Uggs banned at Pennsylvania school to deter cellphone smugglers

Uggs may be ugly in some fashionistas' eyes, but should they be banned?

Yes, according to a Pennsylvania school principal who says the ubiquitous fur-lined, comfy boots and their imitators have become the hiding place of choice for cellphones and other gadgets that aren't supposed to be brought to class.

The ban takes effect Monday at Pottstown Middle School outside Philadelphia, where the principal, Gail M. Cooper, announced the rule last week in a letter to parents. The ban applies to boots that do not fit tightly around the calf or ankle, such as open-top Uggs. Boots with zippers or laces may still be worn, as long as they remain zipped and tied.

“We have been experiencing problems with some students wearing open top boots and carrying items in their boots that are prohibited in school,” Cooper's letter read, according to the Mercury newspaper. "Following several problems with these items, I have banned the outdoor, open top boots from our classrooms,” she wrote.

Under the school's policy, pupils who bring cellphones to school must leave them in their lockers and keep them turned off until the school day ends. But some boots fit in a way that allows kids to evade the rule, John Armato of the Pottstown School District told the Mercury. Fashion-conscious students may wear their Uggs to campus, but they'll have to change shoes before entering class.

The Mercury said the reaction to the ban had been overwhelmingly negative, and some of the comments on the newspaper's Facebook fan page reflected a mix of anger and amused incredulity. "Crazytown!!!" wrote one woman. "Ban their clothes and make them go to school naked," another said, pointing out that pants pockets also offer good hiding spots for gadgets.

But the school said it would not back down and noted that it had received support from some parents, such as Gail Beasley, who told the Mercury that "rude and ignorant" children got what they deserved. "Those kids ought to be glad that's all she's banning," Beasley said.

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Photo: Uggs have been banned by a suburban Philadelphia middle school principal after some kids smuggled cellphones into class with them. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Christian Louboutin to YSL: Step away from the red-soled shoes

Revered French shoemaker Christian Louboutin and a passel of fans wearing his red-soled sky-high shoes turned up in a lower Manhattan courtroom Tuesday to hear arguments that only Louboutin's label should be allowed to use the shade “Chinese red” to color the bottoms of shoes.

This summer, Manhattan Federal Judge Victor Marrero had overruled Louboutin’s preliminary injunction barring Yves St. Laurent — another iconic French brand — from selling a high-heel with both a red top and bottom. In his opinion, Marrero wrote, if Louboutin got his way, it would cast "a red cloud over the whole industry cramping what other designers could do while allowing Louboutin to paint with a full palette."

Louboutin trademarked that shade of red 20 years ago and has insisted it hasn't hurt competition in the shoe industry.

In front of a three-judge panel, lawyers for Louboutin and YSL made their arguments Tuesday.

Louboutin lawyer Harley Lewin said Louboutin needs to protect the color to keep “other copyists” from stealing his business, according to the New York Post. But YSL's lawyer David Bernstein said that in order to compete "we need red. We don't want to find out that we can make green, purple shoes ... but we are enjoined from making red."

Note to those following the case in the media and the courtroom: Brace yourselves for the use of a lot of puns and other hokey language.

A columnist for Thomson Reuters noted, for example, that a YSL red pump artfully placed on the courtroom table in front of Bernstein was intended “to add kick” to YSL’s argument that Louboutin shouldn’t be able to bar the sale of the red shoe.

Even Louboutin’s lawyer -- please forgive -- waltzed into the act when he was quoted in the Wall Street Journal saying, “Louboutin turned a pedestrian item into a thing of beauty.”

More?

Then there was Fordham Law professor Susan Scafidi, who wore a pair of $745 black patent-leather Louboutin stilettos to court and told the Post, “I think Judge Marrero colored outside the lines.”

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Photo: Christian Louboutin, the famous French shoe designer, wants to own the exclusive right to painting the bottoms of shoes "China red." This shoe was photographed on a woman who attended his star-studded 20th anniversary party in Beverly Hills in November. Credit: Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times

Is America ready for a bald Barbie?

Barbie dolls are known for legs that go on forever, a Vogue-worthy wardrobe, an impossible hourglass figure -- and impossibly luxe locks.

But a couple of cross-coastal friends are convinced that a bald Barbie doll -- in honor of those who have lost their hair to cancer and other illnesses -- will sell.

