Rodarte for Target

In addition to our first discussion of online sample sales, I want to remind all you readers that Rodarte’s Target line rolls out on December 20.

On this blog, we try to remain fashion and budget conscious, and Target’s designer lines are one of the best ways I know to be both.

Rodarte’s line, in particular, looks amazing. I’ve already seen the lookbook, and I can tell you that I will be online December 20 (as I won’t be in the U.S.) to snatch up some of the best pieces.

Rodarte (pronounced Ro-dar-tay) is run by two sisters in California, and it has quickly become a fashion favorite for the red carpet group. Since I am neither red carpet nor about to drop red carpet prices on dresses (no matter how amazing they look on Vogue’s models), I am excited to get my hands on their designs.

Sample Sale 1: Ideeli

Sample Sale 1: Ideeli

Yesterday, we had our introduction to online sample sales, and today we are going to start discussing specific sample sale websites.

The first sample sale website I want to discuss is ideeli. Each day, ideeli offers a variety of thirty-six hour sample sales. For example, today they are offering a Dolce & Gabbana sale.



PROS

Ideeli offers a lot of giveaways. The prizes are always cuter (and expensive), and it’s free to enter.

CONS

There are several reasons I don’t love ideeli. The site isn’t completely user-friendly. It takes a few minutes to load, and for some reason it doesn’t save my user information. The other downside of ideeli is that first row members (who pay to use the site) can enter the sale an hour earlier. Of course, this is a good way for those running ideeli to make more money, but they are the only major sample sale website I know who does this.



Although I don’t love the layout of the site, the giveaways alone are a reason to join ideeli. Which leads us to - how do you join? Join ideeli by clicking here.

Sample this!

Before the explosion of online sample sales, sample sales were relegated to lucky girls in New York City and Los Angeles who could hurry down to nearby warehouses to snatch at designer goods for low prices. I always imagined the Chanel and Prada I could be donning if only I lived in one of these major cities. Alas, I was a poor college student spending her paychecks on groceries, textbooks, and outlet store finds.

Since then, I have been to one sample sale while visiting New York City. I was with two girlfriends in Soho, and we happened upon a sparsely decorated space with racks of designer clothes. Women swarmed through these racks, and soon my friends and I were in the mix, snatching at anything remotely cute in our sizes.

The dressing rooms were hollow spaces with curtains draped over the fronts - the type of makeshift dressing rooms seen in Halloween stores. I found a black sweater (which I’m actually wearing today), and one of my girlfriends found a steal on a dress to wear to her birthday party that weekend.

The problem with sample sales, as I mentioned, is that they don’t take place everywhere. And if you want to get the best clothing, you have to be there early in the morning to fight your way through crowds of stiletto-clad girls for the best deal.

Those of us who work desk jobs Monday - Friday in ho-hum suburbs know that neither the time nor location is conducive to our lifestyles. We have had to kiss sample sales, and their good deals, goodbye.

Until now.

Brilliant entrepreneurs decided to put these sample sales online, probably saving themselves overhead, but bringing fashion discounts to anyone who has access to a computer. Often these sample sales start near lunch time, so even if you are at work, you can hop on for a few minutes over lunch and find yourself a good deal.

As we begin our discussion on sample sales, I want to remind everyone that these are not bargain basement prices. Depending on the brand, you may still be paying a lot of money. For example, $7,000 Valentino dresses are not going to be marked down to $50. They may be $2,500, and if you have the budget for Valentino, this is going to feel like a steal. Don’t let this discourage you though. Some sample sales may be way out of your price range, and others may be just what you want. For example, $685 Sergio Rossi wedges for $118 may be exactly what you need, putting something out of your price range into your price range.

Like storefront sample sales, online sample sales only last approximately forty-eight hours, and the competition for some items is fierce. Be cautious not to get wrapped up in the excitement of the sale and forget your budget. It’s only a deal if you are going to wear it and you can afford it. Those six-inch electric blue heels may be discounted tremendously, but if your entire wardrobe consists of khaki pants and fair isle knits, they are only going to make a stunning decoration to the bottom of your closet.

