Getty captured some of the amazing moments of the spectacular Alex Perry show at the Melbourne Fashion Festival with Megan Gale returning to the catwalk.  

  

  

     

So what do you think? Wearable or not and has Alex Perry done Aussie designers proud this time round?

Professional Beauty.com.au 

Did you know that up to 30 percent of online bookings are made on days when salons and spas are closed?

Kitomba, the makers of salon and spa software, recently revealed their online booking traffic statistics. They found that 21 percent of bookings are made on a Monday.

“Across all our customers, in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Monday is the most popular day for booking a hair or beauty appointment on the internet,” said Geoff Bilbrough, Marketing Manager, Kitomba.

A further 8 percent of bookings were made on Sunday, meaning nearly 30 percent of all online bookings are made on days when most salons are closed.

Customers are not only booking during the day, either. The review showed that every hour of every day, in every country there were customer’s booking online - even between the hours of 1am - 3am.

Bookings made through Kitomba’s online booking service peaked between 11am and 1pm, and only declined slowly through to 11pm in the evening.

For salon owners, having the option of online booking means you get to take bookings when you’re closed. You can also take bookings during business hours, as you can take them without having to answer the phone, which gives you more time with clients.

Kitomba Online Booking is a cost-effective way for salons to get online quickly and easily. Specifically-designed for the needs of salons and spas, the appointment book remains completely private and owners get to confirm or reschedule every appointment.

For more information, go here or call 1800 161 101.

Image: Monday is the most popular day for bookings - perhaps this is when we need the biggest pick me up!

Do you see this trend in your workplace?

 Fashion Review.com.au

  

Key Fashion Trends for the Autumn/Winter 2011 season by Myer.





Featuring Australian supermodels Jennifer Hawkins and Jessica Hart

The ‘Urban Army’ Trend
‘Urban Army’ is an extension of the military theme that have dominated collections over the past two seasons. Leather aviator jackets and military boots are items to watch.

The ‘Lady Chic’ Trend
Think 1950′s – 1960′s Hollywood fashion with mid-calf length skirts with chic knits and cardigans. Inspired by the likes of the television show sensation Mad Men. It’s all about feminine silhouettes with garments designed to flaunt the female figure.

The ‘Country Club’ Trend
Heavy wool knits and soft leathers create a sophisticated yet relaxed ‘Country Club’ look. Layer-up with natural shades of greys, camels, neutrals and blacks. Expect vests and faux fur to be this season’s must-have.

Would you wear it?

Nick, DBCDE - On behalf of digitalbusiness.com.au

Yesterday, at the Online Retail Forum in Sydney, participants will discuss the benefits and challenges of online retail in Australia.

We will post to this blog after the event, with videos and summaries of what is discussed. But we thought it might be useful to get things started with some observations from what we've been reading and talking to people about the ups and downs of online retail in Australia.

It’s hard to imagine that anyone in business hasn’t thought about their online presence at least once, even if just to dismiss having a website or a social media strategy as too much effort or expense.
But there is evidence to suggest that going online can deliver benefits to Australian businesses. A report from industry payments giant Paypal (.PDF 1,821 KB) estimated that the Australian e-commerce market totalled $26.86 billion in 2010. In its February Statement on Monetary Policy (.PDF 121 KB), the Reserve Bank of Australia noted industry estimates that Australian expenditure online worked out at around three per cent of household consumption, boosted by rapid growth in online purchases over recent years.

So it seems there is revenue to be made online. But what else is there? Business owners can increase their revenues by attracting new customers, sell more to existing customers by better meeting their desires and offering innovative new products and services. While a successful e-commerce presence requires upfront and ongoing investment, a ‘pure play’ (online only) or ‘multichannel’ (bricks and mortar and online) business can potentially offer efficiency advantages. Michael Fox from Shoes of Prey (whose colleague Mike Knapp is participating on the panel today) wrote an interesting blog post recently comparing the costs of launching an online vs physical retail store. Our planning to go online page explores how your online activities help you achieve your business goals.

But taking advantage of the digital economy isn’t always easy. There are challenges. First and foremost, getting started is a big step. For owners of existing businesses, this involves taking a successful business into a new and possibly risky direction. For a new business, it’s just another thing to learn about among many others such as taxation or employment law.

Designing a website that meets your customers’ needs (see, for example, this web comic about restaurant websites brought to our attention by Twitter member @upshake) is an important and necessary challenge. The websites and content sections of this website contain some hints to guide you through that process.

