What's in Store

Every bachelorette needs a veil to wear out on the town. Skip the store-bought kind and make your own. You can personalize it for the bride-to-be with colors and knick-knacks that fit her personality and the location of her bachelorette celebration.

Cover a plastic headband with satin ribbon, glue on a few yards of tulle and…happy decorating! You’ll find the necessary supplies at fabric and craft store sites.

Tulle

Satin ribbon

Headband

Glue gun and glue sticks

Embellishments - ribbons, gems, feathers, stickers, chipboard letters and scrapbooking tchotchkes will add that special touch to the veil.

For a party in New Orleans, throw in Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold and weave a bead necklace throughout the top of the veil’s headband. 

Or, for a tropical destination party, buy scrapbooking stickers of palm trees, sea shells and swim suits to sweeten up the tiara. Use chipboard letters to spell out the bride’s name or a funny phrase.

A party in Vegas requires some vice-laden accessories like playing cards, poker chips and martini glasses.

Transport the sassy headpiece to the party in a hat box for extra protection. If your veil turns out well, the bride may even wear it at her wedding rehearsal!!

Capri pants are a difficult silhouette to wear for petites–they tend to visually reduce leg length by “cutting” off the leg at the point where the pant legs end. And depending on the size of the checkered pattern, the figure flattery problem could be even tougher. For petites, smaller, all-over patterns are easier to wear than larger prints.

We’d suggest completing the outfit with a top that gives you the longest, leanest line possible. Here are three things you should be looking for:

(1) A top in a color that’s similar to the pants.

(2) Close-fitting styles–no blousy or voluminous tops.

(3) High-waisted (and high-necked) styles to create the illusion of height.

Pictured: BCBG Max Azria Stretch Poplin Shirt | $142 at Nordstrom.

Yes, sandals do exist that are comfortable, stylish, and versatile enough to take you from a daytime stroll on the beach to a fancy evening out. Here’s a few choice picks to get you started:

BP ‘Sinclair’ Sandal | $59.32 at Nordstrom
Comfortable wedge sandal is dressed up with pleated straps and a gold finish.

(Pictured) Hugo Boss ‘Casandra’ Sandal | $168.12 at Nordstrom
The decorative strap dresses this sandal up, but the padded insole keeps it comfortable.

Stuart Weitzman ‘Fancyfree’ Thong | $198 at Amazon
Simple sandal accented with decorative stones is made comfortable with soft, flexible leather.

Congratulations on completing your first half marathon, and may there be many more to come. The best fitness gear will do three things: (1) keep you comfortable, (2) keep you dry, and (3) make you feel good about yourself. Here’s a few choice items to get you ready for your next marathon:

As for your capri running tights, we recommend these Nike capris with integrated iPod nano technology. A convenient pocket on the right hip (with cord management holes) keeps your iPod safe and dry. Nike Capri Pants | $74.23 at Road Runner Sports

Show off your style in this architecturally inspired sports bra with DRYROAD® to keep you dry and a mesh back for ventilation. Speed Performance Sports Bra | $41.60 at Road Runner Sports

If you’re looking for more coverage, you can still keep perspiration under control with this ventilated mesh-back design featuring ClimaCool® comfort. Women’s Response Shell | $40 at Adidas

We also found a stylish solution to your cell phone dilemma. The Hold-a-Phone, available in a variety of colors, safely straps your phone to your wrist. Plus, it allows you to also carry a key, a credit card, your money, or your ID. Hold-a-Phone | $19.95 at Jaminnov

Trust is an important part of the shopping experience, especially when you are buying from a new merchant.  In many cases, you can decide where to safely shop online by following a few simple practices (that I compiled from a variety of expert sources including eBay’s Security Center). 

1. Learn as much as possible about the product and retailer.

Shoppers can learn about a retailer through its reputation, from previous purchases, from referrals through friends or from reviews and comments left by other shoppers. Customer reviews are often the best guide for determining which stores to trust.  When in doubt, a good resource are the Epinions consumer reviews found on Shopping.com.  Shoppers rate stores on a one-to-five “check” scale, often giving a detailed account of what they bought, what they liked and disliked about the store, and whether they would buy there again.  In addition, Shopping.com awards its Trusted Store seal to merchants who consistently receive positive customer ratings and reviews, provide accurate information and honor their price listings.  There is also a Smart Buy seal that calls out the lowest price from a Trusted Store. 

2. Understand the retailers’ refund and return policies.

Look for and ask about the refund and return policy. Questions to ask include: the required timeframe in which a buyer must contact the retailer and return the item; whether a full refund or a merchandise credit will be offered; and, whether an item that has been opened can be returned. If no refund policy exists, consumers may be able to take advantage of buyer protection programs, if offered by the retailer or the consumer’s payment service provider. These protection programs ensure that if there is a problem with a transaction, the consumer’s payment will be covered or refunded as a result.

3. Use a secure checkout and payment process.

Many Web sites use a technology called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt any personal and financial information sent over the Internet. To know if the retailer is encrypting information, look for the display of a locked padlock at the bottom of the Internet browser you are using. You can also pay with a fast, easy and secure payment method such as PayPal. Do not pay with cash or instant money transfer services. Also, never click on a link or reply to emails that ask for personal information such as account or credit card details, username or password.

4. If an offer sounds highly suspicious or too good to be true, it probably is.

As with any purchase, shoppers should read the fine print (or, in some instances, click the links describing the purchase agreement). While Internet retailers frequently offer lower prices than conventional stores, shoppers should be wary of unreasonably low bargain prices or unusually attractive promises.

If you could only purchase one new item for spring, buy a dress. Women can look put together in a snap by donning a dress for any occasion, whether it be for work, a night out, or an outing with the kids. Designers are serving up dresses in a wide variety of fabrics and cuts to suit any event. Flowing, billowy trapeze and high-waisted styles flatter most body types and can easily become a new outfit by layering on a light coat or cropped jacket and going from heels to flats. Look for more budget-friendly labels from the top designers, such as Michael by Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Charles by Charles David. They are often priced close to 30 percent less than their signature labels, and are quality designs in the same spirit as the flagship line. In fact, top designers have created more accessible lines at discount retailers such as Isaac Mizrahi and Proenza Schouler both of whom design lines for Target. Another trick to find great deals for spring trends is to comparison shop at sites like Shopping.com that list millions of products from thousands of online stores. Some of these stores (such as SmartBargains, BlueFly, eLuxury, FashionChateau and ShopBop) have quality apparel, accessory and jewelry items in all shapes and styles for a fraction of the prices you’ll see from designer labels.

Check out the Navy Charmeuse Dot Print Dress by As U Wish. It’s available on Shopping.com from the merchant SmartBargains for only $29.99 and can be an absolute staple for your spring wardrobe. eBay is also a great place to find designer apparel, shoes and accessories. 

We can help.  Just ask.  Anything from “I’m going to Europe, which digital camera should I buy for the trip?” to ”What do I get a woman who has everything?”  Ask and one of our contributors will give you their opinion.  Other shoppers can also chime in with comments.