Stay tuned as we begin our sample sale discussion. May the shopping begin!

I Am the Winner of Project Runway (and so are you).

I love Project Runway. I love Heidi, Michael, and Nina. I love the creative challenges in which the designers participate. I love dissecting the episodes with a close girlfriend after they air.

I imagine myself as an aspiring designer, Nina Garcia telling me I’m the next Donna Karan and Mary-Kate Olson sitting in the guest judge seat saying she wants to interview me in her next book. Tim Gunn will be speechless, his impressive vocabulary caught in his throat as he worships my red-carpet-worthy garment made only from banana peels and chewed gum.

The problem is that I don’t know how to make clothes. And even if I start learning tomorrow, I probably will not be good enough to be on Project Runway before Heidi Klum retires to her Mexican mansion with Seal and their ten beautiful babies.

The next best thing to actually doing something is to do it in a video game. I’ve fulfilled all my rock star dreams with Rock Band. And my husband and his friends are weekend warriors (of the Call of Duty kind). Now I can fulfill my fashion designer dreams with the newest Project Runway video game.

The game allows players to take the role of a Project Runway contestant, creating outfits during creative challenges. After dressing your model in an outfit (complete with hair and make-up), you can play as the model, rocking your outfit on the runway.

Be prepared because your competition is stiff. Can you outdesign Irena, the season six winner? You’d better be able to do so, because the top eight contestants from season six will be featured in the game.

And if being a designer and a fashion model isn’t enough for you, the Project Runway video game also allows you to be a fashion photographer. It’s any fashionista’s three dream jobs all rolled into one game.

The game is being created exclusively for the Wii and comes with its own balance board (for those catwalks). It’s due to arrive on March 2, 2010.

Because You Have to Wear Something

I was recently in a discussion with a friend who informed me she could never dress fashionably because she doesn't have money to spend on clothing. Of course, I was appalled at the comment, because I am a huge believe that no matter your budget, you can dress fashionably.

Let's face the facts. You cannot go naked. It's illegal. Therefore, you have to spend money on clothing. It might be $50,000 or it might be $5. But you will have to spend something on your wardrobe.

In fact, ladies living on a shoestring should be entitled to even better wardrobes because often these ladies are working hard to make ends meet, and often they are working hard to support children too. Looking good can make such a difference in how one feels about oneself. A good outfit transforms everything from your posture to your self-worth. A good outfit may very well make you feel better than an hour of therapy, and it could cost less.

You may not be able to afford Proenza Schouler, but you can probably afford Proenza Schouler for Target. And you may not be able to afford the hot pink holiday bubble dress that is so "in", but you can afford a simple black cocktail dress that will get you through hundreds of holiday seasons to come (if, indeed, you do plan to live for hundreds more holiday seasons).

Since we already mentioned Target, let's start there. Target has turned itself into quite a one-stop shop for recessionistas. From stationary to clothing, you can find just about anything in vogue you need at Target. I will spend good amounts of money on clothing, but I often find myself back at Target all the same because of their great partnerships with leading designers, and the reasonable prices at which you can buy clothing. Target isn't bargain basement shopping, and the clothes are not jaw-droppingly cheap, but they are good, solid buys, and you can find anything from basics to trends in their clothing and jewelry sections.

Another great place to find good deals on clothing is H and M, if you live near one. I must bitterly admit I don't. Right now, H and M has a Jimmy Choo line for sale beginning on November 14. Kate Moss also has a line for H and M.

Forever 21, and stores similar to it like Wet Seal, have good deals on trendy clothing. They recently opened a Forever 21 in our mall where there used to be a Lord & Taylor. It's huge. And I have a friend who loves Forever 21 with her heart and soul. She used to drive by the mall wistfully dreaming of when the Forever 21 would open up. And now that it's open, she buys everything there from shoes to Christmas gifts. She is probably there as I write. Her clothes won't last forever, and neither will yours if you buy them there, but she always looks cute, and so you will. They have a lot of great options for trendy clothing.

