Doing business abroad? Make sure your clothes fit the culture

Say you're doing business in Brazil, and you've got a killer green and yellow shirt that you think would look great with a suit for the big meeting where you plan to seal the deal.

One problem: Green and yellow are the colors of the Brazilian flag, and the country's natives don't appreciate foreigners wearing them together. Best to leave that shirt at home.

Dressing appropriately when traveling abroad isn't always as easy as throwing your favorite standbys into the suitcase, according to two local businesswomen who have studied up on the issue. If you are headed overseas for business, what you wear is an important part of showing that you respect another country's culture and want respect in return, say Fowler White Boggs attorneys Jennifer Roeper and Olga Pina.

"Your appearance is the first thing that they're going to see," Roeper told me when we chatted recently.

Need some tips? Check out Roeper's and Pina's "Dressing for Success in International Business" seminar this Thursday at the Saks Fifth Avenue inside Tampa's WestShore Plaza. The event starts at 6 p.m.

Space is limited, so make sure to e-mail itrade@tbowit.org or call (813) 222-3345 to reserve a spot. A $10 donation is suggested for a scholarship fund, and you'll get wine, cheese and lots of helpful do's and don'ts for men and women in return. For a sneak peek at the presentation, read more here.

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Photos.com)

DEAL DIVAS HOLIDAY BARGAINPALOOZA!

WARNING: BIG FUN AHEAD!

Colleen and I spent Wednesday working from the malls (it's a hard job, but someone has to do it), finding you the best deals you can ALREADY get for holiday shopping. I know, I know, it's only the first week in November, but that's exactly the point. You can't walk into a store without seeing a heavy array of pine and glass bulb ornaments and snowflake window stickies. Just submit to the seasonal retail gods and take advantage of the sales that come with the madness.

An entire opus will run in the St. Petersburg Times tomorrow. We hope readers will take some notes over their coffee before hitting the stores. But for you, loyal Diva fans, we present a sneak peak. And if you've seen any good sales we missed, add them to the comments section!

HOLIDAY SALES BONANZA!

Deal Diva Stephanie

Ann Taylor Loft, Lane Bryant offer enticing deals

I took a quick spin around WestShore Plaza today and saw loads of sales. (And lots of Christmas decorations, too. Weird!)

Ann Taylor Loft and Lane Bryant are offering similar deals right now. At both stores, for every $50 you spend on regularly priced items, you get a $25 savings card to use on a future purchase. So, in essence, you get $75 worth of stuff for $50, or one-third off. Not the biggest savings ever, but worth taking a look at if you don't feel like waiting for your favorites to hit the sale rack.

The deal is good at Ann Taylor Loft through Nov. 29, according to the small print on the in-store signs. Though it doesn't include sale items, it does work for promotional items. My loot included two camis regularly priced at $26, but now on promotional for $12 each.

Ann Taylor Loft also has a special offer on pants for an annoying vague "limited time." Buy one pair of pants, get the second pair 50 percent off.

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Look va-va-voom in this strapless taffeta party dress from Lane Bryant.)

Liz Claiborne brand moving exclusively to JCPenney, Isaac Mizrahi line to QVC

Remember when Liz Claiborne was a go-to brand available at seemingly every department store?

That was then. Now? The clothing line has signed an exclusive deal with JCPenney, according to Times retail reporter Mark Albright. That means one of the longtime staples of women's clothing will no longer be stocked at Macy's, Belk and Dillard's department stores starting next fall.

Those stores don't sound too sad about their loss because, well, the Liz Claiborne brand doesn't have the appeal it once did. And it apparently sells better at JCPenney, which already was the only chain carrying Liz & Co. and Concepts by Claiborne.

The Liz Claiborne New York line, designed by Isaac Mizrahi, is being taken off shelves and will be sold exclusively through QVC starting with fall 2010 merchandise. The celeb designer's revamping of the clothing line that we told you about earlier this year didn't kick start sales as the company hoped.

