Blog Posts by Sarah Bernard

On September 8, the third annual Fashion's Night Out shopping extravaganza will be held, and it will certainly be the biggest one yet. The shopping initiative which kicks off New York Fashion Week began in 2008 and is organized by Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. This year it has expanded into 250 cities and will include 200 e-tailers. There are more than 1,000 stores in New York at every price range and The Thread can't wait. We spoke with CFDA Executive Director Steven Kolb about what we can expect and where he'll be shopping.

Steven Kolb and Diane von Furstenberg (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Retailers are going all out this year with carnivals, game shows, concerts, and parties. What exactly is the CFDA's role in the evening?

We're really just putting the structure in place--the website, the listings, facilitating when permits are needed, making introductions when retailers are looking for talent. Each store has the real autonomy and plenty of creative people coming up with ideas unique to who they are. We don't approve or

Actress, TV host, author, and mom of two, Alison Sweeney, isn't shy about sharing her own stories to inspire others. Her book "The Mommy Diet" gives great advice about how new moms can get their body back in a healthy way so they feel fabulous and confident. We checked in with Sweeney, who is gearing up for Season 12 of "The Biggest Loser" to talk about the confidence that comes from having a healthy smile. Sweeney is partnering with Crest and Oral-B to get the word out about the "Life Opens Up" online video contest. Anyone who submits a two-minute video about how their smile played a role in changing their life has a chance to visit the "Rachael Ray Show" in New York City and to win $25,000. Of course, we also had to ask Sweeney what she'd spend it on!

Alison Sweeney, Photo by Robert Trachtenberg

You're a big proponent of fitness, and your book "The Mommy Diet" had a lot of helpful tips about how new moms can take care of themselves. How does taking care of your smile fit into the picture?

First of all it's a confidence

When your hair looks good, it sets the tone for the day, don't you think? But a good hair day is not so easy to come by. My biggest issue is finding an efficient way to add volume to my hair that will last past lunchtime. In this episode I invited my hair mentor, celebrity stylist Mary Curran, to show me how I can solve my problem myself. Then I took my newfound skills to a Thread viewer's house and showed her how she could do the same! See if this solves some of your hair issues and if not, check out the blog below for Mary's answers to a whole range of common hair problems posted by our Facebook fans.

I love how my hair looks on "The Thread," but I have lots of help making it look good. When I'm trying to do my hair at home--that's another story. I try to add volume with a blow dryer, but half way through the day my hair inevitably goes up in a ponytail and stays there.

Mary Curran, my good friend and a celebrity stylist from Arte Salon, came by to show me how I can get a

Zoe Saldana may have worn a custom glittering Balmain gown to the premiere of "Colombiana" — boy, do we love her style — but in character as gun-toting assassin Cataleya Restrepo, her look was a lot less frilly. Saldana's wardrobe for the action thriller was somewhere between androgynous and sexy/utilitarian— lots of short-shorts-and-tank-top combos. We spoke to the star about how Cataleya's style evolved, how much input she had in the process, and what it was like to portray a character with such an emotional journey.

Gianni Diliberto/Getty ImagesWe're all striving to look (and feel) our most beautiful, but what that looks like varies wildly depending on where you live. In some countries, a modest behind is a prize. In beach-centric areas it's an issue to "fix." Certain cultures focus more on the face, others on the body. And certain populations — including America's — find the money to spend on elective surgical procedures even when the economy is dire. There were 13.1 million cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. in 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons — that's an increase of 5% from the previous year. Breast augmentation topped the list here, but what about the rest of the world? We consulted with Dr. Jay Calvert, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles. Calvert and his global network of colleagues constantly compare and contrast the different demands of their patients. The result is an extremely subjective— but, in our opinion, entirely fascinating — review of what patients are having done in Europe,

Lemon juice produces blonde streaks. Cut your hair if you want it to grow. Mayo can double as hair conditioner. We hear tidbits like these so often we start to assume they're true. Not so! In fact, many of these home remedies and old wives' tales may have the opposite effect on your hair. In this episode, we lay out which common myths are sound beauty advice and which are simply a waste of your valuable hair care time.

Myth #1: Lemon juice will turn hair blonder.

False. It would certainly save a lot of money if this were true, but the only dramatic change you'll see from dousing your hair with lemon juice is dryness from the acid.

Myth #2: Mayonnaise doubles as hair conditioner.

False. If you slather mayo on your hair, you're not going to smell so great, for one thing. Second of all, your hair is going to look extremely greasy for an extended amount of time.

Myth #3: Trimming makes hair grow faster.

False. Hair grows half an inch a month. The best way to help keep your hair looking

We all know what eating the wrong things can do to us, but did you know that by eating the "right" foods we can actually manage and even reverse some of our most common health conditions? Pretty empowering. "Today" show nutrition expert Joy Bauer came by to tell us about her new book, "Food Cures," which lays out delicious diet plans to holistically address everything from sleep deprivation (who doesn't have that?!) to high cholesterol to PMS to choosing the foods that promote healthy, glowing skin. In this episode Joy lays out what we should be eating for eight very familiar conditions.

Sometimes it's about including a specific food in your meals. Sometimes it's about what not to eat, and sometimes it's about when you should or shouldn't make a certain food choice. Here are Joy's diet adjustments to treat eight common conditions:

To fight sleep deprivation

What you eat and drink leading up to bedtime can make a difference. You might have guessed the first part of this answer: Cut out

Navy blue and fire-engine red is one of my favorite combinations and even though I'm on nautical-stripe overload this summer, I admit that I've been eying this $49.90 striped dress from Express for weeks. It's a great transitioning-into-fall piece. Fast-forward a few months, and picture it with tights and boots.
Zoe Saldana in Express (Photo by Bauer-Griffin)

Now that Zoe Saldana was spotted wearing it in Beverly Hills, though, I may have missed my chance. Zoe gives the boat-necked cotton mini her own style with caramel brown accessories— a skinny belt that accentuates her tiny waist, a cross-body purse and thong sandals. Her sleek, pulled-back hair, aviators and giant gold hoops add a 1970s flair.

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