There are tons of sales happening right now, as you may very well know.  Let’s get down to the nitty gritty…  Who is this Encarnacion?

Oops, my bad: good movie (Nacho Libre), wrong timing.

Here are some of my fave sales happening so far:

DSW’s $20 off sale and $29.95 boots

Express.com has a 25% off Everything sale

Kenneth Cole’s 41% off Black Friday Sale

Gap’s 50% off Sweaters sale

Armani Exchange’s $50 off every $150 purchase in-store or online

Nordstrom.com free shipping on orders of $100 or more (use HOLIDAY09 code)

Saks.com free shipping with HOLIDAY9 code AND 60% off Thanksgiving sale

Steve Madden: 30% off entire order plus Free Standard Shipping with code MADDEN30 at checkout! (Expires 12/7).  15% off orders of $50 or more plus Free Shipping! Use code SHOPIT15N at checkout.

I’m sure there are more happening, but you get the drift.  Enjoy the sales!

To all you guys who don’t know how to shop, or don’t like shopping, and to all the girlfriends and wives who shop for their partners:

Labor Day sales are here! I’ve listed quite a few places where you can get quality clothing (and I mean quality!) for fractions of their original prices!

Kenneth Cole:

Kenneth Cole New York Modern Chinos

Check out these chinos from Kenneth Cole.  $59.99 was $68.00. Take 50% off!

KENNETH COLE NEW YORK LONG SLEEVE WHITE GROUND BLACK STRIPE SHIRT

Check out this long sleeve White Ground Black Strip Shirt from Kenneth Cole.  $69.99 was $158.00 .  Take 50% off!

Kenneth Cole New York Deal Me In

New York Deal Me In.  $99.98 was $145.00.  Take 50% off!!

Armani Exchange

Check out these sales from Armani Exchange!

Deal of the Week: Icon Logo Thermal

Armani Exchange Woven Panel Jacket

Armani Woven Panel Jacket.  Was $88.00, now $39.00.  Take an additional 20% off!

Armani Shouler Logo Henley

Armani Shoulder Logo Henley. Was $48.00, now $29.00.  Take an additional 20% off!

$50 and Under deals!

Macy’s

Labor Day sales at Macy’s are usually quite good. Check out some of the products they have on sale!

Calvin Klein Petrol Faded Dark Indigo Jeans

Calvin Klein Petrol Faded Dark Indigo Jeans.  Originally $44.98, now $29.99.

Kenneth Cole Reaction On The Loose Ornament Loafers

Kenneth Cole Reaction On the Loose Ornament Loafers. Was $98.00, now $56.24.

Father’s day is coming up soon, so here are some great ways to get great gifts (and save $$) for the father(s) in your lives!

With the “new” Bing live and running, I’ve checked out some cool electronics for all you gadget dads out there.  I personally would get an iPod, but I wouldn’t discount the Zune products either.  Coming from the land of Microsoft, it has very cool features that most iPods don’t have, but I would still get the iPod anyway LOL.

And with summer being on the horizon, check out the summer sales that DSW has for you fathers out there.  There are some good shoes on sale here that I wouldn’t miss buying!

Let’s not forget Your Personal Shopper’s favorites, like Armani Exchange’s summer sale event.  Up to 70% off of your latest Armani fashions!  Check out their Under $29 sale and their Tees selection as well!

Here are some more places to get great deals on your shopping spree

1. Shopittome.com
2. Bluefly.com
3. Zappos.com
4. Nordstrom.com
5. Macys.com
6. Brooksbrothers.com
7. Bananarepublic.com
8. Armaniexchange.com
9. Shoes.com
10. DSW.com
11. Saksfifthavenue.com
12. Shoebuy.com
13. Endless.com
14. Kennethcole.com
15. Piperlime.com
16. Express.com

So go get shopping for your Dad!  Just do me a favor: don’t buy him Crocs, okay?

Check some of the latest sales from one of my fave stores!

$10 flip flops with purchase of any swimwear or eyewear using *flipflop* as online code. View the newsletter or go straight to the site.

