LOS ANGELES Without explanation, prosecutors on Wednesday dropped more than half the sexual assault charges against fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander just before jury selection began for his trial.

Move over, skinny jeans.

When you first stumble upon this Web site, you're not sure whether it's about high-end, snooty art or there's an inside joke. We think it's more of the latter. Yes, the Houston-based creators of Greener Grass Design certainly appreciate art and good design - but not without a sense of humor.

It is back-to-school season, which means it is likely you will cry - because you've dropped off your baby at kindergarten or been dropped off at college by your parents.

It's an invention that won't save the world but it sure will save the number of Bad Hair Days you have. You know those days when the alarm didn't go off and now you're late for work.

Among the sundry ways in which life sorts itself into lists labeled Fair and Unfair is the way in which we regard gray hair on males and females. Generally speaking, men gain the adjective "distinguished," while women are saddled with "mature."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. The slumping economy shows no signs of letting up. Even the most committed fashionistas are considering ways to trim spending. That's OK. You can keep your look, and your money.

MEXICO CITY A Catholic priest's condemnation of miniskirts on an official church Web site is causing outrage among some Mexican women, who say the Roman Catholic Church is making it easier to justify sexual violence against women.

NEW YORK No matter what your taste, there's probably a Madonna for you.

Kwame Jackson may be best known as the runner-up in season one of “The Apprentice,” but he has a long list of successes The Charlotte-bred entrepreneur has a Harvard MBA and worked for Goldman Sachs. He recently launched a line of high-end neckties, Krimson, available at Belk at SouthPark mall.

Right about now, the summer love of sandals is wearing thin. Catch me on the wrong shoe day, and I'd gladly trade the blisters, aching arches and stiff toes caused by strappy sandals or flip-flops for a cushiony pair of flat boots and the thickest pair of black tights you can find. I was ready to forgo fashion for comfort until I discovered Apara's Gel Slingies, a pair of adhesive gel insoles that can be used in almost any shoe, including those that have an open heel (no ankle or heel straps). The backing was tough to pull off the sticky insert, but once the gel pad was firmly in my shoe, my sandal-weary soles were sighing in relief. The three-quarter length insole fits from the base of your heel to the ball of your foot. $9.99; various retail locations, www.aparafoot

Who decided clunky metal desks and polyester chairs on wheels were stylish? These unaesthetic furnishings have been office staples for decades, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Q. I manage a team of about 20 employees. One of the women who works for me is really talented and does a great job but consistently dresses too provocatively for the office. She's in her 40s, yet she keeps wearing plunging necklines and short skirts. How do I tell her she needs to tone it down without being too harsh?

Sugarland

Thousands of kids experienced the biggest night of their summer – and the biggest production Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre has seen in some time – when Disney pop-rock trio the Jonas Brothers headlined a concert at the outdoor venue Tuesday night.

Designer Monica Botkier's handbags are an armful, if you're willing to pay anywhere from $395 for a clutch up to $695 for a hobo bag.

Sure, the school supplies showed up in stores after July 4. But the real back-to-school shopping frenzy starts this weekend, when North and South Carolina suspend their sales tax on select items (see a list of guidelines, Page 7E). We've got 10 tips to help you navigate the minefield of backpacks, binders and school clothes.

HOUSTON For more than three weeks, fashion stalwart Tracey Ferguson of Jones magazine has been scouring the city for the innovative issue of Vogue Italia, which dazzled the international fashion world with its issue featuring only black models.

Limjerbou, a private-label clothing boutique, celebrated its second anniversary with a party in its uptown Brevard Court location on July 26. The shop, which features men's and women's clothing, jewelry and accessories, recently added beauty and grooming products from Jeffre Scott Apothecary, which has shops in Myers Park and Piper Glen. Details: www.limjerbou.com.

Q: I went to prom with a boy whom I consider a friend, but who I think likes me more than just as a friend. We had a lot of fun and have hung out since, but only platonically. Recently, he gave my phone number to his best friend, and the best friend and I have been talking, texting and Facebooking.

Summer is in full swing, and in the Carolinas, it will be time to show off some skin in tiny tank tops and spaghetti-strap slip dresses for a while.

Adding the refreshing smell of fruit to a deodorant seems like a fruity idea. But we've been using lemony lotions, strawberry-scented soaps and citrusy shampoos for years, so why not infuse a personal hygiene product with a shot of sweetness? Like everything else with fragrance, we do insist it not be cloying. And let's not forget that this is a workhorse product: We'd rather have a deodorant/antiperspirant with endurance than one that smells good but doesn't work. We asked three testers to try three solids. Were they happy with the aroma of ripe fruit or did it leave them just … ripe?

If you've been reading between the lines in the coverage of Madonna and Alex Rodriguez, you might be inclined to believe that the pop star is not to blame for the breakup of the baseball player's marriage.

Gucci, the biggest money maker for Paris-based retailer PPR SA, may report a 5.8 percent increase in second-quarter sales today after losing customers in the first three months of this year to luxury rivals it had outperformed for three years.

L.L. Bean can't keep Blucher moccasins in stock. Cargo shorts and mocs are everywhere. Bottega Veneta is making $5,000 camp stools.

I am just back from a two-week staycation, and I have a confession: I shopped. And most was not very satisfying.

It's summertime, humidity is hopping and the frizz is high. Sigh.

J ust when you thought all '80s fashion revivals had run their course, big hair is back.

For 15 years, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan lived in a 265-square-foot one-bedroom apartment in New York City. Last winter, with his wife and 1-year-old in tow, he upgraded to a “really huge” two-bedroom. It's 725 square feet.

With the hit movie musical “Mamma Mia!” just out, based upon the light-as-air '70s pop tunes by ABBA, what do you really know about the Swedish group that existed for only a decade (1972-'82) but produced a slew of frothy pop songs?