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If you are looking for the most recent trends in fashion and style, the best way to start is by checking out the latest from the runways and finding out what the celebrities are wearing. Though the clothing that you will see on the fashion runways is oftentimes eccentric and expensive, you can begin to get an idea of the current fashions trends. And despite the fact that you may not be able to afford all the top-of-the-line designer clothes the celebs are wearing, you can re-create their looks with similar (but cheaper) pieces.

Though hundreds of websites are dedicated to fashion and style, here are some of the best sites available. These websites offer comprehensive information on the fashion trends, celebrity looks, places to shop and much more.

InStyle
InStyle.com is one of the top online resources for fashion and style. This website is the online version of the print magazine of the same name. InStyle is clear and easy-to-use. Their “Look of the Day” section shows you what the celebrities are wearing and how to get the look. The five main categories on the site: Parties, Celebrities, Trends, Shopping and Video tell you all you need to know in the world of fashion and style. The photographs used are big and plentiful, and the videos are from the most recent celebrity parties, fashion shows and other stylish events. The shopping section at InStyle is top-notch. It tells you where you can find certain looks and offers a “Deals & Steals” section where you can get discounts, win gift cards and find other shopping deals.

Style
Style.com is the online version of Vogue Magazine. Here you will find the latest in fashion from the top designer names as well as little known brands. They offer extensive coverage from fashion week each season, as well on news and information on the latest fashion trends. Another plus is that you can see what the celebrities are wearing in their “People & Parties” section. Style.com also allows you to create and save your own lookbooks and you can see also view the lookbooks of others. With all the photographs, videos, articles and other information, Style.com is one of the best online destinations for fashion and style. Men.Style.com is a related website for men’s fashions that is the online version of Details and GQ magazines. If you are looking for hot clothes and the latest trends for men, this is definitely the place to look.

FabSugar
FabSugar is part of the Sugar network, which a great collection of websites about everything from fashion to health. On FabSugar.com, you will find a blog that is updated many, many times a day with the latest in fashion and style news, shopping suggestions and celebrity looks. In addition to the chronological blog, you can search the website through the top navigation categories for celebrity style, fab finds, designer brands and much more. Because it is updated so often, the amount of information available on this website can be a little overwhelming. However, FabSugar is definitely a must-read if you have the time. Sugar also has a very interactive reader community that includes forums, blogs, polls and more.

Fashion.About.com
Fashion.About.com is part of the About.com network of guide sites. It offers a daily blog section, as well as feature articles, top pick lists, fashion videos, style suggestions and more. The fashion videos offer tips and tricks for the everyday woman, which is a big plus. The site also covers celebrity style, fashion designers, fashion shows and fashion trends. The photo galleries and shopping suggestions are top-notch.

Iconique
For an international flavor, visit Iconique.com. Here you will find the latest looks for the runways, as well as editorials and features from the top fashion experts and designers around the world. You can find stylish trends, fashion news, videos, photos and more. Their “Virtual Catwalk” section is an interactive medium where you can choose from a variety of high resolution pictures from the latest collections and shows.

Fashion.net
Though this website is very popular among many fashionistas, it’s not my favorite in terms of the set up of the site. Fashion.net is a lot more difficult to navigate than some of the others on this list, but the content is definitely very good. Fashion.net offers the latest from the world’s best designers, as well as shopping suggestions, links to other fashion website and more. Perhaps it’s just my personal style preference that has this website lower on the list. However, you should definitely check it out because it is chock-full of information.

Daily Candy
Though this website is more than just fashion, it’s definitely worth mentioning here. The fashion section might be their best, but DailyCandy.com also delivers the latest information about beauty, lifestyle, home, food, arts, travel and more. What’s great about this site is that they offer information about unique clothing and accessories that you don’t find on the other mainstream websites, and the site is written in a humorous and interesting style. You can sign up for the Daily Candy newsletter and get the goods delivered directly to your email box. They also have special regional versions of the emails for certain major cities, including Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and several others.

