NFL wives: Fashion forward at the Super Bowl

The official fashion event of the Super Bowl was supposed to be Friday morning, when the NFL wives got to strut their stuff for charity.

Whatevs. As if they didn't have enough competition on the party circuit, the catwalk piece of "Off the Field: Celebrating the Beauty Within" amounted to about a half hour of an event that dragged on for nearly four. (Kudos, though, to these gorgeous women of all shapes and sizes. They were sooo understanding when I didn't know who their very large husbands played for. Or what, exactly, a wide receiver does.)

Thankfully, there was another fashion show going on in the front lobby. Who knew that football players live a land of Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Christian Louboutin? That NFL paycheck must go a long way at Neiman Marcus.

Angela Robinson
Sure, she looks fabulous in a Prada dress, Jane August bag and Dior shoes. But what got me was how sweet she is on her hubby, Bryan Robinson, a Cardinals player. She would have talked about him all day. Just for her, I'm rooting for Arizona this Sunday, and will pass along a pitch for her day spa, Endulge, in Chicago.

Theresa Smith and Bonita Floyd
These wives of retired NFL players prove you don't have to spend a fortune to pull off casual chic with flair. Theresa, right, went with BCBG for her pants and vest. The bag is Dolce&Gabbana, and her shoes are Via Spiga. Bonita, left, shopped White House Black Market for her pants and sweater, and snagged the bag from Coach. (Their husbands are Fernando Smith, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, and William Floyd, retired from the Carolina Panthers, for any sports buffs out there.)

ISO: The messiest Diva in Tampa Bay

Because sometimes a put-together public front hides a fright at home...

A representative from the Style Network just popped into our bureau with an interesting press release. The Clean House team is on the hunt for the messiest home in the country. They want the works: junk piles, bizarre collections, tacky furniture and “plain ol’ foolishness.”

The contest is only open to home owners, which takes this renting diva out of the mix. And sorry solos, at least two adults must live in the home.

If you think you or someone you know is messy enough to qualify, email callahancasting@yahoo.com some pics, the names of everyone in the house and your address and phone number. They also want some info about you and why you deserve the adorably screechy Niecy Nash’s makeover magic.

Good luck!

~ Guest Deal Diva Helen Anne Travis

Free-wheelin' fashion in the White House

New York Times article: Obama keeps it casual.

Jessica Simpson's jeans of terror

1) Jessica Simpson is a gorgeous creature. Not fat. Beautiful.

Sure, maybe she has a spare fiver, but for the love of Lisa Rinna, it's JANUARY. We all do!! Show me one person in your life who didn't pick up a hot buttered roll over the holidays. November and December, I ate nothing but shortbread cookies dipped in turkey gravy.

2) That said, I know what she was thinking when she wore those infamous jeans. After Christmas, you don't taxi to the Low Rider Ward of Muffin Top City, U.S.A. You play up your natural waist! Clench your smallest part!

But instead of, say, a cute dress with a tapered waist and A-line skirt, she chose a high-waisted uterus sling from hell that looks good on NO ONE, except maybe the seven-pound baby model shown here. She's sporting Grey Ant's carpenter jeans, which some outlets have implicated as Jess's offending denim.

3) Big deal.

In the glory years of 2000-02, my fave party outfit was a spandex jumpsuit and rhinestone choker. In sixth grade, I had a silk sunflower vest. Recently, I pranced about New York City in a long shirt and leggings I THOUGHT were opaque. I was wrong. I basically toured Hell's Kitchen with NO PANTS. And today, I wore jeans to work because I thought it was Friday, not Thursday.

We all wear stupid crap. But we don't have to endure having our picture plastered on the interwebz at traumatizing angles. The closest we get is when our bitchy girlfriends do us WRONG on Facebook by tagging us raising the roof during hour six of cousin Lucy's potluck-n-beer wedding (pictured left). And we can just untag the sucker and cut people out of our lives.

Jessica. GIRL. It's ok. Just get new jeans, have a cookie and try exercising that long finger in the middle.

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: 1) Getty. 2) product shot of Grey Ant Carpenter Jean, available for $106 at revolveclothing.com. Grey Ant seems to be a nice, respectable company that otherwise makes cute clothes. I'm sure they never meant to ruin a Simpson. 3) Facebook photo of me raising the roof at a wedding.   

