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Outside of the gym, wearing any pants sporting an elastic waistband is generally frowned upon, from a fashion standpoint. The one exception? Leggings. Maybe that’s why they continue to make a comeback every few seasons.

They’re easy to wear as long as you stick to these two rules of thumb:

1. Pair them with a looser top to avoid a too-tight catsuit-like situation.
2. Make sure your top or skirt covers the toosh, just as you would if you were wearing tights.

Here are a few styling tricks to rock ‘em like a pro.

1. Texture Up Top: Pair them with a furry jacket or chunky sweater to give your outfit more dimension.

2. Add a Cropped Coat. As Gossip Girl stylists demonstrate, a longer tunic topped with a cropped jacket creates a fun play on proportions.

3. Blouse or Button Down: An oversized button down adds a model-off-duty edge to your look — especially when pairing a silk top with leather (or faux-leather) leggings.

4. Layer it Up: Layer on the belts, hats, jackets and boots to add some richness.

Images via Street Peeper, StreetFSN, Just Jared, Denimology, Life and Shopbop

You can never have enough basics. Whether it’s the perfect tee or a cozy pair of gloves, there are a variety of pieces that every stylin’ gal should be stocked up on. Here are a few of our favorite essentials from Shop It To Me Search — all of which are under $100!

DKNYC Ribbed Cozy: $70, Rick & Skinny Denim Leggings: $60, James Perse Knit Tunic: $30

Tory Burch Rain Boot: $98, Dolce Vita Wedge Booties: $99, Ralph Lauren Riding Boots: $99

Juicy Couture Hat & Scarf Set: $63, All Saints Gloves: $13.50, House of Harlow Earrings: $37.50, BCBGClutch: $95

Are there certain outfit essentials/everyday basics you simply can’t get enough of? We’d love to know — please share!

Upon opening our Salemails this morning, our mouths dropped to our keyboards and our fingers got to clicking. The savings today are unreal! We’re talking thousands of items marked down upward of 70%. Below are a few items we’ve added to our shopping carts:

from left: Treesje Handbag (76% off – discount applied at checkout), Marc by Marc Jacobs bootie now $99 (78% off)!, Marc by Marc Jacobs riding boot now $99 (80% off)

clockwise from top left: Marc by Marc Jacobs kimono top now $49 (79% off)!, Michael Stars velvet dress (80% off), Cooperative canvas jacket now $19 (84% off), Barlow asymmetrical jacket (80% off)

Sales to check out include:

• Piperlime’s additional 20% off sale items with promo code SMILE (plus free shipping & free returns)
• Tobi’s new markdowns of up to 80%
• Designer shoes up to 90% off from DSW
• Markdowns of 70% off or more from Saks, Last Call, ShopBop, Net-a-Porter, Urban Outfitters, and more!

Pop on over to Shop It To Me Search to view all your items. And don’t forget to use the price filters on the left side of the page.

Happy Shopping, Bargainistas!

Scarves are one of the easiest, most affordable ways to completely change the look of an outfit. There are, oh, about a bajillion ways to wear them, but here we’ll share some of our favorite fresh new styles to add to your wrap repertoire.

1. Belt It: Place the scarf around your neck, wear a blazer or cardigan on top and wrap a belt over the whole thing. Leave space between the ends if you don’t want to completely cover up your top.

2. Knot It: This necklace-like style works especially well with long scarves.

3. Loop It: Makeshift an infinity scarf by wrapping it around your neck and tucking in the ends.

4. Wear It as a Headscarf: Wrap a long, thin scarf around your head to instantly transition from “bad hair day” to “boho fab”.

5. Wear It as a Skirt: Warning — we recommend only wearing this style over an actual skirt or dress to avoid a potentially-embarrassing wardrobe malfunction. That said, when done properly it’s a perfect way to get a Grecian draped effect.

6. Keep It Classic: Wrapping a scarf around your neck balances out a lower-cut top, but it can be worn with just about anything.

Inspired? Let’s get shopping! If you haven’t already, add accessories to your Salemail by logging in at shopittome.com/profile and and editing “Sizes/Categories”. Then visit Shop It To Me Search to peruse all the scarves.

We’d love to know — which style do you like best?

In the UK, all the big fashion sales traditionally start on Boxing Day (December 26).  While some stores may have begun giving discounts early, there’ll still be mammoth sales launched straight after Christmas. If you want to get the best bargains this normally entails camping outside the shop from the early hours – some stores open their sales at 5am!

This year, following the snow and all the cold weather in Blighty, many are excited to shop the designer sales from the comfort and warmth of their own homes.  We suggest no better and easier way to do it tomorrow than with shopittome.co.uk – lovely glass of mulled wine, a mince pie and time to let the site do all the hard work, saving the disappointment of all the clothes being sold out in your size if you’re not the first in the queue….    We can’t wait to hear what types of sales you find online, and in stores!

We wish you and your loved ones very happy holidays and a cheer-filled new year!

- The Shop It To Me Team

Baby, its cold outside! It’s a good thing we have our Trendsetter Chanelle of The Penelope Times here to show us how to layer the perfect winter look. Be sure to check out the 20-something Los Angelino’s fashion, art, music and lifestyle blog for her unique online vintage clothing store!

