• We never thought of Lady Gaga's style as something one should actually seek to take credit for, but Roisin Murphy apparently feels differently. [Refinery29]

• Katie Holmes' clothing line, which she designs with her stylist, Jeannie Yang, is ready to launch for fall at Maxfield in Los Angeles. [WWD]
• Mariah Carey's latest scent, Forever, comes out this September. "I am in a wonderful place right now," says the singer, "surrounded by all the things I love, and Forever captures this moment in time." So Forever smells like marriage to a younger man, and something pink? [WWD]
• Also this September, Nanette Lepore is launching her new fragrance, Nanette by Nanette. [WWD]
• Political Science Ph.D. and former Communist Party member Miuccia Prada didn't vote in the last Italian elections, much to her family's chagrin. "My son criticized me. ‘You're not coming? You're not going to vote?' So I have to justify. Of course, because I always taught them principles and the idea of [the importance of] politics, if they see in myself a false step, they become...I know it was wrong. I should have gone." Speaking of false steps, Prada also said, of the many model tumbles that marred her Spring/Summer '09 show, which featured her impossible-to-walk-in shoes, "I liked it. It made the show more interesting." A hypocrite with a missing compassion chip? Our Miuccia Prada crush is rapidly dissipating. [W]
• Crocs apparently thinks that by selling what amounts to a rubber clog for your cell phone, it can save its business. Interesting. [InventorSpot]
• For some reason, somebody put Andy Warhol screenprints of dollar signs on a unisex perfume. People will license anything that isn't nailed down in this world. [WWD]
• Whitney Port made an awful, frosted pink lipstick that looks like what your slutty cousin wore in 1983. Even the fact that $2 from the sale price goes to charity isn't enough to stop us hating. [People]
  
• Covergirl is seeking more brand prestige. [WWD]
• Manolo Blahnik loves boots. Loves them. And skirts, which he'd wear if he were a woman. "Every year I have lots of boots in my collection. This year I have chosen something a little extreme — a paper-flat sole with lots of big buckles. I love this look – it makes me think of old films, of Margaret Lockwood, or crinolines. I love the look of a very long skirt with these paper-flat boots. Women in winter must wear very high or very flat boots, it's so chic — forget your pumps. Long skirts are a must in women's wardrobes, although you don't see many of them these days. It's what I would wear, though. Every year I have done over-the-knee boots. One year they were so high you could tie them to your belt — Elle Macpherson in that was so sexy." [Independent]
• Bloomingdale's is spending $55 million on a two-month renovation of its 60,000 sq. foot main sales floor. [WWD]
• Stella McCartney is opening a pop-up store in the Hamptons. All the better that we never see what we could never afford. [WWD]
• Oh, look. Gap gave certain fashion bloggers free jeans. And then certain fashion bloggers wrote about how awesome Gap's jeans are. Odd coincidence! We're sure the failure to disclose the freebie was simply an oversight. [Fashionista]
• Although retail spending was down 12.7% during the back-to-school period, compared with last year, spending on denim was relatively well-performing. Even sales-hemorrhaging Abercrombie & Fitch has seen its denim remain popular. [TS]
• Swatch reported a 28% drop in profits for the first half of this year, to 301 million Swiss Francs. Sales fell 15.3% on last year. [WSJ]
• Elizabeth Arden's sales for the last quarter, like pretty much everybody else's, slipped. The company lost $3.6 million. [WWD]
• JC Penney's quarterly results were not as bad as analysts had expected. The company lost $1 million, compared with earning a profit of $117 million for the same period last year. [NYTimes]
• The Hemline Index never made any sense to begin with. The Lipstick Bellwether sounded good, but wasn't true. The Heel Height Indicator came into vogue briefly, like platform shoes (which by the way weren't invented during the Great Depression). Of all the hokey, jokey faux-economic indicators — most of which, you might notice, are female-linked, probably because of undying cultural stereotypes about women and shopping — the so-called Men's Underwear Index is obviously our favorite. It just will not die! [PhilInquirer]

Greenspan was known for using odd measures to determine how the economy was doing, and one of his most famous indicators was the sale of men's underwear, reports The Huffington Post. Robert Krulwich, who published Greenspan's book, The Age of Turbulence said:

"If you look at sales of male underpants it's just pretty much a flat line, it hardly ever changes ... But on those few occasions where it dips that means that men are so pinched that they are deciding not to replace underpants. And [Greenspan] said 'that is almost always a prescient, forward impression that here comes trouble.'"

According to global research company Mintel, the sale of men's underwear in the United States is currently experiencing a fairly large drop. A new study projects a 2.3 percent drop in sales of all men's underwear products in 2009. Just six months ago, Mintel predicted sales would increase by 2.6 percent in 2009.

Matt Hall, A spokesmen for Hanesbands Inc. explained the drop, saying:

"Recessions impact all categories and men's underwear sales are no different... Men's underwear is a replenishment item. If you see a dip in the market it is because of the economy. But over a longer-term period it will even out. They tend to be later going into the recession and earlier coming back... Men certainly aren't wearing underwear less frequently than before."

