What's in Store

This week we’re exposing celebrity sightings both on the red carpet and on the street. We’re also sharing their brilliant style sense that unveils fall fashion trends:

Constance White, eBay’s Style Director gives us the 411 into the 59th Emmy Awards and what the ladies wore on the red carpet. America Ferrera and Kristen Bell both arrived in blue gowns in hues we’ll see all over this fall. Minnie Driver and Heidi Klum pulled out secret weapons of their own: pleats, another 2007 fall trend. Last but not least, Rebecca Gayheart wore black, which is also following us into fall as the must-have color in your wardrobe.

Jewelry Blogger Sandy Graham also raves about recent red carpet fashion. Marcia Cross and Debra Messing both looked gorgeous in their turquoise and diamond shoulder swipers, and how on trend! Ellen Pompeo wore a strapless gown with a gold vintage tasseled necklace. Hayden Panettiere looked like a princess in her peach taffeta empire waist gown with a built in jeweled medallion, paired with small button earrings.

FabSugar informs us that the Fendi Baguette is baaaaccck! This just in: Sarah Jessica Parker was caught traipsing around Manhattan filming the “Sex and the City” movie, and this handbag that was her faithful sidekick is getting another spin today on the runway. The bag was first launched in 1997, so for its ten-year anniversary, it’s getting a makeover! For Spring, Fendi redesigned the bag in four sizes, from small to extra large. Many feature a detachable strap that turns the smaller bags into clutches and the larger versions into messenger bags. The bags are made in all different kinds of materials - from python to plasticized leathers - and many come lavishly embellished, too. Sounds like one of the original “It” bags may be “It” all over again.

SheFinds talks about chalky lipstick as a growing trend seen on stars such as Rebecca Romijn, Vanessa Williams and Debra Messing. The look is a little mod, but also a little morbid. The key is to compensate in other areas for what you’re lacking on the lips. Notice how Debra Messing worked smoky eyes, Vanessa Williams an allover bronze glow, and Rebecca Romijn bright pink cheeks and full dark lashes. If you want to avoid looking like a corpse, incorporating color and life into the rest of the face is crucial.

Stylehive gets giddy over Hillary Swank as the latest megastar to lend her name to a fragrance, joining the ranks of Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, and JLo. Hilary debuted her scent “Insolence” and its accompanying ad campaign in London this week.

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This week we’re celebrating products for people kids or the kid in yourself:

DailyCandy features Bonnie Girl by Bonnie & Evelyn Dresses. Each of these dresses is a handcrafted, reversible frock and comes in two vintage styles for girls’ sizes 12 months to 4 toddler. Whether you choose the breezy Bonnie with two winged back panels or the side-tie Evelyn, they come in lovely antique patterns with matching bloomers or shorts. The next time she spills, a quick flip to the other side is all it takes. No bath time required.

Delight.com talks about the Kitchen Playdates cookbook, that outlines cooking projects that can involve kids. These recipes are meant to be mixed and matched, and come with suggestions for items you can buy ready-made to reduce the workload. The recipes are simple yet stylish, with easy-to-find ingredients with a global range. It’s all about flexibility and fun, not fuss.

DailyCandy recommends starting a new family tradition with the kids’ collection from Room & Board. The company’s handcrafted and American-made furniture features fresh designs for children. Each piece is built to last and can easily take your little ones from their tot years well into their teens. Everything’s in stock and ready for delivery, which means your kids won’t have to endure your old furniture ever again.

Forbes.com reports “Squeals of Delight for Tween” as its shares soar. Tween Brands caters to lifestyle and “fashion-aware” girls between the ages of 7 and 14 through its Limited Too and Justice brands.

ShinyShiny hypes about the Playstation 3 Home to Second Life. Home is its own virtual community that sets you up with an apartment to decorate. Your unrealistically designed avatar can also wear designer clothes and upgrade your initial humble dwelling to a penthouse. This can bring out the inner kid in you. Give it a whirl!

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With all the buzz about Spring Fashion Week, this week we’re sharing runway trends and secrets to tickle your fashion taste buds:

TrendCentral features four collections surrounded by industry buzz from New York Fashion Week:

Erin Fetherston: Best known for her girly princess frocks beloved by Hollywood indie fashion elite like Kirsten Dunst and Zooey Deschanel, Fetherston toned down her signature look for an upcoming line for Target. Done entirely in an icy palette of snow queen whites, ivories, greys and gun metal metallics, the Flights of Fancy collection was a more sophisticated take on her past looks, resulting in a chic minimalist aesthetic accented with kooky seashell prints and of course, Fetherston’s usual ruffles.

