STYLEnosh

THIS WEEK'S SALES!!!

Bloomingdale's - Sale starts today and goes through Thursday, April 2nd. Click here for the details. It seems to benefit those who plan on spending big bucks. 

The Limited - Up to 60% off original ticket prices. There are some great finds on tops and accessories. Also, take 25% off a 2nd pair of pants (which includes shorts).

Gap - It's the spring sale and items are marked up to 40% off. The sale is good online and in stores.

Old Navy - It's another spring sale. The discount is up to 40% off. The sale is only good online.

Macy's - They posted their spring wardrobe and home sale catalog online (thanks). You can also get an extra 20% or 15% off with this savings pass. You can use the savings pass as much as you want through Monday, March 30th.

Nordstrom - New markdowns have deals up to 40% off. The sale is only online. 

SASS, STYLE & SUBSTANCE BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK!!!

For this week’s best of Sass, Style & Substance beauty & fashion news!

Beauty Match Free Trial Offer: Cosmetyn Stretch Mark Relief cream.

A Touch of Blusher A Touch of Blusher looks at YSL's Asia-exclusive collection for summer 2009.

eye4style eye4style reviews the three newest fragrances from Strange Invisible Perfumes.

STYLEnosh It's time to reset your expectations in the fitting room.

Style Manila Tired of lip stains and re-touching? Style Manila shares the 6-layer lip makeup technique.

Splendicity Accessories Are you confused by those vague jewelry terms? What exactly is a "princess" necklace? Here's a quick and easy guide to demystifying those necklace lengths.

image: Stock.xchg

STYLEnosh IS ON THE MOVE!!!

Boy, what a week! I'll be traveling for the next couple of weeks so please bear with me. My goal is to educate, inform, and entertain you, I only want to bring you quality posts and not just some crap I came up with cause I need to write "x" number of times per week. So I will post as often as I can while I'm traveling. 

I hope all of you are wonderful! Keep reading STYLEnosh.com. (So not a shameless plug :) 

And remember: Skip fatty snacks. Nibble on fashion.

WhatWentWrong: Everything!

I am still trying to figure this one out. The skinny jeans, the bag, the pink hair accessory. Oh, and this is a man. You know I'm a proponent of expressing your personal style but I'm having a hard time calling this style. The only time I condone a man wearing skinny jeans is when he's on stage with a microphone rocking it out. I'm just saying....

RESETTING YOUR EXPECTATIONS IN THE FITTING ROOM

We've all had those moments in the fitting room where we're hoping for the best but something closely resembling the worst is staring back at us in the mirror. Before you storm out of the store in a fit of disgust, consider this as you try on clothing. Ready-to-wear is not ready for everyone. 

I always hear women say, "things just don't fit me," when they're in the dressing room. News flash everybody, most people have some issue buying clothing. Whether it's finding pants that fit your small waist and curvy butt or shirts the close over your voluptuous bosom. We all have some "hard to fit" parts on our bodies. That's because ready-to-wear clothing, the stuff you find at malls and most retail stores, is designed for a generic body size. Not your particular size.

So let's reset those fitting room expectations. 

If the garment is of good quality and a classic piece in a style that will last over time, it may be worth it to get it tailored. Pants can be hemmed, waistlines can be altered, jackets can be shortened and taken in. Even jeans can be altered to fit your body properly if you find a good tailor. Don't dismiss a great item because it doesn't fit perfectly off the rack. It's not uncommon to need to make a few tweaks.

But also note that some things just shouldn't be repaired. Like the pants in this picture. The butt is so tight, you can see the imprint of the pocket and some other bumps and lumps I'd rather not point out specifically. If the clothes don't work for your body type in general, it's best not to spend more money trying to fix them.

If you want some detailed information on how clothing sizes are determined, check out this article.

SASS, STYLE & SUBSTANCE BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK!!!

For this week’s best of Sass, Style & Substance beauty & fashion news!

Beauty Match Free Trial Offer: Cosmetyn Cellulite Removal.

A Touch of Blusher A Touch of Blusher counts down the best spring 2009 makeup collections.

eye4style eye4style wants to know what YOU think of jelly shoes. Lust or bust?

STYLEnosh STYLEnosh is calling for an end to recession bashing.

Style Manila Style Manila asks who is the modern Filipina?

Beauty and Fashion Tech Beauty and Fashion Tech is impressed with DermaDoctor Poetry in Lotion and will give one away next week.

Girl Gloss Girl Gloss has swatches of the MAC Hello Kitty Lip Conditioners.

Splendicity Accessories Need a hand figuring out which trendy Spring handbag you want? Check out these popular trends and see which one you like best.

image: Stock.xchg

THIS WEEK'S SALES!!!

Macy's - One Day Sale on Saturday, March 21st. There are morning specials on Saturday until 1 pm. The preview day is today. Take an extra 40% off fashion clearance. Stores are open until 11pm! Gotta love that.

The Limited - Everything is still Buy 2, Get 1 Free. The offer is good online and in stores. 

Lord & Taylor - Signature Sale now through Tuesday, March 31st. Here's the coupon for in-store shopping. The promo code is SIGSALE.

Banana Republic - The Spring Sale brings up to 50% off online and in-stores. Deals can be found for women and men.

Express - The discount is contingent upon how much you spend. A $30 purchase yields $10 off. A $60 purchase yields $20 off. And a $100 purchase yields $30 off. Here's the link to the coupon. The promo code is 7068. Sale ends on March 22nd.

