Even if you are busier than you ever thought it was humanly possible to be with your twin or multiple babies or twin toddlers, that doesn’t mean twin clothing fashion has to take a back seat when dressing your adorable multiples or twins. The year’s hottest baby and toddler children’s wear trends can easily be adapted to twin clothing or multiple clothing. We’re calling it “twin chic.” Just tear a page out of these five key fall and winter children’s twin clothing fashion trends to take you and your twins or multiples from the holidays through the entire winter in fashion.Color. Anything grey continues to be the major color story in the baby and toddler fashion world, but in a big change, last year’s predominant soft rain cloud grey palette expands into more grey family tones. These new shades vary from a soft sandy grey to light smoke grey to heather tones or even to deepest anthracite or charcoal grey. Joining the grey story is a subplot: fuchsia continues strong for children’s wear, either on its own or a great accessory color for paring with more neutral shades. More breaking news: in the fuchsia/ purple family, a brand new shade pops on to center stage — a soft rosy blush lilac that perfectly complements almost any neutral.Twin that Trend. Turn fashion trends into twin clothing trends. For the latest, fashion-forward trend, coordinate the various new grey hues with flashes of color in the accessories — socks or hats in this season’s must-have lilac (this year’s purple), or the new baby soft mint green.For example, pair matching grey t-shirts (smoke, or sand-grey) with new trendy complementary colors, as lilac or light mint, For a cute brother-sister look, stick to the grey t-shirts, but alternate sock colors s with lilac or softest pink for one, and navy blue socks for the other. Or try for the show-stopping “mirror” twin look — one twin with a soft grey T-shirt, and, for example, fuchsia socks, and the other twin wearing a fuchsia T-shirt with light grey socks. For multiples, you might want to “paint,” from light to dark tones, stepping from the lightest, softest grey t-shirt all the way up to charcoal grey for the final multiple. All perfectly coordinated, of course, with matching socks or hats in a complementary colorSnowflakes and reindeer. Coming on strong this year in the adult fashion world, traditional Nordic design elements – reindeer, snowflakes, fox faces, and evergreen pines — are popping up all over designs for babies and toddlers. Go all out with the ‘full Nordic” look, layering chunky knits l over cotton patterned cotton fleece reindeer sweaters, or just add just one snowflake or reindeer design to evoke the soft snows and deep woods of a winter wonderland. Don’t be afraid to mix and match a profusion of patterns, colors, and fabrics — a hallmark of this style — sometimes even in just a single garment.Twin that trend. Just a single snowflake pattern on a cotton sweater takes you and your twins to the height of Nordic fashion, but for the maximum baby or toddler chic, add chunky pieces of different fabrics and textures over soft, patterned basics. Plump for symmetry chic, and dress multiples in matching snowflake patterns — or because no two snowflakes or children are alike, mix variations of Nordic design elements on each child. Tie the look altogether for both twins, selecting one matching piece — identical Nordic-patterned scarves, for example — or match different fabrics and patterns all in the same color family to pull it all together for your little fashionistas.Stars and stripes and polka dots.Last year’s stripe and polka dot explosion bursts over into this year’s fall and winter look, with new star patterns for added excitement. Everything from “business baby” pinstripes to wide broad nautical, sea-faring stripes and polka dots in all colors set the trends. For maximum excitement, pair stripped leggings with polka dot or start patterns. Pull together the look, by keeping it in the family — the same color family, selecting “clashing” patterns in the same or lighter or darker hues. And looking ahead to next year, dots are expanding to large circles of different colors in different sizes — taking off on the emerging trend of matching large blocks of color in a single garment.Twin that trend. Stripes line up on twin baby creepers, leggings, shirts in ‘business baby’ pinstripes, or wide blue and white stripes for the traditional nautical look, or multi-color stripes for color excitement. Mixing it up is a strong trend, so while you’re at it,pair that polka-dot baby t-shirt with striped leggings for true fashion flair, with one toddler in all stripes and the other in color-coordinated polka dots. Or mix and match patterns on both, with one identical accessory — the same polka-dot hat, for example — referencing one another.The folklore look. Taking off from last year’s hippie look, ethnic is in, incorporating velvet pieces, and drawing from Russian, African tribal and other patterns. This ornamental style is marked by passion for decoration, including frogged or toggled coat closings, and all matter of trims and braiding in swirling figure eights decorating sleeves and hems. Mix and match rich patterns with abandon, for a layered, Russian look for your little Ivans and Matryoshkas (Russian nesting dolls)Twin that trend. Perhaps no other style lends itself so well to mixing and matching for your multiples as the folklore look. Give in to your inner lavish, decorative style, randomly matching African batik patterns, with a small flower patterns in the same color pattern. However, avoid costume-y “dolls of many nations look,” referencing rather than reproducing a entire folklore look from one country or ethnicity on each twin.Eco-clothing and sustainability. Not so much a fashion as a way of life, soft clothing made from sustainable, all-natural fabrics such as 100% cotton, merino wool, and or silk is going mainstream, with almost all leading children’s clothing designers and brands offering an all-natural options. The look is recognized by soft prints, colors and dyes or graphics made with non-toxic, sustainable dye transfer prints.Twin that trend. Dress your multiples in coordinating looks and colors. Once your twins are old enough to express preferences, expect that they will choose the softest eco-clothing.
SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls
Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio
By Rob Isbitts
Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.
The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.
SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.
Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.
Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense
Segment: Inverse Equity
Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500
Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)
Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)
Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.
Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.
Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.
Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.
Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.
Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy
Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy
Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.
ETF Investment Opinion
SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.
The Google Apps Reseller Program
I feel there isn’t enough time in the day to do all the things I would like. Exploring Google and all they have to offer small business is something for which I do not have enough time. Even still, I would love to become well versed in their technology.Google has implemented a Google Apps Reseller, which should be of great interest to IT solution providers and professionals around the world. I have passion for internet technologies and Google has become a vital component of successful online businesses and careers. As an IT consultant, I don’t have the luxury of using time as an excuse. I need to know Google.I may not be a Google Authorized Reseller, but at least I’m taking advantage of Google technologies and services for my business and personal use. Google and their many webmaster tools has become a best friend for small businesses. They contribute to the open source community too, which I respect.If you’re in consulting business or an IT professional and you’re just using Google as a search engine, you’re missing out on some of today’s most important internet technologies. GMail is awesome email software and the convenience of Google Docs puts commercial applications to shame. But, it’s the Google API that truly makes it all so powerful.If you’re already in the IT industry and taking advantage of Google Apps for your business, you now have the opportunity to add Google Apps to your existing VAR business model. The Google Apps Reseller Program is an opportunity to strengthen relationships with existing clients and generate revenue by having Google as your partner.