Columnist Muriel Stevens: Warehouse sale has wide appeal

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 | 8:23 a.m.

Whether you're a man who likes to dress up or dress down, you'll enjoy Hickey-Freeman's biannual warehouse sale taking place through May 28 at the Vegas Pointe Plaza at 9155 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

On sale are 5,000 suits, 2,000 sports coats, 2,500 trousers, shirts, ties and accessories and luxury sportswear at greatly reduced prices. Raincoats, in sizes ranging from 37 short to 50 extra long, are reduced in price as much as 75 percent.

The Bobby Jones collection is also up for grabs. Store hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Come early.

Good for a laugh: One of the funniest gifts I've ever received is the new PaperPalm from Chronicle Books. Sleekly wrapped in high-tech plastic, the PaperPalm is a terrific spoof of the electronic Palm Pilot.

"Get back to basics with PaperPalm, the new alternative to the electronic hand-held device. With a pencil included, you'll have no trouble using this old-fashioned organizer any time, anywhere -- even during takeoffs and landings."

This is according to the copy on the package. Inside is a Palm Pilot-size, spiral-bound notebook (the cover is a mock screen). The pencil-stylus is just a plain old pencil, but the chuckle that comes when you open the bag is worth the price of $4.95.

Land's End, color me pistachio: There's a new look in the Land's End catalog. The Land's End preppy look is still in the catalog, but, says Sid Mashburn, Land's End vice president of design, "The past few seasons women have been wearing items in neutral colors such as charcoal gray, black and khaki to the point of basics boredom."

Every season Mashburn and his staff travel markets worldwide in search of the right mix of color and pattern. Fashion-conscious women will be wearing such vivid color updates as coral, turquoise, mulberry and pistachio. Gingham is hot and so is awning stripes. Belts are making a comeback -- especially thin leather belts to accentuate a trim waistline. Colorful totes in canvas or woven-straw bags are also must-haves.

All of these colorful fashions are available from the Land's End spring catalog. Call (800) 356-4444 to receive one.

Soyful new products: A friend turned me onto Dr. Soy products: soy bars, chocolate-covered and plain soy nuts (roasted soy beans) and trail mix. I don't know whether to thank her or complain.

These new soy products developed by Dr. Ari Babaknia, a Johns Hopkins-trained and California-based women's health specialist, taste wonderful and are packed with high-power nutrition. A single Dr. Soy bar ($1.39) packs 11 grams of high-quality soy protein, essential vitamins and minerals (100 percent) and an average of 40 percent of daily calcium requirements.

All Dr. Soy foods are made with non-gmo (not genetically modified) soy beans. I've tasted the soy bar, trail mix and the single-size roasted soy beans. They were delicious. And, after I read the nutritional info on the label, guilt-free. My only doubts concerned the chocolate-covered soy nuts. Way too good for guilt-free.

Available now in Spartan health food stores and Wild Oats, Dr. Soy products will soon be available at supermarkets and convenience stores.