Trends in the news

Monday, June 29, 1998 | 10:44 a.m.

Newlyweds' games

June brides and grooms may still be unwrapping wedding gifts and nibbling on the remnants of their wedding cakes. But what do they really know about each other?

A new book, aptly titled "Just Married" (Andrews McMeel, $8.95) tackles a ton of 1990s newlywed trivia. Father and daughter authors Barry Sinrod and Marlo Grey sent questionnaires to 10,000 couples throughout the country who were married two years or less. Here's what they came up with:

In the romance department, about 34 percent of grooms carried their brides over the threshold; 61 percent say theirs was love at first sight.

Then there's the kinky stuff: Some 70 percent of couples say they sometimes fool around sexually while driving, while 67 percent shower together. Another 31 percent admit they've made love to a sleeping spouse.

As for finances, 57 percent of newlyweds paid for their own weddings, while 84 percent of the men splurged on engagement rings for their brides, at an average cost of $3,155.

Island chic

If you're a guy who wouldn't be caught dead wearing one of those obnoxious, floral-patterned Aloha shirts, stop reading.

You won't care that these shirts are the must-have fashion accessory of the summer. Or that Elvis Presley sported one in the 1963 movie "Blue Hawaii." Even Frank Sinatra wore one in "From Here to Eternity." Lest we forget Tom Selleck's "Jungle Bird" shirt from his "Magnum P.I." days (it hangs in the Smithsonian Institution).

"Ralph Lauren's doing it. Armani's doing it. Everybody's got a piece of it in their summer line. It's considered to be in good taste," John Coumbe, owner of the high-end John's & Co. men's store in Phoenix, told The Arizona Republic.

Good taste means that more touristy prints -- polyester shirts in Pepto-Bismol pink -- are not part of the trend. Rayon, Egyptian cotton and textured silk are this year's hot fabrics.

"It's not flashy. It's low-key," Coumbe said. "It could be orange as long as the pattern is simple and not overpowering." And it may be worth holding onto for a while: Older Aloha shirts, considered American folk art, are now collector's items.

In search of a silver lining

So you've missed your airplane connection because another flight was delayed. The airline has lost your tickets and your luggage. And when you finally reach your hotel room, it looks nothing like the brochure.

Never fear -- your summer vacation isn't a total loss, according to Hampton Inn & Suites hotels, which has compiled tips on how to handle traveling pitfalls:

Ask to be put on the next available flight if yours has been delayed or cancelled. Some airlines will issue you a refund, though they are not required to do so by law. Nor must they provide overnight accommodations for flights delayed more than four hours. Ask for these services, however, as most will not offer them unless you speak up.

Is the view from your hotel room not what you expected? Tell the hotel staff. Many hotels will give you a new room or offer other compensation before your stay is up.

If the weather has got you worried, consider investing in trip cancellation insurance, which typically covers unexpected illnesses or death, although some cover inclement weather.

Compiled by Lisa Ferguson