Which immediately rules out any adult Halloween costumes that include the word “sexy” in front of an otherwise respectable profession — so no naughty nurses, librarians or referees.

I love the idea of a gorgeous period costume….what a great way to try on the styles of a previous era. We’re seeing a lot of influences from the past in this year’s trends, so why not invest in a piece that will do double duty? You could go for a full-on flapper costume:

Or just splurge on one of this season’s dresses inspired by the roaring 20s. Add some pearls and a pair of Mary Janes for Halloween…and wear it again with modern accessories on a date or a night on the town!

Likewise, the 80s are making a fashion comeback. You could get decked out in an 80s costume worthy of Krystal Carrington:

Or you could take inspiration from that decade’s strong shoulders and neon brights to put together a wear-anytime look. How about a jacket or top with padded shoulders? Pair it with costume jewels, a bright blouse, a pencil skirt and a Joan Collins updo for All-Hollows Eve, then work the versatile piece into your regular fall and winter rotation.

What are you going to be for Halloween this year?

For the sporty dad

We always need a new pair of running shoes, but it can be dicey to choose the right pair and the right fit. Tennis shirts are safer. A light jacket is a versatile pick. And Nike’s golf gear is rarely looked at askance on Father’s Day by the sporty dad.

For the classic dad

Dads who have to grind out a 9-to-5 in a suit-bound environment often appreciate a wardrobe pick-me-up. Think of a nice new suit, an Armani tie, new Cole Haan kicks, or some stainless steel cufflinks. You can never have too many.

For the cool dad

When in doubt, think “gear” and “gadgets”. And there’s always the MacBook Pro (no chance you’ll go wrong there, if you have $1,800 hanging around with no purpose in your checking account).

For the high-end dad

Prada. Versace. Moschino. Yes, the dad in your house may be able to handle couture, too. Maybe even covets it.

For more ideas, check out a few of the fresh StyleFeeds of great dads we know (and there are more dads around our office this year than last…congrats!). They’re always checking out something new and putting it on their feeds.

It could be that the dad you’re shopping for isn’t exactly as hip as Phil , Shergul or Alex, but maybe they can help. Whatever you do, don’t forget June 21. (And don’t think for a minute that we don’t care. Just in case you were wondering. We like a stylish gift or two this time of year as much as you do. Maybe more.)

- A Concerned StyleFeeder Dad

Lately, I’ve been seen lots of fuchsia and purple-colored confections show up on my Watchlist, so obviously someone out there is loving the combo. But are they actually wearing them? I want to hear from you fashion-forward ladies….would you sport these stunners? And if so, what are you pairing them with?

There’s a variety of ways to wear the kimono, depending on your body type. The top and dress below are more traditional interpretations, and would be flattering on almost anyone.

I particularly love the silk top by Single on the left. The color/pattern combo is a little out there, but I think I would wear this throughout the summer with jeans, wedges and a set of bangles. It puts me in a Saturday-afternoon-shopping-with-the-girls state of mind.

These dresses are a slinky, sophisticated take on the kimono. Because they don’t feature the traditional obi-style belt that creates beautiful waist definition, they may not work as well on curvier ladies, but could work great to create the illusion of curves on more boyish frames.

I’m kind of digging the over-the-top sleeves on this tunic, but I think the bold pattern pushes it a little too far toward the “dramatic” end of the spectrum for my tastes.

But I’m loving this subtle interpretation by Celine. The subdued Asian-inspired cherry print and understated belt make this dress a must-have for summer, even without kimono sleeves. If you’ve got beautiful biceps, I can’t think of a better way to show them off!

Will you be trying out a kimono-inspired piece this season?

Luckily, you’re not restricted to buying just one patterned piece, but I’m curious…If you could only buy one printed item for spring, what would it be?

A fabulous floral?

A wearable watercolor?

Modern graphic?

Or classic black and white?

Whatever you celebrate, we wish you a very happy holiday season, and lots of good gifts both given and received. Please drop by and tell us about your favorite present, and we’ll compare notes on the loot!

Help us cross that millionth user threshold by telling all your shopping-obsessed friends why they should join StyleFeeder (it’s a great way to track and share your finds and get inspired by other fashionistas, natch). Even your peeps who hate to shop will love the site…because StyleFeeder gets to know your tastes, we can make recommendations that make shopping faster, easier and more fun. Even search results are returned in your predicted order of preference!

