The Mackie line is called B'Zar, and it skews young and slim. Since everyone in Naples is young at heart, at least, you only need to be thin; and, believe me, seeing these dresses is the best incentive I can think of to start a diet. Most of the frocks are bias cut, have ruffles and beading. and are asymmetrical. The backs are as alluring as the fronts and the colors are luscious, many of them in the tropical sherbet colors we Southwest Florida women wear year-round. Most show enough skin to be considered Sex and The City good.

This small but comprehensive dress shop doesn't do accessories: no bags, shoes or jewelry. The mannequins wear Bob Baker shoes-the store where owner Sara-Jo LaForge sends her clients when they need heels or sandals to match her fashionable ensembles. "We're not on the street to compete but to complete," says the 48-year-old former model, who has always worked in retail and realized her dream to own her own business when she opened Forever Classic.

LaForge is from the Northeast (and still keeps a house on Cape Cod) but knew the Naples area because her parents have been seasonal residents for decades. Now Mom works in the shop with Brandy, the family springer spaniel and the store mascot. Husband Scott is part of the enterprise, too, and does the buying trips with Sara several times a year. This is an excellent idea because men gravitate toward clothes that are sexy and intriguing. A pilot, Scott is executive vice president of Cape Air and Cape Air/Nantucket.

Besides the sensational B'Zar collection, Forever Classic excels in well-designed and beautifully tailored cocktail suits, evening gowns as well as day outfits and sportswear. Linen, cotton, silk, lace and chiffon are the fabrics of choice. The familiar quality names you'll find on the racks include Noviello Bloom, David Hayes, Terri John, Shomi, Chetta B and Frank Lyman. I'm really impressed with a design group called P.I.A.N.O., which does a terrific line of classy silk sportswear.

The sales associates are knowledgeable (some worked at Private Selections) and seem genuinely concerned with helping customers find exactly the right outfit for whatever the occasion. . Most of the inventory (excluding the B'Zar gowns and some other evening wear) consists of separates. Store associate Sue Pomeroy says that's because the fashion industry today has all but given up on the dress. "We try to stock as many as we can because so many women want them," she explains, "but this year they just aren't out there. Fashion designers are concentrating on mix-and-match separates. The little day dress is scarce." Nothing else in good taste and good quality is scarce at Forever Classic. This store is a small gem on a famous avenue that didn't quite have everything until LaForge appeared.

Forever Classic

643 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. 649-6498.

Have you heard of the right-hand ring or seen any of your friends wearing one? If not, you soon will. It's the newest jewelry expression for strong and confident women. Selecting and wearing a right-hand ring has nothing to do with love or men. It's a gift a woman gives herself as a reward or a statement about her contentment with life.

The brand-new Diamond District knows all about this trend and co-owners Todd Schusterman and Jason Sherman are ready to show you the collection or even help you design a custom ring of your own. Here's what they told me about the right-hand ring. While rings of love and marriage tend to have an east-west orientation, with the center stone reserved for the gem of devotion and esteem, the right-hand ring is different. This ring has a general orientation north-south. It goes up and down the finger and shows some metal between the diamonds, as opposed to a cluster look. The most popular metal right now is platinum or 18K Italian gold.

The right-hand ring is meant to be bold and lavish, dazzling onlookers with diamonds. It's definitely meant to make an impression when you shake hands. Ideally, this ring is chosen by the woman who is to own it in concert with a diamond expert who can advise on the setting, metal, the configuration of the diamonds and the quality of the stones. That's where Sherman and Schusterman come in, since they have scads more experience in the diamond business than their youthful faces would indicate.

The Diamond District actually wholesales diamonds-not to retail stores, but directly to you. Now doesn't that just make Schusterman and Sherman your new best friends? Their breathtaking cases are filled with exquisite diamond jewelry set in platinum and Italian gold. But many people come in to look at an assortment of diamonds and make their choice from the loose certified stones that the men bring out on black velvet trays. Then the diamonds are set by a Diamond District jeweler on the premises.

The Diamond District is an obvious resource for the engaged couple that wants the very best deal on the very best quality engagement ring. Others come in to add to an existing ring, bracelet or necklace. Still others come in to start from scratch and will select something from the case or consult with Sherman and Schusterman on designing a fabulous piece of custom jewelry. The store only carries diamonds and doesn't deal in watches. The inventory is expertly focused. The prices are quite astonishing-in a good way.

Diamond District

Bay Crossings Plaza, 26251 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs.947-3434.

In Southwest Florida we've definitely crossed the line. Our indoor and outdoor spaces are one continuous expanse designed for comfortable subtropical living and easy entertaining. That's the upside. The downside is that we now have to pay just as much decorating attention to the pool and patio area, the outdoor kitchen and the courtyard garden as we do to the master bedroom and den. Shopping for quality accessories that project a polished exterior design sense can be tricky. But recently, I wandered into a large emporium that can help you make progress. It's called Courtyard Décor.

You'll not find furniture there-I mean sofas, sideboards and armoires-but you will discover endless varieties of fountains (free standing and wall mounted), arbors, garden benches in gracefully worked metal or wood, fabulous urns of all sizes and finishes, accent tables, ceramic and stone lamps, pedestals and garden statuary from tiny verdigris toads to life-size classic Grecian or French maidens. I found gorgeous plateware from Italy, beautiful throw pillows, silk flowers, even garden books.

The architectural fragments are fascinating. Most of the tall columns and huge pieces, meant to be wall hung, look like antique stone. But they are actually a lightweight composition. You simply pick them up and move them around. Rome may not have been built in a day, but you surely could construct your outdoor design scheme in a single day with what you could haul home from Courtyard Décor.

The objects of desire come mostly from Europe (Italy mainly), Canada, Asia, Mexico and California. Karen Talford helps run the family business founded two years ago by her mother-in-law, Doris, an 83-year-old of great energy and with a sharp eye for what will work in these Southwest Florida homes. Consequently, you can find massive items to complement high ceilings and wide spaces. But the Talfords also emphasize smaller treasures for someone who needs to make a petite condominium terrace a small jewel of outdoor grace and elegance.

The price range is impressive. I spotted a basket of textural botanical gift enclosures for $1.95. Probably the most expensive item in the store is $6,000 for a hand-painted lava stone tables from Deruta, Italy.

Courtyard Décor's 5,000-square-foot gallery is organized like a big outdoor pavilion with a cool stone floor, vine-covered trellises and bubbling fountains creating soft, soothing sounds. It's both relaxing and energizing to shop here. There's a dreamy comfortable ambience that envelops one who wanders through these faux trees and plants and garden furniture. But you should also be so inspired by the possibilities for your own home that you'll be anxious to start putting things together for a custom look. And because there is no longer any clear demarcation between outside and inside, many of the things you'll find at Courtyard Décor are exactly right for the bedroom, dining area and family room.

You're bound to notice several (actually 30) framed photos of two adorable dogs as you travel through the store. The cuties are Josie and Minnie, two sister Havanese dogs that belong to the Talford family. These smart and good-natured little canines were originally bred in Cuba, where they were the dogs of choice for the wealthy. The Talfords found theirs through a breeder near Venice. One belongs to store owner Doris Talford and the other is at home with Karen and Rick Talford. But usually, Minnie and Josie are side -by side someplace in the building, reminding us that lovable pets are often part of a good design scheme.

Courtyard Décor

Riverchase Commons at Immokalee Road, 1020 Crosspointe Drive, Naples. 592-6062.