Check out their End of Spring Sale for some great clothes at valued prices.

And don’t forget to visit their summer looks for guys.

And for my fellow metro guys who want to check out the goods in style before buying them, go look at their virtual dressing room and see your outfits matched by, well, YOU!

Haha, yeah… so my latest shopittome.com salemail email is full of shoes – I mean racks full of them. Thanks to Onlineshoes.com and Piperlime.com, I have a plethora of shoes to choose from. And yes, I said plethora. Reminds me of that bit on The Three Amigos…

So check this out. I’ll share what shoes to wear on different styles and outfits, in different settings, based on the salemail email.

• Adidas Gazelle in Black, paired with dark or semi-dark jeans (baggy or bootcut, depends on preferences, situations, and where you’re going that night), light-colored hoodie or funky stripe/pattern button down, Von Dutch trucker hat (HA!) and Reaction watch. Adidas Gazelle shoes are $54.99 at onlineshoes.com
• Rockport Colrain in Black, paired with dark bootcut jeans or flat-front khakis, plain white button down shirt and chrome buckle belt courtesy of Armani Exchange. Add aviators, Kenneth Cole watch, and fancy rings at your leisure. Rockport Colrain shoes are $46.99 at onlineshoes.com
• Adidas O-Type Driving with dark denim (either non-destroyed, or semi-destroyed), and with added patterns to suit your style. Pair with a funky tee from Armani and glasses from Steve Madden and your set for a very casual look. $69.99 at onlineshoes.com
• Kenneth Cole Biggest Fan paired with dark bootcut denim jeans, chrome studded belt, colored pattern shirt (with at least white as the base color), and a Movado watch will get you noticed, and that’s being real. Kenneth Cole shoes courtesy of onlineshoes.com for $97.98.
• Guess Donte with either white or khaki linen pants, or even (take a guess) a dark denim jeans with a solid (or striped, depending on your flavor) pique polo from Ralph Lauren, Nautica, or Express for a more comfortable, stylish, and fashionable look that says something nice about you and not calling you a slob. Guess footwear from piperlime.com at $54.97
• Sketchers Footloose paired with denim jeans (either dark, distressed, or combinations), mixed with a white button down shirt with light horizontal or cross-pattern shirt, folded sleeves, and a nice dragon buckle belt from Buckle. Piperlime presents Sketchers Footloose shoes for $51.99.
• Kenneth Cole New York Clean Slate boots (my fave) paired with a dark denim bootcut jeans followed with black pinstripe button down shirt from Armani Exchange, Macy’s, Nordstroms, or Express (or wherever you can find one), sleek black leather belt, black classic Movado watch, and, if you can afford it, diamond earrings for your pierced ears. :) Kenneth Cole New York Clean Slate boots from piperlime.com are $91.97.

There you go… That should give you some ideas on how to wear different types of shoes for your day.  Be creative, and always be yourself.  Have fun shopping!

Ok, so being from the Northwest, I am so jonesing for Nordstrom and am missing it terribly. If you’re in the south, you’ll probably notice that there are NO Nordstrom available. NONE. While Nashville is supposed to be a city that is getting a Nordstrom, it’s not coming anytime soon. So I thought, “Hey, online shopping is awesome, and I don’t have to be in any particular state to get stuff, so I’ll bring online shopping to you!”

Now that spring is here, Nordstrom always comes out with great products to fit the season. I always like linen in the spring – it’s very light, comfortable, and breathes easy on the skin, especially if it’s hot like it is here in the south.

Take this linen pants by Michael Kors, for example. White or off-white colors are classic in style and appeal, and Michael Kors creates timeless pieces very well. You can definitely dress this up by pairing this bad boy with either a bright/spring-color button down shirt (think baby blue, spring green, or yellow in either linen, cotton, cotton blends), a nice brown or black leather belt, and definitely some Kenneth Cole shoes, and accessorized by your choice of watch and rings. Or, you can tone it down a notch with either a short-sleeve polo pique from Armani Exchange and driving mocs from Sketchers or Banana Republic to make it a bit more relaxed and fun. Want a totally casual feel? Get some funky tees from Armani Exchange or Express and follow it up with nice spring sandals.