Dillard's: Extra 30 percent off clearance!

Dillard's is cleaning house. It's slashing prices an extra 30 percent on the entire stock of permanently reduced merchandise.

How fast can we say, "Stock up time!" Now is when you can score cheap winter staples and lighter-weight tops that will carry you through to the next season, or stash 'em away for a wardrobe update next fall.

The last time I visited Dillard's at the IP, there was a pair of BEA-U-TI-FUL red ballet flats with a flower embellishment that had started around $300 and worked their way down to $100, still too rich for my blood. I wonder if they're still there...

~ Deal Diva Letitia

(Photo: These Via Spiaga shoes are the perfect outfit popper for spring/summer. Originally $198, they're on sale for $83 until Feb. 1. Move fast. Selection will vary by store. Only 8M is left online.)

MANTYHOSE: The Man Review!

Recently, Deal Divas brought you news of a craze sweeping the nubile gams of men the world over -- mantyhose! They've become a must-have for all kinds of dudes -- dude construction workers, dudes with poor circulation, dudes with bulging beer guts.

But we here at Deal Divas are about the full-on experience. Rather than stop at mild speculation, we enlisted St. Petersburg Times leggy pop music critic Sean Daly to test drive man-leggings in the flesh. Do they bunch? Itch? Are they slimming? Fierce and fabulous?

We ordered him a pair of Microfabric Full Support Pantyhose in jet black, $11.99 from legwear company Comfilon. Then, we documented his heartfelt journey of self-discovery -- the shrieking, the scowling, even the preening. The big conclusion? We owe him a Deal Diva Beer.

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Sean goes into the dressing room with furrowed brow, resigned to his fate. Behind the door, he is heard cursing Deal Divas, mourning his career, wrestling the hose.

"This is terrible... I thought they'd be sturdier, like a Navy Seal suit. Which side is the front? Where does this panel go? They look like pantyhose!!"

Sean is reminded that they are.

"I thought they were supposed to be Terrell Owens stuff. Ow, they're tight! I don't think you bought the right size! Are they supposed to be all the way up? There's a pocket of air! I'm not quite sure... I've already got a run in the hose! There's a little hole! My legs do look kind of good, though."

Sean exits dressing room, dressed in a mercifully long football jersey, baseball cap, and, of course, mantyhose. He waddles around like a penguin.

"Every time I bend down, it's rolling off my belly. What's the next story? Thigh highs? I'm not feeling a lot of control in my naughty bits. I'm feeling a little give. I was hoping I'd feel more secure in my manhood."

Sean begins to strut. He's getting more comfortable.

"They do feel nice and cool. What causes the cooling effect? I thought they'd be a little darker. I do feel kind of slender in them. The Daly men are famous for not having an ass. I feel more pert! I would like a little more control in the groinal region. Maybe a Speedo effect?"

Sean considers wearing them for a whole day.

"No. Maybe if I was home alone."

Sean goes into dressing room and shuts door to de-hose. He is heard groaning.

"Looking in the mirror, I kind of feel like the guy from "Silence of the Lambs." Oh yeah, that's ugly. The taking off is an ugly process. I'll tell you one thing -- with the rolling down and the bunching toes and the air pocket -- they should come with instructions!"

Sean rustles through his bag.

"Oh, wait. They do."

Photo: Scott Keeler, Times staff. Cut-up Keeler entertained and mocked our model, setting up the studio lights while quipping, "Sean, you're overexposed!" Ba-dum-ba!

Jessica Simpson shoes rock, actually

There are certain things in life that are inherently annoying.

Britney Spears' singing voice. Paris Hilton's fame. Anthropologie's high price tags. (That one is a personal pet peeve of mine!)

I got to thinking about these things after a reader comment last week about Jessica Simpson, who in addition to not washing her hair very much also has a namesake line of accessories. Our devoted reader said she couldn't bring herself to give money to Jessica. I'm assuming it's cuz Jessica falls into that category of inherent annoyances. I can't disagree.

