News & Links: 11/02/2011

A semi-regular round-up of fashion and shopping-related news and links.

» Filene's Basement and its parent company, Syms, filed for bankruptcy this morning. Going out of business sales are expected to be completed by January.

» With Google Wallet, Google is attempting to turn your phone into your wallet, so to speak. They've partnered with stores so you can pay, redeem coupons, and/or earn rewards points, all with one tap of your phone. (They also have exclusive limited-time offers.) To encourage people to try out the new service, they're heading out to NYC, Chicago, DC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles; you can get $10 towards your purchase when you use a demo phone to tap and pay at one of their store demo events.

» Jon Bon Jovi has opened a new restaurant, "Soul Kitchen," in New Jersey. But it's not just any old restaurant: it aims to serve as an alternative to soup kitchens; the hungry can pay what they're able or, if they lack the ability to pay, they can "bus tables... wait tables... work in the kitchen as a dishwasher or sous chef." I have a newfound respect for Bon Jovi.

» You no longer have to wake up at the crack of dawn to battle it out for Black Friday deals: The new trend is for stores to open at midnight. Macy's is set to do so at all but 20 of its 810 stores. (Many outlets, as well as Target, will also open at midnight.)

» I love the idea of a fruit label that turns into soap when wet!

» Fashion terms are tossed around all the time on TV shows and blogs, in magazines and newspapers, but what does it all mean? Lucky has the answers.

» A new company would like to help you find the perfect fit while online shopping with the help of a webcam and a CD.

» Or, if you're shopping in person, you can just use a fancy-schmancy 3D body scanner.

» In recycling news...
- A bridge in Scotland was built from 50 tons of recycled plastic
- Lifehacker has a list of 5 easy places to recycle your old gadgets
- eBay now offers "instant sale" — you can trade in your electronics for cash, without having to wait for a buyer

» IKEA now has a MANLAND?

» If you live in the DC area, check out the dewdropDC Clothing Swap and Pop-Up Shop next Saturday, November 12. I'm really disappointed that I can't attend.

News & Links: 10/19/2011

A semi-regular round-up of fashion and shopping-related news and links.

» For the first time in three decades, the median monthly mortgage payment is about the same as the median monthly rental payment.

» Sadly for those of us who prefer to go au naturel, wearing make-up improves others' perceptions of a woman's likability, competence, and trustworthiness.

» Beneful is attempting a new tactic to sell its dog food: capture the dogs' attention. Since the dogs can't buy the food themselves, I'm not sure this will have any actual impact on sales...

» St. Croix Collections saw sales of Steve Jobs' iconic black mock turtleneck double overnight after news broke of Jobs' death.

» A great way to boost your property value? Plant trees. Even better, have your neighbor plant trees (people like shade but not yard work).

» According to GOOD, the majority of mainstream Halloween candy is made from cocoa beans harvested by child slaves. Thankfully, they also provide a list of ethical alternatives to the likes of Hershey, Mars, and Nestle.

» Don't always believe the photos on the hotel's web site. Apparently hotels and resorts are big fans of Photoshop.

» If you don't want to sink a lot of cash into your music collection, check out this list of 100 sources for free and legal music downloads.

» One pro-poker-playing soccer mom in Pennsylvania has a $500,000 collection of more than 1,200 pairs of shoes... designer shoes.

» Wal-Mart has announced a partnership with Facebook to offer "Facebook pages specifically tailored for each of its more than 3,500 locations," which will provide discount offers, events, and other information.

» If you have a Kindle, you can now borrow library e-books and have them sent directly to your device. (Nook users are able to download library e-books and sideload them to their devices.)

» If you (or your kids) have a bunch of LEGO sets, check out the new site Rebrickable, which shows you what you can make from the combined collection of pieces you have.

» As one Borders location was closing for good, its employees posted this epic list of "Things we never told you: Ode to a bookstore death."

» Bagged lunches don't have to be uncool. Save money and make your kid the envy of his classmates with awesome paperbag artwork.

» Quicken has a great visual top-to-bottom guide to saving money around your house.

News & Links: 10/05/2011

A semi-regular round-up of fashion and shopping-related news and links.

» Tales of the retail bizarre: An Australian store is reveling in the negative attention it has received since news broke of their poor treatment of one customer, who wrote an open letter regarding her experience.

