It happens all too often that I’m in a crowded or loud place, and can’t hear my phone ring.  Or when I hear a ring that I think is mine, but then it turns out it’s the phone of someone nearby – aggravation to the max!

Although texting and the phone vibrate setting can help ease these woes, fashion is now stepping in to the rescue!  Check out this new dress that lights up when the wearer’s phone rings!  Tennis star Maria Sharapova modeled the dress in a London department store last week.  Bluetooth technology links the wearer’s phone to the dress, and an entire panel of scales apparently flashes luminously to alert not just to you, but the world as well, that you have a call!

Only problem is that when you see someone calling that you don’t want to talk to, you can no longer use the excuse “I didn’t hear my phone!”  — if they’re nearby, you’ll be caught red-handed!  I think the extra blantant attention would deter me from wearing this dress, but maybe if there was a version using a ring, bracelet, or even belt, I’d bite!  (That way you could also wear it time and time again, not just once every few weeks).  Thoughts?

Read and see even more pictures of the dress on Switched.

There is no denying that these Steve Madden gladiator sandals are the celebrity must-have of the season. So far they have been spotted on Heidi Klum, Bar Refaeli, Kate Moss, Nicky Hilton, Katy Perry, Lindsay Lohan, Katherine Heigl, Sophia Bush, and Ashley Tisdale.

Oh, you want them? Well good news, shoe-lovers, these adorable sandals can be yours for just $44.96. Yes, you are reading correctly – I said $44.96!

Steve Madden BOGGLE

Just enter the promotion code “WeLoveCJ25” for this discounted price, free shipping, and a year subscription to Shape Magazine. Doesn’t get any better than this!

There is so much to be learned in the realm of dry cleaning. First off — did you know that the process isn’t even completely dry? And how safe (and effective) are at-home dry cleaning kits? We turned to our Trendsetter Unfunded for the answers. If you’re stylish, a little edgy, and don’t have a ton of funds, Unfunded is a fantastic blog to check out.

We all love to scour the sample sales and VIP membership sale sites like Shop It To Me for the best deals on designer duds. This, however, can be a double-edged sword. Pro: we score a $400 dress for $30; con: it’s still an expensive piece, made of expensive fabric, thus, we can’t just pop it in the washing machine to get rid of our daily stench (not that you have a daily stench…I’m just sayin’).

The fact is, the majority of the amazing designer pieces that put us on that post-sale high are dry clean only, and dry cleaning can be expensive. Being the “I am my own woman” and “I can do this on my own” type of person that I am, I set out to unravel the tightly knit secrets of dry cleaning so I could save a little money and learn how to dry clean my better pieces on my own.

The first thing that stands to mislead anyone planning a DIY dry clean is its name, “dry” clean. From that name alone, you might think you’d simply be able to stick your items in the dryer, tumble it around for a bit then have your garments come out completely stain free (I mean, come on, we’ve all thrown dirty clothes in the dryer to freshen them up a bit, right? Well, at least I have). Actually, clothes that get dry cleaned do get wet, just not with water. Dry cleaning involves the use of a liquid solvent, called perchloroethylene, to remove soil and stains from your clothes. The solvent dissolves grease and oil and prevents garment shrinkage, loss of color and fabric distortion – kind of like the secret ingredient.

At a professional dry cleaners, a garment’s spots and stains are pre-treated with a special cleansing solution, then the items are put into a machine with the liquid solvent and washed, then pressed and packaged with a clear plastic covering and a wire hanger (usually covered with paper that says something cute like, “thank you, come again” or “I love my dry cleaner”). Take a look at how dry cleaning works in the video below by HowStuffWorks:

Happy Trendsetter Thursday! We recently featured our Trendsetter Chic Jungle for a great post she wrote on a surprising and affordable beauty product. A true bargain hunter, she knows how to stay stylish on a recession-friendly budget. Here she shares helpful tips on how to modernize heirlooms.

