We’ve all been warned of the new charges airlines are charging for whatever they can think of — checked baggage, primo seats (in Coach!) and food. I’ve even heard that some airlines are thinking about charging for water. So what’s a savvy traveler to do?  You can grin and bare it, or you can find ways to cut corners and conserve.

Why does it seem like the fashion powers-that-be are always contradicting themselves? If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck ...

So one minute you have to match your handbag to your shoes and the next you absolutely should not perfectly match your accessories. It's a crazy world out there and who can keep all the fashion rules straight? They're always changing any way! Here are some fashion "DON'Ts" that are really fashions DOs!

Wear more than one pattern at a time

Obviously, you have to use some discretion here. You don't want to wear a leopard print dress with a zebra scarf. Choose a main pattern and let other patterns compliment it. Scarves, when worn correctly, are a great way to accent a great pattern on a dress or skirt. Actress like Kate Bosworth knows how to mix and match patterns.

What's the most versatile accessory? Nope, it's not a handbag or a pair of shoes. Silk scarves can instantly create multiple looks from the same outfit, tie back your hair, double as a halter top, swimsuit coverup or keep your shoulders warm on a breezy evening. They travel well (you can tuck them into your handbag, carry-on or suitcase) and they never go out of style.

Celebrities Sir Elton John, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Elizabeth Hurley rallied in support of breast cancer research at the recent Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Hottest Pink Party Ever 2008 held on April 8, 2008 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

While Elton John brought down the house with an exclusive performance, celebrities danced the night away—and wrote hefty checks—all in the name of breast cancer research. An estimated $5 million was raised from the event.

Elizabeth Hurley (BCRF’s resident emcee), who arrived wearing a sari, and Gwenyth Paltrow in a pretty pink strapless gown, were among the honored guests at the party, where tables went for between $20,000 and $100,000. In addition to Hurley and Sir Elton, several stars came out to support the Foundation, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Padma Lakshmi, Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, Carson Kressley, Katrina Bowden, Lipstick Jungle's David Alan Basche, Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan, Vera Wang and Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito.

Want to do your party to help raise awareness and research funds for breast cancer? Belisi Fashions Luxury with Meaning program donates a portion of sales from its breast cancer awareness products to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Show your support … wear pink!

Breast Cancer Awareness Products

Pink Products , Pink Neckties, Pink Scarves

:: A. Covington for The Divas Dreams

Spring is finally here and summer is within sight. And warmer weather means more wardrobe options and summer vacations.

A silk scarf is a must-have accessory for spring and summer (especially for the beach to keep fly-aways at bay). Scarves make for a great travel accessory too. They're lightweight and don't take up much room in handbags or luggage, and you can use them to create different looks from the same outfit.

Unique ways to wear scarves

Caitlin Dowd (actress Bonnie Sommerville) of the hit show Cashmere Mafia proudly sported a growing trend of wearing silk scarves around the wrist. In the episode "Conference Call", Ms. Sommerville sported a silk scarf around her wrist. All of these ladies are trend setters. This fashion forward cast is all about playing up their female assets with sexy skirts and bold accessories like scarfs, gloves, bracelets, necklaces, oversized sunglasses, and statement-making Gucci handbags. What I love about this show is that each character's storyline is interesting, without any character outshining the other (at least not yet anyway). Comparing the wardrobe from the upcoming Sex & the City movie to that of the Cashmere Mafia make the SATC ladies look like they're shopping last season's sample sales. Oh and Women's Murder Club? Forget about it. 

::A.Covington for Belisi Fashions

Best Gifts for Men

When it comes to buying gifts for men, the rules are pretty simple. Unlike women, most guys like getting gifts that make their lives easier. If it means one less trip to the mall, all the better. If it entertains them, it’s a winner. While women like gifts that make them feel pampered, men like gifts that give them more time to do the things they like doing (i.e., having fun). So if you buy them a new work wardrobe, that means they can spend more time, you guessed it, having fun. Whether it’s enjoying their wine collection or playing video games.

While we haven’t seen piles of snow yet, the temps have dropped in many parts of the country. Even temperate climes get a little chilly at night--yes, even in California. Once the snowbanks bog us down, we often go from battling brute force winds to sweltering indoor heat. The best way to deal is by layering and choosing your accessories wisely.

Colorful scarves liven up fall wardrobes. The Rosebud  Luxe Paisley scarf by Belisi blends warm burgundy tones with delicate pink in a paisley patten. Tie it around a ponytail or wear as a headband.