Fashion TV
FTV.com is a great website, particular for those who love visuals. Fashion TV is the only 24/7 fashion, beauty and style television station worldwide and its website encapsulates glamour, fashion and and style with the emphasis on the latest trends. With lots of videos and stunning photographs, you can check out fashion and styles from top designers, fashion shows, celebrity events and more.

Elle
Elle.com is another publication in the long list of fashion magazines that have a strong online presence. The Elle website offers much of the same information that’s in their magazine, plus special online features. Elle.com is visually appealing, easy-to-navigate and full of fabulous photos, videos, shopping ideas on other information from the world of fashion.

ShopVogue.TV
This relatively new website, ShopVogue.TV, debuted last year. Created in conjunction with Vogue magazine, this website offers an interesting twist to fashion shopping. It allows you to watch videos from fashion shows, designer interviews an top collection. Then, with just a few clicks with your mouse, you can shop for the items that are in the videos. It’s a very cool way to shop! Their “60 Seconds to Chic” and “Trend Watch” videos are very interesting parts of the website.

Though these websites are far from the only places to find the latest in fashion and style, they are definitely some of the top choices. Whether you are looking for designer clothes, new fashion lines, celebrity looks or bargain shopping deals, you can find it all by checking out some of these websites. On these fashion and style websites, you can find out what’s hot (and what’s not) and become a trendsetter on your own!

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If you want to buy a very unique car that is environmentally friendly, there’s no better choice than the Tesla Roadster. The Tesla Roadster is the world’s first completely electric sports car and has been a big hit with everyone who has driven it. The Tesla Roadster uses no gasoline and can travel more than 220 miles after a single charge of the battery.

[Read more →]

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Laptop bags aren’t just your basic black leather bags anymore. You can now find an assortment of bags that are both fashionable and functional.

These days wireless Internet is everywhere. Therefore, it’s no wonder that more people than ever are taking their laptops on the go. If you want to carry your laptop in style, you need to get a great laptop bag.
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Around 800 BC, the first river-bed diamonds were discovered in India. These alluvial deposits were rich enough to supply the world’s diamonds until well into the 18th century.

Throughout this time, because they were so rare and beautiful, diamonds became a status symbols among royalty. They symbolized power, wealth, love and even magic. Over the centuries, diamonds gained the reputation as the gift of love. Cupid’s arrows were supposedly tipped with diamonds. The Greeks believe the brilliance of the diamond represented the flame of love.

Diamonds, an allotrope of carbon, are the hardest known natural mineral. In 1866, South Africa’s diamond deposits were discovered. These deposits were so large that a world-wide diamond rush began. In the 1950’s deposits were found in Siberia and currently Western Canada is a prime area for diamond mining.

Throughout time, diamonds evolved into the ultimate symbol romance. Nowadays, diamond jewelry is given for engagements, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, birthdays and just about every other celebration.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. However, it’s oftentimes the man who spends the most time worrying about them. Whether you are shopping for a diamond engagement ring, tennis bracelet, necklace or pair of earrings, you must learn as much as you can about diamonds before making your purchase.

If you have never bought a diamond before, this comprehensive resource should help you learn more about these brilliant stones and how to purchase them. Diamonds are very expensive and you need to make sure you only deal with reputable retailers or wholesalers. Start with the basics of understanding the Four C’s.

The Four C’s

Many characteristics of a diamond determine its appearance and price. The four most important characteristics are dubbed the four C’s - color, clarity, cut and carat weight.

When buying diamonds, you will need to combine the four C’s at different levels to find the diamond that suits your preferences, style and of course, your budget.

Let’s take a closer look at these four classifications.

Clarity
The scales for diamond clarity ranges from FL (flawless) to I3. Flawless is the most valuable and extremely rare. The clarity levels indicate the type, number and location of inclusions the diamond contains. Inclusions are markings or microscopic cracks. Though you may not be able to tell the difference between some grades of diamonds with the naked eye, an experience jeweler can see the inclusions through a magnifying lens.

