FASHION Q & amp;A
Q: When is the best time to shop for bargains in department stores? At the pre-season sales or the post-season sales?
A: It depends on who you are and what you're shopping for. If you're really into fashion and enjoy being ahead of the fashion pack, you'll find the latest looks, discounted a little, at pre-season sales.
But if you're looking for classic styles or basics, the very-end-of-season sales are where you'll find the deepest discounts. The selection by then may be limited, however, and you'll have to dig for bargains.
A word of caution: Don't be bowled over by those 80-percent-off signs. An item is a bargain only if you're going to get a lot of wear out of it.
Q: Talk about depressed! I am three months' pregnant and have started looking at maternity clothes. Everything I've seen so far is dreadful -- ugly and outdated. Doesn't anyone make fashionable maternity clothes?
A: Keep looking. A number of maternity lines, including Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Japanese Weekend, feature all the latest styles and colors.
Also worth checking is the new line designed for Target by Liz Lange, the designer who dressed Gwyneth Paltrow and Uma Thurman during their pregnancies. The line includes career and casual clothes, all affordably priced.
Among the looks in the spring collections are halter tops in Pucci-inspired prints, camisoles, polo shirts and tube tops, which can be teamed with a variety of skirts, capri pants, cargo pants or trim trousers. You'll also find casual jogging suits, hoodies and overalls, as well as chic suits, dresses and blazers.
Don't despair. Maternity clothing and fashion are no longer mutually exclusive.
Knight Ridder Newspapers