Shopportunity -- November 17

Sale code alert from Pink Mascara!!




Use the code "40off" when you check out on just about everything on their site. (There are some exceptions -- DVF, J Brand, and some other brands aren't included.) Stuff that's already on sale does not get an additional discount.


I may have shown these to you before, but I'm semi-obsessed with them.

I think these are a great version of the tough, bondage-inflected shoe that's all the rage right now, but slightly scaled-back for real life. I love the idea of them with colored tights. Fab.



These boots make my heart sing, but they are speeeeeeeendy. With 40% off, they're still not cheap, but they are pretty reasonable for a reptile boot that you will wear for a million years. Skirts, jeans, whatever -- these are going to go with absolutely everything.

What a pretty, grown-up, wearable dress.

It's Philip Lim, who does awfully good dresses. This is silk jersey, so you are going to need the correct underduds, but it's such a great color and easy shape, and I love the detail of the lace on the shoulders (even though the Pink Mascara site does a pretty dreadful job of showing you that detail. I do wish this site would hire a new designer.)


Right now the thing that I'm hunting (when I allow myself to hunt, which is not often) is tops. Specifically, blouses with sleeves that preferably have a pattern to them. This is not as easy as it sounds, especially since I'd really prefer washable fabrics like cotton to silk. This is pretty adorable.

Always like a good polka dot, although it's silk and black & white, which I already have plenty of. See? Hard to find just the right thing.


I also really, really love this

because of the wonderful graphic pattern. It's so art deco, it looks like something from the Chrysler building. Silk jersey.


Jeans!

Great Joe's Jeans in their Honey cut, which is their "curvy" style. They're more fitted at the waist with more room for your... um, curves.

More Joe's, in their Provocateur, which is the Petite cut. It has a shorter inseam and a higher knee break. This is a nice thing in a jean -- I have petite friends who despair of wearing boot cut or trouser jeans because they have to hem up so much of the leg that it ruins the line.



I'm very taken with this leather bracelet.

Very cool in a combo tough girl/equestrienne sort of way. I like to wear big unexpected pieces like this with very tailored clothes, for the contrast.

So, go! Shop!!

Shopportunity -- November 12

Woo-hoo! Sale code for Shopbop.com, where they have tons of loverly things. The holidays ARE coming, you know, and it's always a good idea to beat the holiday rush. (Which is my ever-so-subtle way of saying that any of these things would be perfect gifts for Style Spy, just in case you're scratching your head over what to get me.)

But I digress.

To the purpose, starting November 12, get 30% off EVERYTHING* with code EARLYGIFT at shopbop. *excludes sale, jewelry & accessories. This offer ends Thursday, November 13 at 11:59 pm PST.


Things like

these J Brand jeans, about which I have gushed effusively here before. Now's your chance to get the premium denim on sale. I highly rec. The ones shown above are the mid-rise ones, as opposed to the low-rise, which might be a little too low if you at all long-waisted, like me.


I just love this knit vest by Edun

You should click on the photo for the link and check out the great details on this garment, which are hard to see because it's black. It has this neat double ribbing on the shoulders and a zipper up the back -- really nice piece, and a wonderful winter layer.



Oh, my...

::thud::

GORGEOUS green satin wrap dress from Catherine Malandrino. Good googly-moogly, I am so utterly smitten with this. The color, the detailing (again, click for the link for closeups), the fact that it's a beautiful dressy dress with sleeves, which are scarce on the ground, as almost any woman over 35 will tell you. Absolutely fantastic.

::thud, encore::

More juicy Malandrino goodness, in Style Spy's current obsession color. Crinkled chiffon with satin trim, great, flattering, easy-to-wear silhouette that is going to look good on pretty much any body type. Great office wear as shown above with tights & pumps or boots, but this could also be dressed up for a holiday party with some sexier shoes and a sparkly little bag.


This doesn't need a lot of explanation, it's just wonderful.

In case the holiday party dress you do fall in love with this season does not have sleeves, and the event you attend winds up being outside, or just chillier than expected, this would be a wonderful solution. But it's also just a great everyday piece -- a femme'd-up basic you could wear with everything.


From myboyfriendAlexanderMcQueen:

Ohhhhhh-so-excellent tuxedo jacket. Believe me when I tell you that no one cuts a jacket like McQueen. Wear it over a sheath dress, with a dressy skirt, or with jeans and high-heeled boots for out-for-drinks-with-the-girls fierceness.


There's lots more where this came from, but the coupon code is only good until midnight tomorrow, so you'd better get clicking.

So, go! Shop!!

ShopBop-portunity

Just wanted to let you know really quick:

SHOPBOP ONE DAY SALE! Save 20% on all Full Priced Merchandise with code TREATS2008! Code expires at 11:59pm PST on October 21st 2008.