While men just getting by with the worn out underwear they already have isn't a particularly appealing thought, there is some good news on the men's underwear front. Earlier, we learned that the sale of pink briefs for men is way up this year, and it seems that when men do decide to splurge on a new pair of undies, they want them to make a statement. The new trend is for the waistband on men's underwear to have bold colors, patterns, larger widths, and oversized logos, according to New York Magazine. Some have compared it to how research shows women will spend even more on lipstick, hosiery, and other cheap but mood-enhancing products during an economic slump. Apparently men feel a little boost when there's a fashionable design poking out over their pants. Michael Kleinmann, president of underwear company Freshpair.com explains, "They used to be pretty basic, but now they are like sneakers: their fun colors and patterns say something about the guy that is wearing them."

[Image via FreshPair.com.]

Men's Underwear Sales, Greenspan's Economic Metric Reveal Crisis [The Huffington Post]
Statement Manties Are The New Sneakers [New York Magazine]

Earlier: During A Recession, Some Dudes Try To Add A Little Color To Their, Um, Lives

So. Fresh cut, huh? Heh, heh. Would you believe that compared to the rest, this page is tame?

"Good looks you can't help but notice. Ergonomically designed to make the most of what you've got," reads the copy for these styles. The enhancement bikini is good for "creating a noticeable bulge — even through jeans." Blushing yet? I know, I know. This underwear reveals everything. You can practically see their zodiac signs.

Oh, snap! Snaps are awesome! How come all underwear doesn't come with snaps, huh? Can't think of a snappy retort? Anyway: I dare you to imagine every man you see today is wearing one of these items under his clothes. This includes the dudes you work with and people on TV. (Barack Obama? Larry King?)

The web brief (H)is horrifying. Nightmare-inducing, even. But the ring thong is fun, because it kind of looks like the face of a baboon!

Someone got the memo about looking for a few good men.

What's worse? The padded butt briefs, the scoopneck tee, the blue underwear or that guy's haircut? Seriously. I can't decide.

"Dude, those lace-up briefs are hot, but they could be hotter." "Ya think? "Yeah. You need a puka shell necklace. Here." "Thanks." "Score!"

Eenie meenie miney moe, let's say you go to the beach with someone you know: Which of these swimsuits would you rather he wear? If you had to pick one... and your guy's not allowed to wax "down there."

Earlier: Searching For The Worst Outfit In 'International Male'
8 Products From SkyMall You Can Use To Kill Someone

Derick Chetty of the Toronto Star reports that while many a man might well get downright excited about buying a new suit or a well-cut shirt, there is just something about the thought of buying new underwear that makes men go, Uh, I'd rather not.

Chetty hypothesizes that perhaps the way to trick men into buying new underwear is to design skivvies in bright colors and childlike/ironic patterns, which is exactly what the Ginch Gonch brand does. (The styles, some of which are seen below, have names like Big Bang and Crotch Rocket.) Question is: Would you want to see a man in these? Do you know men who would want to see themselves in these? And most importantly, would they make someone like Jeremy Paxman feel adequately supported? (Like the folks at The Telegraph, we'd have to agree that a classic brief will probably make a man feel the most safe, if not also the least, er, flappy.) What do you think about what men wear down there?

Feathers of Fire Sports Brief, $31.50; Painted Tiger Sports Brief, $31.50
Crotch Rocket Sports Brief, $27; Pretty Kitty Lowrise, $27

Big Bang Star Sports Brief, $27; Oil Slicker Brief, $23.50

Western Star Brief, $27

Introducing The Nation's Fancy Pants [Telegraph]
A brief history of pants: Why Men's Smalls Have Always Been A Subject Of Doncern [Independent]
Why Men Hate to Buy Underwear [Toronto Star]

• Dita von Teese is collaborating with Wonderbra on a lingerie collection to be called — so original! — Wonderbra by Dita von Teese. Um, what would Dita von Teese know about needing a Wonderbra? [Vogue UK]
  
• BBC reporter Jeremy Paxman, no stranger to calling attention to the pressing news stories of our time, is currently shifting the focus to the problem of...men's underwear. A letter he wrote to Marks & Spencer CEO Stuart Rose was printed in today's Times of London: "Like very large numbers of men in this country I have always bought my socks and pants [that's Britspeak for underwear, FYI] at Marks & Sparks...I have noticed that something very troubling has happened. There's no other way to put this. Their pants no longer provide adequate support." [Vogue UK]
  
• Scary: Designer Vivienne Tam has designed Mickey and Minnie Mouse new costumes for the Chinese New Year celebration at Disney China. Scarier: Replicas of the outfits are on sale in Tam's retail stores. [AP]

• Katie Couric's style tips for how to not look old: "Number one, shorten your skirt. Right where the knee melts into the lower leg is the perfect length; if it's too long, it's very mumsy. Number two, change from a dark burgundy lipstick to a pink. It's the easiest thing you can do. And number three, have great skin. The better the skin, the less make-up you need, and there's no need to pile on the foundation." Um, have great skin. What a great beauty tip! Up there with "avoid being born to someone with bad genes." [Fashion Week Daily]
• Ooooh: our favorite accessories brand we can't afford, Loeffler Randall, is debuting a swimwear line. Good thing we do not wear bathing suits! [WWD]
• Are women rejecting cheap shoes? [Independent]
• Nahhh, probably not. [LATimes]
• Where's the best place for a designer to open up a flagship boutique in Amsterdam? The red light district, of course. [Reuters]
• All this "feed the malnourished models" outrage and Erin O'Connor still thinks she is fat. [Independent]
• We think granny panties are actually sort of sexy, so fuck you. [Sassybella]
• "Little girls hear 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T' and don't know that it isn't an 'American Idol' song." Sigh. [LA Times]