From floppy to fedora, hats are a summer must-have

There are many good and smart reasons to don a hat this summer.

1. The humidity has turned your hair into an out-of-control frizz ball.

2. You feel like going incognito, Hollywood celeb-style.

3. You've seen the leathered-skin ladies baking at the beach, and you sooo don't want to end up looking like them in 15 years.

Lucky for all, there are also many good and smart (and relatively cheap!) choices for your summer sombrero. So many, in fact, that it can be hard to choose just one. A quick primer seems prudent to help sort through the options. (FYI, lots of stores that sell hats don't put them online for some reason, but Target and department stores are great places to start your search.)

Fedora: These are EVERYWHERE. Really, you can't flip through a fashion magazine without spotting at least one of these boyish hats. A lightweight straw version with a contrasting band will add a little hipster to your look without trying too hard to be trendy.

Cowgirl: If you're a ripped-jean shorts and bikini kind of girl, satisfy your inner Daisy Duke with a cowgirl hat. Here again, straw is the ticket to keeping your noggin' airy when the heat index is high. Go pink if you are feeling extra girlie.

Floppy: A classic beach accessory, this style screams glamour when paired with oversized shades. If your primary goal is to keep the sun off your face and look chic doing it, a floppy hat is your best option.

Bucket: If you prefer the feel of canvas or cotton, the bucket hat is a bit more low-key look for running around town. An added bonus: You won't have to worry about crushing it in your suitcase.

~ Deal Diva Colleen

(Photos: Fedora and cowgirl hats from Athleta)

Shoe Carnival BOGO deal starts July 1

I'm not a big fan of retail offers that require buying something now in order to get a deal later. Usually, I forget to return later with my coupon.

But for the more organized shoppers out there, Shoe Carnival has resurrected its "BOGO When You Want 2" promotion. Stupid and confusing promotion name aside, the deal is this: With any purchase made between Wednesday and Saturday (July 1-4), customers get a "BOGO When You Want 2" card. That card then allows you to buy one pair of shoes and get a second pair of equal or lesser value for half off at Shoe Carnival anytime through Jan. 19, 2010. Why Jan. 19? I have no clue, but that gives you a solid six months to score new shoes using the deal.

This certainly isn't the mother of all deals, but it does coincide with Shoe Carnival's July 4 sale event. So you could end up with some decent loot if you decide to just go for it all at once.

~ Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Unlisted "Bed Side" sandal, on sale for $14.98 through July 7)

Lucky magazine loves jean jackets

Remember how Harper's Bazaar had poor Deal Diva Letitia wondering if she should ditch her tried-and-true jean jacket?

Well, not all fashion editors are hatin' on this American staple.

The July 2009 issue of Lucky magazine gives not one, but TWO shout-outs to jean jackets. In a spread about updating "core wardrobe favorites," the mag suggests pairing a light-wash jean jacket with a coordinating chambray sundress. (The look works; however, DON'T mistake that idea as license to wear jean on jean or to blend different tones of denim.)

Lucky's July covergirl (and Ugly Betty actress) Becki Newton also shows some love for the jean jacket. She included it on her "must-own" list, saying, "Every girl needs a classic jean jacket in her wardrobe. But you have to make sure the arms are fitted, otherwise it's just boxy and weird."

Take that, Harper's Bazaar.

Jean jackets aside, Lucky magazine devotes the entire issue to clothing, accessories and beauty products that cost less than $100. The editor-in-chief calls this task "slightly overwhelming," which is a slightly annoying statement in light of the fact that not too many people I know spend $100+ on any one item to wear, but kudos to the glossy for acknowledging the current economic realities.

~ Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Lucky magazine)

Summer sales: Getting maximum bang for your buck!

There is no better time to be a Deal Diva than the late summer in Florida.

Over the coming weeks, our favorite stores will transition from summer to fall. But guess what? We'll still be sweating for another three months, probably longer, in the Sunshine State.

Gross, huh? But if you live in a land of air conditioning, the shopping news couldn't be better.

You can wear year-round the summer clothes now going on sale. The trick is to invest in the most versatile pieces.

Do: Snap up on sale classic white shirts. Wear them now, and layer under cardigans when the temperatures finally cool.

Don't: Buy tons of pastels and tropical colors that scream beach season. Say you fall in love with a funky, paisley boho shift dress that comes in two color options -- a pink/green combo and a purple/black. (Hmmm... can you tell I've been shopping lately?) I went with purple-black, which I'll wear into October!

