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Archive for the ‘Shopping’ Category

Celebrity Designers Debut Affordable Shoes for 2011

As much as I love the finer things in life – designer duds, luxury labels, and fab footwear – what I love more is saving money! But how can we rock designer fashions without shelling out a month’s rent? Well, big name shoe designers and brands are launching economically priced lines to meet the needs of frugal shoppers, while celebrities are teaming up with mega stores to roll out affordable clothing collections. Here are some of my favorite GAL finds to look out for in 2011:

B Brian Atwood

Luxury footwear designer, Brian Atwood, will launch a lower priced collection of his statement stilettos for Fall 2011. Adored by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Anne Hathaway and Kelly Ripa, Atwood’s bold and sexy designs are amongst the most coveted in the footwear industry. B Brian Atwood, will consist of ballet flats, seasonal sandals, sky high heels, booties, and over the knee boots, crafted of fine leathers, satin, and exotic skins. Designed with strong, confident women with a playful attitude in mind, the lower priced line will not be without Atwood’s signature flair – just the right amount of embellishment, fringe or metal details to command attention! Priced from $100 to $650, B Brian Atwood will be available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Barney’s Co-op, Fred Segal, and Shopbop.com, to name a few.

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LC Lauren Conrad

Known for her starring role on MTV’s “The Hills,” reality star Lauren Conrad launched her namesake clothing line, LC Lauren Conrad, at Kohl’s stores in 2009. Fans of the laidback, feminine, and California chic line will be pleased to know that starting this Spring, LC Lauren Conrad will also feature a collection of fun and flirty footwear under $60! Known for contemporary items at an affordable price, Conrad’s new line of shoes will resonate with fashionistas who want to be stylish without breaking the bank. Boho wedges and romantic sandals are highlights of the new line, debuting at Kohl’s stores on March 21st!

LC Lauren ConradCall It Spring

JCPenney and The Aldo Group have teamed up to launch a unique shop-within-a-shop concept. Call It Spring brings 600 square foot shopping spaces to select JCPenney stores, providing budget fashionistas with an extensive collection of over 300 styles of on trend footwear and accessories! Available exclusively at JCPenney and Aldo stores, Call It Spring is an accessible line of fashion forward shoes, handbags, and accessories. From clutches with feminine details to casual wedges and sexy heels, Call It Spring has something for everyone. With wallet friendly prices from $29.99 to $69.99, shoppers can indulge in all the latest trends at incredible prices!

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Spring 2011 Shoe Preview

The newest shoe trends for Spring 2011 will literally knock your socks off! After months of hibernating and piling on the layers, the hottest styles for Spring are both bold and carefree. Whatever your mood, one thing to look forward to is that all the Spring trends are reminiscent of 1970’s fashion. If you love this hippie and disco chic era of fashion, you’re going to love what’s in store!  Shed those winter boots ladies because it’s just about time to show some serious skin!

Cage Strap Wedges

The sexy confidence of bold cage straps combine with the comfort of a wedge heel to make the hottest shoe for Spring 2011! As much as fashionistas love their sky high heels and platforms, there’s nothing like a solid wedge that gives you the stability to stand tall for hours at a time. Drawing inspiration from the gladiator shoe booties of Fall 2010, cage straps wedges are the perfect way to transition your shoe style for the warmer months ahead. For Spring, cage strap wedges in leather and suede will be the new go to shoe – great with everything from a flirty dress to sophisticated suit.

Crown Vintage Realm Wedge 59.95 DSW 

Trouve Neda Wedge Nordstrom

Boho Neutrals

The boho inspired styles for Spring are cool and relaxed, reminiscent of the free spirits of the 1970’s! Strappy sandals, wedges, and espadrilles have always been Spring staples, but this year neutral color palettes are king – from subtle tans and soft metallics to warm camels and rich shades of brown. Natural fibers such as cork and jute, along with woven straps and accents add to the bohemian vibe. Wood based soles are also making a strong comeback, giving these hippy chic shoes a bold edge. Aside from being ever so versatile, these boho neutrals also have that lovely leg lengthening effect. Taking a cue from my favorite shoe trend of 2010, the nude pump, these sandals will make your limbs look amazing all the way through Summer!

Seychelles Flat Sandal

Seychelles Gypsy Sandal

Disco Color Block

The vibe for Spring 2011 has officially returned to the 1970’s with retro glam inspired color block heels, platforms and wedges! Causing a colorful stir on the fashion runways were models rockin’ disco chic platforms that’d be perfect for a night at Studio 54. The bold combinations of colors command attention and are an easy way to dress up even the most blasé outfit. For a casual look, spice up your jeans and tee with some two tone sandals for a fun pop of color. Or, go all out and dress the part of a dancing queen by pairing one of the season’s vintage inspired frocks with some daring color block platform pumps!

