The dress Michelle Obama wore on The View recently led to lots of hoopla in the fashion world. Designer Donna Ricco’s name was seemingly everywhere, and comments galore surrounded Michelle’s fashion taste and approachable style.
Although “the” White House Black Market dress is rumored to have sold out (see full story and photo above on The Bag Forum), we spotted many similar black/white themed dresses in our Salemails. Take a look and happy shopping!
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Flip-Flops…we live in them during the summer. Ease and comfort at their best!
Check out this post on Budget Fashionista this week about High vs. Low Flip-Flops…. demonstrates how often a lower price option can be most enticing!
And exciting news — this weekend is Old Navy Flip Flop day, where you can stock up on $1 flip flops! This Saturday only. They come in 13 different colors. (I personally own a metallic pair and can attest that they are quite comfortable)
Speaking of flip flops, The Budget Babe also shared that Havainas are sold at Forever 21. And if you buy one pair at Urban Outfitters, the second pair is half off!
Recently, I’ve been struck with the dichotomy in dress length in my Salemails — short short minis or to-the-ground maxi dresses.
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Each has its merits…
The Mini: Shows off sexy legs, great for shorter gals (no alterations!), can sometimes be worn across seasons with either tights/boots or flats/strappy heels, depending on the fabric and style of course
The Maxi: Definitely on trend (check out the celeb looks below!), as The LookBook says “I can wear it with flats or heels and don’t really have to shave my legs. Love it!”, comfortable as can be!
Here are some pics from a great post today on The LookBook (one of our Trendsetters!) — celeb looks and maxis for under $150. See more here!
What’s your vote for this summer’s dress winner — maxi or mini?
We just added a bunch of new brands — many that people like you wrote in to request! (We’re always looking for suggestions, so thank you!)
Log in and edit your preferences to add some of these great names that are new to the Shop It To Me mix:
For Women — Elizabeth & James, Maggy London, Rebecca Beeson, Hardtail, Young Fabulous & Broke, Halogen, Keds, Rocket Dog, Loeffler Randall, Lambertson Truex, Zagliani, Gloria Vanderbilt, Stussy…and more!
For Men — Hickey Freeman, Paige Premium Denim, Trovata, Rocket Dog, Loomstate, Stussy…and more!
For Kids — Keds, Rocket Dog…and more!
Although interesting, I thought it was a bit of a branding stretch when I read that Louis Vuitton has launched a series of narrated MP3 audio tours of 3 cities: Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai. Gridskipper, a travel blog (a personal favorite of mine!) relayed the news today. First of all, shouldn’t Louis Vuitton first be launching these sound tours in France, being a native and reknowned French luxury brand? Although Asian consumers flock to the product and the timing ties in with this summer’s Olympic games in Beijing, seems that the brand could have built this product first based on its roots and come across as slightly more genuine.
The tours are narrated by iconic figures in Chinese cinema and combine music, personal stories, and a city tour…. none of which I associate with Louis Vuitton. You can get a teaser sampler on the elegantly designed LouisVuitton Soundwalk website.
Shanghaiist covered this breaking story, and the article subheading said, “This sounds like a joke, but it’s absolutely true.” Sums up my feelings precisely. Although the concept of the audio-tour is an innovative one, sometimes fashion companies should stop trying to do everything, and just stick to what they do best — producing quality fashion apparel and accessories, preferably rooted in their own heritage.
An appreciation of fashion isn’t just for the gals… I’ve recently come across more than expected interesting Men’s sites. Here’s my take on a number of them - for you guys to enjoy (and ladies to pass along!)
First, our Trendsetters:
Better Than a Beatdown - Brought to you by Be Better Guys, this site is for the everyday guy. Tips on Men’s health, grooming, lifestyle, shopping, parenting…easy to read and the variety of topics keeps it fresh, especially for the guy who isn’t necessarily only fashion-obsessed.
Thrillist - Nick, Ben, and the rest of the team are the first to spill the dish on what’s new, happening, hot in your city (recently launched Boston and Chicago)…as a female I’ve also discovered some great new venues and products!
I Luw Fashion -This European blog does a solid job of combining celebrity photos with fashion commentary on new designers and styles. Helps you understand the details behind what the glamorous Hollywood elite are wearing! More geared toward those who care about fashion details.
Bay Area Style File Men’s -Highlights specific product finds, with details about where to buy these items, and price information. Only downfall is that they only post about once each week, so the recommendations are limited. Sister site Bay Area Style File approaches in the same manner, but posts much more frequently…maybe the guy’s site will increase the frequency over time too?
Calculatus Eliminatus - You can think of this as “what not to wear”. Tries to keep guys from making fashion errors. The humor is a bit on the negative side, but at least you won’t mess up if you take their tips!
And although they aren’t Shop It To Me Trendsetters (yet!?!), here’s a few other faves:
Off The Cuff DC -Based in DC, this site takes a more intellectual approach to fashion. Incorporates current events (like the death of Tim Russert) into commentary, and provides personal style guidance on topics like summer footwear, wearing ties, and various types of watches.
