Fashion briefs

Shapely denim

NEW YORK - No pair of jeans is one size fits all, and Gap is acknowledging that. The brand, which built itself on the reputation of its wardrobe staples such as T-shirts and denim, begins the fall fashion season with three fits of jeans for three different body types.

"Women take heaps and loads of jeans into the fitting room hoping to find one they love," says Julie Vaughan, Gap's senior director of denim design. The new fit system is based almost entirely on feedback from customers, she says.

The new curvy fit is for the woman whose waist is considerably smaller than her hips - whose jeans often gap at the back of the waistband. There's a deeper curve in the seam shape, eliminating extra fabric at the top.

"We designed the jean on a curvy model. We now have three fit models," Vaughan explains. "The curvy has a contoured waistband. It hugs the waist, and it has an easy fit through the hips and thighs."

Also new is the straight fit, targeted to women with a boyish figure. Her jeans have a straighter line from the waist to hips, and the knee position is a little higher for an elongated leg.

Compared to the original fit, which is still available, the back pockets sit lower on the straight fit and higher on the curvy fit. Original jeans sit just below the waist and are slightly loose through the thigh and hip.

All three fits are based on a size-8 model, Vaughan says, but there are a lot of different body types out there that wear a size 8.

Other tips from Vaughan: A curvy woman should consider flared or boot-leg openings because they balance her proportions better than a straight leg. For the same reason, a woman who wears the straight fit should stay away from huge flares.

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Stylish superheros

NEW YORK - Today's hero needs more than a cape if he's going to make any sort of style statement, so for the August-September issue of Complex magazine, the fashion editor worked with Marvel Comics to dress some comic book stars in trendy outfits.

Spider-Man, for example, wears an olive, yellow and red plaid jacket, navy chalk-stripe pants and a yellow V-neck sweater by Burberry Prorsum.

"The colors of the Burberry Prorsum collection were perfect for Spider-Man. The eccentric preppy-bookworm theme mixed with a feel of whimsical bohemia, really made me think of Spider-man's love of knowledge and education," says Complex fashion editor Anoma Whittaker.

The Thing wears a black peak-lapel collar suit with a magenta floral shirt by Scott Langton; Daredevil looks very "of the moment" in a black pinstripe pants and zip-up jacket with tan trench coat by DKNY; and Wolverine's muscles burst out of his chocolate brown-gray flannel pinstripe suit by Joseph Abboud.

Complex is a men's buyer's-guide magazine.

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Style.com shopping list

NEW YORK - The editors at Style.com, the online home of Vogue and W fashion magazines, have made their fall shopping list:

1. Black trench coat. "Now that everyone and her sister owns a khaki trench, it's time to invest in a dramatic black one," according to the Web site.

2. Fur trims. Fur is turning up on some unusual - and stylish - places such as cashmere sweaters, Grace Kelly jackets and military-style coats.

3. Long eveningwear. Floor-grazing gowns are grand again.

4. Necklaces. Try oversized and eye-catching instead of dainty and delicate.

5. Platform shoes. They'll increase your style stature.

6. Puffer jackets. "Designers took that streetwise staple, the down parka, uptown this season in leather and sheared mink," note the editors.

7. Skirt suits. Going back to the days of the Hitchcock heroine, skirt suits are sexy - in a demure way. Go all out with gloves, pumps and top-handle purses.

8. Slouchy sweaters. They complement the both the super-slim pant and ballooning bubble skirt.

9. Tulip skirt. This skirt has a split personality; it's partially based on a pencil skirt so it has its serious side but it's also part dirndl, which is more fun and flirty.

10. White shirts. The basic shirt is anything but basic with high collars, billowing sleeves, bow fronts and ruffled collars.

On the Net: http://www.style.com/