Vena Cava: Inspired by Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon and ’70s print design, the very original collection channeled film noir glamour via modern retro silhouettes, some pieces printed with Art Deco-style beer cans that the old school designers created not from Photoshop but through good old Kinko’s.

Preen: A favorite among fashion insiders and models such as it-girl Agyness Deyn, this British label just presented its New York debut. Done almost entirely in silk, Preen’s simultaneously sensual and graphic looks dressed up ‘80s parachute styles for a night on the town.

Karen Walker: This Aussie designer was doing highwaisted pants long before they became this season’s big trend, so it’s a good bet that whatever she does will be directional. Her Spring ’08 collection included slouchy wide pants and garden party florals paired with dark tights and tough boots.

Splendora goes gaga over the Stuart Weitzman Cambridge Pump as the “what to shoe”. Lots of ladiesfrequenting shows at Fashion Week wore oxfords and wingtip shoes. These pumps are perfectly androgynous; the lace up front is a nod to mens’ footwear, while the high heel makes them more delicate and irrevocably femme. Wear them with a frilly chiffon number or a tailored blazer and high-waisted slim jeans. They’ll work with either ensemble.

FabSugar posts about the Going Tribal trend showing itself on the Spring runways. An array of batik prints, nature-inspired, exotic and tropical prints will provide fabulous fashion fare. DKNY went tribal with a more subdued palette, youthful shapes, and obi belts; Oscar de la Renta knows how to deliver tribal to purveyors of luxury, and Diane von Furstenberg’s “Under the Volcano” theme gave way to vivacious tribal delights.

The Budget Fashionista raves about Spring 2008 fashion trends and shares what is “in”. The list includes: feminine dressing, thin belts, head scarves, long pencil skirts, sequins, metallics, silk jersey and chiffon, hats, clutches, dressing up; the colors orange, rose, lavender, green, and silver which is the new neutral. She says that the key is to focus on fit and quality and to shop now for spring/summer colors like lavender.

Forbes.com pens about luxe for less Laptop Bags and includes the Coach Logan Bag made with water-resistant tanned leather. This case features two pockets in the front compartment, pen holders, a business card holder and an adjustable front buckle closure. Who said that professional, functional and fashionable don’t go together?

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This week we found funky fresh, fun accessories that will soon become favorites:

SheFinds glows over the Light-up Designer Handbags from Solas Fashion. This is an innovative brand that fuses style with function, brings you clutches, totes, satchels and more, all crafted with their unique lighting system. The built-in blue light that lines the edge of the purse opening offers just enough illumination so you can find what you need without a hassle. Open it and it lights up. Close it and the light goes off.

FabSugar goes wild over Steve Alan’s Tartan Ruffled Panty. Why wear blah underwear when there are so many interesting choices out there? This item is seriously fabworthy and a fun undergarment to spruce up the underside of your outfit.

Shiny Shiny brags about the new Pill Paks makeover and its clever alarm system for your meds. They’ve even taken it a step further and have created them in a range of colors. Instead of dull hospital style white, you can choose from leopard print, zebra stripe and the good old stars and stripes to safeguard your contraceptives. Check out the hugs and kisses case — love those lips.

Splendora boasts about Oliver Peoples Harper Eyeglasses as a great accessory to complete your look. Thick, bold, exaggerated eyeglass styles are the in-thing. The ’50s-inspired Harper model from Oliver Peoples is a more subtle take on the trend, but your local lens ‘n frames store will have a bevy of cool ones to choose from. Be proud of your optical deficiency!

Delight spotlights the season of nautical accessories that bring crisp whites and fun kitschy trinkets to fall when most colors are drab and jewelry heavy. Rachel Leigh’s Enameled Anchor Necklace is simple, chic and will be a pretty piece for everyday, or a fun addition to a special outfit. Rachel Leigh’s jewelry has been featured in Lucky, Allure, People Magazine, Elle, OK!, InTouch, Seventeen, WWWD and many other stylish publications. This is the perfect gift for girlfriends and trendsetters!