They've launched a Facebook campaign to make it happen.

Rebecca Sypin of Lancaster, Calif., and friend Jane Bingham of New Jersey launched "Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let's see if we can get it made" on Dec. 20. It steadily picked up of "likes" over the holidays, and as of Tuesday it had 7,000.

After the online media got hold of the story (example: Mashable), the page exploded in the past week. At last check it had 101,288 "likes."

"I can't believe how fast it has grown," Sypin said.

Sypin and Bingham are hoping to convince Barbie's maker, Mattel, or another doll maker to come out with a doll that will help inspire those who have lost their hair to cancer treatment, alopecia, or something else.

It's something that both women have had to deal with in their personal lives: Sypin said her 12-year-old daughter, Kinley, is battling leukemia, and Bingham has lymphoma. Thankfully, Sypin said, both are progressing well with their treatment.

A doll would be a potent symbol that they are not alone, Sypin said.

"My daughter handled the baldness really well, but there were other little girls we met throughout treatment and it was harder for them," Sypin said. "They said losing their hair was the hardest part of it all."

She said that neither she nor Bingham are hoping to get rich off this.   

"The profit is really not important to us," she said. "We just want a doll that people [who are sick] can relate to. I think it would make them see it as more OK and not so different. They would have something that looks like them and they could relate to."

Mattel's response to a request for comment from the Los Angeles Times: 

Mattel appreciates and respects the passion that has been built up for the request for a bald Barbie doll. As you might imagine, we receive hundreds of passionate requests for various dolls to be added to our collection. We take all of them seriously and are constantly exploring new and different dolls to be added to our line. 

Sypin was undaunted. "I understand," she said. "But with such a large demand, maybe they could make it happen."

She said she would be happy to see another doll maker pick up the idea. But "Barbie would just be more universal than any other doll," she said. "It relates to someone who is 3 years old on up to 70. Everyone knows who Barbie is. There's no other doll that reaches such an audience."

Sypin said she thinks that such a doll would be a money maker for the manufacturer. All the Barbie collectors would buy it, of course. And so would people with friends or loved ones who had cancer. Sypin also thinks that donors would buy up the dolls and donate them to hospitals where children are being treated for cancer. "I can see a lot of people doing that," she said.

And then there is the Facebook page. At least 101,000 people -- and counting -- say they would also "like" to buy one.

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Illustration credit: Rebecca Sypin and Jane Bingham

Steve Jobs action figure debuts to mixed (very mixed) reactions

Steve Jobs action figure? No, this isn't a joke. A Chinese company, In Icons, is selling a remarkably realistic action figure that looks like the Apple founder and tech wizard, who died in October.

The prototype includes all the Jobs trademarks: the New Balance kicks, the blue jeans, the black mock turtleneck, the silver-framed eye-glasses, the beard, the all-knowing stare that says, "If I sell it, you will buy it." As we said, it's remarkably realistic.

How realistic? Check out this image at Forbes.com of the Jobs doll, glasses perched atop his head, looking like he's flicking through the in-box on his iPhone. He's even wearing a wedding band.

PHOTOS: Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

The Steve Jobs action figure is also super flexible, thanks to "highly articulated" limbs and joints that echo those you might find in an art studio. There are several images of the action figure at play on the website, including one in which the figure is posing in a classic namaste prayer stance next to an old-school computer, and another in which it seems to be ... catching a Frisbee between his legs? Hard to say on that last one.

The doll comes with plenty of accessories too, such as extra glasses and two apples, including one with a chomp taken out of it. The doll sells for $99.99, plus shipping, and comes in a box that mimics Apple's clean, minimalistic white packaging.

Early reviews are mixed. "Steve Jobs Action Figure Bypasses Cool, Goes Straight To Creepy," says Web Pro News. "New Steve Jobs Action Figure Is So Good It’s Freaky," says Gizmodo. But here's the big question: Is this precisely what Apple super-fans want to perch next to their Apple keyboards? And the Christian Science Monitor asks: "Will Apple block the new Steve Jobs action figure?"

Neither Apple nor In Icon responded to interview requests.

The website notes that the doll is selling on a "limited quantity, first-serving basis" and is apparently braced for the best: "Refund if sold out," it adds. It also adds that the doll is "dedicated to the Genius, Great Inventor and Visionary : Steve Jobs."