Color
The most expensive diamonds are those that are classified as colorless. But don’t think just the colorless diamonds are expensive. Some valuable diamonds, however, are colored in various hues of yellow, red, blue and sometimes even black. When you see a listing for a diamond color it is given a letter grade between D to Z. D is the optimal and most expensive choice - a colorless diamond.

Cut
Many people think “cut” refers to the shape of a diamond. Diamond shapes include emerald, heart, marquis, oval, pear, round and others. However, cut is not the shape but rather the depth, width and uniformity of a diamond’s facets that determine it’s cut. It’s the optical properties and light refraction that determines the level of a diamond’s cut. If a diamond is cut too shallow, light will be lost through the bottom. If a diamond is cut too heavy, light will be lost through the sides. When calculated precisely, fine cut diamonds don’t lose any light and the planes and angles of the cut give the diamond its brilliance.

Carat Weight
The weight of diamonds is measured in carats. One carat is equal to 0.007 of an ounce or 0.2 grams. Smaller diamonds are very readily available and thus much more affordable than larger diamonds. If you double the size of a diamond, the price of the diamond doesn’t just double. For example, a 4-carat diamond is exponentially more expensive than a 2-carat diamond.

A fifth C that is definitely important is certification. Diamonds are independently certified by gemology organizations such as GIA or AGS. Certified diamonds will include a grading report from one of these organizations. Some jewelry stores certify their diamonds in-house, and thus may have different reports. You should only purchase diamonds that have been certified.

Before purchasing a diamond ring or other diamond jewelry, you need to prioritize the four C’s. Only you know which one is more important to you and your recipient.

In some cases, size does matter. If your girlfriend wants a big diamond ring, choose a diamond with a larger carat weight, but perhaps lower quality color, cut or clarity. If you just want the highest quality diamond and don’t care about size, then choose one with top of the line cut and clarity.

Of course, you must also consider your budget. By comparing several diamonds, you will figure out which of the four C’s is most important to you.

Choosing a Jeweler

Shop around! If you have never purchased diamonds before, start by getting referrals to jewelers from friends or family members. Narrow down your list to three or four jewelers that carry the type of diamond jewelry that you are looking to purchase.

Visit each store, whether it’s a jewelry shop, diamond wholesaler or online retailer. Though online retailers are only a good choice if they come very, very highly recommended.

View several pieces of diamond jewelry in your price range. Ask to see different pieces that are one step higher and one step lower in each of the 4 C’s.

Don’t be rushed into making a purchase. If the salesman is trying to use high pressure tactics to make you buy right away, just leave the store. Don’t be pressured into making such a big purchasing decision.

Ask for certification. If the jeweler doesn’t understand the certification report himself, it’s probably best you move on to a different retailer.

Inquire about a warranty. Some shops may offer a 30-day return policy.

Alternatives to Diamonds

If you find you just can’t afford a diamond in the size that you’d like, consider a synthetic alternative such as cubic zirconium diamonds. CZ diamonds are flawless and cut to perfection.

However, don’t try to pass off a CZ diamond to the recipient as the real deal - particularly if you are buying an engagement ring. You don’t want to lose your fiance over it!

Moissanite is another stone that offers similar brilliance and hardness compared to real diamonds at a fraction of the price. Ask the jeweler to show your alternatives to diamonds and determine if synthetics are right for you.

You can also consider a different gemstones rather than a diamond. Colored gemstones make beautiful and unique jewelry pieces.

Now that you are armed with information, you can make a wise decision when purchasing diamonds – the ultimate gemstone of romance.

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We’ve all heard about suppliers limiting the number of technology gadgets that you can buy. For example, you can’t order 25 Nintendo Wiis at once, even if you have the money to pay for them.) But did you know that designer handbags are also on the “one item per customer” list?

The motive behind the regulation isn’t the same for handbags as it is for tech toys. With gadgets, the reason is that demand is high. Customers who purchase in bulk and cause stores to run out of items can then resell the items at a higher cost, driving up the price for consumers. The rule limits this. In contrast, the rule for handbags has little to do with demand. Instead, it’s all about location. Suppliers fear that foreign buyers will snatch up all of the bags at American prices and then resell them at higher value in European markets, depleting supply in the U.S.

