Category — News

Last week, Farnoosh Torabi, Money Coach extraordinaire, was on The View sharing a bit about a new show she’s starring in called “Bank of Mom and Dad”.   And this week, we had the chance to chat with her personally!  She lent some great wisdom around saving (and splurging), and gave us a behind-the-scenes peek at the episodes that lie ahead.

Photo Courtesy: ABC

The show:

First, a bit about “Bank of Mom and Dad”.  The premise?  The ten-episode show takes money-struggling young women in their 20s and 30s, and provides them with a financial coach to help them on the road to becoming debt-free.  The girls must face their parents moving in for a week to help control their overspending, who along with Money Coach Farnoosh Torabi, help to curb the  gals’ bad habits.  Each week, the girls must face a harsh reality check as their parents move in and each penny they spend is scrutinized.  It’s airing at 10-11pm Wednesday nights on SOAPnet — we’re off to set our Tivos now to ensure we capture every single episode…hopefully we’ll learn a thing or two!!

Tonight’s episode:

As an added plus, tonight’s episode (10/7), even has a fun style/fashion component to it!  It highlights Danielle, a 27-year-old wife, mother and aspiring fashion designer in Hartford, CT. Her $40,000 debt is taking its toll on her dream of having her own design business, while still hoping to provide a stable future for her family. She spends money she doesn’t have on wigs, beauty products and fast food while student loans, car loans, parking tickets, medical bills and bills pile up. With the help of money coach Farnoosh Torabi, Danielle’s mom Natalie and stepdad Fred move in to help get Danielle’s priorities straight. (SOAPnet/MARK BRENDEL)

Inside Scoop – Up Close & Personal with Farnoosh Torabi:

Farnoosh Torabi, Author of “You’re So Money – Live Rich Even When You’re Not” is known for her captivating words of wisdom about spending.  And lucky us, as we mentioned, had the chance to chat with her up close and personal– check out the words of wisdom she shared with Shop It To Me!

Shop It To Me: You look so great on camera!  Give us some behind the scenes scoop on the taping of the show itself — how much is your wardrobe influenced by a stylist vs. your own picks?

Farnoosh: I have more than 30 outfit changes for this show – but a limited budget for clothing – so it was important to get expert help.   I have the fortune of working with two very talented stylistas. Jamie Rosenthal and her assistant Amber Stolec. To establish my look for the show – which we wanted to be chic and professional but not stuffy — Jamie examined my existing closet and asked me where I like to shop, the brands I prefer and my sizes. From there she hit the stores of New York where she could find affordable and versatile pieces. Much of my wardrobe stems from Banana Republic, Zara, Macy’s, J.Crew and my own closet. The idea was to blend some of my own clothing with Jamie’s purchases so that I was really portraying myself. If she brought me something that I would never wear in real life – it most likely wouldn’t make the show.

Shop It To Me: Anything incredibly exciting or unexpected from this season of “Bank of Mom and Dad” that you can tease us with?

Farnoosh: Let’s just say it’s not just the daughters who have breakthroughs. Sometimes Mom and Dad also learn a thing or two about money management proving it’s never too late to enhance your money management skills.

Shop It To Me: To be 20-something and in debt is a common situation.  If you could only pass along one, and only one, tip to 20-something women regarding their finances, what would it be?

Farnoosh: Keep busy and find opportunities to make more money if cash is tight. On average, women earn less than men, all while living costs have gone up. So if you find yourself at the end of the month with empty pockets do what it takes to land a side job to supplement your income in a way that allows you to pay down debt aggressively and save for a rainy day. Not to mention – the busier you keep yourself the fewer chances you’ll also have to get bored and shop.

Shop It To Me: We’re dying to know about you personally.  Farnoosh, did your parents teach you money management, or was it something you learned on your own?

Farnoosh: My parents taught me almost everything about money. And it wasn’t like they sat me down and had weekly money sessions at the kitchen table. Much of what I learned was from just observing them. I was an only child until I was 11-yearss-old so I spent a lot of time with my parents – going to open houses with them when they were house hunting, sitting forever with them at the mortgage signing, watching my mom haggle at flea markets, seeing her pay off her Macy’s card with cash in the mall and seeing my dad manage the family’s finances on Quicken. My dad also took me to the local credit union when I was 12 to open my first savings account. I vividly remember a phone call in college, too, between my mother and I where she basically told me that if I ever got into serious debt she and my father would not bail me out…all while secretly I carried a $4,000 balance on my Visa. Gulp. That sure had me get my act together. My finance degree and eight years writing about personal finance has contributed a great deal, too. My parents, though, take the cake.

