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The pretty and practical items -- they're purse hooks used to hang anything from petite pocketbooks to laptop cases from the edge of a table -- will be one of the items inside gift bags given to celebrities who attend the annual Oscar party this weekend benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Entrepreneurs Carol Caroselli and May Wang created the hooks based on a dainty antique version that had belonged to Wang's mother. The accessories work using the weight of the purse, gravity and a clever design that keeps the hook from slipping from any surface -- whether it's wood, glass, marble or linen.

"It makes a lot of practical sense," Caroselli says. "It's like a piece of jewelry. It's a way to keep the purse off the floor and keep it clean. When you're having dinner, there aren't many places to put your handbag. You either have to hang it over your chair, keep it in your lap or put it on the floor. And this isn't just something dainty for evening bags -- it can hold up to 10 pounds."

Fashionable starlets who receive the purse hooks can credit a serendipitous meeting that resulted in the Little Hooker's inclusion in the gift bag, Caroselli says. A representative of Berger and Stevens, a wholesaler in New York City that carries the purse hook, was using the hook during a lunch meeting with a friend, who happens to be involved in Elton John's Oscar night festivities.

About 1,000 of the hooks, decorated with a leopard-print design, have been shipped off for the party, Caroselli says.

But if you want one of these precious little accessories -- they come in a variety of fun and sophisticated colors, patterns and materials -- several shops in the region carry them, priced at $33 and $53, including Ruth Young, Shadyside; Victoria, Fox Chapel; Cheryl W., Squirrel Hill; rossi e rossi, Mt. Lebanon; and Larrimor's, The Added Touch and The Rodeo Collection at the Omni William Penn, all Downtown.

Get them now before the celebrity rush is on.

Allure in Bloomfield showcases long skirts

A trunk show of long, unique skirts by Ellen Levick continues through March at Allure, Bloomfield.

Levick embellishes her one-of-a-kind skirts with silk bows, antique crochet and ribbon trims. Custom orders are available upon request.

Allure is at 4730 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield.

Details: (412) 687-6390.

Beauty water claims to reduce signs of aging

You've done the Perrier and the Evian thing. You've toted the latest status sports brands. Now you're waiting for the next big have-to-have bottle to tuck into your bag.

Enter beauty waters. They don't just quench your thirst and add style to your image; pick the right flavor and the H2O claims to retard aging, cure acne, reduce skin roughness and smooth wrinkles.

The trendy Web site Daily Candy, www.dailycandy.com, touts Borba Skin Balance Water, which comes in different flavors for different needs and promises magical powers. It is packaged in one of three colors: lavender, pink or sea-foam green. Find it at Fred Segal specialty stores, www.fredsegalbeauty.com, in Los Angeles for $45 a bottle.

For those prices, of course, the water should be from the fountain of youth.

Khaki returns as hot fashion item for spring

It was born in the British Colonial days when the color was created by the yellow dust that settled onto the soldiers' white cotton uniforms. Soldiers wore it in World War II. Preppies adapted it in the '50s and '70s.

Now khaki is back again as a new hot spring fashion item with American teens and trendy grown-ups. Teen Vogue magazine says it's jazzed up for a "new lease on life."

Designers from Italy's hot DSquared team used khaki for a cropped shrunken jacket. Dickies, the Texas denim company, offers a button-down safari shirt. Marc Jacobs' Marc label includes a shirtwaist dress. And DSquared also did oversized Capris. The idea, of course, is destined to trickle down to trendy discount and moderate priced goods before you can say Jerry Seinfeld.

And a fashionista can make hers high-styling by turning classic khakis up into a high deep cuff, adding a colorful striped polo, a ropey sash belt or round-toed platform shoes.

Keep four Cs in mind when choosing a diamond

Maybe you've gotten a Valentine's Day proposal from a gentleman considerate enough to allow you to choose your own diamond.

But now you need to figure out where to start.

The four Cs of diamonds are color, cut, clarity and carat weight.

According to jeweler Harry Winston's printed diamond guide, here are things to keep in mind when considering each factor:

• Color: The Gemological Institute of America grades diamonds on a color scale of D through Z, with D being colorless and the most desirable. Moving down the scale, diamonds tend to become more yellow.

  The ratings do not, however, apply to fancy colored diamonds. Rare yellow, pink and blue diamonds are among the most sought-after stones.

• Cut: Diamonds -- whether they're big or small -- need to be cut to the proper proportions to allow light to reflect inside. Stones cut too deep or too shallow will have poor brilliance.

• Clarity: Typically, the greater the number and size of the flaws, the lower the clarity grade and the less rare the diamond. The best rating is FL, for flawless, which means the diamond is without any of "nature's birthmarks," called inclusions. The lowest rating is "I," noting that imperfections such as crystals, clouds and feathers are visible or "included."

• Carat weight: Each carat is equal to 100 points. Larger diamonds are more valuable because they're found less frequently in nature, but diamonds of equal size vary in value depending on their brilliance.

Trend of color spreads to jewelry

Color has come to dominate the fashion scene in recent seasons.

Who ever imagined wearing lilac, baby blue and acres of pink in the dead of winter?

The same phenomenon has hit fine jewelry. Color has been increasingly popular in stones such as tourmaline, amethyst and pale sapphire. Now new rainbow hues are also reflected in pearls. Make way for pink, coral, pale green and bronze, the shades to cast all the more glow on a woman's complexion.

"I think people want to wear what flatters them," says Katy Briggs, director of marketing for Tivol, a Kansas City, Mo., jewelry store, where multicolored freshwater-pearl necklaces glimmer next to traditional ivory pearls and diamonds.

Other trends in jewelry include the return of yellow gold after a long run in platinum and silver.

And say goodbye to chandelier earrings. The new luxury diamond look is a long, thin line, perhaps with a curve at the bottom. It is likely to be the prevailing style on the red carpet at the awards shows, says Tivol merchandising executive Ward Manes.

As for sales, the tip-top end and the lower rung of the jewelry market are holding strong. The middle price ground is the weakest, Briggs and Manes agree. The Tivol perspective is in line with market researchers who report that in all categories consumers are cutting back on spending where they can by shopping discount stores so they can splurge on things they want.

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