the wearhouse district

Hats are the hot accessories for 2012! Whether it's formal or casual, beachy or urban... hats are a must have for every outfit. For Girls:  Play with hats that have unique shapes and don't be afraid of color. A masculine shaped hat, like a fedora, can still be a fun choice for any girl if the color of the hat is bright and bold. Floppy hats are huge especially for spring. And, now formal hats aren't just for church. Try accessorizing a feathery formal hat with your outfit on your next evening out. For Guys: Caps can still be trendy if they have a fun pattern on them and there is no harm in sticking to the classics like a basic driver. Guys can have fun with color as well. Try adding a colorful hat that contrasts with the rest of an outfit to really make it pop.

B eyond popular belief, there are many stylish people in the south .  The following southerners are not afraid of standing out and expressing themselves through fashion. These fashion leaders are made up of students, stylists, bloggers, musicians and artists. They are all beautiful and do an amazing job of representing the southern states. Kammie Pomeranian , Student (mintymix.com), New Orleans Rain Miller , Model/Fashion Enthusiast (www.rainmiller.com),  Orlando Hannah Grace , 17, Artist, New Orleans Nini Nguyen , 25, Stylist/Designer/Blogger (ninistyle.net), Dallas Rashad Minnick , 21, Student/Blogger (www.fashionablytardia.tumblr.com), Baton Rouge Elizabeth E. , Designer/Blogger (elegancebyelizabethkay.blogspot.com), New Orleans Joseph M. , !6, Corpus Christi Lee Brooks , 21, (followhislead.tumblr.com), Hattiesburg Matthew Hoss , 19, (jackandjillwent.tumblr.com), Texas Michael Woodall , 19, Student (kovits.tumblr.com), Atlanta ...

S ome people may be surprised to find so many creative people in the south, but just an hour’s drive south of New Orleans is the small town of Lockport, home of Katherine Bollinger , the woman behind Frou Frou Sue Sue . By Dalton Primeaux B ollinger is a master of making unique, hand-made accessories. Her Line Frou Frou Sue Sue is one of the most creative I have ever seen in the south. I own several of her pieces and I often wear them to add some extra fun to my outfits when I go out to special events. My two favorite pieces would have to be the multicolored zipper necklace and resin measuring tape bracelet. They are both one-of-a-kind pieces. I   was lucky enough to interview   Bollinger this month and get to know more about her and her work. Her creative abilities range from patchwork to making handbags to jewelry designing. She was even published in "Pretty in Patchwork" by Lark Publishing for the memory quilt she made out of vintage fabrics from her mother. ...