Periscope

Though they represent a mere 1 percent of Britain's labor force, the workers are having a big impact, says Spencer, because they are integrating easily in British society. They also give Britain a competitive advantage over its Continental rivals that will last until they loosen labor laws that make it much tougher to hire and fire.

Rana Foroohar

Fashion: Is Corn the New Cotton?

Corn on the ... bod? Earlier this month, at the Biotechnology Industry Organization convention in Chicago, Ford fashion models strutted down a catwalk in dresses by designers like Oscar de la Renta made of fabric produced from corn kernels. Called Ingeo, the material is "thin and comfortable" and "doesn't stretch or rip," says Melissa Sack of Moral Fervor, which is launching an Ingeo T-shirt line. (Armani is putting an Ingeo knit shirt in its spring-summer 2006 collection.) "But the main reason we're using it is it's sustainable." Unlike nylon and polyester (oil-derived synthetics), Ingeo is made from a renewable crop: animal-feed corn, of which U.S. farms produce about 12 billion bushels annually. There are downsides, however. The fabric is machine-washable but can melt if ironed, and it costs a bit more than cotton or polyester. Still, corn-derived materials are versatile. Among other uses, they can be made into beer cups, as they are for Minnesota T-Wolves games.

Karen Springen

Books: Winning Words