So take a minute, send an invite to your friends, and if you’re the lucky winner who refers our millionth user, your toughest decision will be what designer dress and shoes you’re going to spend 500 clams on! Click here for official rules.

So what do we think? Like them any better on real people?

On a separate but related note, I was cruising around at Brown’s Fashion and stumbled upon designer Pam Hogg’s latest collection. You can purchase her superhero-esque collection as separates (leggings and T’s), but I’m digging this jumpsuit more:

Having grown up believing Wonder Woman was a feminist icon, I can appreciate Hogg’s inspiration. But in this economy, is anyone going to shell out more than 500 pounds to look like a glam Power Ranger?

This is one of those times:

We were especially surprised to find these so-called “crotch drop leggings” on Karmaloop, which we generally respect as a fun fashion source.

So maybe we’re missing something here…are there occasions when dropped crotch leggings are appropriate attire?

Perhaps, for Halloween, you’re looking to dress as an 80s version of Mr. Tumnus from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe?

Pregnant and worried about not making it to the hospital in time?

I’m totally serious here, I need to know.

My friend Beth drew my attention to this new trend. How could I resist opening an email with the title “Is this the new dickey?” And yes, I believe the insidious scarflette is indeed the latest incarnation of “a false shirt-front – originally known as a detachable bosom”. Check out some examples:

Why do I hate these so much, you ask? Let me count the ways:

1) Scarflette vendors inevitably style their models wearing a scarflette and nothing else. Aside from the suspension of disbelief this requires (if it’s warm enough to pose nude, the model’s neck probably isn’t freezing), I’d be much more likely to buy one if the retailer actually showed me how a scarflette could be used to accessorize my fall and winter outfits.

2) I already own a million chunky necklaces that I don’t get to wear nearly often enough — and they don’t itch or threaten to choke me

3) When I was in elementary school, I went through a phase of penning my own Goosebumps-inspired short stories…including one which featured a heroine whose hid her decapitated state from the world by attaching her head to her body through the use of a strategically-tied scarf. Apparently, I did a good job freaking myself out, because I remember it to this day and refuse to wear anything that might make me resemble The Headless Horsewoman.

What do you think? Do I need to rethink scarflettes? Are these something you’ll be adding to your wardrobe this season?

We had this problem when the StyleFeeder team moved to our new offices in lovely Cambridge, Massachusetts. Luckily, fellow Tastemaker Julieann had clued me in to a company called Wonderful Graffiti. She had used their wall decals for some of her interior design clients in the past and raved about the ease of application and graphic impact. So we decided to give their products a try.

We sent the Wonderful Graffiti designers our wall measurements, an approximation of our paint color, a file of our company logo, and some quotes we wanted to use to dress up the barren wasteland that is our conference room. We sent some proofs back and forth, and next thing we knew, several tubes of decal goodness arrived in our offices.

The first one was a bit challenging to apply, but once we had the method down, the rest went up with no issues. Check out these quotes on the wall of our conference room:

And the StyleFeeder logo dressing up our reception area:

For a few hundred bucks and a little elbow grease, we had professional looking corporate identity (much more affordable for a start-up company than expensive signage) AND some snazzy-looking conversation starters in our conference room. And they’ll come right off the wall when we leave, so our security deposit will remain intact.

Check out some other real-life applications in corporate, retail and home settings here. If you’ve got a corner that’s got you stumped, or you’re a renter looking to add some color without the ability to paint or wallpaper, Wonderful Graffiti might be for you!

I vaguely remember hypercolor shirts — clothing that changed color, depending on your body heat — from my high school days, though I don’t remember them being particularly in vogue with upperclassmen. It must have been the middle schoolers running around trying to collect strategically placed handprints from the opposite sex. To refresh your memory, check out this ad from Gennara, the now-defunct makers of the “Meta-morphic Color System”.

American Apparel has reintroduced the hypercolor t-shirt, and from the glowing reviews on their site, it seems to be a hit:

Another option from Karmaloop:

For the ladies: a tank dress from Anzevino and Florence:

The technology is even available on shoes, through Puma:

Did you sport the hypercolor trend the first time around? Will you be trying it out this time?

