Second City Style Fashion Blog - Style, Luxury, Beauty & Shopping

Style Coalition Videos To be Released Next Week Nov 23-27. Behind the Scenes

 
Yuli from MyItThings checks her notes before shooting

 
That's me, doing my "intro."  Photo by Jennine, The Coveted

 
Jennine from The Coveted "in makeup" at Century 21's Chanel counter.

With Lauren soon to have her baby, we decided that I should be the one from Second City Style to go to New York (poor me!) to take part in a video shoot at the (renown #1 designer discount) Century 21 Department Store. Lauren told me she has been "afraid" to frequent the store. Meaning it could become habit forming, possibly addictive. I just thought, "Take me there — now!"

I enjoyed finally meeting (in person, beyond emails) five of the Style Coalition bloggers who were also invited by Century 21: Yuli from MyItThings, Jean from Style Observer, Jennine from The Coveted, and Jennifer and Beth from Style Bakery. It was hectic yet we had a lot of fun because we were all in this thing together! Our cameraman was great in his direction.

  

Beth and Jennifer from Stylebakery on camera

 
Jean from Style Observer

The details are a secret but here are some behind the scenes photos. I will say that the store is amazing, and also a bit of a maze! There's upstairs, downstairs, this side of the store and that side of the store, all just bursting at the seams with discounted designer finds!

Stay tuned to see the videos which are scheduled to be released next week, the week of Black Friday. You will see one video per day right here on Second City Style!

—Carol Calacci

Photos: MyItThings, The Coveted

See Yuli's and Jean's Behind the Scenes posts.

Cool or Creepy? Guessing What You Want Next Online

It's no secret marketers have always tried to predict what people want, and then get them to buy it. Hello. Marketing 101.

This has become common practice among online retailers, you know, pushing customers toward other products they may or may not want. Both Amazon and Netflix, two of the best-known practitioners of targeted upselling, have long recommended products or movie titles to their clientele. They do so using a technique called collaborative filtering, basing suggestions on customers’ previous purchases and on how they rate products compared to other consumers.

In an article in today's NYTimes, the search for a better understanding of buying habits continues with numerous companies selling algorithms that promise a retailer more of an edge. For instance, Barneys New York says it got at least a 10% increase in online revenue by using data mining software that finds links between certain online behavior and a greater propensity to buy.

Using a system developed by Proclivity Systems, Barneys used data about where and when a customer visited its site and other demographic information to determine whom it should focus its e-mail messages.

For instance, an e-mail message announcing sales might go to those Web site visitors who had purchased certain products or types of products in the past, but only when the items were on sale. In the simplest terms, if someone buys only when something is on sale, but never buys anything in December, then the e-mail sale flier might not be sent to that customer in December. “There is a digital trail of interest left by customers,” said Sheldon Gilbert, Proclivity’s chief executive and founder.

Barneys experienced at least a 10% increase in online revenue and found 20% more customers would purchase once sent the targeted e-mail messages. The company has saved money by not sending e-mail letters to customers unlikely to buy.

Read more "Guessing the Online Customer’s Next Want" here

Blog Report. Ruby Red Slipper Makes The Majors After Only A Couple Of Months! Second City Style Fashion Blog

Our friend, Sara over at Ruby Red Slipper  clicked her heels three times and has entered The Emerald City. Today's New York Post dished on her ability to find Hollywood looks for less. Far less.

Bloggers Find Star Styles for Small Wallets.

November 6, 2006 -- IN at least one or two of the 15 magazines Sara Fitzpatrick gets a month, there's always a feature about "getting the look for less." If only. " 'Less' is maybe $258 for a sweater," Fitzpatrick says. "It's absurd for a woman of my age and income to be able to do this. You'd never be able to go out - or eat." So Fitzpatrick - a woman of age 27, and of income from doing marketing for Broadway shows like "A Chorus Line," minus a Manhattan rent - took matters into own hands. She started a blog, rubyredslipper.com, in which she breaks down celebrity looks for less. A-young-woman-living-in-New-York less.

"I don't think people know they can get these things for low prices," Fitzpatrick says. "And a lot of discount clothes now, they've stepped up the bar. They're well made."

Like many of the growing number of fashion bloggers, Fitzpatrick updates Ruby Red Slipper for fun, calling it "a sport. I really love finding a bargain."

Congrats, Sara! See you on The View.

Blog Snob. Weekly Round-Up. The Best of the Best in Blogs. Second City Style Fashion Blog

I am taking a few days off so here is some weekend reading to keep you busy until I'm back Tuesday, October 10. There is a lot to catch up on...Enjoy!

Rachel at StyleBites shows us how to do high fashion on a low budget.

The October issue of Fashiontribes is out.  Check out all the latest in your fashion personality and lifestyle.

Elke the Beauty Newsletter shows us how to wear fall's red lip.

Trashionista goes prep on us and goes wild for oxfords.

We all need a little boost at times and Girlawhirl shows us how to boost our booties with help from Underglam.

 Pink out with Christina from eBeautydaily and help raise funds to fight breast cancer.  Hey, I'm all for any excuse to wear pink and fight breast cancer.

Learn how to sparkle for the holidays with our darling the Beauty Addict.

The Bag Snob girls are drooling over lux crocs and lush suede bags from Dior.

Massclusivity Watch: The October edition includes information about Thakoon for Ninewest, Viktor & Rolf for H&M, Roland Mouret for Gap, and more from Aesthetics + Economics .  

 Clothes-Pin highlights jewelry designer Jeanine Payer whose latest collection sits at the intersection of lovely and literary.

Check out Omiru's latest Friday Fashion Hotlist.

