So…  here are some Shop It To Me tips that may help you discover products to perhaps perfectly fit the bill (pun intended!):

- Select accessories within your Shop It To Me profile (bags, jewelry, scarves, etc).  This will serve double-duty: you can find great buys for yourself, and also for many of those on your list.  Sizes don’t matter so just scoop up a great item and ON SALE…they’ll never know :)  I’m still eyeing the clutches, coin bags, etc that arrived in my Salemail yesterday (especially that Lauren Merkin one!) — all over 50% off.  I know these would make absolutely fantastic gifts.

Lauren Merkin - Louise Perforated Clutch Reg: $200.00 Now: $100.00

Felix Rey - Emma Zip Top Clutch Reg: $90.00 Now: $45.00

Chloe - Day Tripper Purse Key Holder Reg: $95.00 Now: $47.50

- Temporarily edit your profile to include sizes and the favorite brands of those on your gift list (nieces/nephews, parents, etc).  After you score some great holiday bargains, you can edit your profile again and make it solely focused back on yourself!

- Set price maximums: if you only want to see items under $50, you can specify this by editing your profile.  From then on, you’ll only have to check one place –your email– and shop directly from that customized ’shopping mall’!

- If you give gift cards, tip these folks off about Shop It To Me — by receiving Salemails, your friends can make their money (and gift cards) stretch by purchasing items that are on sale!

Coming soon on our blog — recommendations of brands to include for various gift recipients (your skater/surfer brother, your aunt with classic and sophisticated taste, your comedic boss and metropolitan-living co-workers, etc)….

Given that winter is nearing, I sometimes hear the term “vegan coat” tossed around.  I turned to the ethical fashion expert, Chloe from The Girly Girl Army, to first clarify and ensure I best understand what vegan clothing is.  She told me, “A vegan coat is cruelty-free; meaning free of wool, fur, leather, and silk,” and pointed me to this resource on cruelty-free fashion: http://www.peta.org/living/clothingguide-intro.asp

The below post from GirlieGirlArmy.com highlights some great vegan coat options (many of the brands are  also featured on Shop It To Me)… Click here to view the original post, or view it below.  Shared with permission by Chloe Jo of GirlieGirlArmy.com (Your Glamazon Guide to Green Living).

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Vegan Coat Round up!

More to come lovebugs, but here’s one of more coming lists (in addition to those we list weekly on the newsletter) for the vegan coat seekers.  Until very glamorous Vaute Couture coats are available, we’ll have to settle for these broads;

EXTRA WARM COATS FOR ICE PRINCESSES:

Steve Madden does it Vegan-style.

• Steve Madden Women’s Full-length Coat with Hood
• A puffy parka to keep you warm all season with a chic wrap belt.
• Get your snow bunny on with a white winter wonderland puffer.
• Faux-Shearling Toggle Coat, Boot Length.
• Steve Madden Quilted Jacket With Faux Fur Hood
• Casual LL Bean coat for all seasons, extra insulation.

DRESS ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO:

A 50’s moment from Tulle

• Extra-soft faux rabbit fur coat for those of you transitioning out of animal fur.
• Fall in line with the clearest of seas in this vibrant trench by Tulle. Glove length sleeves and an on-trend funnel neck add an unexpected spark to blustery fall days. Dress it up or down, but don’t leave home without it.
• Date ready swing coat.  So very Mary Tyler Moore.

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN; THE BISEXUAL COAT:

The Frida by Cheap Monday

• Easy grey peacoat with faux fur collar that will keep you warmer than Cayenne Pepp.
• Old Navy has the craziest selection of Vegan Coats (all but those noted “wool blend” are v).  Definitely not well made, but will do the trick in a pinch.
• Our favorite of the bunch; the Cheap Monday Frida Coat.  A perfect blend of casual, warm, and fabulous.

