Micah Joy Iaukea was on to something when she opened her storefront, Cloth, in the Ward area, which quickly caused a buzz among the fashion-conscious. Offering vintage-inspired clothing, handbags and jewelry, the lifestyle boutique is bright and desire-inducing. "I've collected vintage clothing for myself my whole life, but when I was opening up the store, I started collecting from the Mainland and estate sales here," Iaukea noted.

If you're on a tight budget and want a small makeover for your home, check out one of Iaukea's most popular designs — pillows made out of scraps of vintage material, in varied shapes, sizes and colors. "I used material that I couldn't turn into a dress or piece of clothing," Iaukea said. The bright colors and original designs provide a one-of-a-kind touch for your home. Pillows range from $10 to $60, depending on detail. Cloth Vintage, 909 Kapi'olani Blvd, Suite C-2; 597-9006, www.clothhawaii.com.

— L.M.

FRESH CATCH

One of Hawai'i's standard foods is poke; with so many vendors to choose from, though, it's hard to put your finger on the perfect serving. You want it fresh, chilled, with a firm yet buttery texture. Not too much sauce, not too little limu, not too much salt, but just right. Fresh Catch meets expectations, with gourmet choices such as kimchee tako, taegu 'ahi, pipikaula poke — and of course, 'ahi poke, old-style. Another good choice is limu kohu 'ahi poke, made with limu kohu from Maui. The limu is rare, and high in iron — good for a high-protein, low-fat diet. Check 'em out, and you might well walk out with more than you expected to.

"Oh yeah, our specialty is the furikake salmon — you have to try the two scoops of rice with da furikake on top, and grilled furikake-crusted salmon. It's 'ono," says Donna Baptise, a Fresh Catch cashier. Fresh Catch offers daily specials such as tomato basil ono on Tuesdays, 'ahi casserole on Thursdays and hot barbecue and smoked meats daily. Bring your recycling to the neighboring recycling center and receive 5 percent off your order every day. Fresh Catch, 3109 Wai'alae Ave., 10 a.m. -7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays; 735-7653 (735-POKE).

Heading to the Hawaii Ocean Expo at the Blaisdell today? See who ends up on top in the battle for Best Poke. Hawaii Ocean Expo, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. today, $5, $3 ages 6-12; www.freshcatch808.com.

— Lacy Matsumoto

SALES & BARGAINS

• There's not much worse (in terms of fashion crisis) than fretting over what to wear Monday morning. Our solution: a one-piece number. This could mean a strapless romper, and while that's fine for night, dresses are best for day. We love the chiffon, cotton and silk numbers out there. While best for the weekend, cute dresses are not weekend exclusive. Make your wardrobe work harder for you. Too much cleavage for work? Pile on a cute sweater and pin it asymmetrically with a cute broach, or twirl and nestle a scarf in your sweet spot to give you some warmth. Strip it off pau hana and you'll be set to meet friends for a drink or dinner. Find a massive selection of brooches at Express for less than $30. No need to blow your dough: These are things that you probably have lying around. Now is the time to get creative with your wardrobe. Express, Ala Moana Center; 955-5211.

• Spotted: a simple jersey dress with an attached tulle hem poking out from the bottom at a fancy boutique. It had a bit of elegance, more than you'd expect. For your unique take on this style on the cheap, use what you've already got and do a copy-cat look. Take a simple jersey tank dress (or large T-shirt tunic) and layer it over a flirty vintage slip. Don't have a slip with a flirty edge? Find one at any vintage boutique or thrift store, but look for one with lots of frill on the bottom. Add a colorful scarf or belt and rich boots or flats for a complete look. Visit Catherine's Closet, Goodwill or Salvation Army for slips.

• Neon — a retro trend, possibly reminiscent of better times back in the '80s, is back with a vengeance. Cute cutoff shorts in hot colors like neon yellow and violet purple are on sale at Levi's for $39.50. Not on sale but worth checking out are their stovepipe cropped jeans in similarly daring colors, including a vibrant electric blue, with zippered ankles. Hot. Ala Moana Center; 944-4090.

— Pualana Lemelle

RELEASES

GOING 'BARE'

Madeleine Peyroux walks about with a guitar case strapped to her back, ready to make music, as she's done since her teenage years when she busked on the streets of Paris singing old-style jazz and blues songs.

But she's no longer just playing a guitar or singing: on her new CD, "Bare Bones," she had a hand in writing each of the 11 songs.

It's a daring high-wire act for the 34-year-old singer who for the first time is working without the safety net of covering songs associated with Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, among others.

That approach helped launch Peyroux's career in 1996 with critically acclaimed debut album "Dreamland," followed with 2004's "Careless Love" and then 2006's "Half the Perfect World." Her last two CDs sold over 2 million copies.

"It feels like I have a clean slate to work with artistically," she said. ... "I think it's what's going to keep me going."

Musically, Peyroux says she's working with the same palette as on her previous albums — a blend of jazz, Americana roots and blues, all filtered through a contemporary prism. She dedicated the album's one entirely self-penned song, "I Must Be Saved," to her "spiritual grandmother," Odetta, who died in December.

— Charles J. Gans, Associated Press

WHAT'S ON YOUR IPOD?

DJ Elle

"Beatrific," Glass Candy

"Babylon Rewound," Thievery Corporation

"You Know I'm No Good," Amy Winehouse remix

"Bonafied Lovin'," Chromeo

"Must Be a Devil," Diplo