It made denim an acceptable addiction, provided us with provocative ad campaigns and designed with quality materials that could last a lifetime. Diesel Denim is a staple in many a fashionable person's closet. In 1997, Diesel added DSL55 — a line inspired by extreme sports like surfing, snowboarding and skating while infusing design elements from urban culture. The pieces are sleek, with graphic designs, bright colors and intricate details.

Best of all, it's affordable. With retail prices starting at $20, it's possible to express your individuality and feel fabulous on a budget.

Find DSL55 exclusively at Second Skin, in Ward Warehouse; 593-1056.

— Lacy Matsumoto

STYLISH GRINDS

The Honolulu Advertiser's fashion magazine, U, is just out this weekend in local Starbucks and boutiques. Putting together the mag was an adventure. For example: In scouting our photo shoots, we tested out a variety of locations, including some stylish and down-to-earth places to grind. Here are some tips that are the fruit of our research, conducted while putting together the "Uptown/Downtown" fashion feature in U.

Can't wait to see a copy of the mag? Find the stories online at www.umaghawaii.com.

SOPHISTICATED SIPPING

Restaurant Epic: Need a vacation? Epic's sleek, golden interior quickly fools you into thinking you're in San Francisco or New York. The upscale fusion fare (Epic stands for Euro-Asian Pacific International Cuisine) enhances its cosmopolitan appeal. You'd think there'd be big city prices to match, but for happy hour, executive chef David Hoffman has crafted a delectable pupu menu for a surprisingly small chunk of change. Wash it down with an Epic signature mojito and remember why you're lucky you live Hawai'i. Pau hana: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. 1131 Nu'uanu Ave.; 587-7877, www.restaurantepic.com.

Amuse Wine Bar: Wine-dispensing ATMs are a dangerous proposition for oenophiles, especially with 80 selections to choose from. On Thursdays, $25 gets you $50 on your reusable wine card, making it easier to justify a taste of pricey, megastar wines like Opus One and Silver Oak — after all, where else can you buy happiness by the ounce? Open daily, 4:30-10:30 p.m. Honolulu Design Center, 1250 Kapi'olani Blvd.; 956-1250, www.honoluludesigncenter.com.

E&O Trading Co.: There's a little slice of the Silk Road in Honolulu, and it's right between Borders and Compadres in Ward Center. The rich, exotic decor and heady specialty cocktails — ask for the Elixir of the Day — make workday angst vanish into thin air. At $1 a pop, the sweet corn cakes and smoky kebabs won't pinch your paycheck, either. Aladdin's got nothing on these guys. Pau hana: 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Ward Center; 591-9555, www.eotrading.com.

BREWS AND GRINDS

The Varsity: Revamped decor, new management and a fresh coat of paint have done wonders for The Varsity, formerly the amicable yet grimy Magoo's Pizza. The mainstay draws — great pizza and ridiculously cheap beer — are still there, and new additions like a sushi bar and curry stand (not to mention clean bathrooms) mean The Varsity isn't just for the college set anymore. Big-screen TVs make this a choice spot for catching the game, too. 1015 University Ave., in Puck's Alley.

Side Street Inn: This unpretentious backstreet Kaka'ako diner has long been a favorite of top chefs and savvy locals alike. Pau hana easily turns into dinner when faced with broke-da-mouth pupu like Big Island smoked pork, Manila clams, and the chef's special fried rice. A ranking bar and wine selection seal the deal. 1225 Hopaka St.; 591-0253.

8FatFat8: It's got the requisite ancient carpeting, neon signs and caved-in booth that eats unsuspecting newcomers, but what makes this Beretania Street dive bar a classic is the above-average brew selection, rowdy dart tournaments and quite possibly the best poke in town. 100 N. Beretania St.; 550-8815.

— Melissa May White

INSIDER READ

Read just a paragraph or two of Derek Bickerton's "Bastard Tongues" (Hill and Wang, $26) and you'll wish your linguistics (or English or language arts) teacher had been equally interesting. In this esoteric but somehow captivating book, Bickerton begins with a typically atypical story: How his passion for the study of language was first ignited over a beer in a bar in Ghana. After listening to Bickerton natter on about the difficulties of teaching English literature to West Africans, this guy (who just happened to be passing through) says, "You should study linguistics." Now Bickerton is an emeritus professor at the University of Hawai'i and has written several texts on the subject (and four novels).

Well, it's the kind of book you hear about on National Public Radio and immediately want to buy because the author is so articulate. And isn't that what a linguist should be?

— Wanda Adams

SALES & BARGAINS