Passion for the... Prom!

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older
When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?

     - Sheldon Harnick/ Jerry Bock

As the words from the song "Sunrise Sunset" from the ever-favorite musical Fiddler on the Roof attest, kids grow up all too fast.  In the blink of an eye, it seems toddlers turn into teens and are heading to the prom and other memorable events.

To look your absolute best on those special evenings, we encourage you to stop in to FL Crooks & Co.  We have partnered with Jim's Formal Wear, the country's largest prom network, to offer you an amazing selection of tuxedos.  Established in 1964, Jim's Formal Wear is a supplier to nearly 6,000 independent retailers. 

Divided into collections, Jim's Formal Wear features suits and accessories for any and every occasion.   The sections help you choose the look you want based on price and the event that you will be attending.  The Prom section starts with a cost of $69.99 and goes upward.  This price includes a jacket, pants, and shirt along with a vest, tie, and shoes.

Free apps are available at jimsformalwear.com.  You can download the Tuxedo Builder there for your iphone and/or ipad.  Design the look you want, preview everything,  and then come into FL Crooks & Co and order your creative, individual look.  The earlier you can stop in, the better to insure the best selection.

Greys are continuing to be strong this season, but every color in the rainbow and beyond are available.  In fact, you'll be able to choose from over 100 vest and color combinations.  There are also a vast assortment of canes, suspenders, bow ties, and matching socks all available to complete your ensemble in grand style.

For weddings, keep in mind the groom's tuxedo is free with five paid rentals. 

It will be a privilege for us here at FL Crooks to work with you on making the most of these precious times!  Let it begin here... we've got the look and you've got the style.  Together, we are a terrific team and can create a perfect ensemble for you.

To life!

Lydia Crooks

Fashion Trends for Women in Spring 2015

"Nothing is new; it is just forgotten."  - Coco Chanel

While winter in all its fury may be raging on the outside, spring in all its radiant glory is blooming on the inside.   Don't wait for the spring crocuses to pop or the red robins to come boppin' along.  Ladies, come inside the Women's Dept. at FL Crooks for your first taste of spring.  What you will see is a mix of the new and what may have been forgotten to create a fascinating Spring 2015 fashion scene.

Some trends to incorporate into your wardrobe for the upcoming season:

Kayla wearing a striped Tulle coat

- Graphic Prints are having a major moment in Spring 2015.  Tunics and dresses and skirts by Eva Varro, Sandra Darren, Clara Sun Woo, RD Style, and IC by Connie K are bold, fearless and make a statement.

- There is a nod to the 70's in Spring 2015.  A specific decade takes over the runways every season, and this time around there is a gentle look back to the decade that brought us an abundance of denim.   JAG is stealing the scene at FL Crooks & Co with customers excited about these awesome pants in a variety of colors and styles.

- Lace, Suede, and Fringe emerge with a fresh, modern look.  The free-spirited, bohemian look when done right, perhaps wearing just one piece, is quite beautiful.

- Out-of-the-ordinary Animal Prints continue to come alive in garments by Sno Skins and Tees by Tina.  Your wardrobe takes you on your own individual safari!   

- Sporty Minimalism features a pared down approach to all things athletic.  FL Crooks continues to offer a fine selection of The North Face, Patagonia, and prAna.

A detail here and there keep the looks fresh and appealing.

- Pops of Color resonate with everyone.   Gorgeous shades of reds, blues, and greens make tops by Tyler Boe and judy p irresistible.  Athletic shoes by Salomon and Merrell feature ingenious uses of color.  Colored footwear across the board remains strong.

- Stripes are bigger than ever this spring.  Check out the statement stripe in a fabulous spring coat by Tulle.  French Dressing Jeans (FDJ) returns to FL Crooks and Co better than ever with some great garments featuring clever uses of stripes. 

- Accessories Abound.   Scarfs are quite popular as is chunky jewelry.  Pandora has taken a floral approach with an entire white primrose collection.

- Laser-Cut Sweaters and dresses are fun and creative. 

We've got the look.  You've got the style.  Come in and create your own fashion sensation this Spring.  The fashion trends of the season come alive with you in them.  You and FL Crooks & Co.  We make a great team.  Together, we can make all things new!

Valentine Love Forever

O my luve's like a red, red rose

That's newly sprung in June;

O my luve's like the melodie

That's sweetly play'd in tune.   -Robert Burns

You don't need to justify your love, you don't need to explain your love; you just need to practice your love.   - Miguel Ruiz

The ancient Greeks categorized love into four forms:

- Philio (affectionate and tender platonic love);

- Storge (love for family and friends, often sacrificial);

- Eros (passionate and intense romantic love);

- Agape (unconditional love for our fellow human beings).

