normally wearing one that is integral to my outfit. But sometimes I do and no doubt this trick has saved us from parting ways more than once.

Do you use this trick? I have only seen it employed in Europe, but I imagine people in the United States use it too. Still, it isn’t very common in my experience so I thought I’d spread the word.

New York market research firm JWT recently published a trend report, “Life and Style: Things to Watch for 2011,” mentioning faster fashion and f-commerce as two things to expect next year.

Spanish retailer Zara has long been praised for its incredible supply chain that can take new fashion ideas to store shelves in a matter of weeks. But the lag time for most retailers is much longer than that and when you read about a new trend during fashion week, you often have to wait 6 months or more before it works its way into stores. JWT thinks consumer desire for instant gratification is going to pressure retailers into shortening this lag time. I’m all for it.

The second trend, f-commerce, is the sale of products directly through Facebook. Apparently Victoria’s Secret is doing this already and JWT expects other brands to follow suit as they dive deeper into social media.

All very interesting, especially to those who shop online. You can read more about the full report, or watch this brief video overview.

Via the LA Times.

Dansko is a European comfort footwear brand that offers sweet looking casual styles like the Penelope, Reegan, Rory and Ryder. And then there’s the Professional, the quintessential Dansko clog (pictured below). Not so sweet. I’d be dishonest if I said that I thought this was a good looking shoe.

Regardless of how I feel about the aesthetics of the Dansko Professional, it is extremely popular and sells well each season. People love them! It’s no wonder that the style received five stars on Zappos after a whopping 665 reviews.

The Dansko Professional is adored because it’s extremely comfortable, weather resistant, non-slip, well made and lasts forever. Doctors, Veterinarians, Nurses and many others in the medical profession swear by these shoes because they offer the necessary arch support – a must for when you’re on your feet all day.

Here in Seattle the Dansko Professional is a popular choice of casual shoe no matter what your profession. And believe it or not, I am totally on board with the look when the clogs are worn in a certain way. I have fussy feet and empathize with the need for perpetual footwear comfort. So if Dansko clogs are the only type of shoe that some of my clients can wear on a regular basis to prevent foot pain, let’s make it work with style. Here’s how:

• Bottoms: Pair the clogs with flared or extra-wide hemmed boot cut jeans or casual pants, making sure that the hems almost skim the ground. That way the wider hems drape well over the shoes, exposing parts of the toe while covering up the rest. The two inch heel on the clog provides a good amount of height for the flared hems. A low contrast between the colour of the clogs and the pants makes for a more streamlined look.
• Tops: The clog is a casual shoe, and although we do want to increase the overall style quotient, it will work best with casual items on top. Add a casual sweater or layer a tee under a cardigan. For a more structured effect, throw in a casual jacket, blazer or coat.
• Bookend: Try to bookend the colour of the clogs with either your hair, a clothing item, or an accessory on the top portion of the ensemble. Bookending is not a must, but in this case we’re trying to spiff up the outfit and bookending will help you to feel more pulled together.
• Flair: Add some flair by finishing off the look with a wooly scarf or a casual pendant necklace. Feel free to wear an adorable beret or newsboy cap too.

Of course I’d love to see prettier casual shoes on my clients, but foot pain is no joke. Making the Dansko Professional look cute in casual outfits is possible. A gal has to do what a gal has to do.

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