Shopbop has great stuff, including these jeans, which I highly recommend:

J Brand 14" Cigarette Leg Stretch Jean

I have these jeans, I love these jeans, I will buy more of these jeans. I don't know what this company has done with their denim, but it doesn't get baggy. I has some stretch, yes, but you can wear the things all dingdong night without them getting Rhino Butt. You can wear them to dinner and sit in them for two hours and eat tremendous amounts of Mexican food and then when you stand up to go to a salsa class, they still fit the way they did when you put them on. And then you can wear them out again the next night and sit for a couple of hours drinking wine & eating a grilled vegetable panini and STILL no Rhino Butt. They are brilliant. My pair is in a wash called Ink, which is the perfect dark blue, slightly dressy denim. I love these jeans like a boyfriend.

Now, these are some skinny jeans, I know. And honestly, when I buy them again I think I'm going to go for the mid-rise version, because I am a long-waisted girl and the low-rise hits me slightly below my hip bones, thereby causing me to have to hitch them up every now & again, which I don't like doing. Not elegant.

At any rate, if you're looking for a more traditional fit in a jean, how about these?

J Brand 9" Midrise 18" Boot Cut Jean

Higher rise, wider leg. A little more forgiving. And speaking of forgiving, if you go to J Brand's website you will discover their Blue Label line of jeans, which are specially designed for the curvier figure. Now, you have to love that. There are some more trouser-y styles, and higher-waisted stuff, also, some of which is available on shopbop.com. Finally, the other thing I love about this label is that they don't do labels. No bells & whistles. There's no fancy stitching on the pockets or big embroidered logos anywhere on the jeans -- perfectly plain & unadorned, which I love.

See? Nothing to distract from your lovely butt.

Now. I know these are expensive jeans. (Although, apparently, these are far from the most expensive jeans out there in the world, which is just kah-razy.) I do feel bad about that. Yes, folks, I have gone over to the Denim Dark Side. I was turned by Broc, my Denimhead Guru Expert Sweetie-Pie here in Austin at Barney's Co-op, who has already forgotten more about denim than I will ever know. I went in & spent some time one afternoon sliding in & out of jeans that Broc picked out for me and it was a conversion experience. I feel really bad about that. I was the sort of person who swore she'd never spend That Kind of Money on jeans. And in my defense, I did buy them on sale. But you know what? The next pair, I might just buy full-price. Because while these jeans did not Change My Life, they did change the way I feel about wearing jeans.

And no Rhino Butt!!!

So, go! Shop!!!

Amen, Sisters

Can I get a witness from my Curvy Girl Congregation? Amen, sisters, I have finally found some jeans that fit! Lift up your hearts and SING!!!


This weekend I took myself to Macy's in search of some jeans. I don't wear jeans very often, but there are times when they really are a necessity, and right now I don't really have any that fit. The tag on these read 529 -- Curvy Jean. Which sounded exactly like what I need and boy howdy, they are.

You'll notice that the front of the waist is a lot lower than the back. This is a good thing. This creates this effect:


which is very important for us curvy girls. For those of us with comparatively small waists and larger hips, the low-rise jean can be the bane of our existences, because of the gapping in the back of the waist. To get them to hang right you usually wind up cinching them so tightly with a belt that there are folds of fabric squashed at your waist, creating the dreaded paper-bag effect (never chic). Or you just have to make sure you always sit with your back to the wall because otherwise -- did someone call a plumber? But these ingenious babies solve this problem with a little extra rise in the rear, while still being low enough in front to look hip.

Because no one wants this:





I found these Levi's 529s at , and the best part was that they're on sale! A measly $34.99! Truth be told, I'm a miser about jeans. Sure, I'll drop obscene amounts of money on shoes, but I just can't bring myself to do the high-end jean thing. It is possible to spend upwards of $300 on a pair of jeans these days, and I'm sorry -- for that kind of money those things had better come with the liposuction that will allow me to actually fit into them.

A weird little caveat: Always try on every single thing you buy before you purchase. I bought two pairs of these in two different washes (dark blue and black) and the black ones are a size up from the denim, despite being the same make & model & fiber content. Go figure.

How about you guys? What kinds of jeans are you wearing these days? Which ones do you love?

Photos: Style Spy

Style Spy Picks Your Brains

Blue jeans. You love 'em, you hate 'em, you need 'em... And I'm not sure there's another single item in my closet that gives me more trouble. Quick! Name all the things you'd rather do than shop for jeans! My list includes household tasks involving the litter box, various medical procedures, and blind dates. No one likes to shop for jeans. But we can help each other.

Style Spy would like to compile a style database -- a style-base, if you will -- of jeans. I'd like to gather up information from everyone near & far about what kind of jeans they like. Post a comment listing:
1. the brand/style name
2. approximate cost
3. figure type you think they're good for (pear-shaped, petite,etc.)
4. where you can buy them, to the best of your knowledge
5. any other pertinent stuff you think we should know

Please note: this activity is NOT limited to females! If you're a guy who cares how he looks from behind, get in on this!!

You get extra points if they're available at most suburban malls and cost under 80 bucks. You lose points if they are custom-made by lavender-winged fairies in a New York City workshop and retail for the price of a used Subaru.

I'll compile all this data into... something (I'm still figuring out this blog business, give me some time) and make it available to the whole wide world on the blog. In the meantime, if you do have to undergo the torture that is shopping for jeans, take some comfort in knowing that your pain can benefit others by aiding in our research. A million denim-clad butts will thank you.