Steals and Deals at Neiman Marcus

Turquoise Skirt Suit, $93.75

It’s getting to be that time of year, pr0n stars: where the temperatures are high and the prices are low.  It’s the time of year where you can find incredible deals even at stores like Neiman Marcus, that might otherwise be off your radar.

There were so many great finds that I had hard time whittling them down for you.  Let’s not waste any more time.

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Have you ever found a bargain so good that you almost wonder what’s wrong with it?  Don’t wonder, just BUY this stunner of a turquoise suit.

The jacket has a portrait collar and button front with long sleeves. It comes with a peplum pencil skirt, made in the USA.

Here’s the kicker: this entire suit is still available in sizes 6, 8, 10, & 14 (classic sizing).  The site will take another 25% off the current price when you get to checkout, bringing this $250 suit down to $93.75.

If you need summertime suits, don’t let this one slip!

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Gray Leather Trapeze Jacket - $103.00

.Sizes 16/18 I got your bargain right here, and it’s a gem.  How would you like a grey leather trapeze jacket?  Yeah?  How about for  $100?  Yes?  Good?  Okay – here you go.

Exclusive to NM, a gray leather trapeze jacket, size XL (16-18).  I adore the feminine details; check out the funnel collar, 3/4 length sleeves and gathers just above the bust.

The trapeze shape is going to make it super flattering and easy to wear.

You’re not going to pay $295, oh no.  Your price is only $103.00.  Get it NOW.  Bargains like this don’t come around very often.

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Bettye Mueller Two-Tone Sandal, $195.75

Pardon me for oversharing, but I want to lick these shoes.  I’m a huge Bettye Muller fan; she makes shoes that are feminine, fun and a little funky – frequently with just a slightly retro feel.

Think of these two-tone sandals as an investment:  an investment in deliciousness. Two-tone patent leather open toe sandals come in either blue/purple or hot pink/orange, with a t-strap vamp, and 3″ stacked heel.

If you get open toe shoes, I beg of you not to wear closed toe hose with them.  You can even buy footless hose now!  Seeing covered toes peeking out from an open toe has got to be one of my fashion pet-peeves right behind Visible Panty Lines.  But I digress.

Lots of sizes (5-9) are still available in both colors.  Normally you’d pay $390 for the privilege of slipping these on, but take an extra 25% off the sale price at checkout for a final price of $195.75.

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Artist Colony Tunic in Baked Apple, $35

.Let’s go bargain basement.  Is $35 low enough for you?  Buy the Artist Colony cotton tunic and wear it Spring through Fall with jeans or underneath a suit, or even with a pair of bermuda shorts and sandals.

“Boho chic” is still super stylish and popular; the embroidery bib, gathered empire waist and slightly puffed sleeve give this shirt a bohemian vibe without looking messy or out of date.

Pictured here in “baked apple”, it’s also available in black and taffy (ivory), sizes 4-10 contemporary, which runs a little smaller than a “classic” fit.  A size guide is available on the web page.

An empire waist tunic is really flattering if you’ve got a little tummy to hide.   Empire waists stop at your smallest part, just under the bust, and then skim over what’s below.  Three-quarter length sleeves are a great way to also bring the eye up.

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Juicy Couture Flower-Button Trench Coat, $194.25

Would someone please buy Juicy Couture’s flower-button trench coat so I don’t?  *cries*

The hardest part of writing a shopping blog is that inevitably you find something you want to buy, and I want this coat.

Juicy’s clothing is always colorful and slightly girly.  How can you not fall for a poinsettia red short cotton trench with 3/4 length sleeves and gold-tone flower buttons?

Sizes petite (0) to XL (14) are still for the taking, but Juicy definitely sizes contemporary so check the size guide.  Save another 25% at checkout, for just over half price off $398 – final price $194.25.

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taryn by Taryn Rose Driver Ballerina Flats, $98.25

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If you’re like me, you love the look of little flats, but your feet hate them.  Enter taryn by Taryn Rose’s Driver Ballerina flats.

Is it a driving moc?  Is it a ballerina flat?  It’s both and it’s ergonomically designed to fit your feet.

You may care that Taryn Rose was an orthopedic surgeon before she was a shoe designer, or maybe that these oh so cute shoes come in blue and camel patent leather, were made in Italy with fantastic stitching detail.

You should care that instead of $195, they’ll cost you $98.25, and there’s still size 12 available in camel!  Someone tell me I don’t need the blue ones…

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There’s lots more to see, like this Nanette Lepore Buzz sundress for $81, so don’t wait, and be sure to enter code NMSUMMER for free shipping.