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Photo: Yep, that's the doll. Pretty realistic, huh? Via www.inicons.com.

Calling all Occupiers! Sample sales need you

It’s one thing to get arrested fighting greed and corruption, but fighting the competition at a sample sale? Perhaps some of the ousted Zuccotti Park protesters should start an Occupy Sample Sale encampment.

So many hungry shoppers flocked Wednesday to a Salvatore Ferragamo sample sale in Secaucus, N.J., that chaos reigned -- and the sale had to be shut down. So says Mizhatten.com, the fashion blog that first reported a few weeks earlier that the pricey Italian designer was slashing prices.

Here’s a direct report from Mizhatten about the mess that ensued:

“When I broke news of the Salvatore Ferragamo sample sale, I had no idea that the aforementioned chaos would break out in New Jersey of all places. Mizhattanites in attendance have been sending updates via email and the comment section, describing a 'insanely slow moving line' and an out of control scene involving law enforcement being called to maintain the situation & people getting arrested. Wow."

Apparently the sale was officially closed after the police showed up.

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. This is the season in Manhattan’s Garment District when women can be seen climbing the back stairs of grungy buildings and ripping off their clothes in public to try on brand-name clothes. Such pre-holiday sales offer clothes discounted by sometimes 60% and 70%.

In the bad-old-days, sample sales were mostly advertised by word of mouth and were exclusive to women who worked in the fashion industry and wore sample sizes from 0 to 4. But with the invention of the Internet and the need of fashion companies to raise cash, sample sales expanded to include clothes in all sizes. They're also now widely advertised.

The pre-sale buildup to the Ferragamo sale occurred largely in the fashion blogosphere, on sites such as MadisonAvenueSpy.com, which last week wrote: "Although the sale is in Secaucus, N.J., it's worth a Zipcar weekend or a car service to get your shopping done. High-quality products like these usually can't be found at these prices."

Here's more reporting from Mizhatten about what that buildup wrought. Of Wednesday's scene outside the Ferragamo sale, the blog said:

“It seems this line rivaled the insanely long line of the YSL sample sale just a few weeks ago. I have been told that due to fire code violations the sale was closed at 11:15 a.m., an hour and 15 minutes(!) into the sale. It goes without saying that the majority of angry shoppers left empty-handed.”

For more eye-witness accounts, go to Mizhattan's comments section. It includes gems such as this one: "My friend Elizabeth got into a fist fight with a cop and they dragged her into jail!"

All for the cause of shoes, clothes and bags.

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Photo illustration: These Salvatore Ferragamo flats are cute, sure, but are they cute enough to risk arrest? For some women at a recent sample in New Jersey, perhaps so. (Of course, these shoes were shot in a studio at The Times several years ago -- so it's unlikely they had anything to do with the shoppers-gone-wild atmosphere. But then again, if there was patent leather being offered up...)  Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Missoni mavens, rejoice; Target.com 'up and running at this time'

Missoni for Target's launch this week was so popular that it crashed the retail giant's website. But frugal fashionistas can now shop with their fingertips. Target said Wednesday that its website was "up and running at this time."

Assuming, that is, that there's anything left on the shelves. A quick spin through the Missoni for Target bestsellers shows many items are out of stock. 

It seems as if everyone in the world descended on Target on Tuesday to get their hands on the new line of clothing, apparel, accessories and housewares featuring the zigzag patterns made famous by the upscale Italian design house.

Lines reportedly began forming at Target stores around Los Angeles at 5:30 a.m., with the line at the West Hollywood store wrapping around the block twice. The Glendale store was reportedly sold out by 9 a.m.

So, what's next for Target? Are there plans to reship or restock the 400-line collection anytime soon? What is being done otherwise to scratch the itch of consumer demands? Or is this scarcity precisely what makes shopping such a beguiling pastime?  Attempts to find the answers to such questions were stymied Wednesday morning as calls to Target headquarters were being answered by a harried-sounding person taking messages.  

But in the meantime, there are early reviews by those who managed to get their mitts on some Missoni on Tuesday. Although many seem to love the line, some are raising eyebrows at the cost. Yes, this is Missoni. But it is also Missoni for Target. Still, is $40 too much for a coat for a toddler?