Layering may seem easy, but it can actually be quite challenging! There’s a certain balance to layering, as there is such thing as too many layers or not enough. Here are some steps to follow…

Step one: Start with a base outfit - something simple that consists of a top and a bottom. For example: shorts and a t-shirt, tights and a dress, jeans and a tank, etc. You want the base to be minimal so that you have something to build on without having TOO many layers.

Step two: Adding your first layer - for warm weather, think light second layers, such as a cardigan or a vest. If  its cooler, you might as well go all the way with thick sweaters and knits. Be careful that your second layer isn’t too thick – you don’t want to feel constricted or look like a stuffed marshmallow! Try and pair colors and/or prints that complement each other but don’t match exactly. This way the layers will have that dimension you want, rather than blending together.

Step three: Adding top layer - If it’s warm you can add a light jacket or blazer on top, but if it’s cold add a leather jacket or coat. The top layer should act as the “cherry on top”, or the final piece to the puzzle! Solid colors tend to make the best top layers, otherwise the print may conflict with the shown layers.

Step four: adding accessories - Hats, leg warmers, scarves, belts, socks, knee highs, and gloves all fall into this category. Accessories are fun and should be played with, but be careful because they can get out of hand. Accessories should be complimentary to the outfit and not take away from it.

Step five: Adding jewelry - Jewelry should be the last thing you add because like accessories, you’ll want to make sure the pieces compliment your outfit. Cocktail rings are a nice subtle touch and so are elegant necklaces. If you have a jacket on, loose the bracelets – they’re bothersome and won’t be seen anyway.  Earrings are tricky… If you have a scarf or necklace on, omit. If you have your hair up and nothing on your neck, put those puppies on!

Layering is about balance much like anything in fashion. Often times, less is more. Layering should be appealing, comfortable, and look effortless! I hope these tips helped break down the process and make it a little easier to work with.

*post and photos by Chanelle of The Penelope Times

For many at this point, holiday shopping is said and done.  At least for those buying online, most orders have been placed, and fingers are crossed that UPS/Fed-Ex will deliver in time for this week’s holiday parties or Christmas Eve.  But — just because the shopping is done, doesn’t mean the gift-giving work is complete.  There’s the wrapping, card-writing, and personalization aspect of handing over that package.  Who said gift-giving is an easy endeavor?!

A few trends that have grown in popularity in recent years, to help ease gift-giving (and receiving!) pains:

Gift-receipts — According to the National Retail Federation, six out of ten people include a gift receipt most or some of the time when giving gifts.  This % has grown from 58.5% last year, and 56.9% in 2006.  Including a gift receipt certainly eases some of the burden on the recipient if they wish to return the item.  Store return policies vary: here’s our comprehensive list of return policies and tips to make returns easy.

E-gift cards – If you’re in a bind, many retailers now offer the option to email the recipient with an electronic gift card code, so you can make a purchase in true last-minute style.  Eco-minded recipients may also appreciate the electronic nature of this present.  The retailers themselves often offer this e-gift card service (Nordstrom, JCrew, and Neiman Marcus are offering virtual gift cards, among dozens of other retailers) or you can use a service like GiftZip to purchase e-gift cards.  Some retailers, like Sephora, are integrating e-gift cards with Facebook, so they show up on the recipient’s wall at the designated time/date you specify.

Free Gift Wrapping – Some retailers include a gift wrap kit, or free gift wrapping with the purchase of an item.   L’Occitane includes a gift wrap kit with each purchase, Gap brands include a complimentary gift box with purchase, and at Borders, among other bookstores, you can request them to hand-wrap your gift if you purchase in a store.

Best of luck with your last-minute gift preparation!

Holiday shopping got you down? Don’t fret — you can still order presents in time for the holidays!

We’ve searched high and low, and here are a few of our favorite giftable items, guaranteed to make any fashionista swoon:

1. Kate Spade Peppermint Earmuffs

2. Aeropostale Cable-Knit Scarf

3. ASOS Cut Away Corsage Glove

4. 100 Years Of Fashion Illustration Book

5. Pour La Victoire Rubber Rain Boot

6. Yves Saint Laurent Arty Enamel Ring

7. Tory Burch Zip Coin Purse

*Not what you had in mind? Email us at stylist@shopittome.com! We’ll be your personal shopper and help you find whatever it is you’re looking for.

Denim on denim: it’s the year’s comfy-casual look that’s had some serious staying power.

It seems counterintuitive to be writing a how-to on double denim, simply because it involves only two steps: 1. Wear denim on top. 2. Wear denim on bottom.

But like all other outfits, it’s not just about what you wear but how you style it. Here are four completely different takes on the trend that we can’t wait to try out ourselves (albeit layered with tights, boots and a coat to stay warm this winter).

Keep It Classic: Wear a jean button down with skinnies and keep to a monochromatic palette for a surprisingly chic effect.

Let It Slouch: Pair a soft tee with a frayed vest and black jeans.

Tuck It In and Roll It Up: Roll up your sleeves, tuck your shirt in halfway and pair it with rolled baggy pants for a J. Crew-esque ensemble.

Give It an Edge: Chain and fringe accessories and a cargo skirt toughen up any outfit.

Images via Garance Dore, Altamira, The Sartorialist and Twin Cities Metro