Fashion

Do-Good Deal: Cute Clogs That Give Back

June 16, 2010 at 11:12 am , by jbrown

Clogs are making a comeback this summer, and if you’ve been tempted to add a pair to your shoe collection, now’s the time to buy. For the month of June, 50 percent of all online purchases made through the Cape Clogs’ Web site, capeclogs.com, will be donated to Hope in Bloom, a non-profit organization that plants gardens free of charge at the home of women (and men) undergoing treatment for breast cancer. (You can read about the founder, Roberta Dehman Hershon, and what inspired her to create Hope in Bloom here.) There are tons of styles and colors available; the silver ones shown here are calling my name…

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Design It Yourself: Jewelry Design Goes Digital

June 15, 2010 at 3:48 pm , by Chelsea Rae Simmons

Hi ladies, I’m Chelsea, the new fashion and beauty intern at LHJ, and I’m here to give you the scoop on a cool new jewelry DIY tool.

Love Heals launched its custom Design Studio so would-be designers like me (seriously, it’s crazy how much I spend on beads and chains), can design the perfect piece of jewelry without actually having to make it.

You can choose from a selection of charms, pendants and strands to create anything from a simple cord necklace (like this pretty number I made, at right) to a pair of lavish pearl chandelier earrings. After you submit and purchase your design, your jewelry is handcrafted by their California-based artisan team and sent to you in two weeks. The Design Studio is easy to navigate and use and it’s not too expensive: A custom piece of jewelry can cost you less than $100—my necklace clocks in at $90.

Another good reason to shop: Love Heals is committed to doing good. They use ethically-sourced materials for their jewelry and have planted more than 432,000 trees with GreenerEthiopia.org. And if that wasn’t great enough, here’s another huge shopping bonus: If you design a custom piece, you can buy it for 40 percent off with the promo code DESIGN40! Enter the code, which is good until June 30, at checkout.

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Fashion Editor Secrets To Scoring Great Deals

May 4, 2010 at 2:15 pm , by Sue Erneta

I know sometimes when you look at our fashion pages, you might wonder why everything is so expensive. There’s a simple reason: We need to list the full retail price of each item—but most people don’t pay the full retail price. At least I don’t. And neither should you.

In the Bargain Bulletin story in the May issue of LHJ, you’ll find all my best tips for scoring deals: shop designer collections at Target, follow the advice of your favorite shopgirl, and my favorite, sign up for email alerts with must-have brands. Sure, daily emails can be annoying (I just got one that said, “All shorts $39.50!” What? Since when is that a deal?) but the subject of the email will usually tell you if it’s worth opening so you can delete quickly.

Here are some great deals I’ve seen in the past 2 months via the sale alerts I’ve subscribed to. Of course they’re over now but if you sign up, you could hear about more like these!

Fourty percent off all dresses at bloomingdales.com, 40 percent all shoes at kennethcole.com for 5 hours only, 40 percent off any new full-price merchandise at anntaylor.com if you buy 3 items, 30 percent everything (full-priced and sale merchandise) one-day only… And my absolute favorite: 20% off (or sometimes even 30%) of all sale merchandise at jcrew.com. This is the way that I score great gifts for my husband, a hip wardrobe for my daughters and lots of pretty and well-made clothes for myself.

Here are my recommended quick links to sign up for email sale alerts: JCrew, Kenneth Cole (click Sign Up For Email), Ann Taylor, Loft, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Bloomingdales,and Macys.

So log on, sign up and start saving!

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Spring Sale Shopping: A Cute Outfit For Less

April 20, 2010 at 11:02 am , by Sue Erneta

Spring has just sprung so let’s celebrate everything springy: The birds singing, the flowers blooming, long sunny days… and sale shopping! I put this great look together online. Don’t I look cute?

Dress – I’m dress-obsessed this season and I can’t wait to get my hands on this classic shift in a modern print. It’s down from $158 to $89.99 at Ann Taylor. (Sizes are limited online but check stores for more options.) Bonus: It comes in petite!

Shoes – This cute natural-colored peep-toe is perfect for work! It’s a great deal at Nine West: was $89, now $59.99.

Necklace and Bag – I’m adding color to my look with accessories from Loft. This beaded necklace looks so luxe and it’s only $29.99 (down from $44), while the bag is super fun and versatile: You can remove the chain and use it as a clutch—plus it’s only $69.99, down from $98. And, shhh…if you go to the store, they’re offering an additional 30% off all sale items, which will make the necklace $20.99 and the bag $48.99—that’s more than half off!

Four pieces for a cute spring look—and we saved over 43%! (Check out more of my bargain shopping tips in the May issue of LHJ or see the story right here!) Happy spring, and happy shopping! So, tell me…what great deals have you scored lately?

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Go Ask Gab: Cheap & Chic Trench Coats

April 13, 2010 at 1:27 pm , by Gabrielle Porcaro

Gab, I am currently in the market for a trench coat. Any suggestions?  Barbara

Barbara, I was on the hunt for one too but because of the unseasonably hot weather here in NYC, I actually forgot about my search. If you’re like me, you yearn to be able to afford a classic Burberry trench (this tiered bottom has me salivating)! But since such a pricey piece isn’t a reality for most of us, I found some great choices from some of my favorite stores:

Lands’ End’s Heritage trench coat (pictured above) is fabulously classic. Love the navy option too!

Gap has a great mid-length trench on sale for $80. It’s definitely smart to opt for a shorter length, especially if you’re on the short side yourself.

L.L. Bean Signature is L.L. Bean’s new sleeker but just as classic line. This  khaki trench will never go out of style.

Kenneth Cole has a bit of fancier sateen trench.

Lord & Taylor‘s website has a black MICHAEL Michael Kors coat that’s very chic.

Calvin Klein single breasted trench is stylish. Also like the hardware on the belt.

J. Crew‘s Icon trench is a bit pricer but you can’t go wrong with the Crew!

Happy Shopping! Got any  fashion questions? Don’t foget to Go Ask Gab!

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Fresh New Me: What I’ve Learned From LHJ’s Makeovers

March 11, 2010 at 4:38 pm , by Mandy Hendrix

I’m behind the scenes of our Fresh New You makeovers, asking questions and taking notes of all the interesting tips and tricks that we pass along to you each month. Typically, this is for the benefit of our lucky makeover women, but along the way, I’ve learned some valuable lessons for myself.

Barrie
Lesson Learned: Set aside time one day per week to work on your hair. You’ll look and feel fabulous. The rest of the week, find ways to refresh your style. My suggestions? Dry shampoo (I usually prefer aerosol sprays but lately I’m into Faux Dry, a squeeze and shake version from Blow), adding texture with a curling iron and of course, a ponytail.

Mindy
Lesson learned: Don’t be afraid to tell people where you stand and what you’re comfortable with. Mindy wanted to keep her glasses but update them with a rimless style and could only devote enough time to upkeep for barely-there highlights. She stayed true to herself and I think she looks great.

Jayne
Lesson learned: Jayne had a young child but still loved an occasional date night with her husband or meeting up with her girlfriends. It was obvious that she enjoyed taking care of herself but wasn’t sure how to pull her look together after a few years spent in baggy jeans and a ponytail. Since meeting Jane, I’ve made a vow to my self to always set aside a some quality “me” time, even when it might seem impossible.

Becky
Lesson learned: Becky showed up with gorgeous, thick, blond hair but her m.o. was a headband and clip. She was game for going back to her roots, literally, and went darker so that she didn’t have to spend so much time in the salon. (Something I understand; highlights can be a time suck.) It’s scary to make such a drastic change, but I need to remember that blond is only a hair color and not a state of mind.

Don’t forget to check out Becky’s full makeover in our April issue, on newsstands now.

Think your ready for your own makeover? Email your name, age, city, occupation to lhjstyle@meredith.com. Also include a full body and headshot and tell us why you need a change.

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Go Ask Gab: Oscar Fashion Hits and Misses

March 8, 2010 at 11:35 am , by Gabrielle Porcaro

It’s Fresh New You week and what could be more fun than to start the week off with some super-glam inspiration? There some great moments at last night’s 82nd annual Academy Awards: Neil Patrick Harris opening the show, Kathyrn Bigelow being the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar, the John Hughes tribute. And there were the not-so-great moments: The interpretive dances to the best scores, and what was with the exclusion of Farrah Fawcett in the “In Memoriam” section!?!  There were also great and not-so-great fashion moments, too. Here’s my take!

Hits

Sandra Bullock: The big winner of the night shined in a gold Marchesa dress. Not only was the dress stunning, her hair and bright lip were AMAZING! The entire look was just Oscar gold… how appropriate that she won!

Maggie Gyllenhaal: Print is usually not seen on red carpets, which is why I found this dress refreshing and young. Extra points for picking an atypical award show fashion designer like Dries Van Noten.

Cameron Diaz: Cameron shined as well in this Oscar De La Renta gown. Normally, she wears something more fun but I prefer her more grown-up look.

Kristen Stewart: I thought Kristen looked beautiful in Monique Lhuillier. She is usually a bit more grunge and pouty but when gets glammed up and smiles she is a knock out!

Rachel McAdams: Confession: Rachel McAdams is my girl crush! She looked so fabulous last night in this Elie Saab dress and I loved the big earring as well. Again, a print is always a fresh look.

Read more

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