Style briefs

Stylish traveler

NEW YORK - Designer Michael Kors does his fair share of traveling; he goes all over the world looking both for inspiration and for in-store appearances.

He's got the packing thing down, and he shares his tips to be a stylish traveler in the March issue of Glamour:

-Athletic-inspired clothes, such as fitted hoodies and lean sweatpants, can be a traveler's best friend since they are cute and comfortable, but that doesn't give you permission to dress head to toe for the gym.

-Remember that stilettos never look sexy when traveling - they look torturous. Try flats instead.

-Wear a coat appropriate in weight for your trip, but don't choose one that's so bulky that it won't fit in the overhead compartment.

-Know that oversize dark shades have been the best friend of every jet-setter, from Jackie Onassis to Elle Macpherson to Kate Moss.

-Organize your bag before you get in the security line. No one wants to wait for you to sort through old saltines and dead lipsticks to find your boarding pass.

-Don't wear your lowest-cut jeans with a short top on the plane. You'll have to reach up to get your bags and will end up revealing too much to your seatmates.

-Don't turn the plane cabin into your own personal spa moment. If you douse yourself with fragrance, you douse everyone else with fragrance.

-Edit your wardrobe before you leave so you're not loaded down with so many bags that you'll be mistaken for the luggage carousel.

Kors writes a bimonthly column for Glamour.

Wintour's 'Front Row' life

NEW YORK (AP) - Jerry Oppenheimer, the author of an unflattering biography of Martha Stewart, has set his sights on another businesswoman: Anna Wintour.

"Front Row - Anna Wintour: The Cool Life and Hot Times of Vogue's Editor in Chief" is an insider's look at an insider's life, according to publisher St. Martin's Press.

The book chronicles Wintour's childhood as the daughter of well-to-do but liberal parents, her teenage years in London during the 1960s, and her series of publishing jobs that eventually led her to become arguably the most influential woman in fashion.

She championed the careers of young designers Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang and Zac Posen.

Oppenheimer says he interviewed scores of people who were privy to Wintour's private world, and that he researched the book for months.

Among the tidbits reported by Oppenheimer:

-Wintour started wearing her signature bob hairdo to compete with one of her father's proteges, and that she wears dark Chanel sunglasses almost everywhere because she has poor eyesight.

-She was fired from a job at Harper's Bazaar, Vogue's rival, after only nine months.

-As the newly appointed creative director at Vogue at age 34, she clashed regularly with then-editor in chief Grace Mirabella while openly lobbying for Mirabella's job.

Wintour had no comment on the book.

Right shoe

NEW YORK (AP) - You might have a closet full of shoes - shoes are many a woman's weakness, after all - but are they the right ones?

Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, the creators of the original British version of "What Not To Wear," offer advice on what style shoes will do the most for your wardrobe, wallet and body type in their new book "What You Wear Can Change Your Life" (Riverhead Books).

According to Woodall and Constantine, women with thick ankles should steer clear of flats with thin toes, high ankle straps and low kitten heels. A chunky loafer, clogs and thong sandals will be more flattering, they say.

Also, heeled shoes with high backs cut into the thinnest part of the ankle, which foils a good optical illusion. A pump should have a heel that comes straight down from the base of the shoe, and a slingback with a high, sturdy heel or a wedge mule will look good.

Women with thin ankles should opt for delicate shaped shoes, such as a pointy-toe flat, a shoe with s subtle detail like a small bow or a slender high heel, the duo advises. Anything with a chunky heel will exaggerate the skinniness of the ankle.

Woodall and Constantine also are big boosters of boots.

"If you have ankles that really should be hidden, the boot allows you to wear skirts of all lengths. Boots have saved thousands of women from a lifetime in trousers," they write in the book.

But that doesn't mean there aren't rules: Thin legs can look like sticks in pull-on boots that are loose around the calf, and slim legs look better in heel-free boots. Try to avoid having a gap between the top of the boot and the hem of the skirt - and if you do, fill it with playful tights like fishnets.