shopping

Guest Blogger: Plus Size Holiday Party Essentials

November 17, 2010 at 11:18 am , by Sue Erneta

Today’s guest blog comes courtesy of Sarah Conley of StyleITonline.com and On The Plus Side – a great blog about plus size fashion. Thanks, Sarah!

Holiday party season is right around the corner, which leads to the seemingly never-ending stream of one singular question – what are you going to wear? Finding fuller-figured options for any celebration may seem daunting, but don’t stress: Here are a few fail-proof options to take you from the office to the gala and right under the mistletoe – without missing a beat.

For low-key events, mix quintessential holiday elements, like sequins and velvet, with slim black trousers and pumps. Check out Just My Size’s Velvet Boyfriend Shirt ($16), a surprisingly chic & casual piece at an incredibly affordable price point. Lane Bryant’s Cropped Sequin Cardigan ($59.50) keeps the holiday spirit alive with an office-appropriate twist. Spice up your look after hours with Torrid’s Black Sequin Tank ($38). By far the most versatile piece, this tank looks great with a skirt, denim or a blazer. Consider it your wardrobe’s new evening workhorse!

Dresses instantly add an air of sophistication and in the holiday season, it’s easy to go overboard on the sparkle. Choose pieces that are figure-flattering and special, like updated little black dresses. If your style is a little more rock & roll, try Old Navy’s Metal-Studded Sweater Dress ($59.50). The shape is forgiving and the studs add an element of personality into your look. For a more classic piece, Lane Bryant’s Monochromatic Jacquard Dress ($89.50) can be translated for nearly every occasion. Feeling daring? Check out Monif C’s Marilyn Convertible Dresses ($195-$235), a chameleon-like piece that is only limited by your imagination. Tie the Convertible Dress into strapless, halter, sleeveless, one shoulder, off shoulder styles and more.

The key holiday party essential? Confidence! When you feel great, you look great and there’s no better way (or reason) to celebrate! Happy holidays!

Photo courtesy of Lane Bryant.

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Shopping For Boys’ Clothes

July 22, 2010 at 4:16 pm , by Sue Erneta

As you know by now, I am mom to two of the most fashionable little ladies on the east coast. And I love shopping for them! Pairing together silk bubble skirts with ruffly tops and necklaces makes me so happy to have girls. But sometimes I see a little boy’s elbow-patch sweater in the Mini Boden catalog and I long for a little dude to dress up to my heart’s content. OK Moms-of-boys: I know, I know—boys’ clothes are nowhere near as fun as girls.’ Not fair, I know. That said, there are lots of cute boy clothes to be had. (Why else would I dress Sophia in a unisex Peter Beaton tee and Vans like in this picture? I could get away with the androgynous look when she was 3. Now it’s all pink tutus and gold wedge sandals and “don’t I look glamorous?”)

Anyway, here are my picks for best boys’ clothes with a little help from my good friend, fashion writer and mom-of-a-stylish-boy, Selene Milano Angel.

Crewcuts – You know I’m obsessed with all things J.Crew and their boys clothes are no exception. All of the clothes are perfection but my favorite item is the MacAlister boot—but don’t forget the neon laces. (Those laces make me crazy. They almost make me want to try for a third…)

Mini Boden – The aforementioned elbow-patch sweaters, supersoft graphic tees (with the best designs), and a little bit of kooky fun stuff like this shaggy lined hoody make this one of the best boys’ resources.

77Kids – The store that made boyfriend jeans for my little girl has equally cool skater-type stuff for your little man. And coming soon near you, they’re opening free standing stores that’ll have lots of fun kid activities to keep ‘em happy while you shop.

Egg Baby – Selene swears by this brand for cool button downs, cute little trousers and shorts for her hip two-year-old.

Cool sneakers – From pink Converse high-tops to checkerboard Vans, my girls have always had cool kicks. Selene recommends black and white Adidas Sambas as a boy’s must-have but she also likes Puma. These tiny suede ones are adorable for the little guys. And I especially love Converse’s Dr Seuss collection and Vans’ Crayola collection for boys and girls.

See moms-of-boys? It’s not that bad out there. And just think about how much you’ll be saving in the teenage years when my girls are busy putting me in the poorhouse!