Do: Buy as many cute sandals and peep-toe shoes as you can find on sale.

Don't: Buy a half dozen bathing suits just 'cause they're on sale. I mean, really, how many times have you hit the beach this summer? In my book, the bikini buy is kinda playing with fire. Are you going to have the exact same size waist next year? I like to leave myself a little holiday-eating wiggle room.

~ Deal Diva Letitia

Show your stripes for the Fourth of July

We know it's dreary today, but that doesn't mean you can't look forward to the sun and fireworks that (hopefully) wait ahead. Fourth of July is next Saturday, so you have one week to get your patriotic outfit together. That is, unless the thought of a patriotic outfit makes you want to gag yourself with a flag pole (perfectly understandable), in which case, ignore all following advice.

This coming week, patriotic swimsuits are half off at Reno Beach Surf Shop in St. Petersburg. The store also has "little black bikinis" marked half off, and a selection of clearance suits for $9.95. Now if we can only get the beach bod so easily.

Old Navy has their normal great selection of $5 patriotic holiday shirts with the commemorative year printed on the front. These are just screaming for tragic family photo time. If you'd rather not match your entire crew, maybe opt for Old Navy's cute patriotic peace sign tote for $10 (pictured below). I think it's all-purpose enough to carry past the July 4th holiday.

As usual, Target is also on board with the $5 holiday tees, too. This one, for instance, recreates our great American flag with fruit. Yes, fruit. Sigh. For a more understated holiday look, try this foxy blue sundress for $17.99 with some red accessories like this striking crocheted bead necklace for $14.99.

If you can't bear to leave your air conditioning to shop, try zazzle.com for a variety of fun 4th shirts. Maybe you'll fall in love with the guy wearing this "Let's Make Fireworks Together" tee, but most likely, you'll rightly douse him in the face with your tri-colored Slurpee. Shipping is free with orders of $25 or more when you use the code FREESHIPON25.

Have fun with your holiday look, and just remember -- SAY NO TO PUFFY PAINT.

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: Jessica Simpson in 2005 from men.style.com's gallery of GQ covers. Tote bag, $10, from oldnavy.com.

Lucy Liu wears a dress of carnations

Hey everyone. Lucy Liu here. I'm gorgeous and hot, right? But be honest -- what do you think of my dress?

 

I'm not going to lie. I'm concerned. I suspect I'm having a breakdown in communication with my stylist. I instructed him as follows: "I'd like to look sexy, sophisticated and curvy. Find me something that'll gracefully fill me out on top, friend."

Right about when I said, "fill me out on top," he did one of those snorts. You know what I mean? When people are really sleeping and they jolt awake and their sinuses, like, backfire? But because I am nice, I gave him the benny of the doubt. Maybe he just needed some Zicam for his nasal drip or whatever. THEN, (and this was my fatal flaw), I tried to stay cool and change the subject. I mentioned how I thought carnations are actually really quite pretty and get a bad rap in the floral community. And right about when I said "carnations," he did ANOTHER snort thing! Only this time, I'm CERTAIN he was sleeping, because he had eye crust, and there's no denying eye crust.

So here I am on the red carpet with carnation boobs, and I just don't know what to do. I want to call my stylist and make sure he's getting enough sleep, but I'm afraid he'll misunderstand again and dress me in a giant Snuggie for the Emmys. Sigh.

Wish me luck,

Lucy

(a.k.a. Deal Diva Stephanie)

Photo: Getty image of Lucy Liu at the opening night celebration of the Persol "Incognito Design Exhibition" at The Whitney Museum of American Art on Tuesday in New York City.

Ped egg: The worst beauty product ever?

Embarrassing confession #1081: I bought a Ped Egg.

Yep, I'm a bona fide sucker. I believed those TV commercials that made it look genuinely appealing to do to my heels what a kitchen zester does to an orange. I shelled out my $9.99 at Walgreen's for my very own Ped Egg.

And here's my response to all those glowing testimonials on the Ped Egg website that promise "It works! It really works!"

Not for me.

My Ped Egg experience was a flaky, grating mess. I did a lot of scraping to remove a very small amount of dead skin from my heels. Cleaning was a nightmare, which of little shavings flying everywhere. I didn't even bother throwing the thing in the product graveyard called my bathroom vanity.

I just chucked the Ped Egg.

Go ahead and call me a loser. Or tell me that I got it all wrong, and the Ped Egg is really the greatest invention since the flat iron.