One of the most annoying things women deal with in the summer is keeping
our hair in check. When it's hot and sticky, nothing's worse than
hair clinging to our foreheads and neck. The sun and sand also wreak
havoc on the vibrancy of hair color. We spend a lot of time and
money getting our locks the right shade of honey, chestnut or auburn,
and a day at the beach can mean a $200 trip to the colorist. And even
though our hair covers our heads, it doesn't mean the sun's harmful rays
can't give our delicate scalps a nasty sunburn--and we all know what
happens when sunburns start to heal--flake city!

So what's the solution? Headscarves! Women and children can wear them
to protect their heads, tie back a ponytail or keep flyaways at bay
when worn as a headband. Silk scarves are a hot fashion accessory right now
but they also serve a very useful purpose for summer.

Belisi Fashions, Jupiter, FL

www.belisi.com

Believe it or not, swimsuits have been around since the days of Ancient Rome, when public bathing was all the rage (hence the term bathing suit). What's interesting is that the suits women wore a millennia ago were shockingly similar to the suits women wear today. When the trend crossed the pond to America, conservative minds grabbed hold of the idea, turning functional lightweight swimsuits into bulky dresses made out of wool.

In 1946 the modern day bikini was born, at a time when women were beginning to flirt with new-found freedoms and civil rights. During the 60s, designers tapped into the wide-spread feelings of rebellion and discontent with social constraints.

Now that the free-love days are over and we're all burned out on overexposed models and actresses-nothing surprises us anymore. Girls are learning the value of leaving more to the imagination rather than letting it hang all out for the world to see. Okay, we know why. But you get the idea!

There are a lot of great ways to accessorize with one-piece suits. Along with the beach/pool essentials, silk scarves are a great way to keep the wind from tangling hair and fading hair color, and they happen to be this season's "it" accessory.

Hollywood role models have had a counter-effect in some circles of young people.

What's more, I think we're simply bored. We have decades of fashion trends to reflect on and re-invent in fun and creative ways. One-piece swimsuits are more flattering to some body types-they can elongate the torso and camouflage problem areas and scars from C-sections. If the Baywatch babes can look sexy in a one-piece, why can't the rest of us?

~A. Covington for Belisi Fashions

This summer is all about bright, playful colors and patterns. For women, everything is casual—even work clothes are lighter and brighter. The generational influences run the gamut of 50s glam to 70s bohemian to 80s rocker.

Tunics and free flowing tops rank high on the wish list for summer, like this fluid empire top from Nordstrom .

For tops, dresses and skirts it’s all about thick stripes, modern geometric patterns and nautical themes. For a re-interpretation of the bold stripes look, I like this Ella Moss dress.

Long shorts are hot, like these Bermudas at the Gap. Conversely, the style powers-that-be decided to revive short shorts for another season.

Premium denim is still a hot trend that goes with everything. When you have on a great fitting pair of designer jeans, you can get away with a lot on top. A $10 shirt looks like a $100 shirt paired with the right denim. I’ve seen a shift toward labels with more reasonable price points (I think we’ve all had about enough paying over $200 for a pair of blue jeans). Joe’s Jeans are super comfy and come in a variety of styles to fit a variety of shapes and sizes.

For handbags, small, hard-cased clutches along with animal skins, python and croc in particular, are really hot right now, as is colored patent leather, oversized satchels and sleek, extra long evening bags.

And finally, the ultimate “it” accessory for summer is the silk scarf. Colorful solid and print scarves are everywhere: you can spot them holding bag youthful ponytails, tied playfully around a wrist or handbag, worn as a belt, headband or around the neck. Scarves a great way to add instant, personalized style to any summer ensemble. There are so many options—small scarves for wrists, long scarves for belts and headbands, even as a cute summer top ... the possibilities are countless!

Along with the right swimsuit, oversized tote, sunglasses, flip-flops, and Lucite bangle bracelets, silk scarves are a great way to accessorize and keep the elements at bay. Wind, chlorine and sand can wreak havoc on your tresses. A stylish silk scarf helps tame fly-aways, protect your precious hue from the sun's fading rays and keep pesky sand particles at bay.

Luxury Scarf Collage, originally uploaded by peterbelisi.

Increased emphasis on individualized style and accessorizing is pushing more shoppers toward the scarf counter. Scarves can now be worn as handbags, belts and even blouses. Check out this luxury scarf collage. More more great lifestyle articles, visit the weekend and leisure section of the Wall Street Journal Online. You need to be a subscriber, but it's well worth it.

Nothing rhymes with orange, originally uploaded by peterbelisi.

Orange is underrepresented in many wardrobes. Camilla and Daniel show how to use orange for an exciting look. The necktie and scarf have the Belisi 'hurricane' print. Camilla's bag is from the Belisi signature canvas line. The mandarin bag is trimmed with gold accents.