Graffiti will hit the market with an explosion of colors and art, like in the 80s, when they’ve been an important trend for jeans and t-shirts. Probably this time the importance will be even more, involving more products, like shoes, as example.

80s will be back, suggesting old ideas and mixing them with modern feelings. I’m talking about the economic crisis, that will end soon, opening the way for new trends: strong shoulders, thigh high boots, lace, cloaks.

Classic, old and new ideas all together to express the desire of a new year free of the economic problems: new designs and new colors. But we’ll find also a special care for tones of gray and fabrics like velvet.

As conclusion, we can say that this year will be a very special year for fashion, and anyone will be able to find a personal look very easily. Let’s go shopping!

• Love for Vintage This is a nice personal story written by Elizabeth Burn, a kind entrepreneur in the vintage clothing industry. Love for Vintage My love for vintage began when I was a poor college student in NYC, basically out of necessity, it evolved from a hobby and passion into a business. At......
• Some tips to think about when deciding to have a web site built Judith Palfrey is a professional web site developer for 14 years and has developed some special websites to help small businesses advertise in their local community using the Internet. She is also the President of Shopping Portals, Inc. affiliated with Palfrey Associates. To learn more about her services visit: www.ShopGaithersburg.com,......
• There is not Bad Weather, Just the Wrong Clothing Jeff Knowlton wrote this exclusive article for us. He is the National Account Manager of 66North.com. 66°NORTH Ltd. is among Iceland’s oldest manufacturing companies. It was established in the year 1926 and has throughout the decades been a leading producer and innovator in the making of working clothes used on......
• Fashion, internet and our society Today we interview Justin Hoehn. Justin manages LEADapparel.com, providing a broad range of apparel brands at the lowest prices possible. With 27 warehouses covering all regions of the U.S. LEADapparel.com has the ability to ship customer orders quickly to anywhere in the country and worldwide. Fashion, internet and our society......
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• Economically Shopping For Christmas Toys The following guest post was contributed by Christine Howell who frequently writes about Online Degree Programs and college related topics for Online College Guru, an online college directory and comparison website. With the holidays quickly approaching, parents are starting to feel the pressure rise. The kids still expect to see......
• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-15 Massucci's Take: EBay's plan to be more retailer than auctioneer is one risky bid # Shoppers resell cut-price Jimmy Choo shoes on eBay for double the price # Angry Australian Fans Sell Britney Spears Concert Tickets For $1 # TD04 ebay manifold - 3000GT/Stealth International Message Center # Free......
• {iStyle} What will you be wearing this Fall? A recap of the predominant trends that came down the runway for Fall 2009....
• Celebrate Some Good Economic News on this Labor Day I intend to take today off like most American workers.  Before doing that, I thought it appropriate to briefly mention some recent economic news that is relevant to this holiday and that is quite favorable in an economic sense.  (I know what you're thinking - Mr. ToughMoneyLove is all about bad news......
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Urban Shop Guide is a Chicago-based privately held corporation founded by Julie Cameron, a 15-year retail industry veteran. Urban Shop Guide offers guided, customized shopping tours of Chicago’s trendy neighborhoods, providing visitors access to small boutiques and the essence of Chicago shopping.

Contact Julie, 312 533-1256, to have more info.

Savvy online shoppers generate new service providers

New Shopping Tour Service to bring out-of-towners and locals to the neighborhoods’ best kept shopping secrets

Because of the continuing explosion of online shopping, customers are getting more savvy then ever regarding unique designers, brands and fashions. In the past, stores dictated the trend and brands available based on their traditional distribution channels. Now shoppers drive trends, and put local stores and up and coming designers on the map through their global exposure to alternatives on the internet.

Urban Shop Guide, a Chicago shopping tour operator, helps small groups explore the blossoming fashion scene. The guided neighborhood tours feature luxury transportation, knowledgeable guides and customized itineraries, taking visitors to the smaller boutiques populating trendy areas such as Lincoln Park and Bucktown.

“While Michigan Avenue has incredible national retailers, Chicago’s best kept fashion secrets and up-and-coming designers are tucked away in its vibrant neighborhoods,” says Julie Cameron, Urban Shop Guide’s founder. An industry veteran and Chicago resident, Cameron is poised to show visitors and locals Chicago’s trend-setting alternative shopping venues and the customers, based on the demand driven from their internet shopping research, are ready to branch out.

