Everyone’s favorite holiday is around the corner Halloween!  Especially with saving money being such a recent focus, do-it-yourself costumes are a huge plus this year!

Lollie Shopping, one of our Trendsetters, is a sleuth of great deals and continuously uncovers unique fashion-related goodies!  She wanted to guest post and share some great advice just for you about costumes you can make from home:

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Halloween is upon us, and if you haven’t had the chance to plan, purchase or construct your Halloween costume, do not despair. Here are three easy-to-make Halloween costumes created from everyday fashion.

1) 80s Rag-a-muffin

Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, The Go-Go’s or any type of 80s pop star wanna-be, this is an easy costume to create since retro 80s trends are a part of every modern wardrobe.

What I’m wearing: ankle boots, leggings, knee length tulle skirt, vintage Cyndi Lauper concert t-shirt and a scarf on my head.

What you could wear: brightly colored pumps, leg warmers, tights, denim mini and a bustier. Or, wear ankle boots, black tights and…a black garbage bag. Where the bag is sealed, find the center and cut a hole to fit your head and neck through. Cut holes along the side where your arms go. Cinch with a studded belt. Not only will you look like a young Belinda Carlisle, you’ll stay dry if it rains.

Tip: Focus on accessories - sunglasses, fingerless gloves and pile on the jewelry.

Alternative: Pat Benatar - A pair of fetish shoes, black liquid leggings, an asymmetrical blouse and a headband across the forehead and you can hit ‘em with your best shot.

2) Space Diva

Finally you can wear all your metallic fashion at once and it’s not a faux pas.

What I’m wearing: metallic boots and a metallic dress.

What you could wear: any type of metallic shoe will suffice, along with metallic jeans and a metallic blouse. Or, did you invest in a sweet metallic coat? Pair it with some metallic shoes, keep the coat belted all night and you’re good to go.

Tip: Use metallic makeup to give yourself a space age look. Create a laser weapon with some cardboard and foil paper.

Alternative: Femme Bot - If you’ve got the body and some sexy metallic pieces, why not? For this one, knee high boots are a must.

3) Deranged Beauty Queen/Prom Queen

While Carrie set the trend for this one, you don’t have to stick with a pink slip dress and pig’s blood. Think “Prom Night” or “Jawbreaker” for inspiration.

What I’m wearing: dressy shoes, full length beaded gown and a tiara strategically skewed.

What you could wear: any type of dress shoe, any full length or knee length party or cocktail dress.

Tip: Props, wild hair and smeared makeup are essential. My props are a skewed tiara and a “Miss Anthropic” sash. You could also try a dried bouquet of flowers, a knife (preferably a toy knife) or a bottle of whiskey.

Alternative: Deranged Bridesmaid - Now is your chance to mock the hideous satin dyed shoes and garish bridesmaid dress you were forced to wear at your cousin Greta’s wedding. And, if you’re bold enough, tuck the back of your dress into your pantyhose for comedic flair.

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Thanks again to Lollie Shopping for this great post!<–>

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The New York Times this weekend had an dedicated an entire piece to the word and concept “Recessionista” –

The article shared that blogs are being dedicated to this concept (therecessionista.blogspot.com), and the term was even recently coined an up and coming catch-phrase!

According to the NYT, the term has interesting historical roots: “Finance executives first used the term to connote a person predicting a recession or a person who believes a recession would benefit the long-term health of the economy…”  Now, the term is being used to conjure up images of women who flock to Target, H&M, and the like in hunt of similar styles to those they see on the runway.

Some agree that these “style mavens on a budget” are a fantastic way to combat economic woes and frugality can be happily rewarded in today’s times.  Others view the recessionista term as simply an excuse to make people feel it’s OK to buy more.  Regardless — how to get the most bang for your buck is top of mind these days…  and we hope that Shop It To Me is helping to discover those discounts, for those of you searching!

We’ve heard lots of similar terms thrown around: budget babe, recessionista, diva on a dollar, cheap chic, etc. What are your favorites?  Help us add to the list!

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Hey everyone. I’m Natalie, the newest member of the Shop It To Me team. I’ll be blogging often, so you’ll hear from me quite a bit. I’d love to hear from you too, so drop me a post!

To tell you a little about myself — I love bargain hunting, trying new restaurants and hot, humid weather. I also watch copious amounts of fashion reality TV. It’s great, because the fashion, mixed with the freaky personalities and the drama of reality TV create a perfect storm for great quotes.

This past year of fashion reality TV shows alone has probably generated more one-liners than all the Adam Sandler movies combined. So for the next few weeks I’ll post some of my favorites. Here’s my first pick:

“I’ve been living in a fool’s paradise of small rear-end wannabes.”            
-Tim Gunn, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style

Only the loveable Tim Gunn could pull off such cluelessness of contemporary slang with such charm. Earlier in the episode, Tim admitted he had never heard the word “booty” before.  He stood perplexed as the makeover contestant explained she liked a pair of jeans because the back pockets made her butt look bigger. Hello, ever heard of Baby Got Back? Live through the ’90s much? It’s okay — Tim’s still the best. A close second is when Blayne from Project Runway taught him the phrase “holla at cha boy.”

I’d love to hear some of your faves too. So as Tim would (awkwardly) say, holla at cha girl.

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With the election nearing, it’s hard to ignore the style of a few of the women in the spotlight — Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin.  

