Looking Back

Evelinda: The Style Matters column has run in the Rocky for more than eight years. An early column on thong underwear ("I was shocked when I found out that thongs were supposed to, you know, slide in there," Judie confessed) put us on the map.

Judie: From then on our more than 430 columns covered every imaginable topic about style, fashion and beauty. We shopped the pawn shops for jewelry ("Once you realize there’s no piano player on the mezzanine level, pawnshops are, well, okay.").

Evelinda: We road tested miracle beauty products. I fanatically chewed "Bust-Up" gum, a Japanese creation "guaranteed to increase bust size up to 80 percent." I slept in "Slimquick Turbo Cell" shorts to reduce my cellulite and sucked on Power Pops to curb my appetite.

Judie: I tried to give myself a face lift using the "Facial-Flex" device and slathered on "Liposlim Contour Gel" to take off inches from my hips, stomach and chin.

Evelinda: We were cheerleaders for local boutiques — mostly women-owned and eager to support local non-profits and provide complimentary personal shopping services.

Judie: We’ve seen belts move from the waist to the hips to under the bustline and back again. We loved sharing the history of fashion (Did you know that the women in ancient Crete invented the first Wonderbra?).

Evelinda: We wrote about fur and received death threats to us and our children. We got even more hate mail when we revealed our distaste for tattoos. We were there when Hilary Swank made the back a new erogenous zone and we alerted women to the appeal of toe cleavage.

Things we learned:

Fashion trends recycle quickly: Nothing goes out of style; it just looks dated for the moment.

Accessories can update any outfit.

Few women outside of the fashion magazines look good in bathing suits. So forget about your body flaws, don a suit and jump in.

There is no such thing as low maintenance hair. It all takes work.

Stiletto heels, black and white, and jeans never go out of style.

"The Devil Wears Prada" is one of the greatest movies ever made.

Style Matters: We’ve always emphasized High Style at Low Prices. We love shopping the sales, mixing the expensive with the affordable and puncturing fashion magazine’s ridiculous product hype. Remember when Lucky magazine went bonkers for Sadie Frost’s (ex-wife of Jude Law) scented underwear, a tank and undie set in "zingy colors with a subtle fragrance that lasts, miraculously through several washings." for $80.

We thank our stylish readers for supporting us, sharing tips with us and faithfully reading us. Find us at here at the Style Matters website and our advice and tips in the second edition of "A Fashion-Lover’s Guide to the Best Shopping in Denver and Beyond" at all major bookstores.  Also look for us regularly on the Balance website.