New boutiques are opening up weekly, and now shoppers are as in tune with what boutiques and new designers are opening in London, Chicago and New York as they are in their own backyard. Sites like DailyCandy.com make it easy to quickly follow trends in a number of major cities.

Urban Shop Guide tours enable visitors to find the newest gems and enjoy a full day immersed in Chicago’s colorful neighborhoods. “We want each participant to feel like a local for the day, feeling the true character of the area,” says Cameron. “Itineraries also include a dose of history, food, drinks and art so that the customer has an authentic feel of the city.” Additionally, an element of customization will be added for each group so that fashion veterans from New York, L.A. or overseas will be just as engaged as a group from a smaller city.

• Clothing, Jewelry, Computers This is an interesting Weblog about online shopping and, to be more specific, about clothing, jewelry and computers. So you'll read articles about online shops, shopping experiences, consumers stories and also reviews. But there will be much more than this, as example we'll talk about the online shopping phenomenon and......
• Star Wars loves Cycling Primal Wear is a cycling apparel company out of Denver, Colorado and has been in business for over 16 years. They have the most technical fabrics with original jersey designs. Besides being in over 1500 Independent bike shops across the United States, they are in some of the bigger retailers......
• The life of a T-shirt Designer Paul Baines is a T-shirt Designer and Blogger. Read his popular t-shirt reviews blog and read also about his highly original t-shirt designs. You can vote now on his latest Threadless.com submission or purchase pieces from his collection at Retrogod, Redbubble, Zazzle. This is his exclusive article for us, a......
• Karmaloop and Urban Culture I love Karmaloop, it is an impressive online store and resource for Urban and Streetwear Culture. Polos, tshirts, jackets, pants… and also jewelry, belts, bags, housewares… headphones? Yes, also very stylish headphones. Why? In the Urban Culture, style and respect are very important, but also hip hop music, the source......
• Vintage Clothing, an inspired industry Veronica Cizmar, the owner of SomeLikeItVintage.com has written this article exclusively for our Weblog. Vintage Clothing, an inspired industry Every year consumer online shopping and spending increases. The average online purchase is now approaching $250 with consumers becoming more confident in buying higher ticket items such as electronics to cars,......

• Holiday Shopping Techniques To Avoid Breaking the Bank It is looking like the upcoming holiday season will be gloomy for many families, given the current state of the economy and continued bad news on many financial fronts. While this may not be a time to go all out with gifts, there are holiday shopping techniques that you can......
• Holiday Budgeting: Making Tough Choices In A Recovering Economy. Recently the news has been buzzing that the Great Recession is over, and recovery is on the way. However, with 15.1 million Americans out of work and about 30% of US factory capacity remaining idle, it’s clear that the economy is going to impact many families this holiday season. According......
• Safety Tips With Online Shopping Online shopping has changed the way consumers buy goods. No longer are people restricted to driving to their local shopping mall to experience a unique shopping extravaganza. All boutiques are now open to the public thanks to the internet. As with anything found on the internet, buyer's need to beware......
• Save Thousands by Buying Wholesale The following article is a guest post by Cameron C. Taylor, author of the book Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom www.DoesYourBagHaveHoles.org. The prosperous have developed the habit of buying things wholesale, where as the poor buy things retail. I am......
• Guide to Hunting Guns Black powder guns and guns with muzzle loaders are quite different in comparison to the hunting guns that we are making use out of today. Today's guns make use of bullets as well as cartridges instead. The old school black powder guns are loaded up with a type of black......

Shop.org is the network for retailers online. Its 600 members include the 10 largest retailers in the U.S., and 70 percent of the Internet Retailer Top 100 E-Retailers. It’s where the best retail minds come together to gain the insight, knowledge, and intelligence to make smarter, more informed decisions in the evolving world of the Internet and multichannel retailing. Founded in 1996, Shop.org became a division of the National Retail Federation in January 2001. Shop.org programs and activities include benchmarking research, events and networking communities.

Ten Tips for Shopping Online This Holiday Season

1. Plan Ahead. Having a set list of gifts you intend to buy helps minimize confusion, especially if you intend to make multiple purchases through several websites. Shop.org encourages consumers to start their online holiday shopping at www.cybermonday.com, a site which will offer current promotions of more than 400 online retailers throughout the holiday season.