According to Fox News, these women even inspired styles at Paris Fashion Week: 

• “A variation of Palin’s signature beehive-with-bangs hairdo was seen at Yves Saint Laurent’s spring-summer show on Thursday, …although without the bangs.”
• And apparently, Obama has inspired a line of dresses.   “In Paris on Friday, a model wore a short frock featuring a portrait of the Democratic presidential candidate. The creation by French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac was seen during a presentation of his spring-summer 2009 ready-to-wear collection.”

And as you’ll see below, we just couldn’t resist showcasing items from Salemail that seemed so representative of each of their styles.

First — Obama’s Style

David Meister Jersey Sheath Reg: $288.00    Now: $143.90 50% off!	BCBGMAXAZRIA Ruffled Shirtdress Reg: $220.00    Now: $87.90 60% off!	BCBGMAXAZRIA Geometric Jersey Dress Reg: $178.00    Now: $118.90 33% off!
Kate Spade Georgia Reg: $332.00    Now: $262.95 21% off!	Trina Turk ‘Alejo’ Halter Dress Reg: $328.00    Now: $218.90 33% off!	Sam Edelman Blk/Wht Python Print Reg: $99.99    Now: $79.99 20% off!

And then, Palin’s:

Via Spiga Women’s 3-button Pant Suit Reg: $280.00    Now: $79.99 71% off!	Faryl Robin Silvia  Reg: $243.00    Now: $185.00 24% off!	Nanette Lepore - Swanky Jacket Reg: $455.00    Now: $272.90 40% off!
Textured button jacket Reg: $175.00    Now: $79.99 54% off!	J.Crew Prima Stretch pinstripe pencil skirt Reg: $135.00    Now: $69.99 48% off!	BCBGirls ‘Allegro’ Slingback Pump Reg: $88.95    Now: $52.90 41% off!

If only Michelle and Sarah knew about Shop It To Me’s Salemail!!!

Have you seen other items recently that resemble these women’s taste and style?

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For our street style column, we ran after these two friends for at least a city block, hoping to catch on camera their spin on basic summer-to-fall dressing. They both took simple, easy pieces – light cotton tops in neutral colors paired with jeans – but made their outfits their own with accessories. A fabulous, vintage-style belt and sleek boots keep the woman on the left ladylike and polished, while bright, chunky jewelry and hardware-enhanced heels add edge to the woman on the right’s outfit.

See our other Street Style snapshots here: (part 1 and part 2)

We’re curious: do you and your friends practically share a closet? Or would you never borrow or share clothes with your best friends? Answer in the comments below!

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It’s NY Fashion Week…and here on the other coast, we’re doing our best to keep up with the exciting happenings and show coverage.  It’s always interesting to explore the link between runway fashion and economic concerns.

After watching last week’s Project Runway starring Diane Von Furstenberg, I was especially intrigued with what she’d show for her spring collection.  As “WSJ’s Heard On The Runway” shared, the looks were more hippie and gypsy inspired.  It will be interesting to see how these runway looks transition into office-wear, and if the wrap dresses and easy throw-on elegance she is so known for will still surface.

Photo courtesy of “Heard On The Runway”

Aside from Diane’s style showcase, I was captivated by the point that “Designers this season are hoping that striking looks and novel pieces will nudge shoppers to start spending on apparel again.”

Personally, I was a bit surprised by this approach because I believe there are two sides of the coin: 1) either being drawn to more unique and out-there pieces, or 2) being conscious of making your dollar stretch and buying understated yet premium basics that can be worn and re-worn season after season.

However, Diane isn’t alone with her gravitation toward boldness.  WSJ shares, “…several designers are hoping that daring styles will appeal to retailers in search of pieces that stand out as special in today’s sour economy. With apparel sales still soft, retailers are shying away from basic looks and searching for items that may spark an impulse purchase.”

“Heard On The Runway” Examples from Fashion Week included:

Designer Peter Som - striving for “striking, vivid looks” with bold prints in bright colors such as cherry red and tangerine with embroidered details. He even said, “The thing not to do is go basic when the economy is the way it is. “You have to entice the customer – it’s got to be a ‘gotta have it’ kind of thing.”

Designer Carmen Marc Valvo - although usually erring on the side of elegant and conservative, this spring is showing short dresses that are more revealing, with eye-catching details such as shiny patent leather mixed with lace.

Designer Tracy Reese - expressed “The shopper wants something that just grabs her and shakes her—when times are tight, that’s what clothes have to do. They have to speak to you and look compelling.”

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For our latest installment of San Francisco street style, we spotted this girl walking through Union Square. We’ll admit that tights with shorts is a very trendy look, but we dare you to not smile at her adorable hot pink sunglasses!

Find our previous street style post here!

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I’ll admit that sometimes, I’m a little hesitant to break out the color — my wardrobe is awfully dependent on gray and black — but this couple (spotted in San Francisco’s Union Square) has me inspired to add a little more color.

The girl’s bright pink jacket and ditsy print dress keep fun and breezy, but her ruffle sandals and slouchy canvas bag help her bring her look into fall.

Likewise, her friend’s t-shirt has that splash of neon ‘80s color, but he keeps it simple with jeans and sneakers.

**Before the interns left Shop It To Me, they spent some time getting inspired by San Francisco street style.  For more of their take, check out part 1, and even more will follow, so stay tuned!

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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.

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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!

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