FASHION Q & amp;A

Q. I attended an international festival recently and was intrigued by a hair ornament that some of the Indian women were wearing. As far as I could tell, the ornament consisted of a strip of bright, shiny stones. One end was centered high on the forehead, then the strip was positioned so that it ran up and along the parting in the hair. Have you any idea what these are and where I could get some?
A. The ornaments are called tikkas, and for Indian women they are the height of accessory fashion.
In a way, they are merely an extension, an outgrowth, of the bindi -- the tiny, self-adhesive beauty patch, often decorated with a jewel or two, that Indian women press between their eyebrows. A couple of years ago, many celebrities, including Madonna, adopted the look -- and a trend was born. It wasn't long before the young and trendy were scattering bindis all over their faces, shoulders and decolletage.
A tikka looks like a row of bindis and also has a self-adhesive backing. Usually, the stones at one end are larger and are centered on the forehead, about an inch below the hairline. The rest of the tikka is pressed into the center part of the hair.
If you have an off-center part, the effect would be a little lopsided. But if you have multiple parts, as when the hair is in braids, you could wear several tikkas at one time. The effect would be spectacular -- rather like wearing a tiara.
Tikkas are available at some stores that sell Indian clothing, music or foodstuffs.
Q. The elastic in the back waistband of my favorite pants has lost its zing. The elastic is secured in place with three rows of stitching, which makes it difficult to remove. How do I replace this elastic?
A. It doesn't take great skill to replace the elastic -- just nimble fingers and patience.
First, remove the old elastic by unpicking the three rows of stitching and opening up the waistband. Replace the old elastic with Stretch Rite elastic, which will hold its stretch even when stitched in place. (Regular elastic won't stretch once it is anchored with topstitching.)
Secure the Stretch Rite elastic at each end of the waistband, then close up the waistband and stitch the elastic in place. Or if you prefer, leave the waistband sewn down and make a new casing to hold the elastic. Stitch this casing to the inside of the waistband.
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