Pandora jewelry makes a statement this Valentines Day.

So, whether you want to celebrate a friend, a family member, a spouse, partner, soul-mate, or mankind in general, the month of February is a wonderful time to remember and revel in love in all its many forms.  Giving a gift from FL Crooks & Co is a wonderful way to practice the art of loving to those who hold an important place in your heart and in your life.

Jewelry makes a statement to your loved ones that they are cherished and appreciated.  Alex & Ani has some great ideas for February with special charms for their ever-popular bracelets - Cupid's heart, American Heart Association, Love, Key to My Heart, etc.  Brighton purses and belts and jewelry are known for their iconic heart motif.  Elle's jewelry has a little red ruby on each piece.  Kameleon rings and earrings and necklaces feature interchangeable pops to mix and match color.  Pandora has a dazzling pink display going on for the month of February and a Forever Mine Bracelet Gift Set promotion.

Accessories make great gifts as well.  How about a Hobo wallet in shades of  pink or red or the palette of the coming spring?  Cinda b bags and totes are machine washable and proudly made in the USA.

Check our the newest addition to the store - a Vermont company known as Commando which feature the logo, Better than Nothing Underwear.  The briefs are sure to please and delight.  Founder and designer, Kerry O'Brien, is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a patent-holding inventor.  She is ever-obsessive about fit and constantly searching for the most luxurious fabrics.  O'Brien states, When you have the right foundations, you feel that much more confident and beautiful." 

For the men in your life, FL Crooks & Co has some gift ideas that include:  Mighty Wallets, Happy Socks, SmartWool socks, Patagonia briefs, 2(x)ist briefs, The North Face caps, SlideBelts, Brighton belts, etc.

We carry Kid's clothing too:  The North Face, Spyder, Sugar Lips Tank Tops, UGGs, and Crocs.

From Valentine's Day and throughout the entire month, let February be the month to celebrate love in all its forms and in all its ways.  February - a month for giving - a month for loving - loving that lasts forever.

Wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy, and Hopeful 2015!

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!" - Hamilton Wright Mabie

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity."  - Melody Beattie

Thank you to all of our wonderful customers and friends at FL Crooks & Co. and www.flcrooks.com.
Our deepest and heartfelt thanks to you for making this store and website a reality.  We have had an awesome year, and we want to say 'thank you'!  We look forward to working with you in the New Year 2015.  May the coming year bring you much joy, love, peace, hope, faith, and renewal!

FL Crooks & Co

Premiering... prAna - Purposeful, Playful, Practical!

"All there is to do, right at this very moment, is breathe in, breathe out, and kiss the joy as it flies."  - Dani Shapiro

"Wonder is the heaviest element on the periodic table.  Even a tiny fleck of it stops time."  - Diane Ackerman

At this most wonderful time of the year, we would like to introduce you to a new friend that will enable you to embrace the 'joy as it flies' with a sense of wonder - a clothing line - that will stick closer to you than a brother or sister.  After all, when you reach into your closet, don't you want to pull out something that reflects who you are?  Don't you want to wear an article of clothing that states how you feel and what you value most in life?  Of course you do!  Friends, I would like to introduce you to that clothing line for your active lifestyle which I have been referring to - prAna!

With headquarters in Carlsbad, California, prAna has now been in existence for over 22 years.  The name comes from Saskrit for "breath, life, and vitality of the spirit".  The company has a mission to give more that they take from the world and its resources. 

The prAna "Diva" jackets feature Sherpa interior lining.

Hence, the clothing of prAna is made with fewer toxins and chemicals.  The materials feature organic cotton, natural fibers, and recycled materials.  PrAna fabrics include flex, bliss, stretch ripstop, micropoly, sutra, veeda, hemp blend, zion, jacquard, and chakara. 

Making good stuff in a good way, prAna became the first apparel company in the Outdoor Industry to offer Fair Trade certified styles.  Fair Trade is a product-certification system that allows people to identify products that meet agreed upon environmental, labor and developmental standards.  For Spring 2015, prAna is expanding its Fair Trade offering to 12 styles.

Stand up to the elements in this sustainable apparel for yoga, climbing, and outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts.  The distinctive look and versatile designs of prAna keep you warm and dry and are mindfully designed, with the user in mind.  The clothing is built to last with excellent wearability and wrinkle resistant properties.  Your prAna pieces, ranging from winter coats to shirts and vests and caps, for both men and women, will become your "go to" pieces in your active lifestyle.