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Last Minute Holiday Gifts 2010

No matter how far in advance we start our holiday shopping, there always seems to be someone else on your list to shop for! Whether it’s your pet-sitting teenage neighbor, your foodie coworker, or the ultimate fashionista in your life, it’s difficult to know which gifts are best. With the help of the Internet and some amazing last minute deals, you can easily find a gift for even the most discerning person on your list, without breaking the bank!

The Fashionista

What fashionista doesn’t appreciate a fabulous pair (or two) of shoes? If you’re in need of a great gift for the style savvy set in your life, you can’t go wrong with the gift of shoes. DSW Shoes is your one stop shop for all the hottest designer shoes at incredible prices. Great for men, women and teens, a DSW Gift Card is the perfect present for those that love fantastic footwear! When you purchase a $50 DSW Gift Card this holiday season, you’ll receive a $10 gift card in return – so you can share the shoe love and get something for yourself too! Order a DSW Gift Card by December 22nd or an e-Gift Card by midnight on December 24th for Christmas delivery.

dsw gift card

The Traveler

Beautiful luggage and chic travel accessories make a wonderful gift, but they can be costly and difficult to select. For an affordable and useful gift for the jet setters in your life, try the Ultraviolet Sanitizing Wand. At just $12.99, this must have travel accessory kills 99.9% of surface germs, bacteria, molds, and fungus. Recent reports have proven that the knobs and switches on airplanes carry the highest levels of bacteria, not to mention the remote controls in hotel rooms! Ideal for travel, home and office, the compact wand will fit into your carry on or handbag so it’s readily available whenever you need it. No traveler should be without this ingenious item!

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The Foodie

Igourmet.com brings the best of international gourmet products right to your kitchen at affordable prices. If you want to delight your foodie friends, give the gift of an igourmet gift basket, with products ranging from fine cheeses and condiments, delectable desserts, and wine from all around the world. As an added bonus, promotionalcodes.com is offering a $10 off coupon for any order. Combine that with any of the wonderful assortments available on igourmet (many for under $100) and you’ll be sure to impress any culinary extraordinaire!

igourmet intl gift basket

The Teen

Teens are so difficult to shop for, particularly when it comes to buying clothes. But when it comes to teen style, one item stands out above the rest – the graphic tee. From vintage inspired to modern pop culture designs, teenagers live in graphic tees, perfect with everything from jeans and shorts to leggings and skirts. Rotemgear.com is an eclectic website with a fantastic selection of ethnic, retro, and pop culture tees and products that are super reasonable. The Kitty and Dog crossbones collection ($18.99 and up) is a fun, quirky, and rocker-chic style that both teen guys and girls will adore. No matter what the teen’s taste, remember that a cool graphic tee is an easy and affordable gift that would put a smile on anybody’s face!Kitty Crossbones

The Luxury Lover

To satisfy the sweet tooth of the luxury lovers in your life, give the gift of pure decadence – a collection of delicious Champagne Petit Fours from Valerie Confections ($55). The luxurious mini confections are made of rich butter cake layered with Champagne ganache, then hand dipped in dark chocolate. As an exquisite finishing touch, each cake is topped with an edible piece of 23 karat gold. The twelve piece gift set comes beautifully packaged with an elegant gold satin ribbon. Your friends will be so impressed with this lavish gift, and you can rest easy knowing that it didn’t set you back a fortune!

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“Mad Men” Inspired Fashion

AMC’s Mad Men has inspired a new culture of retro chic fashion! From the bold Don Draper to the sexy yet feminine Joan Harris, this show has brought vintage inspired fashion to the forefront. Ladylike silhouettes and dainty accents have continued to rule the fashion runways, while Fall 2010 has officially marked the return of the well dressed, sophisticated gentleman. Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, the following fashion items will definitely take your modern day style on a trip back to the early 60’s – an era of refined and understated elegance.

mad men cast

Vanessa Dress ($90, Heartbreaker Fashion)

The ladies of Mad Men have reminded us that nothing says you’re a woman better than showcasing your hourglass figure. With simple sheath styles, flirty floral skirts, and sexy wiggle dresses, women have been inspired to show off their curves in these classic and elegant looks. Heartbreaker Fashion is a fantastic resource for vintage inspired dresses at an affordable price. The Vanessa Dress is sexy and polished, perfect for the office or a night on the town. The neckline, button details and cinched belt add a graceful touch that will truly make you feel like a woman!

