Category — Fashion, Style & Trends

If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger on buying any full-price items, then today is definitely the day to do so. At Neiman Marcus, if you spend $200, you’ll get a $50 gift card. Looking to invest more? Spend $500, get a $125 gift card; spend $1,000, get a $250 gift card; spend $2,000, get a $500 gift card. Use code APRILGC at checkout. Snag some of our full-price faves and reap the rewards for your next shopping trip at Neiman Marcus!

From left: Theory Neon Blouse, Pink $225 | Herve Leger V-Neck Bandage Dress $790 | Burberry London Marystow Coat, Trench $1,095 | Balenciaga Giant 12 Rose Golden Work Bag $2,045

Are you among the lucky ones expecting a tax refund this year?  With the average refund projected to be nearly $3,000, we wanted to know how – and where — you’d spend that kind of mad money if you could.*

Seems you are a practical bunch who would opt to buy a full spring wardrobe (83%) rather than blow it on one crazy, high-ticket item (17%).

There was less agreement about where you would shop for that wardrobe, if you had to do it all in one store.  Nordstrom came in first at 19%, with Bloomingdales in second place at 7%.  There was a near-tie for third place between Anthropologie (5.5%) and  J.Crew (5%).  Other top ten stores were Macy’s, Saks and Neiman Marcus.

Not surprising, when asked which department would be your first choice for spending your entire tax refund, 65% of you chose clothing; shoes and bags came in a distant second and third (at 16% and 15%).

As far as the spring trends that would most get your green, the top three responses all revolved around color — with Pastel (20%), Orange or Tangerine (17%) and Neon pieces (11%) topping the list.  You were less enamored by printed pants, pleated skirts, and peplum (under 5% each).

And, while we may or may not be “feeling the love” for our tax accountants right now, we do love our favorite “CPA” brands!  Your top choices for splurging with that refund were Chanel (16%), Prada (30%) and Anthropologie (24%).

No matter what your faves, the best way to fiscally responsible with your 2012 budget is to keep your Shop It To Me profile up to date. That way, you’ll always get the best prices on the brands you love.

*Methodology: Results are based on 480+ respondents from a survey fielded by Shop It To Me the week of April 2-6, 2012.

Other related posts:

Tax-Day Giveaway: Nominate a stylish accountant to win a designer bag!

Survey Results: What’s most “taxing” in your daily routine?

Time-saving tips: 5 busy accountants weigh in on how they make it through crunch-time

Clearly we’re all ready to transition out of pants and into the beloved warm-weather staple: the dress! Retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Rachel Rachel Roy and French Connection seem to agree, and have provided you with some extra special sales to kickstart your spring and summer dress wardrobe. Peep some of our favorites below!

Saks Fifth Avenue: Get 20% off a collection of designer gowns, prices already marked, thru Friday 3/23.

Rachel Rachel Roy: Get 30% off everything, plus free shipping on any order no code needed, thru Monday 3/26.

French Connection: Get an extra 30% off select sale items (via Shop It To Me), plus free shipping over $75 with code FCTOME thru Friday 3/23.

Some of our fancy favorites:

From left: Rachel Rachel Roy Field of Dreams Dress was $109, NOW $76.30 | BCBGMAXAZRIA Karey Dress was $348, NOW 278.40 | French Connection Reflectra Sequin Dress was $268, NOW $99.99

We’ve certainly hit the ground running here at Shop It To Me on the first day of spring! While we can’t will this gloomy west coast weather to be more spring-like, we can give everyone a jump on some perfectly seasonal wardrobe additions, starting with some trends to love.

We’re huge fans of brands that lend us a hand in the way of transitional pieces. Here are some of our favorites of the week!

This week’s events are all about springtime and signature items. Enjoy stylish picks from Rebecca Minkoff, Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade, as well as closet staples from Elizabeth and James, Alexander Wang and many more. If you have spring fever like we do, you’ll find tons of adorable dress picks and frilly frocks here, too. And let’s not forget our favorite green holiday; snag some bold picks below. Log in and enjoy!

Snag the items you’ve been eyeing for up to 65% off.

Cool closet staples from top designers.

Get a jump on the season with some versatile transition dresses.