I just saw that Saks is having a big clearance, so I’m off to see what’s there. That’s it for this edition of Shopping Pr0n, my little pr0n panecotta.

It was good for me; tell me, was it good for you?

Related Pr0n: I Won on Polyvore!

We interrupt this shopping blog for a very special announcement: I WON!  From time to time you’ve seen me use this really nifty website Polyvore to show you lots of products at once, or an entire outfit altogether.  Polyvore lets you snatch bits o’ the web and put them together along with bits o’  the web that everyone else has snatched.

For instance, I used it when showing you How to Dress for Your Body Type  if you’re a pear shape; I used it when we were talking about Stretching Your Closet , to show you the outfit I’d pulled together from my own closet, and again when I was asking for your help the the very same dress in Dress this Mess.  I even managed to eek out a couple of men’s outfits when talking about Sample Sales and Sunday Brunch Outfits, and to show you how to (properly) dress like Michelle Obama. Oh, heck.  Just click the Polyvore tag and go wild!

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But aside from being a really helpful tool for bloggers, it’s just a lot of fun, and lets you express your artistic or fashion skillz in a different way.

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Just today your dear blogger WON a contest!  Through the Bloggers on Polyvore group, my set took first prize in the “Submit Your Best Set” contest.  here it is:

You Know I’m No Good by din2quared featuring Tarina Tarantino brooches

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Yay! I’m really proud of my little set, but I can’t overlook some of my other favorites, too:

April Showers Bring May Flowers by din2quared featuring Tibi flat shoes

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Hand of God by din2quared featuring Missoni flat shoes

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Pretty Pink Ribbon by din2quared on Polyvore.com

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So if you’ve ever wondered what could possibly drag your dear blogger away from you, my favorite little pr0n pomegranates – it’s this… I’m playing with all my sets in Polvore.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Shopping Pr0n, with Pr0n Plus: the very best in plus size fashion, hopefully coming tonight.

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Until then: it was good for me; tell me, was it good for you?

How to Shop For Your Body Type: The Pear

Pr0n pals, I’m really excited about today’s post.  One of my strengths is being able to see what clothing styles work on different body types; it’s something I’ve worked at, rather than springing from Pr0n Mom’s womb the fashionista I am today.  So I was thrilled when my friend Rebecca wrote to me and said she was fashion challenged for her body type.

Meet Rebecca

Rebecca is pretty normal: average to plus size figure, young, married with a young child, and doesn’t have tons of money to spend but deserves to look her best.  She’s just a little style challenged.  Today’s post promises to be full of fashion tips, do’s and don’ts, and really down-to-earth advice about buying clothing and putting together outfits that you’ll enjoy.  Let’s meet Rebecca.

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If there was ever a pear shape, Rebecca’s it.  She’s 5’7″,  and according to her measurements wears about a 14 on top and an 18 on bottom. She doesn’t have a very defined waist and she carries a lot of her weight in her hips.  I doubt you’d call Rebecca plus sized if you met her; just curvy.

Rebecca Now

But  when Rebecca told me she didn’t know how to dress, she wasn’t kidding.  This is more or less the outfit she was wearing in the picture she sent me.

I don’t know very many people who can wear well horizontal stripes.  Her top was too long, shapeless, and made her look wider than she is.  Her jeans just didn’t fit well and didn’t flatter.

That’s just a bad dream from now on; what Rebecca or other pear shapes should achieve with her clothing is learning to minimize her hips, bringing the rest of her body into proportion, and creating a long, lean silhouette by using clothing shape and color to her advantage. Fashion is 50% architecture, 50% art.

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Pear Shape Dress

The first virtual outfit I used is so simple and perfect for pear shapes, you’ll wonder why you never tried it.  This is a scoop neck sheath dress in a solid color, with a wide waistband, and a hem that hits just above the knee.

Immediately, Rebecca looks four inches taller and 20 pounds thinner!  The open neckline on the dress helps to balance her hips and chest, while the monochrome color and sheath glide over her hips so your eye doesn’t focus there.  The really critical piece is the dress’ hemline.  If the hemline were much higher it wouldn’t look age appropriate, any lower and the dress will make her body look short and dumpy.

Nine West Short Sleeve Plus Size Dress, $83.40 at Macy's

In real life I found this adorable Nine West dress at Macy’s.  If she buys a 1x she may need to have the top taken in a bit – such is life as a pear shape, because you need to fit the widest part of you – your bottom  half.  But what I like is that the dress is youthful, and it’s definitely going to fit because the skirt is an A-line – it has an A shape rather than going straigt down.  Pair the dress with heels and a fun colored bag.

