Oct. 7 in St. Pete: Find your vintage style

Do you have a closet full of clothes but still feel like you can't dress yourself? S&D Vintage and Spinderella's Steals want to help. The St. Petersburg resale boutiques have teamed up to present You Are What You Wear, an evening of style tips, advice on how to shop consignment and -- now we're talkin' -- wine and cheese.

The Oct. 7 event will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at S&D Vintage, 1100 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. RSVP by Oct. 4. Spinderella's owner Jennifer Steele and S&D co-owner Shannon West will be your fashion gurus.

"We are teaching people to find their own authentic style," Steele said. "They're displaying their personality through being able to shop vintage, thrift and resale and still be stylish and trendy and not look everybody else."

Admission is $15 and two toiletry items to benefit Operation H.U.G.S., a homeless advocacy group. Guests are also encouraged to bring an item from your wardrobe that you love but can't figure out how to wear. (Sarongs, anyone?) Each participant will leave with a $10 gift certificate good for future use at either store. The event is limited to 20 people.

To RSVP, you can pay in person at either shop or give Steele your credit card info over the phone at (727) 522-3325.

Deal Diva Dalia

SALE ALERT: Ann Taylor! Dillard's! Macy's Coupons!

Let me count the reasons to brown bag lunch for the rest of the week:

1) Save an extra 40 percent off ALL permanently reduced goodies at Dillard's.

• Why to go: This sale has turned up many gems for my wardrobe. I usually start in shoes, wander around to handbags (often designers are on sale), then make my way up to women's apparel.

2) Sale on top of sale at Ann Taylor! Take an extra 40 percent off all sale prices in the store.

• Why to go: Ann Taylor has a fresh new designer and has been turning up a lot of cute looks. But their full-price, and even a lot of their sale prices, are too rich for my pocketbook in a recession. This could be my chance to scoop something up cheap.

3) Macy's coupons: $5 off $25, $10 off $50, $15 off $75!

• Why to go: Deals abound in the latest round of Macy's coupons, always a favorite!

No time to stop by the mall? Most of these deals are also good online. And while you're wasting time surfing when you should be working, consider that the endless.com designer shoe sale ends in a few hours. Today is your last chance to take an additional 20 percent off 900 already-discounted styles.

Happy bargain hunting!

Deal Diva Letitia

University of Florida fans will chomp at the bit for Love That! boutique's Gator merch

If you bleed orange and blue, then head to Love That! boutique tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. That's when the South Tampa women's clothing shop will hold a Florida Gators party with special merch, food and giveaways.

Items for sale will include ladies' T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, baseball caps, sunglasses, watches, hair clips, earrings, writing pens and more. Don't miss iced-out apparel by local designer Bebe Ziegler and Swarovski-encrusted belts, dog collars and cuffs from the national brand B.B. Simon. (The store regularly stocks these items.) A smaller selection of University of South Florida Bulls, Tampa Bay Lightning and Miami Hurricanes paraphernalia will also be offered. And local sandal company Havana Slackers will be on site with discounted footwear.

But wait -- there's more. Outside the boutique, Alligator Bob is scheduled to attend with one of his scaly friends. You can also kick back in the tailgate tent as you nosh on free grilled sausages, beer and gator black bean chili. Yep, it's made with real alligator meat.

"I don't know if that's a good thing to eat your mascot," said Love That! owner Angela Llewellyn. There will also be "girlie" food inside, she said, where Gator football highlights will play on the store's two TVs. And patrons are invited to submit a recipe for swamp juice. The winning alcoholic cocktail will be served at tomorrow's event.

So what's with the UF lovefest?

"My husband's a huge fan. Last holiday, we had some special Gator stuff and it sold so very well," Llewellyn said. "We're doing the gators first because of the national championship. ... We will carry other colleges, as well."

For more info, call Love That! at (813) 902-0500. The store is located at 4109 S MacDill Ave. Just look for the 6-foot-tall blow-up gator.

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photo: This ribbed UF tank top sells for $16.99 at GatorHeaven.com.)

Madeleine Albright mixed fashion with diplomacy

I always thought former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright seemed like one impressive lady. Now I have another reason to admire her.

In her new book, Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box, Albright explains how she wore brooches on her left shoulder to subtly convey her feelings to world leaders. If she wanted to deliver a tough message with a little sting, she wore a wasp. When peace talks dragged, she opted for turtles.

She wore three monkeys to suggest the Russians' "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" stance when she felt they were ignoring the horrors in Chechnya, and when those pesky Russians bugged the State Department, she pinned a big bug to her shoulder to show she was onto their tactics.

Albright told NPR's Susan Stamberg (click here to listen to the interview and read an excerpt from Read My Pins) that she didn't feel this overtly feminine touch to her wardrobe diminished her credibility when dealing with the mostly male head honchos of the world. "I love being a woman," she explained simply, noting that the pins didn't replace serious conversations about weighty problems.

Men wear power ties, Albright wears power pins. I think it's both clever and classy that she makes a statement with her words AND her wardrobe.