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Liz Claiborne fall 2009 collection, Associated Press)

Francesca's Collections boutique opens at WestShore Plaza

There's a new store in town, and its styles and prices are speaking our language.

Francesca's Collections opened at WestShore Plaza on Sept. 19. Consider this boutique shopping without boutique prices. The store, situated between Gap and Soma Intimates, is filled with trendy clothes, fashionable purses, stylish jewelry and cute gift options (kitchy tampon holder, anyone?).

On my visit, I spotted cute $38 dresses that would work great for Florida's fall (i.e., autumnal colors but also short-sleeved). Francesca's staff does a nice job of showing customers how to layer and mix pieces to create different outfits, including a "get this look for under $100" display. If you like Miss Me jeans, you can get those, too.

Diana Gomez, the Tampa store's assistant manager, let me in on a little secret. Francesca's orders only a handful of each size for every piece it sells, so "you're pretty much guaranteed that there aren't going to be 20 people at a party wearing the same thing you are." Amen to that.

The chain runs frequent sales (yipee!), including one through Oct. 4 for 50 percent off all clearance items. Sign up for the mailing list and receive 20 percent off whatever dress Francesca's dubs the "pick of the week."

"We're always running the sales," Gomez said. "It's so beautiful."

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photos: Diamond shadow blouse and Sundance tote, both available at Francesca's.)

Wet Seal stores having big sales, Deal Divas having flashbacks

Here's a quickie sale you might want to check out.

Everything at Wet Seal stores is buy-one, get-one half off. The entire store. Limited time only, they say, so they want you to come now.

In high school, I was OBSESSED with Wet Seal. I bought everything I owned at the old store across from the food court at Westfield Countryside. I even applied for a job there once (mortification). My friend Tyson, who worked at the cookie stand across from the store, used to hold up heart-shaped cookie cakes at the cute girls in Wet Seal buying pink straw cowboy hats and halter tops. Ahh, 1999. Those were the days.

I've grown out of Wet Seal a bit, but they still have some cute finds if you're tight on cash and want something trendy in a pinch. My favorite Countryside food court store is but a memory now, but Wet Seal still has locations at Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg and Westfield Citrus Park, Westshore Plaza and International Plaza in Tampa.

~ Deal Diva Stephanie

Photo: Model all decked out in Wet Seal wears, wetseal.com

Marisu Miranda displays Valentino-inspired dress at WestShore Plaza

Have you ever test-driven a car you could never afford or strolled through the lobby of an out-of-your-league hotel? Then have I got the dress for you!

Since Aug. 15, this one-of-a-kind red gown by Tampa Bay designer Marisu Miranda has been on display a showroom at WestShore Plaza near Saks Fifth Avenue. The creation, a tribute to design legend Valentino Garavani, will be on display through the fall along with step-by-step documentation of how Miranda created the masterpiece. (That's her on your right, putting the finishing touches on the garment.)

Now for the price: $4,500, plus an additional $700 to $1,000 for alterations. Did I mention it has pockets?

I'll keep it real: This dress costs more than twice as much as my first car. But it is gorgeous, is it not? Inspired by Miranda's luscious-yet-too-pricey-for-me frock, I trolled the Web and found a few special-occasion crimson gowns with recession-friendly price tags:

Belted sheath dress, $79.50, The Limited

Wrap dress, $24.99, Target

Strapless taffeta dress with ruffle hem, $148.00, Cache

Jersey-knit braided neck dress, $54.00, Torrid

Silk halter dress, $148, Victoria's Secret

Banded knit dress, $14.99, Wet Seal

Even if you can't afford Miranda's gown, remember it's free to look. Shop with your eyes! Hers is a name you'll want to remember. A native of Barcelona, Spain, Miranda is a third-generation fashion designer. At her design studio, Marisu Miranda Moda at 1724 S Dale Mabry Hwy., she sews everything by hand. Check out more of her designs here.

Happy (window) shopping!

~ Deal Diva Dalia

Prada, Divas and Saks...oh my!