Shop It To Me: Our members love to shop.  Any thoughts on responsible ways of shopping where you can still get your fashion fix?

Farnoosh: I actually use shopittome to deliver all the great sales out there from my favorite designers and stores. I also think it’s important to budget for clothes and not to see it as, say, $100 a month (if that’s what you decide) but rather $1200 a year. This way your budget doesn’t seem impossible. You can suddenly see a whole wardrobe with $1200. The trick is – if you spend all of it at once you have to spend the other 11 months not buying a single item. So best to spread out your purchases and not feel deprived the rest of the year. I also find more women swapping clothes these days. It’s completely free and offers the chance to clear out some of the unwanted items in your closet in exchange for something you’ve had your eye on in your friend’s closet.

Shop It To Me: When it comes to clothing, when (if ever) is it appropriate to splurge?!

Farnoosh: Splurging on a piece that you consider an investment with a valuable return  – like time or confidence – can be worth it sometimes. For example, a black cashmere cardigan is classic so it’ll never go out of style and you won’t be back in the store buying another one next winter. Pieces that also win you confidence can sometimes be worth the splurge. For example a power suit that’s going to win you an interview and serve you in your job as you climb the ladder (and earn more money) can be a great investment. (But hey, still shop around).

“Be Chic” – always a winning philosophy, right? Now it’s a winning magazine, too! We’re proud to announce our Trendsetter BeChicMag.com won the Best NY Blogger award in Latism.org!

Trendsetters are key partners who use Shop It To Me, and part of our network of favorite fashion sites. We’re proud that BeChicMag.com is not only a Shop It To Me fan, but a winning style blog as well!

The site has a constant stream of fantastic interviews with designers and celebs. Want to know Christian Siriano’s advice for aspiring fashion designers, or the actor who’s going on a “Fugly” tour? (Seriously, we wouldn’t lie.)

Answers to these questions, plus local NYC fashion finds, are all at BeChicMag.com. Special congratulations to Editor Mercedes Sanchez, who previously produced segments for NBC before founding Be Chic Mag!

We’re excited to share breaking news!  Personalized designer brand suggestions are now available to our female subscribers, based on picks from others with a similar sense of fashion.

We know that many of you set your brand preferences when you first register for Shop It To Me, by choosing from a list of 80 “featured brands”.  But did you know there more than 600 choices available?  We know your taste is spot on, but even serious style mavens sometimes miss a brand or two.

Now with personalized recommendations, it’s even easier for you to update your selections and add more of the brands you know and love.

From that point on, we’ll do the legwork.  We’ll keep an eye out for these favorite brands to go on sale, and best of all in your size.  Shopping should be easy and fun — so please just sit back and relax, and wait for them to pop up in your personal Salemail!

To see your own customized list of labels you’re missing out on, just log in here.  Be sure to leave us a rating of how excited you are about these picks too!

If you’re not yet a Shop It To Me member, get in on the fashion frenzy by visiting www.shopittome.com and clicking Start Now. Once you’re enrolled, just log in to your account to view your personalized picks.

Happy shopping!

You may have noticed (and likely welcomed with open arms) our new Salemail addition – Urban Outfitters Exclusives! I have been oh so satisfied with the fun, flirty, and affordable items that have been popping up daily. From flashy accessories to essentials like basic cotton dresses and blazers, Urban seems to have it all covered. Here are a few of my favorite items so far:

1.  Chain and Jersey Necklace: was $38, now $19.99

2. Kimchi Blue Adele Bag: was $58, now $39.99

3. Silence & Noise Polka Dot Tulip Skirt: was $48, now $14.99

4. Silence & Noise Ankle Zip Twig Jean: was 58, now $29.99

5. Silence & Noise Drapey Side Pocket Jumper: was $68, now $39.99

6. Kimchi Blue Print Ruffle Tube Dress: was $58, now $29.99

To add Urban Outfitters Exclusives to your profile, login to your account at www.shopittome.com/login, click “edit brand preferences”, hit the “all brands” tab, and scroll down to the U section where you’ll find it. Just check the box next to Urban Outfitters Exclusives, hit save, and voila – a new morning treat!