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Photo: Hat, shirt and scarf from the Missoni for Target line. Credit: Target.com.

N.J. bridal salon slammed for refusing to sell gown to lesbian

A New Jersey bridal salon is getting a surge of publicity, but perhaps not the kind it wanted. Here Comes the Bride is making news for refusing to sell a gown to a lesbian who plans to marry in neighboring New York, which legalized same-sex marriage earlier this summer.

Alex Genter has complained that the manager at Here Comes the Bride in Somers Point, N.J., lectured her about her gay lifestyle after Genter crossed out the word "groom" and replaced it with "partner" and her fiancee's name on paperwork she filled out for her planned purchase. "She said she wouldn't work with me because I'm gay," said Genter, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. "She also said that I came from a nice Jewish family, and that it was a shame I was gay. She said, 'There's right, and there's wrong. And this is wrong.' "

Genter visited Here Comes the Bride this month along with her parents and other family members for a day of dress-shopping, according to the article. She is planning to marry next summer in New York, which in June became the sixth state to legalize gay marriage.

The decision has prompted thousands of couples in neighboring states that don't recognize same-sex marriage, such as New Jersey, to plan their nuptials in New York. But as Bernadette Coveney-Smith, who specializes in planning gay weddings, explained last month to the Los Angeles Times, it can be a struggle for couples to find dress shops, florists and other vendors who are comfortable working with same-sex couples.

Since the New Jersey incident made news, Here Comes the Bride has been hammered by hundreds of scathing reviews on Yelp, and a Facebook page called Boycott Here Comes the Bride has attracted 433 followers. The woman who refused to work with Genter, and who has been identified as "Donna," told a Philadelphia Daily News columnist that she had indeed rejected Genter's business but accused the angry bride of "stirring up drama" by going public about the incident.

Donna said she was trying to arrange a meeting with Genter's parents in an apparent attempt to smooth things over, the Daily News said, but she didn't say anything about meeting with Genter herself.

The Yelp reviews, meanwhile, have become so rabid that Yelp reportedly is considering removing those that don't abide by its policy of commenting on a business, not employees' beliefs.

-- Tina Susman in New York

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Boxers or briefs? Neither, lifeguard says in discrimination suit

Boxers or briefs?

Neither, according to a lawsuit that claims a New York lifeguard with decades of experience lost his job because he refused to wear an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny bikini-style swimsuit for the annual swim test. Roy Lester, who is now 61, filed his lawsuit in 2009. It was initially dismissed, but last week an appellate court reinstated it.

While the case is drawling chuckles, Lester, a triathlete with more than 40 years experience lifeguarding, says it underscores a serious issue: age discrimination. His lawsuit alleges that state parks officials were trying to drum out older lifeguards when his swimsuit choice -- tight-fitting shorts that reach nearly to the knee -- were given the thumbs-down.

"I wore a Speedo when I was in my 20s," Lester said, according to the New York Daily News. "But come on. There should be a law prohibiting anyone over the age of 50 from wearing a Speedo."

"Basically, the state's been trying to get rid of the older guys. They really don't like older lifeguards," Lester told ABC News, saying he was fired from his job working the white sands of Jones Beach on Long Island in 2007. He had worked there each summer for decades and showed up to take the annual swim test in his normal swimwear. When he refused to change into a Speedo, he was fired, according to the suit. He returned in 2008 and faced the same problem.

"Older people … prefer a more modest swimsuit and thank goodness they do," said Lester, who is a bankruptcy lawyer by profession, in that interview. "There's a thing called aging and there's a thing called aging gracefully."

Officials of the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which oversees lifeguard hires, denied age discrimination and noted that there are several lifeguards over age 40 working the beaches of Long Island.

The annual test requires male guard candidates to complete a 100-yard swim in 75 seconds and, according to current rules, wear boxers, briefs or board shorts. But according to Lester's lawsuit, when he went for his renewal test he wasn't given such an option. Females are required to wear a "standard one piece or two piece bathing suit," the rules say.

"I could have passed that test in dungarees," Lester told the Daily News. He's since found a lifeguarding job at a private beach.

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Photo: What matters more: the ability to save a swimmer or the lifeguard's willingness to wear an extremely small swimsuit? The question may resonate beyond the New York case that prompted it. Here, crowded Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. Credit: Associated Press