Aeropostale - The Spring 2009 Friends & Family sale will take 30% off your purchases online and in-stores. The sale excludes clearance items and ends on March 22nd. The promo code is SPRING09. Click here for the coupon.

Guess - Take an additional 40% off sale items. Use promo code EXTRA40 at checkout. Sale ends on March 22nd.

J. Crew - Take an extra 20% off final sale items for women, men, and kids. Remember, these items are final sale so they can't be returned or exchanged. Use promo code EXTRA20. The discount ends on March 21st.

WhatWentWrong: Crappies???

The new name for capris is crappies! I got that from a 2004 participant on TLCs What Not to Wear. She said her friends called her capris, "crappies", and I have to say that I agree. 

I've been screaming about the perils of capris for years but alas, this trend just won't die. I just heard Bobby Thomas recommend the city shorts look on the Today Show. Now, Bobby knows that shorts that cover the knees won't look flattering on the average woman. Let's be real. Wearing shorts, capris, cropped pants, or whatever you want to call them that stop between your knees and ankles will make you look shorter and often times wider. (Note: I do like her recommendation of making your own trends, which allows you to adjust the length of the pants to suit your needs.)

I wrote a post about how to wear capris in the summer of 2007 and the information still applies. If you're going to wear them, please pick a pair that fits your body type.

SPOTTED: THE NON-RECESSION HANDBAG

Now here's someone I can appreciate. I love this LV satchel. I practically stalked this lady trying to snap a pic of it. The Monogram Canvas Louis Vuitton is a classic and paired with the shape of this bag, it's definitely a winning combination. (This particular bag is the Manhattan GM designed by Marc Jacobs if you're interested.)

Can I run out right now and buy this lovely accessory for my own handbag collection? Uh, no. Do I feel the need to cast the evil glare on her because she's displaying some form of financial prowess? Of course not. I know how to admire from afar and (with a camera phone of course). This bag is so deliciously ostentatious. I think I'm in love. 

CAN WE STOP WITH THE UNNECESSARY RECESSION CRITICISM?

Okay, so I'm listening to NPR's Talk of the Nation yesterday and the guest is Kelly Marages who wrote an op-ed piece in the The Washington Post this past weekend. The article was about her rejecting this whole recession chic trend since the people who have been brown-bagging it and "shopping" their closets, have been living this way long before hard times hit. And while I always appreciate a fresh perspective, I found the tone of the article to be a wee bit condescending.

The author lamented on the show, and in the article, about how the new save mentality is annoying to people who actually have to save. And in an effort of support, my fellow Atlantan, Janine, called into the show to commiserate and mockingly quipped what's the big deal about people realizing that they can wash out plastic bags and reuse them. Seriously. Do we need to belittle people because for whatever reason they're just now realizing things that some of us have known since we were kids? We're all at different levels of understanding and exposure. I know a lot about the joys of creating new looks with the clothes I already own. But there are plenty of people who are simply clueless about this notion. Should I ridicule them and taunt them for their ignorance? Of course not. It's knowledge that some people find worth paying money to get. I agree with her point regarding those who have the money to spend should spend it. If not, the economic situation will be longer and deeper. But how can anyone go spend a few bucks at the mall and participate in a lunch date if everyone else is berating them because they (gasp) have money to spend? 

I'm convinced that we're spending our days pointing out other people's transgressions with one hand and patting ourselves on our perfect little backs with the other. Wouldn't that time spent be more productive if we assessed our own financial well-being, or our job (a humph) security, or our personal relationships? The only thing you get from looking down on other's is a little haughty feeling of being right. But that doesn't pay any bills, make you a superstar at work, or make your home a happy one.

So if you feel the desire to get in on the recessionista trend or cheap chic, I say go for it. Need some motivation for shopping in your closet, check out this post I wrote last August. And don't feel bad if you're new to schlepping through sale racks and clipping store coupons. I can't be mad at anyone for snagging fabulous shoes at 70% off no matter how much money they have in their designer handbag.

Have you changed your shopping habits (i.e. started perusing consignment shops or stopped shopping all together) because of the recession?

SASS, STYLE & SUBSTANCE BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK!!!

For this week’s best of Sass, Style & Substance beauty & fashion news!

Beauty Match Teeth Whitening Now is offering a Free Trial Offer.

eye4style eye4style is giving away DERMAdoctor Poetry in Lotion - have you entered to win yet?

Splendicity Accessories Do you know what the four "Cs" mean? Here's a quick and easy guide to take the mystery out of buying a diamond.

A Touch of Blusher A Touch of Blusher devotes a week to Japanese base makeup.

STYLEnosh Why do women continue to wear mom jeans?

Style Manila Style Manila talks about styling white and khaki in pre-nup photos plus a question.

image: Stock.xchg

THIS WEEK'S SALES!!!

Kohl's - It's the Everything is on Sale sale on Friday and Saturday. Check out deals in every department.

The Limited - Buy 2, get 1 free on everything. Sale good online and in-stores.

Bath & Body Works - The Signature Collection is Buy 3, get 3 free. Offer good online and in-stores through Sunday, March 15th.

Lord & Taylor - It's called the Private Sale but I'm not quite sure why. There are discounts in all departments and a ton of stuff on sale for women. Be sure to read the fine print because there are several exclusions.