The internet has opened up a whole new world for shopping as well, and next time I write we will cover online sales (of which I know a lot).

Rent The Runway

I found out about a new website that may appeal to some of you, dear readers. The website is called Rent the Runway, and the concept is that those of us who don't want to pay top dollar for couture outfits can rent them instead.

It's a cool concept. Basically, you log onto the website and choose which dress you want to rent. RTR sends you the dress in two different sizes, just in case. You wear the gown and ship it back. They take care of the dry cleaning.

The website is well-designed, making it easy to navigate through the outfits. You can search by occasion, which is a great way to narrow down the inventory to the event you want.

I like the idea, but the only problem is that renting a designer dress from RTR is still more expensive than going to the mall and buying one. The prices start around $50/rental. For those of you who live and die on the runway, this probably won't matter. Better a Stella McCartney dress for a night than a Banana Republic dress for life.

I believe this website would come in handy, however, when you are looking for a dress for an occasion that will never repeat itself. Therefore, you need the dress for one night only. In this case, renting a dress may seem like the best option. For example, you are invited to a black-tie wedding. You are being whisked to Paris so your boyfriend can propose atop the Eiffel Tower. You are going to the Oscars. You are the mother-of-the-bride. In any such cases, I could imagine wanting a stunning dress, one you won't ever want to wear again or may never have an occasion to wear again.

The September Issue

My husband told me about The September Issue when it was only showing in New York City and Los Angeles. I hoped the documentary based on the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue would come to a theater near me, and sure enough, it finally has.

If you have a remote interest in fashion, you will enjoy watching this movie about what goes on behind the scenes at the country's most prestigious fashion magazine. The September issue is the biggest issue of the year, and the September 2007 issue was the biggest issue in the magazine's history. Watching it being put together was fascinating.

The movie focuses on Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief at Vogue. Wintour is known for being cold, and is the inspiration for the "devil" in The Devil Wears Prada. Grace Coddington, the magazine's creative director, plays an important part in the movie as well.

Wintour certainly doesn't come across like the type of woman you would confide in about your deepest insecurities, but she doesn't come across like the evil fashion dominatrix as she is so often portrayed. I was grateful the movie stayed away from cheap reality TV show editing and focused on how the magazine works.

Wintour seems like a hard-working, hard-hitting editor-in-chief who battles for what she truly believes is best for the magazine. She seems like she goes to work in order to get a job done not to make best friends. And - dare I say it - I don't think she would be scrutinized so closely if she were a man.

Although her occasionally snide comments (telling the cameraman he needs to go to the gym) and quick edits of photos that took a lot of time and money to create come across as cold and insensitive, a magazine cannot be run without someone being willing to edit ruthlessly.

The clout she holds in the fashion world is incredible. I hadn't quite realized the influence she held with designers, nor had I realized how everyone at the magazine is working to realize Wintour's vision. The magazine truly is hers.

More fascinating that the magazine's production was getting a glimpse at Wintour's life and relationships. The movie touches on her relationship with her daughter and Andre Leon Talley, but the most significant relationship in the movie is her relationship with Coddington. Both women started at American Vogue on the same day decades ago, and through years of working together have developed a relationship that works, even if it doesn't always run seamlessly.

Despite bickering over differing points of view, the two seem to have mutual respect for each other. Wintour appears indifferent toward Coddington when they are together, but she says that Coddington is a "genius", admitting that she could not see the world in the way that Coddington sees it. Alternatively, Coddington admits that Wintour has stayed ahead of the curve, keeping Vogue relevant in an age where magazines are becoming less relevant.