Lastly but not least importantly, businesses selling physical product will likely find the use of delivery services to transport their stock to customers a new experience. Getting logistics right can present a particular challenge. We have another panel at the forum on logistics and a separate blog post for that topic, where you can post your comments.

What are the biggest benefits and challenges of online retail in your experience? How have you addressed challenges and taken advantage of benefits? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo: Is there a market for your virtual business? Shoppers visit some of the online stores already out there.

This summer is shaping up to be hot and bright, so it's time to take shade with the right pair of sunglasses.

With hundreds of styles to choose from, it can be tricky to find a frame that complements your face, budget and personality. It's been said there are only three choices: big, round or Ray-Ban.

Is it really that simple though? There's no one look that flatters every face, but if the frames are the opposite shape of your face, you're probably on the right track.

Square-on-square or round-on-round are generally no-no's, says Deb Lochli-McGrath, spokeswoman for the Vision Council, America's optical industry's trade group.

But Halls vice president of fashion merchandising, Patty Ponchur says that if you're going to go big, you don't have to fuss with face shape.

"Right now, it's all about wearing the glasses, and it's not necessarily 'this style works better for me,"' Ponchur says. "I think it's all about a bold statement, and that's why the bigger, the better."

Big sunglasses have been made trendy by celebrities such as the Olsen twins and Nicole Richie, but we have Jackie O to thank for making them chic. Another style, the aviator, is a throwback to wartime.

Ponchur says their popularity has a lot to do with the economy and nostalgia for a different time. She predicts these trends will soon cross over into regular glasses.

"Everyone wants reassurance, and everyone wants something they can count on," she says. "This is not the first time big, big glasses have been big. It evolves, and when it evolves, it's all about 'what goes around comes around."'

Rock the Ray-Ban

The aviator may be "in" now, but it's more than 70 years old. Ray-Ban takes the credit for introducing the first pair of aviators in 1939, for - surprise! - an aviator.

Legend has it that Lieutenant John MacCready complained that his eyes were permanently ruined from the sun's rays after a hot-air balloon expedition. He asked that Bausch & Lomb create a lens that could protect his eyes and look stylish.

From there, the Ray-Ban aviator was born. With lightweight frames and anti-glare and UV-resistant lenses, it was a must for Army Air Corps pilots.

Popular in every decade since the '40s, this frame has starred alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun and often was worn by Michael Jackson.

Now they're back, and better than ever.

They've come a long way from the original small and narrow frame. Expect to see lots of new takes on the iconic eyewear.

Oval face

Congratulations, you have the "ideal" face shape, with solid proportions. To keep the balance, try a frame a tad wider than the broadest part of your face. For the most part, though, you can pull off anything.

Round face

Your face is about as wide as it is long, with lots of curves and few angles. A rectangular frame will add the angles your face needs and make it look thinner and longer.

Square

Your forehead and chin are wide, and the width is more or less proportional to the height. Try some round or oval lenses to soften up the angles.

Oblong

Your face is narrow and long, so it's a good idea to look for a frame that is narrower than the widest part of your face. This will help your face appear wider and more proportional. You can also rock the big glasses.

Heart

If you have high cheekbones and a wide forehead, try rimless or aviator rims. You'll want to avoid anything top-heavy or too decorative, which will make your forehead look larger.

Function over fashion

Sunglasses improve vision while driving and mask the faces of celebrities, but most important, they protect the delicate eye from ultraviolet damage that can lead to cataracts or melanomas.

Before you even consider a frame - making sure the sunglasses have 99 per cent to 100 per cent UV protection. If there's no label on the lens telling you such, move on. From there, hold the sunglasses out in front of you to make sure the lenses aren't warped.

Children also should wear sunglasses to protect their eyes.

HOW TO SUN-PROOF YOUR EYES

Good-quality sunglasses are the best way to protect your eyes from damaging rays that can lead to vision problems and cancer.

Don't go too cheap (even for kids). Sun damage to the eyes is cumulative, starting in infancy. Shades are especially important for people with light-coloured eyes, although dark eyes only provide limited protection.

Try wraparounds. The design limits stray light coming from above and to the side of glasses. If that model doesn't appeal, try large frames that sit close to your face, or look for glasses with an added anti-reflective coating.

Cover contacts. Since contact lenses only shield part of the eye, you still need shades.