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This week we found makeup and pedicure products for fabulous femmes:

Splendora raves about Lipstick Queen by Poppy King as a cult line and a celeb standby. Her newest product, Oxymoron, is just that. The gloss pot contains a creamy formula that goes on smooth but looks totally matte on the lips. It gives you that flushed, romantic, Jane Austen appeal. Come hither Mr. Darcy.

SheFinds touts Hard Candy’s Take Out Makeup Kit, which is chock full of useful goodies—six lip glosses, eight eye shadows, black liner, a tiny tube of mascara, peachy blush and bronzer, and two shades of concealer. This little kit packs a big wallop. It’s about the size of a deck of cards, so it’s not too unwieldy to fit in a night-out handbag, and the color palette is pretty everyone-friendly. This can save the day when a little touch up is in order, or when you need to go from day to night and don’t have the luxury of 15 minutes in front of the makeup mirror.

The Budget Fashionista advises us about Dr. Scholl’s, as the go-to-guy for all things foot, Pumice Foot Scrub and Foot Softening Balm. The pumice scrub boasts the benefit of a pumice stone in lotion form, to exfoliate and moisturize. The softening balm rehydrates dry callused skin. The pumice brings a blast of inspiring peppermint, while the balm contains lavender for a soothing finish. It could inspire your olfactory senses while making your tootsies touchable.

The Makeup Girl Blog gives us the secret of LORAC’s Beauty Insider Palette. What I love about LORAC’s colors is that they hold SO much pigment! LORAC gives you the hottest looks for fall in one cute, sleek little red snake skin case. You get five shadows, two blushes, a dual-ended brush and a red lip polish. Red lips are all the rage for fall and this is the BEST way to wear them without looking overpowered…a nice soft gloss will give you the color that you want without all of the stodginess of traditional red lipstick.

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This week we found cool trends and innovative products for Back-to-School:

Engadget writes about changes to SanDisk’s Sansa media players in order to attract the back-to-school masses. Perhaps the biggest change comes to the company’s WiFi-equipped Sansa Connect, which retains all the same specs but gets a full hundred dollars knocked off its price tag. The other refresh comes to the company’s Sansa Shaker line, which gets a new 1GB model that’ll retail for an average of $50. Of course, while SanDisk is pitching this as a back-to-school promotion, there’s nothing to stop anyone from taking advantage of it for themselves.

Gizmodo goes crazy over Safe Books Ballistic Bookbag, which is actually bullet-proof! These backpacks are claimed to offer as much protection from a shooting as police armor and are aimed to protect kids from all of the 21st century dangers schooling entails.

The Budget Fashionista highlights trends from Paypal’s recent back-to-school survey on the attitudes and thoughts of parents and kids regarding Back-to-School shopping and fashion. Check out these interesting findings:

• - 9 out of 10 high school students expect their parents to pay for most, if not all of their back to school purchases.
• - Kids expect their parents to spend on average $350 on back to school clothing, while parents expect to spend around $250.
• - Girls take their style cues from traditional pop style icons like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, the Olsen twins while boys take their style cues from celebrities they want to hang out with like P Diddy, Justin Timberlake and Jack Black.
• - Also, while boys think baggy jeans are cool, parents and, most importantly, girls don’t think they are appropriate.

FabSugar raves about fall jackets! There are so many different styles and colors one can work with. So, check out the fresh back-to-school outerware options.

SheFinds alerts us about back-to-school deals at eBags. Get an extra 10%-off plus free shipping on orders of $35 or more. Find modern, functional laptop backpacks, messenger bags in funky patterns (they make a great weekend carry-all), and sleek totes for work. The sale ends on 8/26.

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This week we noticed that one of the hottest colors this season, yellow, is brightening up the blogosphere:

GlamSugar highlights this adorable yellow clutch by Forever 21 that will make your outfit pop and won’t break your bank.

Omiru recommends the Filofax Piazza Personal Organizer as one of the best day planners to not only lighten up your style, but help manage your life as well.

Glimpse.com raves about what’s hot in San Francisco including this polka dot headband from Anthropologie that can funk up even the most basic of outfits.

TeamSugar touts these Christian Louboutin yellow satin pumps for those who are looking for a must-have trendy piece.

Shiny Shiny spotlights that Apple is rumored to come out with a limited edition Beatles-themed Yellow Submarine iPod that will be pre-loaded with every Beatles album!

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This week we found seasonal fashion trends and tips that will come in handy when planning your fall wardrobe:

Splendora spotlights Cole Haan Tall Kenna Boots to jump start the fall season. The luggage brown goes with everything, and the relaxed, sexy style works perfectly with your favorite jeans or skirt.

