To walk in style is not enough – we have to walk in comfort. The easiest way to make a winter boot, shoe, non-athletic sneaker or dressy heel comfortable is with some form of insole, heel cup or orthotic.

These marvelous inventions can cost you anything from $3 at your local drug store, to around $50 if you have them custom made. I’ve found both ultra cheap air foam insoles and pricier gel versions just as effective – your fussy feet will quickly let you know which they prefer.

Check out specialty stores (e.g. Dr. Scholls  and SuperFeet), drugstores and footwear stores. You might be surprised at the range of solutions available to you. Ball of foot cushions, massaging gel heel cups, diabetic insoles, tri-comfort orthotics and dress-fit high heel insoles are to name but a few.

Personalized fit insoles (SuperFeet) and dress-fit insoles for high heel shoes (Nordstrom).

Insoles that target the ball of the foot and the heel (Dr. Scholls).

Wellington boots, galoshes or rain boots – they’re all the same thing and an absolute must if you live in a rainy or snowy area in winter. They are best worn with skinny or straight leg jeans to prevent excessive bunching when you tuck them in. Bootcut styles will also work; but might not be as comfortable. Wearing wellies underneath your jeans kind of misses the point – your jeans or casual pants will still get wet.

Wellies are a win if…

• you’re an urbanite and commute on foot
• you take your dogs on winter walks
• you take the kids to the playground
• you like to garden
• you work with children or animals
• there are times when you walk in rain or mud

There are fabulously fun and stylish versions at stores like J.Crew, Banana Republic, Zappos and Nordstrom. You can choose to either keep your wellies playful and short, or sleek and tall.  Either way – you’ll ooze with style that’s practical and chic.

Trendy options from Banana Republic, Tretorn, Zappos and Nordstrom. Wellies don’t come in half sizes so you might need to try on a few styles before you find the right ones.

Gap Inc. recently started it’s forth chain store – “Forth & Towne”. It’s been open for about a year in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, New York and Chicago, and has recently opened its doors in Atlanta and Seattle. I went to have a look.

Forth & Towne was created to capture a slice of the market that Gap Inc wasn’t reaching – women over the age of 35. Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic (Gap Inc.’s first 3 chain stores) capture a substantial amount of the younger market, while the so called “older women” (who generally have more disposable income) were left untapped. And so, Forth & Towne was created with the intent of luring this demographic.

Staff were friendly and informative. They explained to me that the name of the new chain store has a story: “Forth” to denote that it’s Gap’s fourth chain store (with an intentional play on the spelling of the word); and “Towne” to denote the notion that shopping is a social and urban phenomenon. The name actually sounds like a meeting destination – “I’ll meet you at “Forth & Towne”, rather like saying “I’ll meet you at 6th and Pine”.

The store offers chic apparel collections for 4 lifestyles: casual, smart casual, business casual and formal.  Sizes are based on the curvier women and run from 2-20 (with shorter lengths available in pants). Prices are set between Gap and Banana Republic, and the quality is lovely.  The store was designed with the notion that shopping can be transformed into a pleasurable communal experience. Comfy chairs and a style table laid out with fashion magazines, flowers and bottled water occupy the heart of the dressing room area. Forth & Towne will give chain stores like Coldwater Creek, J Jill, Eileen Fisher and Chico’s a run for their money. The clothing is generally more sophisticated, tailored, flattering and less expensive.

The concept of the new store is interesting. The over 35 year age group is diverse – from people like Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman, to Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey. And whether this target market actually chooses to linger on in the store remains to be seen. However, it’s always worth taking a look at something new – if you feel that you fit the demographic, have a peek.

The first Forth & Towne store in New York state.

Whether you shop designer wear or chain store fashion, the zip-front knitted top is a must for gents both for this season and the ones to follow. This item is essentially a long sleeved knitted cardigan (jersey or knitwear) with a front zipper that zips through from top to bottom. Variations on this style will determine it’s appropriateness for causal, smart casual or business casual dress codes.

The zip-front cardigan is a win for gents because it is…

• Practical – it is easy to put on and take off, and doesn’t mess up your perfectly scruffy hair in the process.
• Comfortable – it’s in a knit which is always soft, stretchy and warm.
• Versatile – depending on the styling, the zip-through top can be worn over T’s and collared shirts, and underneath jackets/blazers.
• Flattering – the vertical statement of the zip creates the illusion of a longer and leaner line, thereby acting forgivingly over the tummy area. Styles that have “a double zip” (a zipper that has 2 sets of zip tabs) allows the bottom zip tab to be pulled up as well, creating a slimming effect over the midsection.
• Diverse – the item is available in many variations – raglan or set-in sleeve, turtleneck or hood, knitwear or jersey, plain or printed and casual or smart.

Zip-through-tops should have a fairly snug fit and should end above the crotch point. If they are baggy you’ll loose that slimming effect. There is scope for gents to have a good assortment of this item in their wardrobe. It’s going to be around for a while.

Macy’s, Nordstrom and Banana Republic have a good selection of zip-front cardigans.