What happened to the children? Are they angry? Are they hungry? Are they even children? Maybe they’re shrunken adults. I’m pretty sure the one with the cute bob lived down the hall from me in college. The blonde one with the belt could easily be my friend’s mom.

Now look at these shots from the second November catalogue.

I get the feeling the stylist is not the outdoorsy type. The bejeweled bracelet and high-heel “party peeps” are lovely, but I can’t say I’d wear them hiking in the mountains of France. No, this page doesn’t make much sense, but perhaps it doesn’t matter. I still totally want those shoes in brown.

The birthday dinner restaurant is upscale Mediterranean. Polo shirts are a staple in Charlie’s wardrobe, and this wool cardigan would dress up a polo while still feeling relaxed.

Hugo Boss Orange Luxury Double Layer Sheer Wil Wool Cardigan

Then Charlie’s off to a black-tie event.  Purchasing a tux is an investment, so when doing so it’s best to take some advice from GQ and keep it classic. The two-button Yves Saint Laurent blazer is a timeless choice.

Yves Saint Laurent black wool 2-button tuxedo blazer Reg: $1595 Now: $1084.60

He won’t have time to change before his next party, but luckily, it’s rocker-themed. Grab a gold statue and voila! He’s dressed as a Grammy winner. So apropos. Happy birthday, Charlie! You’ve saved hundreds on your wardrobe, so remember to splurge on champagne!

Today, Hamilton Nolan from Gawker responded, and was up-in-arms about the generalizations made (Chuck Taylors = surfer), and poor representation of this young (and successful) generation.

Binkley has a very valid point that the brands and clothing selected by individuals speak strongly to personality, with personality being integral part of establishing a company culture and work environment.  While a buttoned up look may convey professionalism and enable employees to feel more empowered (everyone knows someone who will say “I just feel better and more powerful in a suit”), employees at smaller companies are finding other ways to express confidence, and their inner self.  More liberal style choices are common today, and using style as a form of expression is no longer relegated only to weekends.

Creative work environments are even being embraced by retailers.  Take “work desinations” Banana Republic or J.Crew for example.  Five to ten years ago, you’d see many more traditional button down shirts and black pants as part of their selection, where they are now skewing toward patterned choices, and items with a unique or novel twist.  They’re realizing that young men and women are desiring to express some personality and flair while in the workplace too.  Binkley hit it on the head with “…young people say their mix-and-match style offers them more versatility and creativity than the old uniform did.”

Binkley shared, “In a way, their aesthetic represents a new kind of uniform — one heavily dependent on corporate labels.”   I personally take a different tack here — I’d venture to state that often subculture/smaller labels hold even more cache for young generations than mainstream brands.  Young people seem to enjoy expressing their style through independent labels or smaller brands such as Mike & Chris, Penguin, Black Halo, Sky, Goldenbleu, Kooba, 18th Amendment, etc.  The brand identification is often not evident to the naked eye, and these items are not logo-filled.  In this way, 20-somethings are embracing brands but because of a unique style expression, more so than a way to convey status.

In the podcast, Binkley shared that she asked young people whether they forecast their style changing/evolving as they mature and reach the age of the current Boomers.  Surprisingly, they voiced that their style likely would become more status-quo as they grow up.  I found this point particularly interesting, as it seems that relaxed workplace style choices could have more lasting impact than just a passing life-stage choice.

Binkley’s most controversial quote “Their choices among brand-name items are meant to communicate substance,” really set Gawker off.  By changing the slant to be less strongly focused on brand names specifically, and instead reflecting how young people intentionally choose specific style choices to best represent and convey themselves in the workplace is a point Nolan would perhaps agree with — and be proud of.

That was just the beginning of slogan tees. The next iteration were the highly controversial Abercrombie shirts that had middle schoolers walking around with phrases like “Who needs brains when you have these” written across their chests. Sure there were other shirts with overt sexual innuendo, but they were largely relegated to spring break or St. Patrick’s Day apparel, with sayings like “Irish men love a little lass.” After that were the faux vintage sports tees with made-up team names on them. They were inauthentic, but so comfy — the retailers made them extra soft to give them the illusion of enduring years of wear.

