Posts from — August 2008

It’s the end of the summer…and that means summer internships come to a close.

Here at Shop It To Me, we’re very sad to say goodbye to our stellar interns — Maddie, Lauren, and Hilary!

You’ve enjoyed their eloquent blog posts, and we’ve immensely enjoyed their positive spirit, motivation, and contributions to the Shop It To Me team.  From Hilary’s obsession with So You Think You Can Dance to Lauren’s celebrity style-sightings from her Salemail, and Maddie’s creativity, flawless grammar and love of Blue Bottle coffee, we will miss them dearly!

You’ll continue to see some of their last few blog posts even though they aren’t physically in the office any more.

Our team sends these ladies off with a smile and great wishes for an excellent school year ahead!

Featured above: Maddie, Lauren, Tamra, and Hilary

The intersection between fashion and sports is an interesting one. We recently covered Olympic opening ceremony attire and performance-based elements being incorporated into runway fashion. This week, it’s all about tennis. In addition to amazing athletic talent, I personally find it interesting to see how athletes convey their personality while at play.

The Wall Street Journal related that Rafael Nadal is putting his new Nike wardrobe makeover on hold until after the U.S. Open. Nadal, who is known for his sleeveless muscle shirts and capri length pants brings a unique and personal fashion element to the courts. According to the Wall Street Journal Nadal said, “I am excited about evolving my on-court apparel with Nike to a polo and shorter-length short. For the U.S. Open, however, we collectively decided I would continue wearing the apparel I’ve been competing in all year. It’s a decision we made based on the limited time I’ve had to practice in the new apparel between the Olympics and the U.S. Open.”

Nadal isn’t the only one finding joy in tennis apparel. One of our Trendsetters, NY Spender, whose blog strives to always be on top of the latest fashion trends without spending a fortune, wrote about her love of tennis apparel this week as well. She particularly liked the Halsea bag pictured above. In addition to her personal affinity for the clothing, she also referred to some interesting stats. An article in WWD today said:

Tennis apparel sales have hit an ace, with consumers wearing tennis outfits both on and off the court.

The sport is experiencing a higher growth rate in popularity than any other, with an 18.7 percent increase in participation in 2007, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. This growth – particularly in women’s interest – translates to traffic not only on tennis courts but also at tennis apparel retailers.

Brands to keep an eye out for these type of looks include Nike, Lacoste, and Ralph Lauren — all found on Shop It To Me.

Lastly, W Magazine Editor’s Blog interviewed Maria Sharapova and also Venus Williams this week, largely discussing fashion! Some of Maria’s faves include Phillip Lim, Vera Wang, Thakoon, and Lanvin while Venus is all about her own brand, EleVen.

I am in love with these Hervé Léger dresses. These smoldering creations have been spotted on Hayden Panetierre, Victoria Beckham, Blake Lively, Sophia Bush, Joy Bryant, and many, many more. Lately it seems like you can’t flip through a magazine without seeing some red carpet celeb sporting one. Though they have been compared to Ace bandages, and the comparison may be somewhat accurate, I stand by these dresses as the epitomes of simple and sexy.

You’ll also be thrilled to know that we just added Herve Leger as a brand on Shop It To Me. Edit your profile now so you can be among the first to scoop up when these pieces go on sale. Enjoy!

After Lauren covered the Shop It To Me retailers with the most helpful return policies, we also wanted to share some tips on international orders!
International shipping tends to run on the expensive side (around $30-50) so be sure to stock up when ordering overseas, and check your country’s customs policy to avoid being hit with unexpected charges.
Some of our favorite boutiques ship worldwide, including Tobi, Shopbop, Yoox, Bluefly, Net-a-Porter, and Pink Mascara.

Now for our neighbors to the North, all the above e-stores, as well as J.Crew and Urban Outfitters, ship to Canada, usually for fees less than the international flat rate. J.Crew also ships to Japan and Urban Outfitters ships to the U.K as well.

Some people choose to have items shipped to their friends in the U.S., and have them pay for the overseas shipping which can often be less expensive than paying direct from the retailer…just another thought!

One last tip: check out these size conversion tools (Fashion 411 and Online Conversion) to make sure you’re getting the right size. International returns aren’t the easiest!

If you’re an international Shop It To Me subscriber, let us know where you’re from in the comments below!

For the past few weeks we’ve all been suffering from typical summer weather here in San Francisco (foggy, cold, and dreary). However, yesterday we were fortunate enough to get a little break from the cold and the sun finally came out! To take advantage of the lovely day, I went with Maddie and Lauren (the intern team) to pound the pavement in downtown San Francisco, searching for some outstanding outfits to share with you all! In the spirit of blogs like The Sartorialist and Style and the City, we will be posting some of our best finds over the next few weeks for all of you to see.