I disagree with Coddington, however, that Vogue has remained relevant by putting celebrities on the cover. We live in a celebrity-obsessed culture, and putting Jennifer Aniston on the cover of Vogue may sell magazines, but it doesn't bring in loyal readers. Vogue's image is high fashion and slightly pretentious. When one wants to know the latest microtrends on the runway or the newest way to wear make-up (even if it is purple eyelashes with black eye shadow and it is going to be out of style before the next issue of Vogue comes out), one picks up Vogue magazine. If one wants to know what Rihanna wore to the Oscars, one picks up In Style. By trying to appeal to a fashion-obsessed, well-heeled crowd with articles about expensive facials, vacations, and clothes and appeal to supermarket moms by putting Sienna Miller on the cover (a celebrity who is hardly known in America anyway), Vogue loses its focus and its readers.

I've subscribed to Vogue for years now, and I probably won't stop any time soon, but I find little of the content relevant to my life. There isn't the hard-core fashion reporting that I crave, nor is there information on how to make fashion relevant to my daily life. I agreed with Coddington in the movie as she looked at the final mock-up of the magazine that cutting her stunning 1920's photo shoot in order to fit in some mediocre photos of a mediocre celebrity seems disappointing and silly. I think Vogue should start trying to appeal to those who love fashion. Those who love celebrities can buy People.

Leather Jacket

I talked about the top five things every woman needs for her wardrobe, and today I'd like to talk about number six: a leather jacket. Above is the most perfect example of a leather jacket anywhere, a stunning Celine jacket that was, unfortunately, way out of my price range. Sigh.

Like trench coats, leather jackets have been in style since James Dean and will be in style long after you and me. They are an investment piece, so be sure to shop carefully before you buy one.

Be sure to get a jacket that fits well. You want the sleeves to be just below your wrists and the body to be fitted. The seam between the body of the jacket and the sleeves should come right around the outer part of your shoulder. The seam shouldn't be hanging off your shoulder like a bad cap sleeve, nor should it be too high on your shoulder. You can't alter leather easily, so be sure that you get a jacket that fits well.

When shopping for a jacket, avoid patches and racing stripes. They will date your jacket more quickly, and if you are going to invest in a leather jacket, you want one that is going to last you a long time. A classic cut in black will be your best investment.

Once you own a leather jacket, you will want to care for it. Occasionally apply a leather protector, especially if you live in a wet climate. If you live in a dry climate, a leather conditioner will keep your leather from cracking. If you spill something on your jacket, first wipe off what you can with a soft brush. Then gently dab at the spot with warm water and gentle soap.

If you care for your leather jacket, you can make it worth the investment. It should last you a long time.

Falling For Fashion

It's fall. Officially. (Well, not technically officially, but officially in my mind.) The leaves on the trees here have started to change color. The weather is cooler. I'm wearing a light sweater today, and I am considering wearing boots to dinner tonight. Yikes.

No doubt plenty of you are pulling your winter wardrobe reluctantly to the forefront of your closet again. But don't dismay too much. Fall and winter actually offer a lot of interesting fashion choices. Layering, coats, scarves, gloves, boots, sweaters. All these are fashion choices that one would be unable to use in the summer.

As always, there are fashion choices that will never go out of style, and if you haven't yet invested in these, then don't go out and buy yourself any harem pants or open-toed boots until you have. Here are the top five things you must have.

1. Trench coat: It doesn't matter if you are jet-setting around the world trying to break up a ring of malicious bank thiefs (okay, I don't know why that's the first thing that came to my mind; it just sounded like something fun to do in a trench coat) or if you are walking from your Ford Taurus to your cubicle. It doesn't matter if it's a Monday, and you know you have a week of walking from your Taurus to your cubicle or it's a Saturday and you are meeting your long-lost college roommate for brunch. I could continue to think of activities to do in your trench coat, but the point really is that if you want a coat that is never going to go out of style, a trench coat is the way to go.

2. Boots: If you find yourself a pair of comfortable boots, you will be thanking me forever. Boots come in a wide variety of designs, and right now is a great time to look for a pair. Because they are incredibly popular right now, just about everyone is carrying them. You can find pairs with no heels or six-inch heels, open-toed or closed-toed (although, like I said, open-toed boots are completely impractical, and you shouldn't buy them unless you have (1) everything else on this list, (2) money to spend on the frivolties of fashion, and (3) a home somewhere where it doesn't snow because if you walk into your cubicle in Minnesota in December in open-toed boots, you will get a reputation around the office for being foolish, not fashionable; the doctor who treats your frostbite will think you foolish as well - and so will I).

