Snowboarders and other outdoor rockers can tote their iPods in a new electronic jacket with an iPod control system built in the arm that was introduced by Steve Jobs last week at MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. Wearers of the new Burton Amp (from Burton Snowboards and Apple) just touch the control pad on the jacket sleeve to change songs or volume levels while the tiny but mighty music system is tucked safely away in the chest pocket. Made of triple-layer Gore-Tex, the jacket is waterproof, seam-taped and fully machine washable - when the iPod is removed of course. Available in Mac and Windows versions, iPod holds up to 4000 songs. iPods start at $299. The jacket is priced at a hefty $499. Try one on at the Kenwood Towne Centre Apple store, but has to be ordered online.

Brighton Bonus: Think spring - as in "rain" - if you're headed for Brighton Collectibles at Kenwood Towne Centre. The creative leather specialist is giving away a specially designed umbrella Wednesday- Jan. 31 to customers who make a single purchase of $100 or more at the shop specializing in stylish handbags, belts, small leather goods, jewelry, eyewear, luggage, fragrances, gifts and bath and body products. 791-7780.

New bridal shop: The Reading bridal blocks just got a bit busier with the addition of Benson Street Bridal in the turreted Victorian at the corner of Benson and Reading roads (officially 8901 Reading Road). The shop is stocked with more than 600 pieces of the long and lovelies for brides, including designs by Eden, Jacqueline and Emme; bridesmaids dresses from 1001 Nights, Alexia and Song; children's attendants' dresses, and veils and tiaras.

Consultants will help with style recommendations as well as finding the closest match possible to that magazine photo you've been carrying around in your purse. Manager Linda Brandin says Benson Street Tux is on its way in next door. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Information: 821-2506.

Pack this: Leave it to a busy mom to come up with a dress so packable it comes in its own bag. The Web site is the result of Florida retailer/mom Maria Erickson who was fed up with the hassles of looking good and traveling. She had her sample maker whip up a simple-silhouette rayon dress and a new business was born. About the size of a travel umbrella, the dress-in-a-bag designs (long and short sleeved and cover-ups) fit in the corner of a suitcase or briefcase.

They are loose-fit designs in solids, florals and patterns and most are made of rayon and spandex or rayon and lycra knits. Priced $50-$74. Sizes 4 to 18.

Portable pucker power: Evening bags are getting smaller, so where's a girl to keep her lipstick? About 6 inches above the knee, according to Cargo, which has come up with a Lip Garter, a nylon/lycra/spandex piece of mesh that fastens around the thigh and holsters a tube of lipstick. $20 at www.sephora.com or www.beauty.com.

Bridal trunk show: Bridal and Formal in Reading has started the parade of bridal trunk shows.

Amsale bridal and bridesmaid gowns and designs from Fenaroli for Regalia will be shown during store hours Friday through Sunday at the 300 W. Benson St. store.

Information: 821-6622 .

Silly stat: Blame that bad calculus test score on a zit. Noxema, in hyping Triple Clean Antibacterial Lathering Cleanser ($3.99-$4.49 ), cited a nationwide survey of nearly 600 men and women ages 12 to 34.

Among its findings: one-third of adults (35 percent) and more than two-thirds of teens (69 percent) feel that a bad complexion increases their stress level and the majority of teens (61 percent) and 32 percent of young adults say bad skin affects their concentration at school or at work.

Contact Joy Kraft by phone: 768-8467; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: jkraft@enquirer.com.