Chances are that this doesn’t affect most people since the cost of a designer handbag is more than a pretty penny. But for those people who do have concerns, additional information is available from Reuters.

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Do you remember when the snow would fall and you’d get ready to slide down the hills around your home? Perhaps you were lucky enough to have a sled. Or maybe you slid down the hills on trashcan lids. But that was the old days. These days kids would be shocked if their parents told them to get a trash can lid and slide down a hill. At the very least, your kids are going to want a real sled.

And if you’ve let your kids get a little too used to the lap of luxury? They’re going to be asking for none other than the Kinderbob, Porsche’s version of the sled for children. It’s as fancy as you might expect from the name brand that goes along with it. It boasts an aerodynamic design that includes a suspension system so your children can steer their sled in style. Think that you can’t afford this kind of luxury for your kid? Its base price is under $100.

Of course, if you get this for your kid to use this winter, you’ll have to wonder what you’re going to buy next year to outdo yourself. And you have to assume that the kid who gets a Kinderbob is going to be expecting a real Porsche when his 16th birthday rolls around. But you’ll sure be the talk of the neighborhood this year.

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It’s a Christmas tradition. Every year, Texas-based retailer Neiman Marcus includes over-the-top luxury items in its annual Christmas book. And for this year’s 100th Anniversary edition, the store has pulled out all the stops. Know anyone who wants a $35,000 dragon topiary in their front yard? And that’s just the beginning. This year’s fantasy gift list includes:

• His & Hers portrait–in chocolate–by artist portrait Vik Muniz: You’ll get a framed 60 x 40 inch likeness painted with Bosco syrup for a mere $110,000. And Muniz will donate his share of the proceeds to a Brazilian charity for underprivileged children. It’s chocolate without the guilt.
• The Gem Triton 1000 submarine: This $1.4 million baby comes with all available options, including leather seats, a gemstone joystick and matching key chain, and AC. And a two-day training program, in case your submarining skills are rusty.
• The Vertu Signature Diamond Phone is Neiman’s answer to the iPhone. For $73,000 you’ll get one-touch 24-hour global concierge service, and service in 150 countries packaged in an 18-carat rose-gold case with 7.2 carats of white and pink diamonds. And there are just 100 phones like it in the world.
• How about a concert for the classical music lover in your life? The Kirov Orchestra will perform for you and 499 of your nearest and dearest for $1.59 million. The all-Tchaikovsky program, which will be hosted by Regis Philbin, features the Nutcracker Suite, the Tchaikovsky “Piano Concerto,” and another Tchaikovsky piece of your own choosing.

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You know how you frequently find yourself with just one sock where there should be two? Nobody’s ever been able to adequately explain the mystery of the missing socks. Your washing machine can’t possibly eat them all. Throx has solved your missing sock problem. [Read more →]

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If you are in the market for a HDTV today, check out the Consumer Reports article about the best TV’s at the best prices today.

Instead of scouring all the websites and online forums yourself, Consumer Reports did the legwork for you and has figured out the best bargains out there.

• ConsumerReports.org

Though many retailers offer online sales on Black Friday, thousands of consumers still head to the shopping centers to wait in line for the chance at a $99 computer or other hot deal. Though many stores do have “in store only” type of specials, there may only be one or two items per store - particularly when it comes to consumer electronics. Don’t get suckered into buying something else at a high prices if the item you are looking for is already sold out.

Another good thing about Black Friday this season is that it seems many stores are having great sales that are lasting all weekend, not just on Friday. So in some cases, you don’t need to break your neck to get there today. Check out BestBuy.com, Bloomingdales.com and Walmart.com, are all offering online sales throughout the weekend.

Good luck and happy shopping!

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Today is Black Friday, the first day of the holiday shopping season. It’s known among retailers as Black Friday because it is the day that they are hoping their sales figures go from the red, losing money, into the black. [Read more →]

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