Constance White, eBay’s Style Director informs us that black is back as it’s uniform for any occasion this summer…a wedding, dinner al fresco, or a Sunday concert at the beach. Throw on some black skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a pair of black Ray Bans and you’re the “it” girl straight from the pages of InStyle! Of course, you can always have your black in a summer dress too.

SheFinds alerts readers about grey as a staple color this fall and the best way to wear it. Her tip is to find a key grey piece, be it high-waisted trousers to elongate your legs or a pencil skirt to accentuate your waist, have it tailored to perfection, and voila! You have found a way to incorporate almost all the latest trends using just one key piece. Pair your pencil skirt with a leopard print chiffon neck tie top or with a metallic mini jacket and black Mary Janes.

Jewelry Blogger Sandy Graham raves about turquoise as a fall jewelry trend and showcases her latest find — a vintage turquoise and coral beaded Native American cuff. Turquoise is always present and can be worn with jeans and a white cuffed shirt, a pale gray dress, a multi color long print caftan and many other things.

The Budget Fashionista recommends the Old Navy Baby Doll coat as a “What to buy” item for the fall. You can find it in green or black for more versatility.

Also, Regina Lewis touted comparison shopping sites on the Today Show. She said that price comparison sites give you a great initial snapshot of what the product is currently going for online. And she cites a new five-year forecast from Forrester Research that indicates people who are the biggest online spenders are also the most likely to comparison shop.

Now that’s shopping smart!

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This week we found shoes, shoes and more shoes to drool over:

The Wall Street Journal reporter Christina Binkley pens about the power of the stiletto. She says that if you look under many a powerful woman’s desk you’ll find a serious pair of heels…and she’s right. Power heel shoe designer Stuart Weitzman states “High heels indicate power.” Nobody ever said it would be easy – or comfortable – to be powerful and stylish, but we all know what a well-placed heel is capable of.

Splendora raves about Steve Madden Cabanna as the new official office shoes. These wood-heeled shoes give you a lot of extra inches plus the interior padding makes them relatively comfortable.

SheFinds shares how to sizzle in fabulous new shoes from Payless. Designer Lela Rose has signed up to design for Payless, following a trend started by Abaete, whose Fall 2007 line is already available. Two fabulous, guilt-free finds; The Flavin Platform, an adorable metallic sandal, and the Debra Wedge, a performance shoe that’s all business and will look great with the bold lines of fall suits.

FabSugar spotlights Stuart Weitzman’s Oval Metallic Flat Sandal, which can be dressed up or dressed down. These shoes are great if you prefer to wear flats that are fun for tooling around everyday, or having lunch with the girls.

StyleHive bubbles about Seychelles D’Orsay Pump, a sassy peep-toe pump, punched up with color. The bright yellow adds a gorgeous unexpected pop to neutral pieces. If you’re feeling a little less adventurous, take the classic route with black or go mod with shiny white. The effortless style goes with everything from tailored pencil skirts to wide leg trousers.

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This week blogs are all about pampering yourself. For those who aren’t jetting off on vacation, relax by having a spa day without having to leave your house (and you’ll save money too!).

Stylehive touts Avon’s Dry Enamel Stickers when grooming your nails to score flawless nails in a flash: base coat, color and top coat all at once! This is great for fidgety girls who can’t seem to stop smudging their nails.

SheFinds highlights the Foot Petals Spalux Slippers to wear after a long day of wearing toe-pinching heels or callus-causing flats. Slip a foot in and feel the soft, comforting, silky feel of the plush chenille fabric. These also make great gifts for your female friends and family!

TheMakeupGirl showcases Philosophy’s Micro-Delivery Peel Pads that you can use on your face, neck and body. Put your best face forward by getting soft and glowing skin. The active ingredient is lactic acid so you will not get any redness if you have sensitive skin.

Shiny Shiny lights up about Aqua Lumi LEDs. The best part of a spa day at home is taking that nice, long bath and what a better way to do it then with bath lights that float on top of your water, creating a relaxing (or romantic…if that’s what you’re going for) setting.

Splendora raves about LaLoo’s Goat’s Milk Ice Cream that is low-cal, low-fat, low lactose, growth-hormone-free and hand-made to be magically delicious. So sit back, relax after your nice spa day and dig into some ice cream that won’t make your waistband tighter.

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