Easy & Elegant Life -Wants everyone to live an elegant life! Travel, food, classics all in one. I think this one is for the more mature and established gents of the bunch.
Metro Style Men for a few fashion picks each day, nice and easy reading with one photo and a quick paragraph.
And if you’re still eager for more…check out London-based commentary on fine luxury found in Permanent Style, WASP101 (the title says it all for this one), A Suitable Wardrobe for more classic men’s clothing (aka grown-up guy) advice, Savoir Vivre NY for tips spanning New York and beyond, She Knows Best where are girl dishes out the tips, grooming/shaving tips on Manscaping101, and new site Dapp3r which is somewhat like Digg or kirtsy for the guys to flag and share great fashion-related stories.
University of Chicago Law School recently announced plans to eliminate internet access in most of its classrooms, due to causing unnecessary distractions for the students. This is rare for Law schools, where most every student owns a laptop and frequently brings it to class. U.Chicago is enforcing supposedly the first institution-wide ban; most schools leave it up to the individual faculty member to decide what will be tolerated in the classroom. Apparently this took place in April, but the first I heard about it was this week.
The reason I’m writing about this here is because the decision was impacted by actions beyond typical email or Facebook usage during lecture time — including FASHION! To quote a memo written by Dean Saul Levmore, “Remarkably, usage appears to be contagious, if not epidemic. Several observers have reported that one student will visit a gossip site or shop for shoes and within 20 minutes, an entire row is shoe shopping.”
This made me think more about where people are physically when they typically shop online — at school, home, work, or elsewhere? I’d argue that the benefits of being in a place such as work or school are largely what Dean Levmore mentioned…you can have the collective opinion of others to weigh in before you add to your credit card bill! Not to mention, having a greater chance to nab the best deals when items are still available early in the day…
What about you? Where are you when you typically shop online?
Summer is a time that’s fun to enjoy some new purchases — even beyond clothing! This year in particular is notorious for people trying to save money…
I thought this write-up on “Faves under $50″ from our Trendsetter Little Window Shoppe especially captures some unique products for affordable prices.
It’s particularly nice how in addition to Women’s items, the post includes ideas for the Home/outdoor fun, Kids/Baby, Men, and even Maternity. Everything from Men’s Urban Outfitter flip-flops, lime colored beaded bracelets, floral print water bottles from Pottery Barn, bold patterned wallets, to my personal favorite — a beach ball sprinkler! Emily really had the whole family in mind when she compiled these items.
Customer service is a funny thing. It seems that the far majority of the time, frustrating moments spur interaction with a sales associate. These are the interactions that I don’t miss when shopping online! However, every so often, you experience the treat of a charismatic salesperson, or better yet, someone to add value to your shopping trip.
I thought it was pretty neat when I read about J.Crew’s ‘new’ concierge services. The Wall Street Journal reported, “Last month, it launched its first concierge service, called the “just ask desk,” at its Rockefeller Center store in Manhattan. At the desk, customers can make appointments with personal shoppers, arrange private shopping parties, request monogramming, preorder items from its high-end Collection line, look at color swatches for bridesmaid dresses that are sold online, and order clothes, such as those from the kids’ line called crewcuts, that aren’t carried in most stores. Concierges will also hold coats, packages and umbrellas….Like concierges at high-end department stores, J. Crew’s concierges also can help shoppers solve problems that aren’t related to the store: They’ve provided directions, made restaurant reservations and given advice on Broadway shows, the company says.” Fashion blogs Passmenterie and The Real Cougar Woman also picked up this story.
The ironic part is that even without the “Just Ask” desk, I feel that J.Crew probably offers many of these amenities, but keeps them more under wraps. Just by promoting that these services exist, they are gaining the attention of both the media and eager shoppers who want to experience this red-carpet-like service.
J.Crewaholic - one of our Trendsetters - is a site you can look to for regular updates on J.Crew and what is happening in their stores!
I also want to give a special thanks for Nora and Erin at the San Francisco Westfield J.Crew store, who always make my shopping experience special and personal. They are providing a service just as valuable in my eyes!
We love hearing from our Shop It To Me subscribers. Be it brand recommendations, suggestions for new features, or about the new trends you’re discovering and purchasing through your Salemails, continue to send these ideas our way! You can comment on the blog or send us thoughts directly to feedback@shopittome.com…we love hearing it all!
This week, Julie Raimondi, the Editor-In-Chief of Brides Local magazines dropped us a note that we got a kick out of, and we thought you would too!:
“You are evil geniuses. Brilliant horrible people. I now spend way more money but way less time. But since I never would have found those Alexis Bittar earring I’ve been wanting for 50% off without your terribly fabulous technology, I have indeed told everyone I know to sign up. Let’s just hope it doesn’t work as well for them or we’ll all go broke.”