Go dark enough. Glasses should let roughly 20 per cent of light penetrate (lightly tinted lenses may let in 75 per cent). Some designs automatically darken depending on how bright it is.

Think about comfort. Pay particular attention to the bridge of the nose and the earpieces, and try on different types of frames to compare weight. Some stores even will let you go outside to test how glasses respond to sunlight.

Ask about colours. Certain tints are better at blocking certain kinds of rays. Some eye doctors say grey is best for absorbing a wide variety, for example.

Keep them on. Be especially vigilant in higher-risk situations: between 10am and 2pm, when the sun is hottest, and in wide open places with reflective surfaces - including the beach. Be aware that some medications, including birth control pills, diuretics and tranquilisers, also heighten sun sensitivity.

By David Dorf on December 15, 2010 8:01 AM

Sunday, October 04, 2009

 

Mother-of-three Angela Lisle says she can’t think of anything worse than going out shopping with her three children.

She has a fifteen-month old daughter and two boys, aged 4 and three and says young children make her attempts at sticking to a budget almost impossible.

Nic Naks strategically placed at the end of the supermarket checkout aisle are almost impossible for her children to resist.

And as for the coin-operated rides throughout the shopping centre, well Mrs Lisle says she once spent $20 keeping her children entertained on those.

There's also no such thing as a 'quick' trip to the toy store to see what is on sale. Almost inevitably, the children fall in love with the latest must-have item, resulting in either a tantrum or another purchase to keep the peace.

Welcome to the jungle that is the local shopping centre, where retailers use every trick in the book to entice customers to part with their hard-earned money.

A survey has found three out of four Australians said they regularly faced shopping 'tricks' of some description to tempt them into spending.

Mrs Lisle described the supermarket checkout line as a 'bit of a killer', given it was always full of lollies or other 'little gimmicky toys' that her children never failed to spot.

'I find shopping with children extremely difficult so I try not to do it anymore,' Mrs Lisle said from her home in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast QLD.

'It's too difficult, you just can't concentrate. You end up making silly purchases.'

The survey of 1,044 Australians aged 18 years and over was commissioned by online retailer Dealsdirect.com.au and conducted between September 4 and 7 by Lonergan Research.

It found that more than two-thirds of parents typically blow their budget when shopping with their children.

Dealsdirect managing director Paul Greenberg said the survey showed that even though consumers knew all about the most common retail tricks, they were often unable to resist.

'It's that seductive that we find it hard to say no,' Mr Greenberg said.

In the demand driven era of the 21st century we have long progressed past needs to wants. After all, the vast majority of the mature western world’s families have access to everything they need to survive – if not prosper. In a world where the media fuels our ever-increasing anxiety about everything – even though we don’t really have much to be truly anxious about – the motivation for consumption has swung around to how the goods and services will add value for us and to our lifestyles.

We don’t consume in increasing volumes just because it’s cheap any more. Nor are we satisfied with the status quo.

I believe – “Nobody aspires to the lifestyle they currently lead”.

Even if we aspire to a simpler life, it is aspiring to a different lifestyle than the one we currently lead. We have retail ADHD. We are always looking for a new thing, the next thing, a better thing for ourselves, our loved ones and our lifestyle.

We are also looking to escape the cloak of anxiety that seems to cover us constantly.

Trading up is a growing trend that revolves around two views of “better”. The first is the one that is fuelled by the idea that quality is aligned to sustainability and that we should buy better quality that lasts longer rather than cheap, disposable solutions that will in the end cost us all dearly.

The second revolves around the idea of personal reward and the emotional uplift and the self-confidence that is derived from acquiring the trade-up item rather than settling for the same old item that has become ho-hum for whatever reason.

The luxury goods industry understands this trend intimately but volume retailers are beginning to embrace it. With shopping patterns becoming increasingly habitual and entrenched and discounting of volume items becoming blunter as a tactical weapon used to drive increased profit, many are discovering that the same old customers can produce increasing levels of profit contribution through clever use of trade-up strategies.

These strategies rely on customer recognition of value, quality, creativity, innovation and desirability.

Customer criteria that are constantly being re-drawn as yesterday’s trade-ups become tomorrow’s everyday. Clever merchants understand that the classic retail pyramid of good, better, best means nothing unless the customer can see the value and easily discover the newness that entices them to trade-up.

While failed retailers have been overcome by discounting, today’s retail heroes ride the wave of customers increasingly trading up to bring joy to themselves and those around them.