» Have you bought any of Reebok's "toning" shoes? If so, you may be receiving a refund — Reebok will refund $25 million to customers as part of a settlement with the FTC over deceptive advertising.

» As a non-chef, I love these "10 Simple Kitchen Tips You Wish Someone Told You Earlier." So true.

» The AtomicAttic duo makes good on the term "upcycled": they make awesome pet beds out of vintage products and beautiful home decor from old barn wood.

» Speaking of vintage products, Maggie Mason (of Mighty Girl) has a Flickr pool of the clever ways vintage products were designed, from mixing bowls with measurement marks inside to an expandable purse and a multi-faced baby doll.

» Even Michelle Obama shops at Target!

» Want to look amazing in photos? Check out these tips from a supermodel.

» I'm in love with the custom wedding gown sketches by Megan Hamilton. They're a beautiful way to remember your wedding dress, and they take up a lot less room than a gown box or garment bag! (I'm still hoping I'll get one eventually.)

» Today Groupon introduced Groupon Goods, which offers "really good deals on great products." Whereas regular Groupon offers discounts at stores, Groupon Goods will offer discounts on specific products.

» Now that Amazon has introduced its new Kindle Fire, you may be wondering what tablet is the right choice for you. PCMag has it covered.

News & Links: 09/21/2011

A semi-regular round-up of fashion and shopping-related news and links.

» Would you use a Netflix-esque book service? Amazon.com is reportedly considering a subscription e-book service: "customers would pay an annual fee to access a library of content."

» There's a new app for iPhone and iPad (sadly, no Android yet) called StyleBook that enables you to inventory your wardrobe and then experiment with different outfits without having to pull the clothes out of your closet.

» The Economist looks at the impact "digitisation" has had on the book publishing industry in their article "Great Digital Expectations."

» What's the best thing you've ever found at a garage sale? Over at mental_floss, Stacy lists 8 of the most amazing garage sale finds of all time.

» If you want a good deal on your cell phone plan, look into your service provider's "secret" no-contract deals. As Get Rich Slowly shows, "The plans without the contracts had a lower monthly cost than the plans with contracts."

» The new advertising debate: Is it ethical to use children as brand ambassadors?

» In Finland, all expecting mothers receive a "baby box" full of gender neutral baby clothing and essentials for the first year. Love it or hate it? Personally, I'd be a lot more amenable to the idea of having kids if we had a program like this.

» Great but inexpensive decorating idea: Maps!

» Recycling is necessary (and awesome), but it can be hard to know where to recycle things other than paper, plastic, and glass. For electronics, head to Best Buy, whose e-cycle program accepts everything from cables to movies to computer monitors; they also have kiosks for ink and toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries, and wires. In NYC, clothing can be recycled through the re-fashionNYC program, a partnership between the City and Housing Works; they accept any clean fabric and material (clothes, towels, linens, etc.) as well as shoes and accessories. And no matter where you live, there's always a thrift store to which you can donate your unwanted items!

News & Links: 09/07/2011

A semi-regular round-up of fashion and shopping-related news and links.

» New York Fashion Week, showcasing the Spring 2012 collections, starts tomorrow, September 8.

» Groupon currently has a deal for a 3-credit intro to teaching course for $950 at National-Louise University's Chicago campus. (Available for 3 more days.) Read more about the idea at the Chicago Tribune.

» MSN has the run-down on what you should (and shouldn't) buy in September. (Warning: There's a video that auto-plays.)

» JCPenney's "Too Pretty To Do Homework" girls' T-shirt set off a firestorm on the Internet, leading to JCP's removal of the shirt from its site.

» Greeting card company Fomato has distilled the Target shopping experience to its three basic truths: (1) 50% of people call it "Tarjé," (2) No one will turn down a trip to Target, and (3) You always buy more than you plan.

» Get a glimpse into the future of shopping on the PSFK web site: augmented reality, iPad apps, and more.

» Do you try to purchase products that are healthy? Green? Socially responsible? Then check out GoodGuide's Transparency Toolbar, which automatically gives you product ratings while you shop online. (Or you can head to the GoodGuide site to look up specific products.)

» I'm in the process of updating the site's "Further Reading" section with magazines, blogs, and TV shows.

» On Tuesday (September 13), a new Westfield shopping center opens in Stratford City (UK), becoming Europe's largest urban shopping center. To promote Westfield Stratford City, they've created a video of 100 years of East London style: