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Talk of the Bay: Get dressed up - Camille La Vie is on its way

By Times Staff Writer
Published February 12, 2007

GET DRESSED UP: CAMILLE LA VIE IS ON ITS WAY

Where in the world is Camille La Vie? The special occasion formal wear and women's sportswear chain is opening the first of what could be a couple of Tampa Bay stores in University Mall this spring. There is no Camille, by the way. She's really a dressed-up suburban mall version of Group USA stores that sell formal, prom, bridesmaid and quinceanera (major 15th birthday coming-out celebrations in many Hispanic households) dresses at 26 outlet malls. Prom, homecoming and wedding dresses go for about $110, blazers $50 and casual pants $30.

Make sure that car isn't dripping

Buyer beware: That used car you're eyeing might have once been a water vessel, not a road warrior. A study released this month by Carfax found that the number of flood-damaged cars showing up for sale nationwide has doubled in the past five years. Thanks to Katrina and other hurricanes, the effect was most jaw-dropping in Gulf Coast states: The number of waterlogged wrecks rose 633 percent in Mississippi, 374 percent in Alabama and 343 percent in Louisiana. Florida, which saw a 96 percent increase in flooded cars, seems pretty lucky by comparison.

If you're a CEO, you like Florida

California may be cool. New York sophisticated. Massachusetts brainy. But if you're a CEO, those are the last three places in the United States where you want to do business. Florida, on the other hand, has ranked No. 3 on CEOs' favorite sites for the past three years, behind Texas and Nevada. That's according to an annual survey by Chief Executive magazine. Biz leaders praised these states for controlling taxes.

Ford rewards her vast charity work

Irma B. Elder has a hand in so many causes, there are almost too many to count. That's why Ford Motor Co. is honoring her in its annual Salute to Dealers. Elder runs Elder Automotive Group, which owns Aston Martin Jaguar of Tampa. Among other organizations, Elder supports the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, the Florida Orchestra, the Children's Museum of Tampa and St. Mary Episcopal Day School. Elder, one of nine 2007 recipients, got into the car business when she and her husband opened a Ford franchise in Michigan in 1967. When he died in 1983, she took over and became the first woman to own a Ford dealership in the Detroit area.

[Last modified February 9, 2007, 23:57:04]