A few weekends ago a friend of mine, Carolina, and I were perusing all of the treasures at the THREAD show and we stopped at an exhibit to take a look.  The gentleman helping us was admiring a necklace that Carolina was wearing and commented on how much he liked it.  She explained that she had used her great grandfather’s water polo medals to create a super funky and really cute necklace with them. That’s when I realized that the term ‘heirloom’ was filed away in my mind under ‘old’, ‘expensive’ and ‘boring’. Heirlooms always have a special place in your wardrobe and definitely don’t have to be drab.

Heirlooms are defined as “something of special value handed on from one generation to another”. This can be anything from your mother’s earrings to your great grandfather’s water polo medals. Here’s a few ways to modernize what you already have:

• If you have a really great pendant that has been passed down from generation to generation, put it on a long chain or a fun colored ribbon.
• Your great Auntie’s scarf can be turned into a headband, a tie around your waist for a belt, or tie around the strap of your purse.
• Your grandmother’s wedding band can be worn and stacked with other fun and modern rings.
• Take that beautiful family brooch and pin it to that fedora you’ve been waiting to wear.
• Or get creative like Carolina and turn something unexpected into a really great piece!

In addition to incorporating heirlooms into your wardrobe, why not buy some pieces that will become heirlooms themselves?  They have to start somewhere, right? I found a beautiful 3 carat blue topaz ring at the farmer’s market a few summers ago.  Currently it is set in silver, and I will someday reset it in a gold setting and pass it along to my children. The diamond earrings that my daddy gave to me Christmas ’02 will definitely belong to generations to come.  My grandmother’s and my mother’s wedding bands (which incidentally are the exact same size and also fit my ring finger) will hopefully someday adorn my little girl’s hand too.

So bust out your heirlooms and spice up your wardrobe. And next time you’re out shopping, or online checking out Shop It To Me, do it with heirlooms in mind.

Word on the street is that Patricia Field will not be dressing the Sex and the City gals this time around (gasp!). The “out there” costume designer, who has been styling Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda over the years, has become an icon to fashionistas far and wide. However, the rumor is that she will not be signing on for movie #2 due to conflicting opinions with Sarah Jessica Parker regarding wardrobe. SJP feels that Carrie’s look should show the recession’s influence, while Ms. Field wants to stick with the extravagant designer duds that make her stand out.

I do feel that part of Sex and the City‘s appeal is Carrie’s lust-worthy wardrobe, but at the same time SJP’s view seems rather appropriate during these tough times. What are your thoughts?

Boyfriend shirts, boyfriend jeans, boyfriend blazers…this trend seems to have infiltrated almost every category of apparel! I’ve been trying to jump on the bandwagon for some time now, but the increasingly popular boyfriend jeans look absolutely atrocious on me.

This morning I stumbled upon this snazzy Boyfriend Jacket by Rag & Bone, worn by the beautiful  Charlize Theron and Molly Sims, in my Salemail! This versatile silk piece would make an excellent addition to any summer wardrobe, as it can be dressed up or dressed down. I’m digging the look Charlize went for, leather pants and all, tres chic! Plus the cuffed  sleeves make the jacket a little bit more casual.

So if you’re willing to give the whole “boyfriend” look a go, why not? After all, this jacket is a whopping 60% off! Let your creative juices flow and make this jacket a staple summer item.

Special Bonus: Free shipping on this jacket courtesy of Saks! Just use the code SAKSSHIP9 at checkout.

Rag & Bone ‘Silk Boyfriend Jacket’: Reg: $545, Now: $218.04

How would you feel if someone took a hole punch to your Kate Spade shoes?

You might punch something yourself. But if you bought your heels pre-holed, you might think it looked pretty cute! Punched and perforated accessories are popping up everywhere – a fresh new alternative to studded or beaded embellishment. Here are some great pieces from my Sale Spot.

Fendi ‘De Jour’ Perforated Bag, Reg: $2,005.95, Now: $1,299.99
Kate Spade ‘Celia’ Slingback pumps, Reg: $295, Now: $221.25
See by Chloe Punch Line Bag, Reg: $640, Now: $448

Right now I’ve mostly seen the look from higher-end brands and designers, but for those who are adventurous enough, it could make a fun DIY.