I recommend leather boots in black or brown. I would get them without a heel because if you are going to be spending all winter in them, you will want nothing more than for them to be comfortable. Like the trench coat, boots can go just about everywhere with you.

3. Scarf: It doesn't have to be Burberry to spruce up your outfit. Of course scarves keep you warm, but they also keep you chic. I do not own a Burberry scarf. I own a multitude of scarves from Target in an array of designs and colors. As odd as it may seem, a simple black jacket with a black scarf gives off an entirely different look than a simple black jacket with a purple plaid fringe scarf. Scarves are an easy, cheap way to change your look. And if you are sitting in Starbucks with your co-worker complaining about the cost of Christmas and you find that your warm drink isn't enough to keep you cozy, throwing your scarf around your neck is an easy way to warm up without having to put your jacket on over your stylish cashmere sweater. Which leads us to our next item...

4. Cashmere: Because we are trying to be cost-conscious while being fashion-conscious, I hate to even bring up the idea of cashmere to you. I know you saw it and rolled your eyes because people like Gwen Stefani can roll in cashmere, but people like you and I can run our fingers along it on the way through the department store to the nice bathroom. I get it. In an astounding find in the San Juan Islands several Julys ago, I found a $600 Lilly Pulitzer cashmere sweater on sale for $100. I bought it, and if it weren't weird to wear the same thing every single day, I would put that sweater on in November and not take it off until March. It's that comfortable, and now that I know how much I wear it, I would have paid the $600 for it. That sweater honestly makes the worst days happy. I could be drowning in work, laundry, phone calls, and the flu, and I could put on that sweater and feel like the day is okay. There is a whole lot of cashmere that does not cost $600. J. Crew, for instance, always has a whole line of reasonably priced cashmere (when I say "reasonably priced" just keep in mind that I am saying that in the context that cashmere is the one area in which money can buy you love).

5. Handbag: I believe that if you are going to splurge on one item, it should be a handbag, however, you don't have to splurge to find a nice handbag. I have two bags on which I get a ton of compliments. One cost me an absolute fortune, and the other cost me close to nothing. Your handbag anchors your outfit, and you will use it every day. Buy one you love. Buy one that will wear well. And buy one that goes with everything. When you are looking for a handbag, look for something leather in black or brown. Fabrics like canvas don't wear well, and one misstep with your coffee could lead to hours of headache. Leather wears well and looks good. Look for something that fits everything you need. A small handbag is only going to frustrate you when you are trying to cram your checkbook, your cell phone, and your keys into something smaller than your fist. And do not take a page from the Mary Kate and Ashley handbook and use a bag large enough that you could fit yourself inside. Please. (MK & A - I love you. Don't take that the wrong way.)

I must address the elephant in the room. Coach bags. I understand the appeal. When I had enough money to buy a nice handbag, I bought a Coach handbag with C's all over it. It seemed like a right-of-passage. I was telling the world that I had finally joined the legions of American women who walked around with C's tattooed all over their bags (whether real or not). And when my younger sister, had enough money for a nice handbag, she did the same thing. And when my youngest sister got a Coach handbag for Christmas, she got the same thing. However, since my days of wanting to wear my brand name on my sleeve have passed along with pep rallies and graduation caps, I have changed my tune. Unless you are young enough to still be anticipating your senior prom, resist the temptation to buy a Coach logo bag. You, dear reader, deserve better. Coach has amazing leather. Walk into a Coach store and have them show you what they have that is non-descript and long-lasting. Two years down the road, when your bag looks as good as new and your friend's logo bag is still showing signs of the time she dropped it in strawberry yogurt, you will be thanking yourself. I promise.

Fashion's Night Out

When one thinks of charitable industries, one usually does not think first about the fashion industry. After all, spending $1,000 on a pair of Louboutins hardly seems charitable to anyone except the person who wears the shoes.