It's Frugal Friday with The Perfect Closet.

Web Snob: This Week's Picks From Around The Blogosphere. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Around the Blogosphere 9/25-9/29   

Don't miss these great weekend reads!

Sugar cookies, Bawls, and hottie-hot UPS men all made their debuts at Fashion Week as Aesthetics + Economics tells us.

Looking forward to the weekend and kicking off those heels?  The Trashionista reports on spring's most laid back footwear trend.

The Beauty Addict, has two mentions this week as she brings us both a fantastic overview of her experience during the Fashion Week "circus" and info on the latest FAA regulations and what it will mean for your handbag.

Over at Fashion Tribes, a podcast on couture clothing details caught my eye.

My pick from the Bag Snob has to be 3.1 Phillip Lim's doctors bag.  Love it!  Sign me up!

Great advice for designers wishing to sell their work on consignment at the Fashion Incubator.

Stylebites offers tips for styling and dressing your pooch so he/she and you don't look insane.

Or go to London with the ever lovely Style Bubble as she wrapped up her week there.

Ask Fashion Kitty tells us how a computer can crunch numbers and come out with which celeb you look the most like. Apparently I look like Lindsay, Juliette and Paris...among others!

Clothes-Pin showcases Hayden-Harnett's fall line, filled with rich colors and neoclassic shapes inspired by Hitchcock heroines.

 The Jewelry Weblog finds size matters (in jewelry that is)

Jewelry and Beading tells us to get hammered. TGIF!

Girlawhirl Want to avoid dragon breath? Have an oral fixation? A girl has got to be prepared for a night out.
 

Weekly Blog Round-Up. New Every Week! See What Other Bloggers Had To Say About Fashion, Beauty, Bags & Baubles. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Bag Snob put this weekly round-up together (thank you) so we will lead with their entry for the week...

What is more appropriate than having a spring fashion week review of handbags by the Bag Snob, I ask you? Hint: they are seeing metallic for Spring, which makes them happy because honestly, who doesn’t love shiny things? Bag Snob

Lesley at Fashiontribes, posted bloggers' reviews of every NY spring show. I already posted these, but some more have been added.

Girl A Whirl announced that Kate Moss, the most stylish chick in the world, is doing a line of clothes for TopShop?  Where do we sign up?

Like'em or not, Style Bites tells us that celebs are here to stay at fashion week. 

Asthetics+Economics attends the most laid back show of fashion week - Vena Cava.

Have you seen the Gap commercial with Audrey Hepburn?  Fashion Addict Diary read my mind.  It's so awful, I want to cry.

Is winter coming already? I'm not ready for cold weather, I was born on a tropical island, I'm never ready for cold weather. For those not in denial, Fab Sugar has some cool winter boots.

Elke the Beauty newsletter found the answer to the lash-challenged.

eBeauty Daily featured a pink Tourmaline hair dryer - a portion of the proceeds goes toward breast cancer research. Good for my hair and for a good cause and pink? I am getting myself one of these. This is almost as good as if Ben & Jerry's ice cream made you skinny.

The Jewelry Weblog shows Michael Bruder jewelry designs for men, with men in mind. Do we really want men to be buying jewelry for themselves? Lucky for me, my husband won't wear anything flashy so you can try to corrupt him all you want (hey, more for me right?).

Ohhh, Beauty Addict has the best bath product - cake and bath all at once?  Makes you clean and smell yummy!

Groovy Trashionista picks her faves from blogosphere.

Fashion maven Papierdoll shows us how to score major swag at Fashion Week.  And we're not gonna lie, we're in it for the swag.  Hook us up!

The submission from me... Second City Style may never cross the Atlantic again after the garish showing of PUGH this week.

                           

Bag Snob put this weekly round-up together (thank you) so we will lead with their entry for the week...

What is more appropriate than having a spring fashion week review of handbags by the Bag Snob, I ask you? Hint: they are seeing metallic for Spring, which makes them happy because honestly, who doesn’t love shiny things? Bag Snob

Lesley at Fashiontribes, posted bloggers' reviews of every NY spring show. I already posted these, but some more have been added.

Girl A Whirl announced that Kate Moss, the most stylish chick in the world, is doing a line of clothes for TopShop?  Where do we sign up?

Like'em or not, Style Bites tells us that celebs are here to stay at fashion week. 

Asthetics+Economics attends the most laid back show of fashion week - Vena Cava.

Have you seen the Gap commercial with Audrey Hepburn?  Fashion Addict Diary read my mind.  It's so awful, I want to cry.

Is winter coming already? I'm not ready for cold weather, I was born on a tropical island, I'm never ready for cold weather. For those not in denial, Fab Sugar has some cool winter boots.

Elke the Beauty newsletter found the answer to the lash-challenged.

eBeauty Daily featured a pink Tourmaline hair dryer - a portion of the proceeds goes toward breast cancer research. Good for my hair and for a good cause and pink? I am getting myself one of these. This is almost as good as if Ben & Jerry's ice cream made you skinny.

The Jewelry Weblog shows Michael Bruder jewelry designs for men, with men in mind. Do we really want men to be buying jewelry for themselves? Lucky for me, my husband won't wear anything flashy so you can try to corrupt him all you want (hey, more for me right?).

Ohhh, Beauty Addict has the best bath product - cake and bath all at once?  Makes you clean and smell yummy!

Groovy Trashionista picks her faves from blogosphere.

Fashion maven Papierdoll shows us how to score major swag at Fashion Week.  And we're not gonna lie, we're in it for the swag.  Hook us up!

The submission from me... Second City Style may never cross the Atlantic again after the garish showing of PUGH this week.