American women love Michelle Obama’s style.  And, according to a survey Shop It To Me recently conducted, they also think she’s one of the savviest shoppers around.

We asked over 900 women to write in the name of the celeb they think is the savviest fashion shopper, more than 8% named Mrs. Obama-second only to Reese Witherspoon who garnered 9% of the ballot.  Jennifer Aniston, Rachel Bilson, and Tyra Banks rounded out the Top 5 list:

We asked a second group of 600 women to identify which celebrity they would most like to go shopping with, and the results were a bit different.  Aniston shot to the top of the list with 9% of the votes and Witherspoon fell to second place with 6%.   Mrs. Obama didn’t make the top five, although “What Not To Wear’s” Stacy London (4%), Oprah (3%) and Anne Hathaway (3%) did.

We’ve got the Fendi bike, the bike-friendly suit, and TopShop giving out bikes – call me crazy but I’m sensing a trend.

Here’s the low-down on the bike frenzy:

THE FENDI BIKE:

The “Fendi Abici Amante Donna” is insanely adorable in just about every way that a bike can be. The price, you ask? Well, It’s $9,500 (no joke)! I am relatively certain my car is worth around this much. Regardless, I want it so badly I am having reoccurring dreams co-starring myself and this bike…

Warning: DO NOT leave your Fendi unattended as you may an average bicycle. The chances of it being around when you return are slim to none (because I might steal it while you’re not looking).

THE BIKE-FRIENDLY SUIT:

Hey, stylish, bike-riding boys… This one’s for you:

B. Spoke Tailor has created the revolutionary Bespoke Bike Suit to solve all of your traveling woes. It’s waterproof, wind-resistant, and crafted with a pant cuff to keep your trousers from winding up in the chain of your two-wheeler!

Be stylish, comfortable, and eco-friendly all at the same time. Whoever said men can’t multi-task?!

TOPSHOP GIVING OUT BIKES:

Beginning this Saturday (June 20), TopShop will begin renting out free bikes from their New York store. The purpose is to get New Yorkers in shape while trying out the city’s new bike lanes! The promotion – filled with blue beach cruisers, cupcake stickers, and the sheer joy of peddling your heart out – will last one week.

Too bad they don’t make bike-friendly dresses… Or, do they?

–

Note to readers: I would not really steal your Fendi bike. But, in case you feel like buying me one for my birthday, I would so let you ride on the handle bars!

Here at Shop It To Me, we’ve compiled our favorite fashion and shopping sites in a group we call our Trendsetter network.

Reading every one of their blog posts would make you one stylish mammajamma, but alas, we understand you may not have time to read each entry, all the time.

So we’ve each picked some interesting reads we just had to share! Here are some of our favorite recent posts written by our Trendsetters:

Nicole’s pick: An amazing budget beauty product straight from your medicine cabinet by Chic Jungle
This Shop It To Me trendsetter takes an affordable and innovative approach to beauty, focusing on a product we’ve all heard of but probably never thought much about…Vaseline! She writes about the array of beauty products Vaseline can substitute for, emphasizing the multifunctionality of one very inexpensive product!

Tamra’s pick: How to stretch narrow shoes by Purse Addict
Stuck with shoes that are too narrow? Don’t throw them out, stretch them out! There are a variety of options, ranging from in-home remedies to help from a cobbler.

Laura’s pick: Reinventing your style by College Fashion
Zephyr from College Fashion offers ideas and tips for re-inventing your look this Summer. This can be a risky decision, so thank goodness she is here to walk you through it!

Natalie’s pick: Backstage look at Christian Siriano’s shoe line for Payless by Where Did U Get That
Hot stilettos, straight from the runway…to Payless. Seeing is believing, and our Trendsetter Where Did U Get That somehow managed to get a backstage look at the designer collection, and hang out with the man of the hour – Christian Siriano himself!