I love the feeling of waking up to new brands in my Shop It To Me Salemail. It’s that time again! We just added a bunch of new women’s and men’s labels to the Shop It To Me lineup. For women, a few of the new designers include Current/Elliott, Marchesa and Nina Ricci. For men, they include RVCA, Ray-Ban and A. Kurtz.

If you didn’t need to wait for us to tell you that, you’ve probably already discovered the New Brands tab in the Edit Brands page. Check back often so you don’t miss all the latest goodies.

Haven’t added the new brands yet? Here’s a taste of what’s in store:

ADAM gathered tank dress, Reg: $340, Now: $170
BB Dakota Longoria shirt, Reg: $41, Now: $30.75
Balmain ankle fringe flat, Reg: $745, Now: $525
Gryphon nude The Timeless trench, Reg: $495, Now: $345.50

Go take a look at the full list of new brands! Just click the New Brands tab.

We’re thrilled to announce Shop It To Me was featured on the Today Show this morning as one of the best ways to “Fake Being Rich”!

Take a look and see let us know what you think:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32414706#32415130

We love the topic – and you certainly don’t need to be rich to have your very own personal shopper. No one has to know how much money you have (or don’t have) just by looking at you. The segment was presented by the lovely Robyn Moreno, author of Practically Posh: The Smart Girl’s Guide to a Glam Life. She showed off some cute DVF dresses scored for nearly half off using Shop It To Me.

Robyn also has a great blog also called Practically Posh, so head over and take a peek. She has all kinds of affordable indulgences, trends and photos to share glimpse into her everyday glam life — definitely up our alley.

Thanks to Robyn and everyone at the Today Show for the feature!

We all swoon over Rodarte dresses, but they aren’t just for celebs like Natalie Portman and Emma Watson.

Okay I lied, maybe they are. They do run for around 3K a pop. But that will soon change, because Rodarte is doing a designer line for Target!

Celebs in Rodarte – images from InStyle

Needless to say, we’re thrilled about the collaboration. We couldn’t have picked a better designer ourselves - literally! Mark your calendars: the line hits stores on December 20^th. Perfect time to sneak in a holiday gift to yourself (or two, or three…). Hey, they’ll be Target prices!

If you’re anything like me, you simply cannot get enough of the Mad Men characters and their sleek ’60s style. Well good news: Banana Republic has teamed up with the AMC original series to create Mad Men-inspired attire. Now you can look like lovely Betty, sexy Joan, or even dapper Don!

I checked out the line over the weekend and must say that I’m quite enthralled. There is one classic black “Betty” dress that practically begs to be thrown on over a vintage slip and accessorized with pearl earrings, black pumps, and a Holly Golightly-style cigarette holder (not that I condone smoking). Oh, the thrill of playing dress up!

You can pick up a style guide, which will show you how to dress like your favorite character, at your nearest Banana Republic. On the back are special codes that grant you a chance to appear on the show, along with entry to win a $1,000 Banana gift card!

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Sunday, August 16th season 3 premier! Dress up for the occasion, perhaps?

First there were Rollasoles, and now The Standard is selling swimsuits via vending machine! The trendy hotel has teamed up with Quiksilver, to offer their guests boardshorts and bikinis – snack style.

The selection will include 4 styles of men’s trunks ($75), along with classic black bikinis for the ladies ($84). With prices like these, wouldn’t you want to – oh, I don’t know – try them on first?!

Pop quiz. The reunion is right around the corner. You feel:

A. Nothing special.
B. Slightly anxious.
C. So utterly excited you attempt to sew a party dress.

The right answer? Definitely C – because the Project Runway All-Star Challenge reunion show is airing on August 20^th! They’re bringing back some of my favorite contestants, and as always the amazing talent and rampant drama should make for a fantastic segment.

The two-hour special will run at 8 p.m., followed by the new season of Project Runway.