Jim Crooks, of FL Crooks & Co, first encountered prAna at the Outdoor Show in Salt Lake City in February 2014 and is pleased now to offer this wonderful line of clothing to the community.  The versatility, quality, and distinctive look of prAna have made the clothing an instant best-seller with its introductory offering here.

Sharing your kindred spirit of being present and in the moment, celebrate the spirit of prAna with their emphasis on sustainability, community, and right action.

Do stop in at FL Crooks & Co in downtown Clarion and on our website, www.flcrooks.com,  and check out our offerings of this innovative and creative line of clothing.

Wishing you all the blessings of the season - love, joy, peace, faith, hope!  May 2015 be a year of wonder for you and yours!

Gratefully,

Lydia

We're 'Wooly-Bully' Wild on Wool This Winter!

SmartWool socks

Brrrrrr!  Baby, it's oh so cold outside.  As the temperatures drop, it's time to bring out the wool for some wonderfully warm wearability!   When you talk about wool, a term that inextricably comes up in the conversation is Merino wool which, of course, comes from Merino sheep. 

One of the world's oldest, toughest and economically viable breeds of sheep, Merino sheep originally came from Turkey and central Spain.  The wool of Merino sheep is finely crimped and soft and suitable for blending with other fibers such as silk and cashmere.

Furthermore, Merino wool is becoming more and more common in athletic wear.  This can be attributed to the following attributes of Merino wool:

- It's excellence in regulating body temperature. 

In a process known as 'wicking', Merino wool draws moisture away from the skin.  Like cotton, wool absorbs water, but, unlike cotton, wool retains warmth when wet.  Hence, wool helps the wearer avoid hypothermia.

Ibex vest featuring Merino wool.

- It's amazing antibacterial properties.

Bacteria cannot find a solid surface to grow on with the uniquely thin individual fibers.  And like most wool, Merino wool contains lanolin.

- It's highly breathable quality.

Individual fibers can absorb up to 30% of their own weight in moisture yet retain elasticity.

- It's strength.

Merino wool is extremely durable.

At FL Crooks & Co, check out our clothing lines featuring wool including Ibex, SmartWool,

Raffi, Viyella, and Wigens.  The Ibex brand features high performance, casual, out-door inspired clothes.  SmartWool features a large array of socks:  Snowboard, Lifestyle, Hiking, Running, and Kids too!  Gift sets containing 3 pairs of socks are a great idea for under the Christmas tree.  A wonderful assortment of Raffi shirts are available for men - full zips, quarter zips, crew necks, mock necks, and V- necks in gorgeous colors.  Rob has the highest of praise for the Raffi sweaters for men - "They're phenomenal!"  The Viyella shirts for men feature a wool blend with 20% wool.  And to top off your outfit, a Wigens cap sets you in fine style for the winter.

For your winter wear - FL Crooks & Co - and we're not pulling the wool over your eyes!

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Slide into Style in Your Sensational SlideBelt!

Extra!  Extra!  Read all about it!   If you haven't already heard about a new staple on the fashion scene, please read on!  An item like this only comes around once a decade or so.

It's simple.  It's stylish.  Certain to revolutionize a man's wardrobe, it's the new SlideBelt.

Designed in El Dorado, California, the SlideBelt is fully adjustable and features removable  rachet buckles which are durable and easy to use.  There are no holes whatsoever.

Ten years ago, Brig Taylor was teaching abroad in Moldova.  One of his students, Oleg, gave Brig a ratchet belt he had found while serving in the Russian military.  Rather than the traditional fastening method of holes and a prong, this belt featured a tab on the buckle that racheted into teeth-like ridges.  The ridges were sewn to the back of the leather strap.

Brig and his wife, Michelle, put their heads together to come up with an improved and refined design.  After receiving a patent on their concept, they placed their first order for 400 belts.  Six years later, the Taylor's placed another order for 600 belts.  With growth came a move from the Taylor's garage into new office space and voila! .  As they say, the rest is history.  With sales of nearly 40,000 belts in 2013, SlideBelts is well on its way to becoming a household word.

The Men's department at FL Crooks & Co is pleased and delighted to be offering the SlideBelt in leather, as well as in fabric designs, in several colors including black, brown, cognac, grey, and camo.  Rob points out that this makes a perfect gift because you don't need to know the size of the recipient.  Moreover, Rob states that the SlideBelt is "for the guy who puts a belt on and is always between holes.  This eliminates that.  Everyone who works here has one!"

No ordinary fashion accessory, this $65 SlideBelt is a new paradigm of style.  Functional and affordable, maybe it's time for you to try one or buy one for the special man in your life.  Oh, and pass the potatoes please!

Happy Thanksgivingtide!

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