Slogan tees have come full circle now, poking fun at the shirts of the ’90s. The other day my friend Abby wore one that I love:

The shirt is by Ju$t Another Rich Kid, who makes a whole range of ironic tees printed on old vintage and D.A.R.E shirts. I’ve been on the lookout for these types of tees in my Salemail. So who knows? I might just end up buying my “girls kick butt” shirt again, recycled with a facetious phrase on top.

This is the time of year!  This is the moment for Sale shoppers!  Just wanted to give you a tiny taste of the great sales we’ve seen.

Shopbop, with their 30% of all regular price items today and tomorrow only (enter code EARLYGIFT) at check-out…it’s like a dream.  Dangerous for the wallet, but wonderful for the closet!

And even though Shopbop ends tomorrow, the sale flurry continues!  Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy are having their 30% off Friends & Family this weekend, and Bloomingdale’s is offering an extra 30-50% off online purchases, applied at checkout through Nov 16th.

Very curious — what are the best deals you’ve found?

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Finding a gorgeous pair of shoes is hard enough, but the task is exponentially more daunting if you happen to wear anything above a size 10.  While a few select retailers like Nordstroms and Saks offer lovely picks from some fashion houses in a size 11, it’s a rare shoe designer who makes shoes in those often neglected sizes 11-15 (and above).  Why is the case?  It seems counter intuitive, since oodles of women wear these sizes and they certainly don’t constitute a population minority.  So, it’s time to reclaim 11-15 from the small-minded set and return it to the ladies with big-time style.

The Grand Mademoiselle’s go-to shopping destination for large size women’s shoes is online retailer Barefoot Tess, which offers a ridiculously beautiful and expansive collection of designer shoes in sizes 5-15.

Here are my favorite picks this season:

For the perfect flat, opt for this gorgeous confection from Loeffler Randall.  The ‘Gracie’ is a soft ballerina with a gilded side bow; a glittery way to celebrate winter.

For the perfect boot, go for this delightful black leather knee-high from All Black.  The ‘Stud’ has a great pointy toe and a cheeky fold over top that can be worn up or down with the help of button snaps.

For the perfect trendy shoe, choose this darling gladiator bootie from Dolce Vita.  The ‘Kent’ is a playful ankle flat with leather buckles and appealing cut outs that create the must have piece of the season!

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As an aside, Shop It To Me does offer the ability to receive Salemail when shoes go on sale through Women’s size 12 and in narrow and wide widths, and each of brands like those featured above (Loeffler Randall, Dolce Vita) are included in the brand options list!  Time to not only find those shoes…but on sale!

Fashion Meet-Up! Sponsored by Shop It To Me Meet other fashionistas and share tips on finding designer discounts. Great style-related giveaways too! Monday, November 10th 7-8pm Espresso Art Café 944 East University Blvd Tucson, AZ Please RSVP to events@shopittome.com

Brought to you by ShopItToMe.com and our Tucson-based Trendsetter Fashionalities.blogspot.com

Another Trendsetter, Shopping And Info, had great photos featuring Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss, and Blake Lively:

And now, just today — in my Salemail, not one, not two, but SIX pair of these boots!  I just love when Salemail is so on top of the trends!  And for pretty affordable price-points!

Sam Edelman ‘Utah’ Boot Reg: $194.95 Now: $115.90	Steven by Steve Madden ‘Innka’ Bootie Reg: $178.95 Now: $106.90	Sam Edelman ‘Uri’ Over the Knee Boot Reg: $224.95 Now: $133.90
Chinese Laundry - Frida Reg: $100.00 Now: $69.99	Betsey Johnson ‘Tisha’ Bootie Reg: $319.95 Now: $189.90	Steve Madden WARLI Reg: $79.95 Now: $63.96 VOTEMADDEN at checkout.