Mia Rome, $70 at PiperLime.com

Ever since the movie “Gladiator” came out, women have been donning strap-happy gladiator style sandals as if they were ready to go into a last-woman standing chariot battle complete with tigers, maces, bows, arrows and Gucci handbags.

The gladiator sandal epidemic has become widespread, but when is a sandal too strappy? By that, I am referring to those sandals that creep up the leg and end at the knee.

Is this an endangered trend? Or is it one that we can expect to see a couple more seasons?

A reporter models a pair of men’s capris in New York, Tuesday, June 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Hmmm…I would have to say nay for this guy - especially with those sandals. BUT - I do have a pair of “manpris” - but they don’t look like this at all. They are those pants that have straps at the hem so you can button them up to be 3/4 length pants. Actually, that’s what capris are…

Even though I wear them, I think that I am too short to rock a pair of manpris on a daily basis. If they are baggy and less tailored, they make me look just a tad bit dumpy.

Your thoughts?

Yes, you heard that right. This time, the frugal fashionista destination has sprouted up at Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton! And they just opened today!

That said, take a look at some of the pieces from H&M’s autumn/winter 2008 collection:

I’m diggin’ those humungozoid wide legs on her and all that purple on him is grape-a-licious.

The new H&M store at the Stoneridge Shopping Center is located at 1004 Stoneridge Mall Road, Pleasanton. Call 925-225-0590.

In the latest issue of Details (the one with a very masculine Ryan Seacrest on the cover) and I was reading the article titled, Enough With the Skinny Ties - which makes me want to do an edit of my accessory collection. Or should I?

I don’t use Details as a coveted bible for fashion, but I do use it as a loose guide for style.

I will admit that this article made me feel a little self-conscious, but ah well. Even as I type this post, I am wearing a skinny tie. I think I’ll just wear this tie until I don’t feel like wearing it anymore. Needless to say, Heidi is so right - “with fashion, one day you’re in - the next day you’re out!”

Do you think skinny ties need to go?

Yesterday, I was doing my weekly shopping at Target when I saw a young lady wearing a pair of these…

Yes ladies and gentlemen, it’s the nostalgic stirrup pant (this isn’t the actual pair I saw). It was bound to happen. I have seen a couple of them peppered on the runway. And since leggings were all the rage, it was obvious that these heel hugging tight pants would make a comeback - but do they need to return?

I respect that we are returning to the ’80s and ’90s for fashion trends, but c’mon, stirrup pants? Are we one step away from bringing back acid washed pleated jeans and Hypercolor t-shirts?

I appreciate the right for teens and children to have their own fashion voice, but when they start attaching socially retarded mannerisms and ridiculous attitude to it, that’s when I start to draw the line.

It’s bad enough that we had to deal with the whole “I’m-so-tortured” emo look, now we have to deal with the “I’m-so-tortured-and-have-a-bad-attitude” look with this new trend for “Scene Kids.”

Heavy eye makeup, tattered clothing, skinny jeans, Converse shoes, graphic T-shirts, Vans, dark (or blonde) hair, tiaras: all of these are necessities for Scene Kids. Basically, you have to look like Courtney Love during her earlier Hole days. Think emo, except more homeless-chic. This site gives you a full guide in how to be “scene”

I know what you’re thinking: what makes this different from past youth subcultures like beatnik, hippie or even greasers? The difference is that it is just an excuse for the youth to be whiny and complain about their privileged lives.

For a full, in-depth look at this subculture and its harrowing battle with emo kids, read this. It will change your life forever.

…and this time it’s at Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton.

A look from H&M’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection

I was at the mall killing some time on Friday before dinner and I was doing some casual browsing when I saw it: H&M COMING SPRING 2008. The store is going to be on the second floor of the mall right next to JC Penney.

Discount runway-esque fashion is becoming a widespread epidemic in the Bay Area - in a good way of course.

I am a fan of ties. I wear one as much as possible - at work, in the city, at events, to parties, in the shower, etc. But now, I am starting to see the rising of the ubiquitous of the bow tie - on runways, in magazines, in catalogs - it’s everywhere.

I think I am confident enough to call myself a fashion adventurist, but a bow tie? I am still on the fence about this one. And I am not talking about the kind that is conveniently pre-tied, I am talking about the one you have to tie yourself.

The accessory does have a dapper dandy charm to it, but everytime I see one, I can’t help but think of a barbershop quartet or a senile college professor.

Part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and just wear one, while another part of me thinks that it will be an obsolete trend next month - and I don’t want to invest in something that I am just going to wear once. Plus, tying that thing manual would be hell.

And one more thing, I had this roommate in college who wore a bow tie and he was trying to look fashion forward and cool, but it backfired. He ended up looking like a substitue physics teacher.

Who knows? Maybe I will just take the leap and risk the ridicule.

Bar Stripe Bow Tie, $42.50 at Brooks Brothers

JJ Park Ruffle Front Drop Waist Dress, $184.20 at ASOS.com

Ruffles and frills: It started off simple, a ruffle here, a frill there. Now, the romantic detailing has become widespread with everything from blouses to trench coats. For spring, go with light fabrics - and don’t be afraid to be generous with the ruffles. Apparently the trend has no boundaries - just be cautious. You don’t want to look like a cupcake. The sartorial additive epitomizes feminine energy and based on Christian’s collection from Project Runway, they can be fierce.

The first time I saw a neck scarf of this type around someone’s neck, I thought, “Oh, that’s nifty.” Soon after, I saw celebs donning the bandit looking neck scarves. Then I started seeing floods of them and thought, “Wow. This trend is exploding.” Then after seeing the ethnic print scarf around someone’s neck for the 12,349th time, I thought, “Okay, this needs to stop.”

First off, any one who wears this wild, wild west accessory looks like they are about to rob a train while in transit. Secondly, it draws mischievious attention and if you’re over the age of 18 and donning one of these bandanas, it’s time for you to grow up. Third, what is the function? Unless the entire world is getting ready for chemical warfare via deadly gases, it would make a perfect snot rag. Honestly, I’m just tired of seeing them.