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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 26, 2013
April 26, 2013
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Auto World /Gas Guzzlin' Update:
American cars are a huge status symbol in China, the world's biggest auto market. And no car brand is hotter there than Buick. Business Insider reports the Buick Excelle (the Verano here) was the leading passenger car in China in 2011, when 254-thousand units were sold. The next year, Buick's China sales jumped eight percent. J-D Power & Associates predicts total Buick sales in China could hit one million by 2016.
The attraction to Buicks in China derives from its prestige as the choice of business people and government officials --the power brokers. Chinese executives are partial to minivans, which don't come with the kid-hauling image they have here, and which Buick also redesigned for the market, making them roomier and more luxurious. While Buick sales are slowly rebounding here in the states, Business Insider says China is now the focus for the brand. (Kaye)Reality Round-Up:
Big TV story yesterday was that none other than SIMON COWELL was thinking about hiring JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT to be an 'X Factor' judge.
As you know, BRITNEY SPEARS is leaving the show and will need to be replaced.
A "source" told Us Weekly "Simon's very interested," and also said DESTINY'S CHILD star KELLY ROWLAND and REBA McINTYRE were also being considered, all of which apparently came as news to Simon, since a PR flack for the show later told the Huffington Post. "No decisions have been made about the panel. Simon and DEMI [LOVATO] are the only judges confirmed on the panel so far. This is all just speculation."
Editor's note: Simon must've started thinking about Jennifer Love Hewitt after watching her latest appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. (Maiman)Chic Sh*t:
Trend alert! It's officially cool to wear "Mom Jeans" again! The comeback of all-things-90s fashion means high-waisted jeans are trendy again. But now Fashionista.com says the trendiest of trendy denim sellers --Topshop-- is selling "Moto Bleach Acid Mom Jeans." They also come in a washed out black. ELLE FANNING --who is definitely not a mom-- is also a fan of the looser fit style. She recently told New York Magazine that she won't wear skinny jeans "because most people wear those --they have to be baggier... sort of like a mom jean." (Bartha)
How to Wear Mom Jeans (Source: "Do This Don't: Mom Jeans" xojane.com):
--Mom jeans are the baggy, comfortable, super high-waisted light wash denim jeans made famous by the TINA FEY/AMY POEHLER "Saturday Night Live" skit.
--The high waist causes the illusion of "teacher butt" --a long, flat butt.
--Mom jeans accentuate the waist. It looks best with tight shirts you can tuck in or a crop top.
--Mom jeans also work with any type of shoe. A heel will look vampy. Sneakers will look casual (of course). Do what works for you. (Bartha)Shopping Around:
According to new data out from Swirl.com (a shopping app) about 53 percent of women say they "prefer" shopping in-store to shopping via smartphone or laptop. Researchers with the "What Women Want When Apparel Shopping" found that most still turn to friends/family rather than mobile apps or websites to make styling decisions. In fact, only one percent of those surveyed say they "prefer shopping via smartphone" than shopping in-store.
The women surveyed still research products online, and 22 percent of females turn to mobile sites/apps when a product isn't available in-store. Half of them say they'd "share their location/personal information" for in-store credits, flash sales or other personalized offers.
For clothes shopping, the only area where online tops bricks-and-mortar is not dealing with all those pesky other shoppers, 84 percent say crowds and 70 percent say transportation/parking issues are pains when shopping in-store. (Kaye)Love at first sight study --men vs women:
Hey ladies --have you ever felt the surge of excitement that comes with love at first sight? Congratulations --you're in the minority! Cosmopolitan magazine reports a new study shows that just 28 percent of females have gone head-over-heels without even speaking --compared to a whopping 48 percent of men!
Does this mean that dudes are true romantics? Perhaps --but it could also show they're more impulsive. The same study shows that a third of guys have had sex with another woman while in a relationship compared to just 19 percent of the fairer sex.
Phone starter: Ever fallen in love at first sight? How did that work out? (Lee) -
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