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Getting help finding the dress that flatters your figure
I don't know about you guys, but I'm a sucker for those magazine articles that go something like, "Find the right jeans for YOUR figure!" and "Buy for your body type!"
I can't help it. Every girl wants to find things that actually WORK on her body, right?
And even though I think it's kind of strange that we walk around comparing our body shape to food -- Pear! Apple! -- I get it. Maybe whoever came up with those metaphors was hungry at the time. I won't judge.
Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon a website called Shabby Apple last week. Well, I didn't exactly stumble. Google kept shoving the ad in my face, then I started seeing it pop up on a bunch of other websites. I caved. I clicked. ... Read more
Steal of the week
Are you ready to be green... er, turquoise... with envy?
Check out my latest steal, bought for $12 at an outdoor market last week. A couple girls were re-selling some vintage wares that they collected from various thrift stores. So, yes, my "steal" was a markup. But still -- that's less than I paid for drinks and dinner the other night.
And now all I want to do is hit the thrift stores myself to beat those enterprising gals to the goods. Anybody else feel like playing hooky today?
Deal Diva Kim
When Prada and cheesy car culture collide
If you like super-unaffordable high fashion clothing and shoes AND you like American classic car shows, has Prada got just the treat for you!
Check out their spring line of '50s automobile-inspired wares:
... Read more
My Outfit Monday: Necklace surgery
My mom gave me this necklace for Christmas, a piece she snagged somewhere in our home state of Ohio. I liked the heft, the beading, the colors. The only thing I didn't like much was the huge black and white pendant hanging off the end. It's technically zebra, but at a quick glance, it kept reminding me of one of those magic eye posters from the 1990s. "It's a schooner!" (Mallrats reference, anyone?)
This morning, I decided to play doctor. I pulled off the schooner charm by bending its metal ring. I thought I might just wear it like that, but the proportions felt off, and it didn't lay right. Also, there was a hole in the bottom bead where something else had clearly once been. It needed something. I rooted through my mass of tangled baubles until I found the earrings that came with the necklace. Ding ding ding. ... Read more
Go Red for Women savings at Macy's this weekend
Remember how Deal Diva Kim influenced me to buy shoes? And remember how she showed you an awesome red dress? It's time to combine these phenomenons and let Kim influence you to wear red.
Confused? Don't be. It's the American Heart Association's National Wear Red Day today, an annual event in which people don their red finery to bring awareness to the fact that heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined. ... Read more
Deal Divas: Influencing each other since 1983
Remember these?
Yep. These are the leopard Keds Deal Diva Kim showed you last week. I was overcome with immediate need, and now they are mine. We Deal Divas should not be allowed within 100 yards of each other, or each other's posts. I ordered them from Zappos, got free shipping, and they came in a matter of days. It was super easy, and so far I haven't experienced any identity theft. I'll definitely be using Zappos again. Kim, let me know if you want to borrow these guys until you get your own. ... Read more
H&M opening new stores in St. Petersburg, Tampa
Is it warm in here?
Must be the HOT news I have to share with you. You may have missed it, but our colleague Mark Albright this week broke the news that H&M, which made its splash in the Tampa Bay area just a few months ago, is expanding already.
The low-price yet fashionable store, and rival of the similar Forever 21, is bringing a store to Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg AND to WestShore Plaza in Tampa.
Can I get an Amen? Both new locations are slated to open this fall. ... Read more
Seeing red in Feb
It's February already?? Really? And I'm over here feeling like I still have Christmas shopping to do. Well, never mind that. I'll just go shopping for myself. Perhaps a little more red in my wardrobe might get me in the spirit for ol' Cupid.
This dress might be just what the doctor ordered. It's a slight splurge at $47, but that collar! The sweet pleated skirt! Worth it, right?
I stumbled upon the image via Pinterest (Oh, you haven't heard of it? Is that why you're not glued to your smartphone screen, ignoring human conversation and traffic and work like the rest of us?), and it comes from an British clothing company I'd never heard of -- Asos. ... Read more
Adult film stars get classy in red carpet clothing
A friend of mine who swears he wasn't looking for this (mmm-hmm) pointed out this slideshow of the Adult Video News Awards Show in the New York Daily News in which the adult film actresses actually look quite demure and glamorous.
Not that we thought they ran around nude all the time. It's just interesting to see how similarly some of them mimic the Hollywood A-listers and some of them, well, don't. There's quite of bit of exploding cleavage, as is to be expected, I suppose. A couple of fashion don'ts. But overall, I think some of these ladies look rather nice! Look at Kayden Kross (left) and Riley Reid (below)! Riley looks like more like a Disney star than a porn star.
... Read more
My Outfit Monday: Cleaning house
First, let me start by saying the picture you see is kind of misleading.
Yes, this is what I'm wearing today. But from the looks of it, you might think I'm headed some place super-important, right? After all, I am standing by a door.
Alas, I probably won't be leaving the house today. (Did the jeans give me away?)
I don't have to go into the office today. No errands either. Woo hoo, right? Yay me.
It's like that Bruno Mars song, "The Lazy Song." You know, the one you hear once on the radio then stays in your head the whole day.
("Today I don't feel like doing anything/I just wanna lay in my bed/Don't feel like picking up my phone/So leave a message at the tone/'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything")
Well, not exactly.
While I won't be going outside the house, ther's plenty to do inside. Gah, housework. ... Read more
About the bloggers
Looking for shopping deals in Tampa Bay? The Deal Divas are on the prowl, sniffing out hot fashion finds that won't leave your wallet in ruins. Now you never have to miss a shopping deal! Sign up for weekly Deal Diva Alerts by e-mail. by e-mail. And check in often for the lowdown on local bargains, as well as fashion advice, fun photos and style news. Because shopping should be all about the Washingtons!
Disclaimer: The content of this blog is produced by the editorial staff of the Times and is not tied to advertising.
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THE AUTHORS
Stephanie Hayes came out of the womb wearing high heels. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She loves animal prints, black mascara and anything that sparkles. She objects to visible panty lines, Crocs and anything that costs more than a car payment. And she doesn't drive a nice car. She can be reached at (727) 893-8857 or shayes@tampabay.com.
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Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her
mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost,
but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan,
she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never
needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her
closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can
be reached at (727) 893-8643 or kstanley@tampabay.com.
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A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or lstein@tampabay.com.
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Coming from a long line of fashionable women, Kim Wilmath considers herself lucky to fit into their hand-me-downs. Her wardrobe staples include her grandma's vintage blouses and her mom's funky jewelry. When she's in the market for "new" items, Kim hits her favorite thrift stores -- a habit she also picked up from mom. But when circumstances require a visit to the shiny stores in the mall, you'll find Kim at the sale rack like a good little diva. She can be reached at (813) 661-2442 or kwilmath@tampabay.com.
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