You can also switch the pants from belt-oriented to drawstring ties like this one from BOSS. This makes a great casual feel, especially with the right tee or shirt and accessories.

There are great sales going on right now at Nordstrom, so go check them out and have fun!

If you’re not in the know, then you should be, especially when it comes to anything Armani. Armani Exchange is rolling out their new March collection online and in-stores, which is great. I love Armani’s sophistication, bold styles, and feel, not to mention that their clothes look great.

Check out the sale section on their pants and bottoms. You can save up to 50% off plus an extra 20% during checkout. Now that’s tight!

Other ways to save is if you spend $100 or more, it’s free shipping by using the code spring09. You can also text Armani (276264) to get an instant 10% off of any purchase!

And if you haven’t done this yet, go check out their virtual dressing rooms. They just recently revamped the whole look and feel, especially the functionality. You can click the pieces and drag them on the page. It’s mad tight, very customizable to fit your size, shape, and fashion tastes.

Have fun!

For all those who are looking forward to Christmas but can’t put themselves to spend more than they can afford (and I am totally there with you), let me assist in helping you out with some sweet links meant for the bargain shoppers in mind. Some are online coupon sites, and others are straight up sweet online ecommerce sites that partner with brand name manufacturers.  I’ve categorized them for you for easier access

For Moms:

• Couponmom.com (online coupon site)
• Couponcabin.com (online coupon site)
• Couponcode.com (online coupon site)
• Currentcodes.com (online coupon site)
• Couponninja.com (online coupon site)
• Couponmountain.com

General stuff:

• Retailmenot.com
• Fatwallet.com
• Overstock.com
• Slickdeals.net
• Dealcatcher.com
• TheBudgetFashionista.com

Shoes:

• Shoebuy.com
• Zappos.com

Retailers:

• Nordstroms.com
• Bluefly.com
• BananaRepublic.com
• ArmaniExchange.com
• Macys.com
• Dillards.com
• Kohls.com
• CrateandBarrel.com
• RestorationHardware.com

Shopping to me is just as much bred into my life as drinking coffee, breathing, and playing music.  One thing that really does bother me (if I can even call it being bothered) about shopping is not necessarily the ability to shop, but the environment where your ability is exercised.  I am writing this blog in a hotel room near Dulles airport in DC, and after being in a couple of malls within a 15 mile radius during the past 3 days, I have come to the conclusion that I am much more of a shopping snob than I have anticipated.  Let me explain.

I love big metropolitan cities, and usually big metropolitan cities have big shopping areas that hosts both your local/average shops and high-end couture.  Why is being in a metropolitan city a big deal?  Because it generally contains both quality and quantity value, something you don’t really find in smaller cities or “growing” metropolitan cities.  I love New York and all of its shopping glory.  I love SoCal because of the many places where I can get great deals on high-end shops.  And after visiting the quaintness of Reston Town Center to the “grandeur” of Tysons Corner, I came to the conclusion that the value of shopping does have weight when it is surrounded in an environment where that value is shown in all of its grandeur.  The mall at Tysons Corner is very big and definitely has lots to offer to various types of shoppers.  It even has a good portion of shops that I am very familiar with in the West Coast — shops and restaurants like Armani, Gordon Biersch, Movado, Aldo, Steve Madden, Urban Outfitters, Kenneth Cole, Nordstroms, and H&M — shops that aren’t your typical mall retailers like Express, Abercrombie, Banana, etc.

And while I am a good sport in finding great places to shop anywhere, I’m also very critical of where those places are in comparison.  I know that shopping in Manhattan will never compare to shopping in Oklahoma City, nor will shopping in Promenade be any better than shopping anywhere in Montana.  Moreover, for a supposedly “metropolitan” area (and I question the value placed on that word), where I live now is neither the best place to shop nor the worst, but it certainly does not make it easy on metros like me who wish for a supposedly “metropolitan” area to have great shopping centers.