So tell me…where do you get clothes for your little man?

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Go Ask Gab: The Right Shades for You

July 20, 2010 at 3:00 pm , by Gabrielle Porcaro

I have a hard time finding sunglasses that look good on me. Got any tips? — Anna

You’ve come to the right place—sunglasses are my personal favorite accessory (second being bracelets, third being hats). I’m pretty much either always wearing a pair on my face or on the top of my head. (I also like to be photographed in them—check out my photo on our About Me section).

A good place to start is to figure out what shape face you have. You can do this by asking a friend or by looking in the mirror and outlining on the mirror with lipstick (obviously not your favorite shade) the shape of your face. It’s a bit messier but it works!

If you have a square face… Oval and cat eyes help add some curves and give you a softer appearance. These retro tortoise frames from Persol are very chic.

If you have an oval face… Lucky you! Everything looks good on you! Try a fun pair from Norma Kamali.

If you have a round face… Pick shades that are at least as wide as the widest part of your face. Don’t choose anything narrower or it will just accentuate the width of your face. An oversize rounded rectangular pair like these from Simply Vera are a good example.

If you have a rectangular face…  Try sunglasses that are narrower than the widest part of your face to make your face appear more balanced. Ray-Ban original wayfarer are classic.

If you have a heart-shaped face… Rimless and half-rim glasses are good. Aviators, like these from Banana Republic, are especially fabulous.

But these are just guidelines. Like any fashion item that you may not be sure about, my tip is to always take your time, try a bunch of options on and then buy what you love. Go to a department store, Sunglass Hut or Solstice Boutique with tons of sunglasses at a variety of prices. Bring a friend who’s honest and leave your sensitivity at home!

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July 4th Weekend Sales

July 1, 2010 at 1:41 pm , by Sue Erneta

Ah, July 4th! Fireworks, barbeques, and…summer sales! Your trusty sale freak (that’s me!) made the rounds of all my favorite sites to find the best deals so all you need to do is shop. (You need to take a break from the beach sometime this weekend, right?)

Loft – 40% off your ENTIRE PURCHASE! (Now that’s what I’m talking about! And did I mention there are about 12 dresses that I want there, right now? Like the one pictured here.) Use code FIX40.

Gap – Now through the 4th, 25% off EVERYTHING, online only. Use code GAPJULY4. You know how I feel about navy and white stripes (You can never have enough!) so I’ll be snagging this cute dress.

Banana Republic – July 1-5, additional 25% off all sale items, in store and online, use code BR4JULY. So, if my math is correct, you can get this silk dress for $37.50!

Nine West – Buy 2 pairs, get 20% off both. It’s an excuse to buy more! What’s better than that?

Shopbop – over 400 items are at least 70% off. You’ll feel like you’re stealing. I’ll take these Loeffler Randall sandals!

Intermix – Fab designer stuff is almost affordable when you take 40% off all sale items! Use code 40SALE.

Tory Burch – A co-worker recently asked me if I’ve ever braved a crazy Tory sample sale. No need to when you can get tons of items up to 50% off online. Check out this tunic.

So, tell me…what’s the best deal you’ve ever gotten?

Photo courtesy of Loft.

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Go Ask Gab: More Swimsuit Tips

June 23, 2010 at 1:14 pm , by Gabrielle Porcaro

In our June bathing suit story, we showed you some fabulous options. But after working on the story I’ve also gotten some great feedback from friends, found a suit that I adore and even learned what the trends for guys are! So I thought I would share them. In order to keep anonymity, I am referring to friends by numbers…

Friend #1: “I’m wearing an asymmetrical dress to a wedding this summer and don’t want to be the girl with weird tan lines. I’m smaller on top and usually wear halters but I ordered this twisted bandeau bathing suit from J. Crew and love it. I always thought I needed to have a little more on top to wear a strapless but turns out I don’t!”

Friend #2: “I’ve always been a fan of Miraclesuit because they hold everything in. This year I followed your advice and got the Lands’ End 1-piece you featured and I’m very pleased with it!”

Friend #3: “Being bigger on top makes it harder to find bathing suits that fit and are supportive. I found this great Shoshanna bikini and was amazed that this style worked for someone like me!”

Read more

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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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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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