2. Shop safely online by using common sense. A golden rule of online shopping is that if something seems like it’s too good to be true, it probably is and you should avoid it. Shop with retailers that you trust. If you aren’t familiar with an online retailer, look for privacy and security seals, which indicate that their security and privacy measures have been verified.

3. Make sure your gifts arrive in time. Check retailers’ shipping deadlines, which are featured prominently on most retail websites. The information ensures that customers understand the last day when they can place orders for arrival by Christmas or Hanukkah. After standard shipping deadlines pass, many retailers will offer shipping upgrade promotions with later deadlines.

4. Know the retailers’ return and exchange policies. Return policies vary, so knowing ahead of time whether or not you will have to ship back returns or exchanges or if you can return them to the physical store in your area will help in the long run. Also be sure to find out who covers the cost of shipping if you need to return or exchange an item.

5. Ship gifts directly to the recipient. Most online retailers can ship items to a different location than your billing address. During the holiday season, when many people are traveling, take advantage of this feature by sending gifts ahead of your arrival. Some companies can even ship to multiple locations so you don’t have to lug holiday gifts all across the country.

6. For instant gratification (or holiday procrastinators), buy online then pick up in the store. Many retailers offer a “buy online, pick up in store” option. Check with your favorite retailers to see if this is a service they offer, then skip the crowds and head straight to the customer service counter where your items will be waiting.

7. Read the fine print. Retailers list important information such as privacy policies, warranty information, item descriptions, terms of agreement and company information on their websites. Much of this information is very useful, but is displayed in a smaller font.

8. If you aren’t comfortable paying with a credit card, research other payment options. Retailers place a tremendous importance on keeping their websites safe and protecting customers’ information. But for shoppers who are still nervous about paying by credit card, other options are often available. Online retailers offer a variety of services, from letting customers fax in an online order to accepting third-party payment options. Some retailers also allow gift cards to be redeemed online.

9. “Check it Twice” before confirming purchase. Before you complete an online purchase, double check billing and credit card information, shipping address and total cost of the order. This will eliminate any potential panic after you’ve hit the final “confirm” or “submit” button. And remember not to click “submit” twice.

10. Start a file folder. First, print and save all confirmations of your purchases. This will help in many ways, from returning or exchanging items to verifying credit card or bank statements. Also, write down each purchase. It’s easy to forget how much you’ve spent if you don’t keep track of it. This will help both budget holiday spending and balance your checkbook.

• An exquisite online Art Gallery Today we interview Michael Goldstein, the owner of RockPopGallery.com. Michael, what can you tell us about your Art Gallery? RockPoP Gallery was launched online in December of 2005 to showcase the best graphic art and photographic talent working in all areas of today’s music industry. I had the privilege of......
• Graphic t-shirts enter the world of haute couture Al Keser wrote this article for us. He is a New York fashionista, intrigued by the on-goings in the urban fashion scene in the Big Apple. He is writing on behalf of R.A.G., the New York clothing store which specializes in urban wear such as graphic t-shirts, plaid shorts, and......
• A True Hero, Founder of $10,000 Diamond Earrings This is a very nice story from JewelryDays.com Blog. Thanks to Sheila Garcia for this! MADISON, Wis. - A garbage truck operator is being hailed as a hero for finding $10,000 worth of diamonds that had accidentally been thrown away. "We got a call from a customer that had some......
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• Shopping carnival @ Cyber Monday With arrival of November, shopping carnival has just begun… are you ready for the game? In US, Thanksgiving Day will be celebrated on November 26, 2009 and following Monday is termed as Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday 2009 Online Deals include best of the offers on all categories... be it electronics,......
• Five Simple Ways to Buy Everything Cheaper and Save Money! Ever have the urge to go shopping, but decided not to because of your tight budget?  Ever wanted to have a nice dinner with friends, family or significant other, but didn't want to break the bank? We all have the urges each and every day to live above our means.......
• Cool Plug In Alert - Book Burro Saves You Money While Book Shopping Online. Buying textbooks is not fun, let me tell you. We spent $252 on my wife's textbooks this semester, and that was cheaper than normal. But buying other books is fun and we do buy some books that we want to own. Most books we read we get from the library,......
• Holiday Shopping Techniques To Avoid Breaking the Bank It is looking like the upcoming holiday season will be gloomy for many families, given the current state of the economy and continued bad news on many financial fronts. While this may not be a time to go all out with gifts, there are holiday shopping techniques that you can......
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