We found this girl in Union Square and loved her style! Although we had to interrupt her while she was snapping photos of the Dewey Monument, she was happy to pose for a quick shot. We love her laid back, but put together look with the unique t-shirt and cool motorcycle jacket. The camera also functions as both a funky and functional accessory!

When buying clothing online there is always that question of whether or not it will have that ‘perfect fit.’ What leaves me skeptical and ultimately influences my decision to buy, is the return policy. Although shipping the item back to the retailer can be a pain, what really irks me is having to pay for the rejected item to be sent back! Here are seven of our retailers that have an extended return policy and pay for the shipping back to their warehouse:

Endless.com–Grants you 365 days to return, free of charge.

Zappos.com–Grants you 365 days to return, free of charge.

Bananarepublic.com, Gap.com, Oldnavy.com–Allow 90 days to return, free of charge, and you have the option of returning in the store.

Piperlime.com–Grants you 60 days to return, free of charge.

Nordstrom.com–Although you do have to pay for the shipping return, there is no limit to their return policy (I have returned items three years later) and you can return in the store.

In addition to those seven online retailers, here are some retailers that allow you to return in-store (but you will have to pay if you want to ship the item back) :

Ann Taylor

Saks Fifth Avenue

Urban Outfitters

J. Crew

Macys

Does the old saying no pain no gain hold true in fashion? Sometimes it seems that way. Especially this season, where it just so happens the shoe du jour is a sky high, often excruciatingly uncomfortable stiletto. Also, as a girl who loves her oversized purses, I know that at the end of the day the back pain can be a little unpleasant. And I’m sure you also have seen all the articles denouncing flip flops as terrible for your both your back health and your feet. Doctors have suggested wearing a slightly lower heel on those stilettos, choosing a little more substantial sole on those flip flops, and downsizing those Mary Poppins, hold-everything style satchels. While the comfort options out there may not always be the cutest, here are some viable, healthy alternatives. The ones on the left are the “dangerously” cute, while the right hand side has the “comfortably” chic.

Heels

Bcbgirls – Nickole Regular: $98.00 Now: $69.99

Bcbgirls – Lions Regular: $90.00 Now: $59.99

Bags

Michael Michael Kors Millbrook Canvas Tote Regular: $302.00 Now: $223.48

Michael Michael Kors Belvedere Satchel Regular: $332.00 Now: $226.00

Sandals

Sigerson Morrison Belle Regular: $174.99 Now: $133.87

Kenneth Cole Glam Girl Regular: $39.00 Now: $29.99

In the last few weeks, we’ve covered ruffles, Olympic style, and Francophilia, but today, we have news even more exciting than the Barney’s sale.

Tamra, our beloved head of marketing, came into work this morning with a totally gorgeous diamond on her left hand. We couldn’t be happier for her and her new fiancé and want to congratulate both of them!

Look for Tamra’s spin on wedding planning soon (we know she’ll do it with style!)

Please feel free to post your own congrats in the comments!

(Picture courtesy of Wedaholic.com)

Oh how I love the Olympics. Although traditionally my favorite events are the synchronized diving, gymnastics, and track and field, this year swimming has piqued my interest. This new interest is mostly due to the amazing Michael Phelps, who recently won his eleventh career gold medal.

Now in an attempt to connect this to fashion, here are some cute gold pieces to match the medals

Roberto Cavalli Timewear Reg: $249.00 Now: $98.00

Enamel Woven Ring Reg: $34.00 Now: $19.99

Kors Michael Kors Gold Reg: $214.99 Now: $164.47

Okay, maybe I am a little late on the uptake, but has anybody noticed how incredibly fashionable Rachel Dawes (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) is? After my second time seeing The Dark Knight, it dawned on me how well she dresses in every scene! Here are some things from my Salemail that resemble Rachel Dawes’ three most stylish moments.

When interrogating Lau about his secret dealings with the Joker, she manages to do her job and all the while look fabulous!

Alice & Olivia – navy mini-check wool ‘Melissa’ flare pants Reg: $264.00 Now: $134.99

Helmut Lang – Dress Shirt with Tab Reg: $265.00 Now: $79.50

Giles Vest Reg: $109.00 Now: $39.99

On her way to court with Harvey Deant (soon to be Two-Face), she sports a gorgeous chocolate brown trench. Talk about intimidating the accused!

Tocca – charcoal pinstripe cotton ‘Caroline’ coat Reg$485.00 Now: $199.99

My personal favorite was the gown she wore to Harvey’s sponsor party, hosted by Batman himself!

BCBGMAXAZRIA – Contrast Banded Gown Reg: $440.00 Now: $131.92