Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Fall Trend: Over the Knee Boots

Alright, alright.  Even though I was a skeptic about these when they first started coming out, I'll admit I've started shopping for a pair of my own over-the-knee boots. 
We all know how much I love to lengthen my legs, but I knew that unless I was wearing a mini-skirt with these thigh-riding boots, my legs would look as short as stumps.  Since I'm not one to be wearing a mini-skirt, we needed an alternate outfit for this trend.  And then I saw women wearing these boots over skinny jeans and it looked great while lengthening their legs!  And yes, I did say skinny jeans don't flatter anyone because they point to your hips.  But if you put on an over-the-knee boot on top, it helps anchor your leg so the skinny jean isn't pointing to how big your hips are!  Problem solved, time to shop!

Personal favorites?
From Piperlime (where over-the-knee boots are ranked #1 on their fall trend list):

From Endless:

From Zappos:

Friday, August 27, 2010

Bummin' in my Bermudas

Yes, it's getting to be the end of the summer, but I have a feeling I'll be wearing shorts for at least a few more weeks.  But I'm not the type to be wearing just any 'ol pair of shorts, I'm always on the lookout for cute knee-length shorts, also called Bermudas.  And you would be surprised at where I find them.  My number one supplier of modest shorts?  Nordstroms.

Halogen is my favorite for shorts - nice classic look, but also trendy.  Plus, I love this olive they have.

















Not Your Daughter's Jeans also features a great pair of bermudas with their Tummy Tuck feature.


















And, for the fiinale, this great pair of maternity bermuda shorts from Momzee.  Where were these when I was pregnant?!














If you're looking for long, but maybe not as long as knee-length, check out J.Crew's chino shorts - inseams ranging from 3" to 9 1/2".

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Gap Friends and Family

Want 30% off shopping while giving back to the community?  Pick a non-profit to receive 5% of whatever you spend (at 30% off!!) and then invite friends to share in the joy!


Go here to start the process.  Non-profits include The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, WWF, Feeding America, RED, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Teach For America.  Now until August 29.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Color Trend: Gold and Glamorous

I've already expressed my undying love for Sephora, but I'm also loving their collections featuring great neutrals and golds.  Sephora's own brand is featuring a California Blonde
Spice up your nails with Only Gold for Me from OPI for your nails!
SEPHORA by OPI Only Gold For Me Top Coat Only Gold For Me

Monday, August 23, 2010

Kohl's Sale

Take an extra 15% off all merchandise at Kohls in-store and online through August 28.  Don't forget Kohls sells Simply Vera by Vera Wang and LC Lauren Conrad!


Enter LOWPRICE15 online or click here for a printable coupon.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Something is Wrong With This...

This jacket was featured in Ideeli's sale for Calvin Klein - featured in their "Special Sizes" section.  This is their plus size jacket.  Could someone tell me why they couldn't put a plus-size model in the jacket?  Who would want to buy this jacket when its just hanging on a way too small of a model?
Applause to Calvin Klein for selling petite and plus-size, but really, didn't someone think this picture through?!?

Friday, August 20, 2010

Closet Constant: The Perfect Jean

I'm a big believer in pieces for your wardrobe that will last through trends, seasons, and years. I like to call them Closet Constants - your great basic pieces, like your favorite t-shirt, the little black dress, the classic pump, etc. Most of my clients who struggle with their closets and feel like they never have anything to wear have invested too much in trends and fads. They don't have a classic go-to outfit, for whatever type of occasion. Closet Constants should be the staple pieces in everyone's wardrobe.

Today's Closet Constant is the perfect pair of jeans for your body. The kind you can throw on for a afternoon in the park or you can dress up for a night on the town. Read on for why you need it, where you can find it, and how to get it at a great price.

Why you need it: The jean! Denim! Who doesn't own at least two pairs? It's the perfect solution to the "I don't feel like getting ready today" symptoms! The best part? If you get the perfect pair of jeans for your body type, you can throw on the jeans, add some jewelry to accessorize, a great pair of heels, and head out the door feeling confident - you know you'll always look good in your favorite jeans!

Where you can find it: It's harder to find a store that doesn't sell jeans than to find a store that does. Even White House Black Market, a retailer that sells predominately all white and black clothes, sells denim. You can find it anywhere. The trick is to find the retailers, boutiques, and brands that sell the fit you like best.

Bootcut: The bootcut comes in slightly at the knee and then gradually flares out at your foot. Complementary for everyone, this jean is the most versatile for any body type - even adding some curve to the rectangular bodies out there!

Straight: The straight fit is a slender fit from you hips down to your foot. This fit comes in a close second on how versatile it can be to body shapes. This type of fit will also outlast the skinny trend and is more flattering anyhow!

Flare: The flare jean is slender from the hip to the knee and flares from the knee to the foot. This type flatters best for triangular and oval body types.

Skinny: Alright, I'll admit it. Skinny doesn't look good on anyone. Even if you are as rectangular as they come, skinny jeans are just going to make your hips look huge. They will even point to how big they have made your hips look. Having admitted that, I have seen freakishly long-legged woman who look like poles more than humans, and they look good in skinny jeans. For the rest of us normal, average, humans, steer towards a straight leg rather than skinny.

How to get it at a great price: The easiest way to get it at a great price is to shop the sales (of course). But, if you're in a pinch and need a great pair of jeans quick, here are some places that have great jeans at a good price: Target, H&M, and Gap.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Express Sales

Now through Sunday, Express is offering $30 off your $75 purchase, or $15 off your $30 purchase.  Print coupon here or enter code 2927 at checkout online. Happy Shopping!

Gap Groupon

Heard of Groupon?  The more people who buy, the more you save?  Well, today they are featuring a Gap coupon.  Buy it for $25 and it's worth $50 in the store.  Like the prospect of saving 50%?  Check out the coupon here.  Available only today.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Amazon Sale

Shopping for back-to-school? Shop at Amazon.com and get $10 off $50 and $25 off $100 on kids, juniors, and young mens clothing. Ends August 31.



Monday, August 16, 2010

Badgley Mischka Sale

I love Badgley Mischka shoes, but unfortunately, they don't always land in my budget.  But good news for fans out there - ideeli is having a sample sale with prices starting at $59 ranging up to $129.  Hurry, sale will only last for a day or two!

Fall Trend: Leopard Print

Leopard is this year's new accent item.  Lucky Magazine has it picked for this fall's best trend (as featured with a Calvin Klein scarf for $19.99).  Ann Taylor is favoring leopard print as well and it's popping up in dresses, skirts, blouses, and shoes. Even Banana Republic is featuring leopard.  Lucky for me, I love leopard and have it stored in my closet in belts and accessories for great accent pieces.  What item do you love to wear most in leopard print?

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Banana Republic Discount

I love this length of dress (or skirt) for these types of shoes (my favorite nickname being shobooties).  If the dress gets much longer, you cut off the leg line creating much shorter legs.  And really, who wants that?

Spend $125 or more online and receive 25% off your entire purchase until August 22. Enter BRFORYOU at checkout.

Eliza Magazine

Check out this quarter's Eliza Magazine.  I like the article on Tina Fey - they demonstrate how she dresses to her body type.  Makes me feel good knowing even actresses have to pay attention to their not-so-favorable parts.  Check out the articles and photo shoot on wedding dresses as well.


Friday, August 13, 2010

Fall Trend: Leather

Leather is the must-have jacket for this season (and you know how I'm slightly obsessed with great jackets).  Armani Collezioni has a great leather jacket for $2,380,

which of course, is out of my price range, and probably yours as well...so I found this jacket at Banana Republic (shop sales and with coupons)

and this one at Gap (shop some more sales)

and this faux one (which is really in my price range) at Forever 21 for $39.80.

Pair it with a great pair of shoes from Endless.com. 


Happy leather shopping!!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Shabby Apple Sale

Get 10% off all Shabby Apple dresses by using INDIANSUMMER10OFF.

Gap Sale

Shopping for Fall trends?  Take a look at Gap and get 20% off mens and womens clothing.

Check out my favorites for this season!
*Online only, use GAP2010 at checkout.  Sale until August 16.  Excludes jeans and is only valid on full-priced items.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

6 Basic Pieces

This group took 6 pieces from their wardrobe and wore the same items for an entire month. This is how their experiment went.


I'm all for a shopping diet and even a closet clean-out - it just shows how far you can go with so little. So even on a budget you can still be creative with accessories to make a new outfit everyday.

My suggestion? Keep basic pieces in your wardrobe that you can build off of with the fad pieces of the season. For example, a great pencil skirt goes great with a fluttery sleeved blouse from this season, even if the blouse is out of fashion by next year.

UntitledFashion Trends & Styles - Polyvore


What six pieces would you wear for a month?

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Diaper Bag Dilemma

As I was getting ready for my journey into motherhood, my biggest dilemma was what kind of diaper bag I should get.  Being on a student budget, a Petunia Pickle Bottom was way out of my budget (although I love the Cake collection).
Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Diaper Bag Dancing In Dublin
But I just couldn't bring myself to buy any diaper bag - add on top of that we didn't find out the gender until our little girl's birth, and that really limits our selection - there is NO such thing as gender neutral in cheap diaper bag world.

So I did what I do best, and shopped.  And shopped.  And shopped.  And never found one that I liked that I could justify spending that much money on.  So I bought a purse.  A big purse, thinking that it would be just as good as any expensive diaper bag (although it doesn't have the fold out changing pad). Yep, I bought a stylish Kate Landry purse that I figured could fit baby's needs plus my wallet, keys, and cell phone.

And then the baby came...and I found it a little too difficult to give up my purse, and my independence in that purse - I couldn't consolidate to just a diaper bag.  I needed my two lipglosses, my BandAid Friction Block Stick, my lotion, my coupons for those stores I just might wander into, my Hollywood Fashion Tape, etc. and then my wallet, keys, and cell phone.  Carrying two purses (okay, so one is kind of a diaper bag) around? Not so fun.

So I finally gave up my individual purse and consolidated my belongings into a bigger wallet with more pockets that could fit in at least some of the items I couldn't part with.  Yes, I've managed, and no, I haven't been anywhere and thought "I really wish I had _______."  Although that did happen once where I wish I had a diaper...

And so I say farewell to my old purse, and to my independence of having everything I need at my fingertips!
 

Monday, August 9, 2010

Ann Taylor

All full-priced Ann Taylor dresses are now 30% off!

For a triangle-shaped body, try their stretch cotton shirtdress.

For an upside-down triangle, try their silk/ponte shirtdress.

For an hourglass, try their asymmetrical neck knit dress.

For an oval, try their mirage print silk halter dress.

Sale ends this week.

Vera Wang

Love Vera Wang but can't afford her clothing at full price?  Have a special occasion coming up and you need the perfect dress? You're in luck...Gilt Groupe is selling some of her collection more than 50% off.  Not a member?  Click here to sign up.  Hurry, sale ends August 11 at midnight, eastern time.

Still out of your price range?  Try her line exclusive at Kohl's, Simply Vera.

Project Runway - Renewed Love of Fashion Vocab

I love Project Runway - but I can't watch it week by week. I have to wait until after Fashion Week, and after the Season is released on DVD.  I just finished watching Season 7 (glad to see they are back in New York) and remembered what a vocabulary (fashion and non-fashion) Tim Gunn has!  Even in his book, Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style, you might have to read it with a dictionary close by.  This book was published in 2007 but it has lasting advice, and as always, Tim makes it work!

Now buy the book for your Kindle!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

BR 1 Day Sale

Extra 20% off at Banana Republic online only - hurry ends tomorrow!
Enter BRSALE20 at checkout.
Remember, free shipping on orders over $50, enter code BRFREE50.