Several years ago, Myrtle Beach businessman Frank Ferree made a fashion discovery during a trip to Asia. He purchased a new belt, and as he tried it on, realized it was unlike any he'd ever seen - it didn't have any holes.
"I asked the store clerk where the sizes were," Ferree says. "And he said, 'No sizes, you just cut it off.' I thought, 'My goodness, where have you been all my life?'"
When he returned to the States, he tried to find more of these adjustable belts but came up empty-handed. So he partnered with his son David, who lives in Raleigh and created Anson Belt and Buckle ( www.ansonbeltandbuckle.com). To the Ferrees, the idea of an adjustable, hole-free belt just made sense.
"You speak to any man, and he's had to make a hole in his belt at least once, and it's really hard to get the perfect fit," David Ferree says.
The pair took their idea to Raleigh industrial design firm Laut Design to improve on the basic concept. The buckles use a magnet-and-lever system to allow the wearer to adjust the length by quarter-inches, rather than one-inch increments like traditional belts. Each leather strap comes in a minimum length of 48 inches, which can be trimmed to fit the wearer.
"With this belt, you don't have any holes, so you don't get the wear on the tongue as you do with the customary kind of belt," Frank Ferree says. "And if you've eaten a little too much for dinner, you just hit that little lever and adjust it, and it gives you another quarter of an inch."
Though they lacked professional fashion design experience, the two pulled from their own sense of style to help create a clean, classic look.
"I've always been interested in clothing and design and dressing nice and enjoying nice clothes - I was even voted best-dressed in high school my junior year," David Ferree says. "I never saw myself working in the fashion industry, but looking back now, it makes sense."
The duo is working to expand the line with different styles, and eventually, women's belts. In the meantime, they're enjoying the opportunity for quality family time.
"This business gives us a chance to see each other a lot, and we talk a lot more than we used to," Frank Ferree says. "And I think it's just great."
Not too hot to ho ho ho
With all this heat, Christmas is probably the last thing on some people's minds. But Cute Buttons Gift and Paper Boutique has the holiday spirit with its Christmas in July Open House, noon-7 p.m. Thursday.
The event is a storewide clearance. There will also be gift basket and bow-making demonstrations 6-7 p.m. Reservations are required for demonstrations.
Cute Buttons Gift and Paper Boutique is at 312 W. Chatham St., Cary. 462-9618, www.shopcutebuttons.com
A show of good faith
Each year, the Crape Myrtle Festival throws a party in downtown Raleigh to benefit AIDS-related charities. This year, Saks Fifth Avenue and The Borough pub are getting in on the fun with "Saks in the City," a fashion show 1-3 p.m. Sunday at The Borough, 317 W. Morgan St. in Raleigh.
The show will feature men's and women's summer fashions, with a preview of fall trends. Models include customers of the downtown eatery, along with Crape Myrtle Festival volunteers.
Tickets are $10, and attendees will receive a three-day coupon for 15 percent off purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue in Triangle Town Center.
For more information, 832-8433 or www.theborough raleigh.com
Sharing his knowledge
Celebrity hair stylist Oribe, who was raised in Charlotte, was in town last week visiting the Samuel Cole salon in Raleigh. We didn't get to visit him there, but we did have a brief chat over the phone.
We asked the gracious Oribe, who splits his time between Miami and New York, about the summer braids trend. He offered some advice for perfecting the look.
"Use a great gel in each section," he said. "Smooth it through the braid for shine and control. Although, I think the messy look is great; I love it." (Oribe has a product line, by the way, that includes gels.)
Oribe, a native of Cuba, also talked about what's coming in the fall. He did the hair for Vogue's September and November issues, and he sees glamour.
"A side part with a wave; texture is beautiful," he says. "I saw a question in a magazine that said, 'When did chic become so cool?' People think a city like Charlotte, where I'm from, is behind the times, but all women want to look chic."
Are we having a "Mad Men" moment? we asked.
"That 50s era is great," he said. "I just did Anne Hathaway for Vogue in a '50s style. Just not long hair hanging. It's just extremely sexy."
Oribe likes the classic look for men too. "I like Cary Grant, those good head shapes," he says. "I think the beaver haircut [a short buzz cut] on men is too much for older guys."
As you can tell, Oribe travels in rarefied circles. He doesn't take it for granted.
"It's been amazing," he says of his career journey. "We all have dreams of all sorts, and we should go for them.
"I've been doing this for 30 years and this is the best time in my career. I get to travel and go to great salons, like Samuel Cole."
Staff writer Adrienne Johnson Martin contributed to this report.