Tonight, however, fashion is poised to try to to make a difference in the global economy. Step aside, Ben Bernanke. Tonight, Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA), NYC & Company, and the City of New York are hosting a night to "enliven the consumer spirit." The purpose of the evening is to "promote retail, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion." Here is a few examples of events going on this evening, most between 6 PM and 11 PM.

-3.1 phillip lim is marking the occasion by bringing out on Fashion’s Night Out, five signature styles from the past archives and refabricating and updating them for the current fall season. There will be a limited-size run of these five signature styles, which will remain a mystery until the night. Fall in love again with your favorite 3.1 pieces. This limited-edition collection will be revealed and sold only on Fashion’s Night Out between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. at all 3.1 phillip lim stores in New York, L.A., and Tokyo. Phillip Lim himself will make an appearance that night at the SoHo store, and special guest friends will be on hand to lend personal styling tips over tunes and libations.

-Join kate spade new york for an evening of revelry and shopping on September 10. In a salute to all things fashionable, we will be offering cha-cha lessons on the city streets while sipping Havana Highballs. After toe-tapping on the pavement, step inside to shop our debut clothing collection, our limited-edition Fashion's Night Out tote and enjoy a gift with purchase of $175*. Wear your cha-cha heels and a smile. We hope to see you there. *one per customer, while supplies last

-Banana Republic is thrilled to participate in Fashion’s Night Out. Come visit any Banana Republic in Manhattan from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. on September 10. Enjoy cocktails, mix and mingle with our personal stylists for the latest fall fashion tips, and indulge in free mini makeovers. Shop our fall collection and receive receive special shopping incentives. Five percent of sales that evening will be donated to the Memorial Fund for September 11th.

This is just a small sampling of events from the New York Fashion's Night Out, although there are plenty more, and I encourage you to check out the website for more information. I commend the effort to make a difference in our shaky economy and bring some light-hearted fun to NYC on the eve of such a grave day in our country's history. As Vera Wang said, "if people don't shop, people lose their jobs" (although quite often it works the reverse as well).

MyStyle

I have an app on my iPhone that I think all iPhone owners/fashionistas should have. It's called MyStyle, and it allows you to track what you wear and when you wear it.

I haven't fully utilized my app yet because I am still taking pictures of all my clothes. It's actually quite time-consuming to take photos of each individual item of clothing in my closet, although I am hoping it is useful when I am finished with it.

Once you finish taking the photos, you can create outfits, which the app stores in your virtual closet. You can then look to see the last time you wore a certain blouse, pair of pants, etc. You can also see the last time you wore a whole outfit, or if you are stuck for something to wear, you can just search your virtual closet for your outfit.

For instance, here is what I am wearing today:

Would anyone find this a fun/useful daily blog post? Or is posting what I'm wearing online narcissism at its worst?

September: Fashion's January

Anyone who has perused a supermarket magazine aisle lately likely noticed that the September issues of fashion magazines are enormous. In fact, they recently made a movie about the September issue of Vogue (insightfully titled The September Issue). September is the biggest month of the year in fashion.

Nina Garcia (Fashion Director at Marie Claire & Project Runway diva judge extraordinaire [as Tyra may call her]) has called September the January of fashion. Fashion week takes the world by storm in such fashion capitals as New York, Milan, and Paris. Designers have prepared their biggest collections of the year, and the fashion world waits with bated breath to find out what designers have in store for the upcoming year.

Unless you are Victoria Beckham, you are probably not lining up to buy the it items from Marc Jacobs latest collection. You are probably not spending $5,000 on a lime green fox fur coat from Michael Kors. You are probably not stomping into work in six-inch Louboutin stillettos.

That's okay. You don't have to be a glamazon like Giselle or a millionaire like Madonna to feel like a million bucks. Fashion is about having fun and feeling pretty. And I have yet to meet a woman who doesn't like having fun and feeling pretty.

Let's make this September our January of fashion and resolve to be fun and pretty in the year ahead. Is anyone with me?