Favorites Over 50: 12 Ways to Shop Smart at Big Sales

One thing I’ve learned since beginning Flattering50: There’s always a women’s apparel sale going on somewhere. Most often, the markdowns are in the 10-50% range. Twice a year, around January and July, the savings go mega—50-80%--when merchants want to unload end-of-season apparel and accessories to make room for the next season's collections. (You'll find a sample of the current sales in my last post 17 End of Season Cyber Sales.) While 50-80% off is very appealing, shopping right after making all those holiday gift purchases might be a little taxing on your patience and your wallet. Needless to say, if you're going to shop, you want to shop smart. So…I did a little research online and talked with my smart shopper girlfriends over 50 and came up with a list of tips. Most of the tips are basic common sense, but a few I hadn't heard before. What's your favorite shopping strategy? Click "Read More" to view my Favorites Over 50 shopping tips and leave a comment with yours. Thanks!
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17 End-of-Season Cyber Sales

Editor's Note: Unfortunately, most of the "Winter Clearance" sales have ended. However, I've updated this post with sales that are ongoing in February 2013. For dated discounts or "flash sales," be sure to check the sale promotions in the left margin of Flattering50. Happy Shopping! 

Have you had enough shopping? I thought I had. But then, all these mega end-of-season sales keep popping up on my computer screen and I'm suddenly tempted to shop some more. The winter sales are a great opportunity to replenish a worn-out basic, like a trench coat, with the new one, like the Jones New York Trench Coat (Brown, Size L) (was $199, now $119 with an additional 40% off at checkout) above. Or, perhaps, you'd like to add a designer dress that was out of reach three months ago, but now has a more pleasing price tag, like the Diane von Furstenberg New Julian Two Dress (was $345.00, now $207.00) below.




In case you're planning to do a little bargain hunting, I've assembled a sampling of the current end-of-season cyber sales. While many of these sales continue through New Years Day, some of them will end before the 2013 ball drops. Click "Read More" to see the entire list of 17 End-of-Season Sales.
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FOF: 5 Best Looks Over 50 in Glitter, Sequins & Metallics

Not surprisingly, this fall's love fest with the shiny stuff—glitter, sequins, metallics—has reached a feverish pitch during the holiday season. Glittery garments have been making the scene at night as well as during the day (gasp!). On a recent afternoon, I saw a young woman strolling the beach in a solid sliver sequin top. It was a bit blinding, needless to say. Personally, I prefer the twinkle of glitter and sequins by candlelight or moonlight--at night, that is. A sparkly garment, like the Sequin Skirt (Brown, Size SM) (was $129, now $59) above, can rescue me from the winter doldrums, energizing me for a night on the town. (I'm ga-ga for those chocolate brown sequins!) So for this week's Favorites Over Fifty (FOF), I've assembled my favorite looks in glitter, sequins and metallics for over 50 women.

Whether you’re thinking about adding a little twinkle to your New Year’s Eve look or for an upcoming 'black tie optional' wedding or to just wipe away the winter doldrums, click "Read More" below to see my favorite glittery options. I've included current marked downs where applicable and the text hyperlinks, so you can learn more about the garments or shop.
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Favorites Over 50: 10 Gifts Under $100

For those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, happy holiday!! For those of you who celebrate Christmas, are you still shopping? I’m pretty much done. But this weekend, my husband asked: “What do you want for Christmas?” I’m so busy at holiday time, I don't given "me" much thought. But my husband really appreciates some gift ideas. So yesterday, I starting making a list of gifts under $100. When it comes to buying gifts for me, my husband likes it “when I draw him a map,” so I went online to see if I could find photo examples. Naturally, there's lots online and much of it on sale. Below is a sample of my favorite gifts under $100. For instance, I'm crazy about belts this season and would love to get a fun belt like the Exotic Leather Skinny Belt ($34) above.

What are you hoping "Santa" will leave under the tree? I'd love to know.

Click "Read More" below to view nine more favorite gifts under $100...
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Shopping the Holiday Market for Over 50 Girlfriend Gifts

I love the holiday season in Manhattan so much that I don’t even mind the crush of holiday shoppers. I’m particularly fond of the holiday markets that pop up around town; they often solve my gift-buying needs for girlfriends, female relatives and acquaintances. Yesterday, I stopped by the Union Square Market and was quite surprised to see that skull fashions had taken over the holiday gift market. Originally seen as edgy “skater fashion,” clothing and accessories adorned with skulls seems to have become as mainstream (at least in NYC) as skinny jeans tucked in tall boots.

I don’t know any skater girls over 50, so I was glad to find some more age-appropriate girlfriend gifts among the maze of vendor stalls. Click “Read More” to see what I found. I've included web links when available. Also, if you have a second, please leave me a comment and let me know: Are skull fashions all the rage where you are? And what are you giving your girlfriends this year? I love hearing other women’s gift ideas...
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HBO Special: Coddington and Others Talk Fashion

Promo

As part of the celebration of Vogue's 120th anniversary, HBO will be airing In Vogue: The Editor's Eye, tomorrow night, December 6, 2012, at 9:00 PM. It's a celebration of the magazine's famous fashion editors such as Grace Coddington, Tonne Goodman, Polly Allen Mellen, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Camilla Nickerson, Phyllis Posnick and Babs Simpson. A few years ago, the September Issue, a documentary about the magazine's annual super fall issue, gave us a bird's eye view of Grace Coddington's creative process. She stole that movie in my opinion. Anyway. Just wanted to give you a "heads up" about this latest project featuring Grace and other talented women over 50.

NeriumAD: A Product Review

In October, Amy, a Nerium International product representative, emailed and asked me if I’d like to try NeriumAD, an anti-aging skin care product. Apparently, the night skin cream is formulated to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, skin texture, and aging or sun-damaged skin. Since all those pesky signs of aging plague my over 50 skin, I said, “Absolutely!” Click “Read More” below to learn the results of my 30-day trial.
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