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?

Talk about a creative sale!  You have got to check out Old Navy’s $14.92 sale — in honor of Columbus Day!  (This Pre-Columbus Day sale is one week early — Columbus Day is October 13th)

We must give credit to Fashionista.com for tipping us off about this…

This weekend (October 3-5), Old Navy is putting 1492 items on sale for under $14.92 each (in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue…) — both in-stores and online!

Other tips while shopping Old Navy: 

* Old Navy always has the best Halloween costumes for baby/kids (and you can sometimes creatively modify these into adult costumes too) — some are already on sale!

* $7 flat-rate shipping on your order, regardless of the size.  And you can combine items from Gap, Banana Republic, and Piperlime into one checkout cart and shipping fee (this is somewhat new!)

* Although their women’s styles have been hit-and-miss lately, one thing to reliably count on are great layering tees year-round.  Going into fall, their long sleeve tees are an awesome staple for under great cozy cardigan sweaters, or even to wear alone on the weekends!  Seems they’ve also really improved the soft feel and fit of these compared to season’s past.

Shop It To Me is giving away a Gift bag from Lucky Shops!  Value $500!  

All you have to do is write in the comments section here what you think of Lucky Magazine.  We’ll randomly pick from all comments listed between now and October 8th — and the winner will take home this amazing bundle of goods!

Items inside include great brands of beauty, hair, and body products, DVDs, clothing/accessories from American Eagle, Kipling, Dwell Baby, Champion, and more… 

Be sure to visit the Lucky On The Lookout site for other great giveaways including L’Oreal Paris Mascara, Designer bags from Rafe, Lauren Merkin, Rebecca Minkoff and other great names, a weekend for two in NYC, and more…  Also — Lucky Shops, the ultimate shopping event in NYC is coming up on November 7th and 8th. Save up to 70% on some of Lucky magazine’s favorite designers. Get your tickets NOW!

Lastly, don’t forget to leave a comment on this post to put yourself in the mix and possibly win this VIP bag!  We’ll announce the winner soon!

Just as yesterday we posted about great booties found on sale, my Salemail has also been full of amazing fall outerwear pieces!  This time of year is so fun to dress for because you can break out the layers, and complete any look with a great statement coat or jacket.  I was drawn to the below items in particular because of their blend of functionality and style.

Juicy Couture – Skirted Trench Reg: $348.00    Now: $174.00 also comes in an awesome pink!	Via Spiga Women’s Belted Cotton Rain Coat Reg: $250.00    Now: $109.99
Joie -Artichoke cotton twill double breasted jacket Reg: $210.00    Now: $104.99	Nanette Lepore ‘Shoppin’ Around’ Coat Reg: $430.00    Now: $284.90

Here at Shop It To Me, we’re not the only ones — our Trendsetter Ma Petite Chou has recently posted on great fall coats/jackets, and also plaid coats to die for.  Check out her thoughts — complete with many pictures!

I was also elated to see Shopbop is offering 20% off all regular price jackets and sweaters until Sunday — just use code SHOPBOPSECRET at checkout!

Booties are everywhere these days — magazines, TV, recent posts on The Budget Babe, Debutante Clothing, My Fashion Life, and Fashion Tribes… and even in my Salemail!

Check out these hot styles — it’s refreshing to see that sale prices aren’t only available on last-season’s goods, but even on brand new trends:

Loeffler Randall Blythe D-Ring Bootie Reg: $439.00    Now: $307.30	KORS MICHAEL KORS Black Reg: $334.99    Now: $180.89 Use code SEPT08 at checkout for this price.
Jessica Simpson ‘Lefigo’ Bootie Reg: $118.95    Now: $79.90	Charles David Leopard Pony Reg: $534.99    Now: $288.89 Use code SEPT08 at checkout for this price

We hear that it’s sometimes difficult to shop online because of body type concerns, and the reality that you can’t try on the clothing before you purchase.  Today, we’ve brought on wardrobe consultant Mayna Sgaramella from Closet Fly to share some tips, since she’s an expert in helping people wear what’s best for their bodies.