There is a certain responsibility that the environment around that area has on building up such shopping grandeur.  There must be a level of progressiveness and a healthy balance of quality and value in that development; however, the perspective should also be progressive and the drive to move forward, to provide the best that THAT city can offer.  Even if I end on that note – which I won’t – I can only define my thoughts based on the actual experience and knowledge that I have and compare that knowledge and experience with others I have encountered.  The fact there are only 2 “fantastic” malls to shop in my area doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a level of progressiveness and drive to move forward, because I know for a fact that there is such a level and perspective.  But, as I sit here contemplating on that, I am wondering how fast that level and perspective of “progressiveness” is being embraced.  I already have my own views on such an environment, and I don’t even want to create havoc on exposing that just because I want great shopping centers.  What I want is more than that, but shopping centers are a great tangible result that shows proof of that progressiveness; it shows the ability for a community and city to expand its horizons and be involved in economic and city development, bringing in tourism, consumer confidence, and retail establishment and loyalty, among others.

I missed Nordies and Armani when I left the Northwest, and while I can get their products online, it’s never the same in comparison to sitting down at Gordon Biersch and be surrounded by familiar things in life.  As someone pointed out to me this past week, being a transplant to another city is never easy, and hardly the same in comparing environments.

You know what?  Nothing is ever easy anyway.

Express.com has some decent sales going on this time of year, and I’m going to show you an outfit that would look great for this coming fall.

Express.com’s 1MX Shirts

Express 1MX Solid Shirt

Express 1MX Summerall Stripe Shirt

Here are two shirts that look great and are definitely versatile for your wardrobe.  Cotton/Spandex material that is a modern fit for all body types with pointed collars, single lined button barrel cuffs, rounded shirttail, and is machine washable for normal wear and tear.  This modern style is contemporary enough for a classic look. Notice the pant selections for each shirt.  The solid white 1MX shirt can be combined with both the gray or black pants for the office, or wear it on the weeknights with a pair of nice, dark flat-front denim jeans. The dark striped-shirt can be worn with solid black, off-black, or pinstripe pants for the office, and worn with dark denim jeans on the weekends.

1MX Shirt Solid: $49.50
Colors: A LOT!
View this Express shirt

1MX Shirt – Summerall Stripe: $59.50
Colors: Black, Ruby, White
View this Express shirt

Express.com’s Producer Pants

Express Cotton Producer Pant - Solid

With the two styles of shirts mentioned above, the next step is to find great pants to match. This solid cotton Producer Pant by Express is a complimentary pant to the shirts. Flat-front pants are great for average heights and slim builds, while pleated pants will accentuate heights of the “vertically-challenged” folks.  This is Express’ signature pant line, and the comfort value is great.  I highly recommend it.

Price: $49.50
Colors: Black, Caravan, Marsh
View this pant at Express

Shoes and Accessories

What really makes or breaks the outfit are the complimentary accessories that you combine with your attire. How you “accessorize” your outfit is by looking at the patterns, colors, and shapes of your wardrobe, and letting your accessories offset and accentuate what is lacking with your outfit.

Express Sleek Buckle Belt

For example, the outfit I chose above is very modern, sleek, crisp, and clean. So to match the accessories with the outfit, I chose a sleek buckle belt that is formal enough for a work outfit, yet stylish and casual for denim attire.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Guyding Light

Next, I chose a selection of black shoes that will accentuate the look I’m trying to create. Most designer slip-ons (not necessarily penny loafers) have that modern look, so I am going with my trusty Kenneth Cole shoes to enhance the style of the outfit. Choose between a square-toe or pointed-toe shape, but for this outfit, I would stay away from cap-toe shoes, as it doesn’t match the overall look.

Kenneth Cole New York Join The Club

Adding a buckle on the shoe will definitely compliment the belt and make the outfit a more polished, modern look. Finally, adding black or silver cufflinks from Kenneth Cole and Reaction and watches from Giorgio Armani and Kenneth Cole will round out the entire wardrobe for you.

Kenneth Cole New York Join The Club: $220.15
Get it Zappos.com

Kenneth Cole Reaction Guyding Light: $107.10
Shop Zappos.com today!