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Spring Street Compact ($48, Saks Fifth Avenue)

The compact was the ultimate female accessory in the era of Mad Men, perfect to reapply your lipstick and pretty enough to start a conversation over cocktails. In a simpler time when cell phones and iPads weren’t even a possibility, there was nothing that defined a woman more than her compact. This lovely compact from Spring Street was inspired by the ladies of Mad Men and is sold exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue. The enameled compact features a chic black and white palette and bold flower embellishment made of crystals and glass pearls. The classic feel of this compact is ultra feminine and would make a beautiful gift for women of all ages.

spring street compact saks_48

Dear Betty Handkerchief ($28, Happy Hanky)

The handkerchief is a symbol of feminine elegance. Not just for weddings or special occasions, hankies are dainty, romantic, and a great addition to a modern woman’s handbag! Happy Hanky is a line of vintage inspired handkerchiefs, all featuring chic prints and trims that are reminiscent of Mad Men.  All hankies are made of 100% premium cotton and arrive with the signature Happy Hanky poem. The black and white floral pattern and hot pink lace trim on the Dear Betty handkerchief is the perfect combination of sweet and sassy, just like Betty Francis!

dear betty handkerchief

Silver Tie Bar & Black Fedora ($29 & $45, FineandDandyShop.com)

A well dressed gentleman is not complete without his dapper accessories. FineandDandyShop.com is THE website for men who live to dress to the nines. For those who appreciate the finer things in life, from ascots and pocket squares to cuff links, this essential site makes accessorizing for men fun and accessible. This chic Silver Tie Bar would complement every man, while this Black Fedora will make you feel as powerful as Don Draper himself.  Thank you Mad Men, for inspiring a new generation of men to dress up again!

silver tie bar blk fedora

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Cool & Creative Shopping Sites

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the many new shopping websites and online boutiques popping up daily. Which offer the best deals for budget minded fashionistas? And which are the easiest to navigate? For those who would rather hit the Internet instead of the mall, here are three inventive and stylish websites sure to make your life easier next time you need some serious retail therapy!

myShoes.com

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Launched in February 2010 by fellow shoe addict, Andrea Woroch, myShoes.com is a seriously smart search engine exclusively for women’s shoes. Visitors can use the Shoe Stylist to create a custom search for the exact shoe they’re lusting for. Sort by style, heel height, color, brand, details & materials, and price – within a few clicks, myShoes.com will show you the shoes and prices available from hundreds of stores and brands, from Zappos and Nordstrom’s to DSW. myShoes.com makes online shoe shopping easy and effortless, bringing you streamlined results in one location. Check out the results for this fabulous nude platform pump – it’s available at nine stores but everything you need to know is filtered on myShoes.com! You’ll never have to jump from one site to another to compare prices, shipping, coupons, or return policies – myShoes.com is truly a shoe lover’s best friend!

SendtheTrend.com

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Launched in September 2010 by Project Runway alum, Christian Siriano, SendtheTrend.com is a monthly membership site for chic and affordable accessories. After taking a short style survey to determine your fashion needs and interests, SendtheTrend personally selects exclusive jewelry, scarves, and sunglasses that fit your style profile. Visit your gallery to view all of the accessories chosen for you, all for just $29.95 each! Choose to buy one, two, or ten, all at a set price of $29.95 each, and that includes free shipping! Your SendtheTrend membership begins after you purchase your first item. On the 1st of each month thereafter, members receive a personalized email with fresh new accessory finds, so you’ll always be on top of the latest trends! For members who don’t want to commit to a new accessory every month, or if you don’t find something you like in your gallery, just opt to “skip” by the 5th of the month. SendtheTrend.com is an easy and hassle free way to shop for the hottest fashion accessories, hand selected by some of the biggest names in the business!

WearevertheWeather.com

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Launched in September 2010 by fashion forward travelista, Renae Virata, WearevertheWeather.com is an ingenious site that helps women determine what to wear, based on the weather in a particular city. Get a “fashion forecast” for New York, London or Hong Kong by using the easy My Stylist tool. Enter a specific location, date and type of occasion, and the smart tool will show you a plethora of style options for you to choose from. Users can create tons of different outfits, save, print, and even share the looks with their friends via email, Facebook and Twitter. And of course, no shopping site would be complete without the ability to click through and purchase all the items you desire. Virata hands selects each item featured on the site, and updates the selection weekly so you’ll always be well dressed, rain or shine! WearevertheWeather.com is a fun and resourceful site that is perfect when planning for your next vacation, weekend getaway, or anytime you’re travelling and just don’t know what to pack!

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