Celebrate spring with frills galore from $70.

No pinching here! Get in the spirit and don yourself in glorious green.

With Daylight Saving around the corner (and the loss of one precious hour of sleep), we’ve taken it upon ourselves to provide you with some extra special pop-up shops to celebrate the occasion. Investing in some Timeless Essentials and some Wardrobe Workhorses are so worth it, and will pay for themselves over time. With that extra hour of daylight, you’ll also want to update your hues and prints with our Spring Colors and Florals shop. And who doesn’t need a great, new timepiece? Check out our awesome array of Watches — and don’t forget to enter our Michael Kors Watch Giveaway!

Investment pieces you’ll fall in love with.

Work wardrobe items you can count on.

Refresh your closet with some perfect prints and vibrant colors.

The essential accessory that matches any outfit.

We’re big fans the of Bay-Area stylists over at Urban Darling. Not only are they all for building confidence and helping women discover their most stylish selves, but they have also developed a great online presence and nationwide team, so they can be there to offer fashion advice wherever you are!

We got to talking with Corinne Phipps, founder of Urban Darling, and she was kind enough to share with us some tips and tidbits we think you will find helpful!

What brands do you recommend for professional women, trying to look their best without breaking the bank?

Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor LOFT and even Elie Tahari have beautiful (and reasonable) suits. LOFT’s style has changed over the last few years and it’s got a more approachable vibe. For tops, Zara and Banana Republic are good options.

Any tips for women who have limited time to shop but want to keep up with what’s current in fashion?

Hire us to come and shop with you. Once we know you body type we can hunt out your brands you like. We can help set up your Shop It To Me account!

Also, online shopping is the best bet when it comes to saving time, but you have to spend a little time going to a few stores to test fit.

Any great shoe brands you’d recommend that look stylish but are still comfortable to wear all day?

Frye is by far my favorite shoe brand. Via Spiga makes a gorgeous heel – the “Ryan” pump can sell itself.  For those with fussy feet (arch problems, long toes, skinny ankles) AGL is a nice brand. And Cole Haan with the Nike Air is a great option.

Do you have any tips for taking an outfit from day to night?

First, swap out that heavy satchel you carry to work for an envelope clutch. Then just take off the skirt or pants and throw on jeans. Bam! Ready to go.

What are some of the best ways to dress up a basic black dress?

Women get stuck in the black-on-black so frequently that they have trouble seeing out of their “black-hole”! The easiest ways to change the basic black dress is to switch up the heels. Try a hot pink or electric blue heel, heck, even a pattern will do. Wear a big bold statement necklace with little studs or the reverse big bold earrings and a dainty necklace.

You may already know this, but we wanted to officially announce that we’re on Pinterest! Follow us for style inspiration, Salemail picks, daily conveniences, downright delightful things and much, much more. There’s a Pinboard for every preference!

The fun doesn’t stop there…we want to know what you’re pinning, too! Leave a link to your Pinterest page below so we can follow back.

Our editors have curated some seriously drool-worthy pop-up shops for you today. Since you can never have too many pairs of booties, we’ve put together “The Ultimate Bootie Shop“. Loving leopard? Add an animalistic touch to your look with our Animal Print shop. And finally, if you’re suffering from the winter blues, think again, and snag something from our Spring Brights picks to wear now. These are today only, so log in now and shop away!

Treat your feet with some stellar booties.

Add a fun touch of leopard, zebra or cheetah.

Give the blacks, grey and browns a break and add some bold to your wardrobe.

Yesterday marked the beginning of New York Fashion Week and, lucky for us, we were able to attend the the BCBGMAXAZRIA show! Definitely a Shop It To Me favorite, and we know we’re not alone. The colors were magic – jewel tones galore…but gorgeous cuts on the various dresses we watched spill down the runway are what really had us smitten.

images via style.com

Notice a trend here? Midis for days! And this got us thinking…when it comes to length, what exactly is it that women look for when dress shopping online?

Let’s face it, most of us aren’t models. 6 ft. tall is a ways off, and the length of our legs is closer to hours than days.  So how do you know what measurements are right for you when you see a dress you want to buy online? Ladies, help us out!