Saks Fifth Avenue at Tampa's Westshore Plaza sure knows how to make a Diva feel special.

Last night the store offered a sneak peak at some of Prada's Fall bag and shoe line.

You heard it here first: This Fall, Prada is all about studs, cut-outs, leather, tapestries and rich colors -- plum, black, burgundy and mustard. Think Maleficent meets Gwen Stefani. (sorry, whenever I get a chance to talk about the most fierce Disney character of all time -- I take it.)

Btw, if you're the type of Diva who craves exclusivity, you need to get to Saks fast -- the store is only carrying a very small selection of Fall Prada bags for the time being. That means you could be the only one in Tampa with the awesomeness that Sak's own Maxine Stull is holding below:

 {Prada's Velluto Jaquard Tote in mustard}

But I digress....

What really made the night a winner -- besides the delectable bags, shoes and white cranberry martinis -- were the lovely ladies that were in attendance. Peep the stunners below.

  

Clemence Haase, 40, owner of Coquette's Hair Salon, Tampa

Dress:Walter Los Angeles

Shoes:Donna Karan

Purse: Chanel

Diva detail: Black feathered head-band fun yet sophisticated.

 

Tricia Thompson, 48, professional salesperson, Carrollwood.

Dress: BCBG

Shoes: Ann Marino

Diva Detail: The look is simple and summery, but the black and white makes it after 6 appropriate.

Ghazala Sharma, "39 and holding," manages corporate accounts, South Tampa.

 Dress: Betsey Johnson

 Purse: Chanel

 Watch: Rolex

 Diva Detail: The lace makes her dress  sexy, but  the length keeps it classy.

 

Wanda Coriano, 30-something & niece Talisa, 6 1/2. Video promotions Capitol Records, New York, N.Y.

Tunic: Forever 21

Wrap: Calypso

Trousers: Anthropolgie

Necklace: Carlos Chiossone

Diva Detail: the perfect mix of higher end with more affordable items and the cutest niece on the planet!

~ Deal Diva Nicole

[photos taken by Elisabeth Parker]
 

Gap tries to reclaim denim with 1969 Premium Jeans

In case you missed the ads that are EVERYWHERE, Gap has launched a new line of jeans aimed at matching the fit and finish of its high-end competitors at much lower prices. The 1969 Premium Jeans line -- a nod to the 40th anniversary of Gap -- represents a total overhaul of the chain's jeans patterns.

Gap is promoting seven styles each for men and women under the theme "Born to fit." Which made me wonder, was the revamped denim born to fit me?

I took my curiosity to the Gap at WestStore Plaza, where a couple things quickly stood out. The jean collection is now prominently displayed in the middle of the store instead of existing as an afterthought in the back. Sizing is a bit altered, too. The Premium Jeans line is supposed to fit true to standard designer jeans sizes, so a tag for a size 8 now reads 29/8.

Somehow, as I picked out what I thought was one of each style to take to the dressing room, I overlooked the Boyfriend jean table. But here's how I fared with the other six options:

Update: Old Navy flag T-shirts are not on sale. Argh.

UPDATE: Bad news, gang. Old Navy is NOT offering the $1 flag shirts after all. I'm still trying to sort out what happened, given that a store employee at WestShore just told me on Thursday that the deal was a go. I talked to a store manager there today (Friday) who said that employees had been under the impression that the deal would be offered but that the corporate office has the right to pull a promotion whenever.

I've left a message with the corporate office in San Francisco to get more information. I'm very sorry about this. You can still get the shirts, but they will cost you $5 each.

Still working out what to wear for Independence Day? Old Navy, land of the $1 flip-flop deals, has another worthwhile dollar deal this FRIDAY only.

Before you hit the beach, buy Old Navy 2009 logo flag T-shirts for the entire family for just a buck on July 3rd. The tees come in red, white, navy blue and gray. Today, they cost $5 each. Tomorrow, get 'em for $1.

~ Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Old Navy flag T-shirt)