As for me, I'm much happier now that I've discovered a more successful, less irritating path to smooth heels: Regular exfoliation, plus the occasional dollop of Bert's Bees Coconut Foot Creme.

 ~ Deal Diva Letitia

Saks Fifth Avenue sale on jeans. We think.

Um, I'm hardly the type to buy my jeans from Saks Fifth Avenue. My last two denim purchases came from Old Navy's shove-it-in-there-good clearance section ($18), and the Levi's rack at Dillards ($29.99). Anything much pricier than that and I start to hyperventilate and turn all blotchy. Then, the seams on my cheap jeans rip and my quadriceps get all huge and I stomp on things. HULK NO LIKE WALLET MOLESTATION.

Ahem. That said, we know some of you Divas out there will pony up for quality, and we don't ignore your sale needs. You like a bargain much as anyone else, right?

Here ya go: Through June 29, select denim is on sale for 25 percent off at Saks Fifth Avenue, in stores and online. There's a Saks in Tampa's Westshore Plaza. For example, you can get these trendy, high-waisted 7 For All Mankind jeans for a mere... gulp... $123.75.

GASP. Riiiiip. Oh beans. It's happening.

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: Artistic rendering, "Stephanie Spends the Afternoon in Saks," Times files

VIDEO BLOG: Shoe Dazzle, month 1!

So, I signed up at Shoe Dazzle.

Shoe Dazzle is an online shoe of the month club from reality TV soul suck, Kim Kardashian. I know, I know, you're thinking, "KIM KARDASHIAN OWNED YOU, SUCKA." And maybe that's true.

But the site is actually pretty cool, especially when you need a regular dose of shoe to function in polite society, like me. The service is $39 a month, and you get to keep the shoes -- this isn't a rental situation. Based on quiz results, "stylists" (translation, some I.T. dudes with a sense of humor) give you five shoe choices. You select one pair.

If the shoes don't work, you can send them back (with a small handling fee -- eck). If you hate your five options some month, you can pass and they won't charge you.

My first pair just arrived. To bring you into the experience, I give you Deal Divas very first VIDEO BLOG! Now, can someone tell YouTube to offer screen shot selections other than "Stoned On Magic Mushrooms" and "Constipated"? Kay, thanks.

Without further blathering, I give you, uh... me. If you look closely, you can see the watercolor still life of Little Debbie snack cakes hanging on my wall. Fine art, baby!

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

UPDATE: I called Shoe Dazzle, and the rep said they're updating their shoes to be truer to normal sizes. Their initial collections did run a little big. She said it's always good to call before placing an order, and they can tell you whether a certain model runs big or small. Toll free number is on the website.

Need a wedding dress? Get it cheap at Goodwill Industries

 

What makes perfectly sane women stay up all night and wear leotards while strategizing about what combination of pearls, satin and sequins they might be willing to spend a couple hundreds bucks on?

Why, cheap bridal gowns, of course.

Expect crowds this Friday and Saturday at the Goodwill Industries Suncoast third-annual wedding galas, cheery affairs that begin at ridiculously early hours but offer downright steals on bridal gowns. We're talking new gowns that would normally retail for up to $2,000 but are sold at the galas for $60 to $375.

The Goodwill sales will offer 400 brand new wedding dresses, 150 more than last year. The gowns are split between two stores, so brides who attend both events will see two completely different selections from designers including Demetrios, Rivini, Cosmobella Collection and Alfred Angelo. (The sales also feature mother-of-the-bride and bridesmaid dresses, plus accessories.)

The first sale begins Friday at the Central Plaza Goodwill Superstore at 3365 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. The second sale on Saturday will take place at the new Goodwill Superstore at 3929 Tampa Rd. in Oldsmar. Doors open both days at 6 a.m.

Two tips from Times retail reporter Mark Albright: Arrive early. The past two years, some brides have arrived around midnight. And that leotard thing? Wearing some sort of body suit means you won't have to wait for a dressing room to try gowns on.

Strike out at Goodwill?

Sunday brings another event for bargain-hunting brides: Twenty-five wedding gowns -- some new, some gently "recycled" -- are selling for $100 a piece. The sale, which benefits the Children's Home in Tampa, also includes dresses for flower girls and moms of the bride. Here's the full scoop on the event, to be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Tampa Woman's Club, a popular wedding venue on Bayshore Blvd.

~ Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Dresses, dresses, dresses from the 2008 sale, photographed by Ken Helle)