The current giveaway has two fabulous clutches up for grabs: a bronze Harley clutch from Botkier, valued at $465, and a mirrored silver version from Jalda, with a retail price of $470.

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is become a member of ideeli (there’s no fee to join), the members-only shopping community offering privileged access to luxury lifestyle brands (the latest and the hottest handbags, jewelry and more) with prices up to 90% off! Join now for a chance to win one of these beauties, as well as a chance to win one of 20 1st Row Memberships (which gives you a better shot at scoring the best loot during sales!)

Here are the important deets:

Today: 20% off dresses

Friday: 10% off handbags

Saturday: 15% off shoes

Sunday: 15% off tops and tees

So if you’ve had your eye on some high-end goodies for awhile, whip out your Blackberry on the beach or at that BBQ and get thee to Bluefly.

To Jessica Alba…

…there aren’t many places these lightweight accessories haven’t been spotted. Even Rachael Ray has donned a jaunty scarf, though that didn’t work out so well for her.

You won’t see me sporting a scarf this summer. I get the arguments for: it’s an easy way to add color and pattern to an outfit. (Believe me, I went through a scarf phase about 10 years ago because I thought they were a professional way to add pizzazz to a suit. I had a very elaborate way of tying the fabric, that in retrospect, made me look like I had been decapitated and was trying to keep my head tied to my body through a small square of fabric and sheer force of will.)

Yeah, yeah, it’s versatile and can be balled up and thrown in a bag. Though I don’t quite buy the argument that a wispy piece of see-through fabric can offer any defense against full-force air conditioning. In my mind, a more substantial wrap or light jacket offers the same portability AND better insulating potential.

But here is my main argument against the scarf trend:

Gorgeous girl, cute tank. But the scarf…just no. If it’s hot enough to wear sleeveless and spaghetti straps, you don’t need to add any extra fabric around the neckular region. Has your neck ever been shivering cold while the rest of your body was sweltering? I rest my case. I would have loved to see this top paired with a colorful chunky necklace instead.

But I’m willing to be proven wrong. Do you sport a summer scarf? What do you like about the look? Is this something you’d like to see on your man, or are you saving this trend all for your own?

Yeah, there’s nothing new about t-shirts with clever designs, but Tshirtbordello.com has some we haven’t seen before. If your man is a fan of cult movies like The Big Lebowski, Old School or Tommy Boy, here’s a way you can subtly support his obsession without wearing an “I’m With Stupid” t-shirt yourself…and win big girlfriend/wife points. My husband is currently livening up his Office Space with a new Initech mug, courtesy of moi, and lately he’s been looking at me like the new chick from Logistics.

The catch? Sales and giveaways last only a few hours, quantities are limited and membership is by invitation only.

Consider yourself invited by Stylefeeder! Click here to join, or go to ideeli.com and enter “stylefeeder22″ as your invite code. After you join, you will be notified by email each time a sale starts. You’ll save enough cash on those oversized Michael Kors shades to book that holiday in Anguilla.

Check out a selection of the type of merchandise available on ideeli in what amounts to a daily designer sample sale, with names ranging from upstarts like Olivia Gryson to stalwarts like Balenciaga:

The Tastemaker Diaries is thrilled to be featured on Alltop, a new site that serves as a dashboard for headlines from popular blogs in categories ranging from fashion to design to parenting to sports to movies. It’s a fun place to explore online destinations you might not be aware of…and an efficient way to get a quick overview of what’s going on across the web.

We’re listed in the Fashion section, along with some of our favorite sites, like Go Fug Yourself, The Sartorialist, and The Budget Fashionista and StyleBakery. Check it out, and tell ‘em we sent ya!

She’s known for bags that are roomy, durable and cruelty-free, and her new designs are no exception. In celebration of her new “Tumbled Steer” and “Patent Croc” collections, Lori is offering a 20% discount on all of her styles, just for StyleFeeders and the Tastemaker community. Just enter code “sfwwd20″ upon checkout to take advantage of the special savings.

Here are some of my faves from her new work. I love the Addison in red:

And I’m totally coveting the Small Tote in teal green patent croc:

Thanks, Lori, for making your work accessible to other Tastemakers!