Closet Fly is one of our Trendsetters who offers tips on what to wear and how to wear it best.  I’ll let Mayna take it from here!

Knowing what styles and cuts look best on your body type is hard enough shopping in stores, so how do you ensure you’re selecting the right clothing for your body type when you shop online?

1. First, determine your body type. Are you an inverted triangle, hourglass, pear (triangle), rectangle, apple (round), or some version of one of these? To identify which shape your frame is, stand in front of a full length mirror wearing just your undergarments (drinking a glass of wine before hand is optional). Pretend you are looking at someone else’s body so as to detach yourself and look at your body in terms of proportion and shapes (as if someone was shining a light behind you and your silhouette was projected on a screen). Determine if your shoulders are wider or smaller than your hips or if they are about the same. If unsure, use a measuring tape.  Also determine if you have a defined waistline or you don’t, if your butt is round or flat, if your bust is large or small, and where you carry your weight (top, middle, or bottom).  Then determine if you are Petite, Plus, or Average in height and proportion. Remember, petite does not necessarily mean small; it means smaller proportions. Clothes are generally cut smaller or shorter in the arm opening, pant rise, waistline, arm and pant length for petite sizes, but you could easily be a Plus Petite. Also, you may be of average height, but wear a petite top and a regular bottom depending on your frame.

The idea here is to balance out your body so that it is more proportioned and flattering for your figure. For example, if you are an hourglass shape, you want to avoid clothes that drape over the body and hide your figure. Instead, use waist belts and fitted garments that follow the line of your body. If you are an inverted triangle, you want to balance your top half with your bottom half so a full skirt or wide leg pant might help balance out your shoulders.

2. Next, research the online retailer’s sizing chart. Most online retailers will provide a sizing chart for you to compare your measurements to their sizes. But keep in mind that sizes vary from one brand to the next. That’s one more good reason not to be so rigid about the number of your size, because how your clothes fit and flatter you is much more important than the size number you’re in. So, be sure to take your measurements every three months or as your body changes and keep a written record next to your computer so you can easily find your size based on the retailers sizing chart. Here is an example from Nordstrom:

3. Then research the return policy, shipping costs, and other resources. The perk of online shopping is that you don’t have to leave your house and can try on your newly purchased items in the comfort of your own home. Most online retailers are making it easier for you to purchase and return items with free or flat rate shipping and printable return labels. Also take advantage of other resources like “How to Measure” and get the correct measurements for your body so you won’t have to return those items!

Fall is a great time to re-evaluate your closet and ensure that you have the staple pieces that every woman should own.  Then, it’s fun to spice the rest of the wardrobe up with plaid, sparkles, ruffles, flounce, patterns, bows, vivid colors, and other such treats.

Julie Watson, personal shopper and wardrobe consultant, based out of Chicago, recently shared her thoughts on the “must-have” items that every woman should own.  Besides just naming the five pieces (little black dress, white button shirt, cardigan, jeans, black suit), she elaborates on what to/what not to look for regarding each piece.  I thought this was a great recap and wanted to share it with you.  Julie has many other tips and resources that can be found on her site JulieWatsonStyle.com.

This article can also be found here

We were on the “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet” today! If you want to check out some great styles from Shop It To Me and hear more about other great ways to shop online too, check out this TV segment.

This piece highlights an entire “casual day” outfit originally found through Shop It To Me.  The original price for the whole outfit was $622, but the grand total when on sale was only $349. That’s a whopping $273 savings — what I call a steal!  Not to mention, great styles — adorable L.A.M.B. shoes, Citizens for Humanity jeans, and a great J.Crew sweater jacket.  Perfect for this time of year!

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!

Online shopping has always been seen as both a time and gas saver; yet that saved money can be quickly spent on the extra shipping charge tagged onto your order. Shipping prices can be outrageous; most frustrating is when the shipping becomes pricier then the item itself!!

Here are five of our retailers that relieve you of that $5.00-25.00 burden, and offer free shipping:

Shopbop.com

Endless.com

Piperlime.com

Tobi.com

Zappos.com