Deal Diva Colleen

Massive savings at Old Navy!

Quick tip from our friend Emily Rieman: "Out of control clearance at Old Navy in Tyrone Square mall. 50% off clearance prices. I got 4 tops, 3 dresses, and yoga pants for $42."

So there you have it! 

Mad Libs Retail Therapy: Who says you can't learn language arts from Baby Phat?

Remember Mad Libs, the fill-in-the-blank stories that kept you cracking up while covertly teaching you the difference between an action verb and a plural noun? Those sneaky grammarians are at it again with Adult Mad Libs: Retail Therapy, which invites you to complete tales with the names of your favorite labels, stores and other key words. Hilarity is sure to ensue. (While browsing madlibs.com, I also stumbled upon Diva Girl Mad Libs. Why didn't we think of that?)

I came across the Retail Therapy edition last week at the Urban Outfitters in Centro Ybor, where it sells for $3.99. The 48-page paperback easily fits into most purses, providing old-school entertainment during your Auntie Anne's Pretzel break in the mall food court. Moms can bust out the 'libs to sneak in some learnin' during a mother-daughter shopping trip.

Just one question: Does Ann Taylor count as a person or a place?

Deal Diva Dalia

How holy art thou jewelry? Rosaries go glam

Blame Madonna and the Like a Prayer album. The burning crosses, the hot saint she kissed in the video and all sorts of images that enraged religious folk. Ahh, the memories.

Ever since then fashion has enjoyed a bit of romance with religious iconography. It's often used when a designer wants to be a bit mysterious and risky.

Enter the latest jewelry trend: the Rosary.

Celebrities have been popping up left and right wearing rosaries as jewelry. Designers have even started taking notice. Peep Dolce and Gabanna's chunky silver version below.

$255, Nordstroms.

I'm told it's kind of bad form to wear the rosary as a piece of jewelry. But it's not stopping folks from clamoring for them, according to Scott Moore, owner of Urban Body, a men's clothing store in South Tampa. Moore started seeing people rocking the rosary style in late 2007. He says it's rising popularity is the combination of some recent fashion trends.

The emergence of the 'rock glam' trend and more deep cut V-neck shirts being worn by guys make a perfect environment for the rosary to shine, Moore said.

His store has been selling them like hotcakes. And now he sees the trend veering to nontraditional rosaries, like the one below with the Star of David.

 

Star of David rosary, $100, Urban Body 

For more rosary jewelry pieces, check out www.urbanbody.com

Deal Diva Nicole

(Photos by Nordstroms, Urban Body)

 

And the best-dressed award goes to....

If you recall, a couple weeks ago we featured 10 of Tampa Bay's best dressed on this blog and in the paper.

We also asked who you thought should get the top honor.

And without further adieu our winner is Tampa socialite dujour Betty Wood. 

The always well-coiffed society lady received a whopping 840 votes!! From fine knits to tailored suits, Ms. Wood believes a lady should dress like one. Did we mention she even gets dolled up for the gym? Take notes ladies.

The other two style mavens who scored high were Pam Bondi and Erika Wallace, with 309 votes and 77 votes, respectively. Both have love for the classics as well as a good trend.

It feels good to know that Tampa residents value style. If there's someone we missed, send us your suggestions. We're already gearing up for next year's list!

If you missed the best dressed slide show, check it out here.

Deal Diva Nicole

(Times photo Atoyia Deans)

Temps in the 60s? Where's my scarf?

I hate getting dressed for work this time of year, and I know I'm not alone.

It's just not fair. The stores beckon with cutie-patootie cardigans and bangin' boots, but here in Florida we sweat just looking at them. We are stuck with the same old sleeveless shirts and sandals that we've been wearing since April.

But wait! This just in! For a couple days this week, the morning temps around Tampa Bay will drop into the low, gasp, 60s!!

Okay, so that doesn't exactly make it time to break out the wool, but it should offer those of us with cooler climate wardrobe tastes a brief respite from our summer wardrobes. This break in the heat would be a good time to try out leggings or to twist a light-weight scarf around your neck. Maybe throw on a thin boyfriend sweater, or wrap a pashmina around your shoulders.

Don't get too carried away. The daily highs on Wednesday and Thursday will still reach the 80s, so you'll probably be ready to shed that fall jacket by lunchtime.

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: T.J. Maxx)

Gap co-founder Donald Fisher dies at 81

Donald G. Fisher, co-founder of Gap Inc., died Sunday in San Francisco after a battle with cancer, the company reports. He was 81.

Fisher and his wife, Doris, founded Gap Inc. in 1969. Today, the company's annual sales are in the neighborhood of $14.5 billion. Its brands include Old Navy, Banana Republic and more.

Here's a photo of the Fishers strutting their stuff four decades ago. I wonder when Mrs. F's diamond pattern pants will make a comeback?

Divas, let's send thoughts and prayers out to Doris Fisher this week as she grieves her husband. And as the fashion world grieves a legend, I ask you: What's your favorite Gap item?

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photos by Gap Inc.)