I’ve shown virtually here a sweater option for pears to wear over a dress.  Notice how short the sweater is.  I’m stopping the cardigan at her smallest part (above the waist)in order to emphasize it. If you’re a pair shape and you wear a regular length cardigan over an outfit, make sure it’s fitted and stops at the top of the hip.
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Pear Shape Jeans Outfit

Virtual Pear Shape Outfit #2 is a basic jeans and t-shirt look; I forgot to give her shoes. :(

What pears need to look for here are shirts that stop at the hip, that show your curves rather than hide it, jeans with a straight wider leg to balance your lower body and a waistband that stops at your widest part.

Any piece of clothing that goes over your hips will emphasize them; it may seem counter intuitive, but by stopping things at your widest part you trick the eye, which is exactly what you want as someone who is bottom heavy.

The same concept applies with jeans – if your widest part is your hips, that’s where your waistband should go; usually just below your belly button.  If you go with jeans that stop above your widest part, rather than emphasizing your small waist, it makes your hips look larger.

Most jeans styles have a “bootcut” or a “flare” leg.  Pear shapes should for a pair of jeans with “trouser” style or “wide leg” if you can.  If you can’t, look for a pair that have a minimum of tapering at the knee.  The more you taper, the more you emphasize what’s above and below.

Here are some reasonably priced real life options for this type of jean/t-shirt pear outfit.

Spring Casual for a Pear

Spring Casual for a Pear by din2quared featuring Old Navy jackets

Again, this is a really simple outfit to pull together, mix and match and add to with clothing from your closet.  It can be dressed up or down with a few changes, so it will take you from the grocery store out to dinner.

Both t-shirts are from the Gap – the one on top has a strong color and an open neckline to be the primary focus, and then I layered a plain gray long sleeve t with a slightly more open crew neck under it.  Crew necks that are right up against the neck will make you look bustier.

The jeans are a drawstring trouser from Old Navy.  Rebecca appeared to be in between sizes, so a drawstring jean could help avoid a tailoring charge (jeans can be tailored!).  Just be careful not to go for an elastic waistband on pants; it may seem like an easy fix, but elastic waistbands don’t flatter anyone.

These jeans are more lightweight; for a a dressier look, choose a heavier, darker trouser jean.

I’ve pulled together the outfit with an adorable tote bag on sale at Luna Boston, a trench coat from Old Navy and Cole Haan Wedges at Zappos. A tote bag, trench coat and comfy flats are three accessories that will take you everywhere

The Cole-Haan wedge shoes are the splurge item here at over $100, but as I’ve said before don’t skimp on shoes.  Cheap shoes won’t last, they won’t support your feet, ankles, hips or knees and you’ll wind up spending the same amount of money on several pairs versus one.  Cole Haan has an entire line that’s made with Nike Air technology.  Looks like a pump, feels like a sneaker.

I created two more virtual pear style outfit variations: one good, one bad.  Look what happens if you pair dressy jeans and the tote with a cute blouse for casual Friday or dinner with friends here.  On the other hand, look what happens if you put a pear shape in an over-sized, too long top.

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Pear Shape Date Outfit

This is one more outfit type option for Rebecca or any of you pear shapes out there.

What’s funny is that I put this outfit together right after I bought my dress, and the two dresses are very similar styles.  Several things are working together to slim and balance; if you look carefully you can see that there’s actually a wide waistband that starts just higher than her natural waist  – this draws the eye up, and the slightly rounded shape of the skirt hides the hips. But by wearing a dress, all one piece, the effect is not to break up the body, which is almost always slimming.

Continuing the monochromatic theme, she’s wearing black tights with black heels, and then I kept all her accessories within the same color family: (Ish. i didn’t have tons to work with.) A red wrap, a red necklace, and a burgundy clutch.

Donna Ricco Sleeveless Bubble Dress, $178 @Nordstrom

For a similar dress look, try this Donna Ricco bubble dress from Nordstrom.  It’s a little fancier than what I showed, but it’ll be a classic wardrobe addition.

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None of these styles are terribly complicated once you understand your body and its proportions.  Bring a digital camera with you shopping and take pictures of outfits, or do it when you get home.  Once you start working with some basic structure, you’ll understand what clothes do to your body, and gain more confidence.

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I’m always happy to answer questions, and I’m always happy to help if you’ve got a particular figure you have trouble dressing.  Drop me a comment, or an email: shoppingpr0n@gmail.com . :)  And don’t forget, if you’re looking for plus size clothes, Shopping Pr0n readers get 20% off at Simply Yours and Simply Be through this special sales code.

Please let me know if this helped you – I love feedback!

Until next time, my little pr0n pastrami.  It was good for me; tell me, was it good for you?