However. This winter, I looked past the label and bought a pair of Jessica Simpson snub-nosed, stacked wedge shoes on sale at Nordstrom. And I gotta say, they have quickly become my favorite footwear. I love the look (suede toe, brushed-gold buckle) and the comfort (sooo much sole padding, and they practically feel like flats). Check them out, or buy them for 40 percent off.

Does it still bug me that Miss Simpson doesn't know the difference between chicken and tuna? Yes. But I have to give credit where it is due. The gal (or her people, anyway) knows something about shoes.

~ Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Jessica Simpson "Dafa" Pump, on sale for $44.90)

Fashionable Super Bowl events...

I wouldn't really consider the Super Bowl a fashionable event, per se.

But some retailers have found a way to pull in shoppers all in the name of football.

The Celebrity Sports Gala at Saks promises food, wine and most importantly discounts at Saks Fifth Avenue! Tickets to the Jan. 29 event are a little pricey -- $100 -- but you'll get a chance to mix and mingle with sports and entertainment celebrities, all under the auspices of the truly fabulous Saks Fifth Avenue.

Neiman's is cooking up a Super Bowl Tailgate Party on Jan. 31, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Details are sketchy at best about this event, except that the store will be in celebration mode. Nothing like happy shoppers!

Also on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at a Pea in the Pod at International Mall you can get a few tips from a personal stylist, chair massage and refreshments all for free.

~ Deal Diva Nicole

(photo: Chanel.com)

Boutique sale: Super Bowl XLIII = 43 percent off

The biggest sporting event of the year happens Sunday in Tampa. Which means you need a new top. And jeans. Maybe some shoes, too.

And –- why not? -– jewelry.

Suitcase Boutique wants to help you get ready for some football. Today through Saturday, the Tampa store is offering 43 percent off (get it?) one item. Some exclusions apply, including accessories. But here’s still plenty of loot on sale to ensure you have maximum swagger at all those Super Bowl parties. And bonus: Stop by Thursday or Friday to catch a trunk show by Gainesville-area jewelry designer Laurel Baker.

Owner Lori DeGroot is a Chicago native with a fashion-forward sense of style. She says her store carries "definitely wearable clothing, just a little ahead of the curve." Suitcase specializes in T-shirts and cocktail wear, mostly by under the-radar designers: Life with Bird, Eskell, Brynn Isom, Kaylee Tankus. Hurry and snatch ‘em up before they start sending all their good stuff to Michelle Obama. About a third of Suitcase is mainstream stuff: James Perse, Huntor Dixon, Blank.

The store is in south Tampa, across from Plant High School. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. Call (813) 333-5098 or check out suitcaseboutique.com.

~ Guest Deal Diva Dalia Colon

(Photo: Laurel Baker necklace)

The list: Don't shop without it

I don't go the grocery store without a list. So why do I shop that way?

Thanks to this pesky recession thing, I've become a coupon-clipping force of nature. These days, I stalk the low shelves at Publix for the best BOGO deals. And yet, I let myself get distracted by that ombre sweater marked down 50 percent, when I really need trouser jeans. Bad, bad, bad!

Recession Resolution #1054: The Shopping List.

This spring, I will shop more and spend less. I will scour the sale racks for staples. I will upscale on pieces that get the most mileage. Dear Deal Divas, be my proof-readers. Check out my first-ever personal shopping list.

OFFICIAL LIST OF THINGS I REALLY WANT (AND NOT JUST KINDA SORTA LIKE):

• Trouser jeans: Seeking a perfect fit in a dark wash with a touch of sheen for night.
• Khaki A-line or pencil skirt: My six-year-old Banana Republic classic finally bit the dust.
• Statement pins: My one obsession on the list, the lady-bug pin from Ann Taylor Loft. But each one costs $24, and I can't seem to imagine the look without two. Argh! Am praying for a sale.
• Camis: Add a cheapo shot of color to my wardrobe at Forever XXI. Yellow trend, done!
• Flat summer sandals: Last season's wear-everywhere pair is dead. Sob.
• Red ballet flats: Have mourned the demise of my fav's for six months. Time to move on.

What do you think... is it possible to stick to a plan while shopping? Or is this like the great Diet Coke challenge, a good idea doomed to fail?

~ Deal Diva Letitia