Ombre items are making an appearance on StyleFeeder’s wishlists, however, so it’s quite possible that I’m wrong about the wearability of this trend. Let’s take a look at some of the options people have bookmarked recently:

StyleFeeder leanneshain was the first to add this sherbet-hued confection by Michael Kors. I can definitely see the appeal of ombre for a special occasion; graduated gowns are both glam and flattering. And since you’re only likely to wear a gown like this once or twice, you’ll seem entirely of the moment.

But when it comes to high-end accessories, is ombre a good investment? Will you possibly be able to get away with wearing an ombre heel or handbag next season?

These Charles David Beatriz pumps are stunning, but I don’t know if I could bring myself to part with $195 unless I had the perfect outfit in mind for these beauties.

And I definitely wouldn’t part with several C-Notes for either of these options, by Prada and Cynthia Vincent, respectively.

Leave it to our own Shoe Addict, Megan, to find some budget versions that nicely fit the bill if you do want to try on this trend for size.

These pumps by Wanted are a near-perfect facsimile of the Prada version, and at $50, you won’t feel too much regret if you only get a season’s wear out of them. I actually prefer the shading on this pair, as it’s more gradual and not so stark.

These Bandolino flats don’t have quite the same impact as the Cynthia Vincent version, but they feature the same unusual color palette at a fraction of the price.

If you really want to try out ombre on a budget, these flats from Ami Clubwear are just $17.99!

As for me, maybe I just need to admit that ombre isn’t my thing. Though I was able to dig up one ombre item I might, possibly, consider splurging on.

I LOVE cowboy boots, and I’ve always wanted a pair in red, but living in Boston, it’s hard enough to get away with wearing my much-loved, battered and beat-up brown Justins. But this Gucci Western-style boot so stylishly blends red and black, the graduated shade is subtle enough for the East Coast, but would still let me have my pop of red.

Do you actually own an ombre item, or is it a trend you’re admiring from afar?

Looks like other StyleFeeders have the same idea. Judging by the handbags that have been added to the site lately, shade is going to be more important than shape for spring. So I say, if you’re going to buy one bag this season, make it patent leather in a primary color. Blue, yellow and red nicely offset the other bright shades that are in for warmer weather, and will give your spirits a boost!

If you’ve got the coin, this blue Dolce & Gabbana beauty is a worthy splurge:

If you’re on a budget, check out these lookers that both come in for well under $40: Alloy’s Pedley hobo in a fetching shade of yellow, and ASOS’ patent red clutch, inspired by Sienna Miller’s penchant for Chanel:

If you’re not quite ready to sport such saturated accessories, try satchels in more subdued shades. Deep purple and navy blue still count as color, while reading as neutrals. The Downtown Tote by Yves Saint Laurent is a classic, as is this purple stunner by Barbara Bui:

And while not technically patent, this patchwork satchel from Urban Outfitters is a nice alternative if you’re looking for a pop of purple without spending the big bucks:

What bags have you fallen in love with for spring?

We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this problem at StyleFeeder, and we think we’ve come up with a solution to this lack of creativity: our Valentine Gift Finder. Just enter your Valentine’s age, gender and interests, and we’ll start recommending products that might just hit his or her sweet spot! The more products you rate, the better our recommendations should get.

If you’re still stuck, we’ve compiled a list of some suggestions to get you thinking. Here’s one of my favorite ideas, unearthed by our very own Shoe Addict: a digital mix tape that allows you to hand a mix of your best mash songs to your intended on a USB drive:

So we know you’ll be getting your sweetie’s gift right this year. But we’d like to make up for the sins of ex’s past. So share your worst Valentine horror story…just email us with all the juicy details about the worst V-day gift you ever received. We’ll make sure you get what you really want this year, by picking the StyleFeeder with the best worst story and buying the unlucky-in-love winner something off their StyleFeed!

We’ll see you again in the New Year to dish about the best in fashion and design and talk about trends for the year to come. Whatever you happen to celebrate, we hope you enjoy the holidays and just as importantly, the after-Christmas sales.

Happy Shopping!

This season, StyleFeeders are loving shiny patent leather in eye-catching colors and embellished beauties in mother-of-pearl for bags that can serve as your single, stand-out accessory. A good, basic rule is that there should be an inverse relationship between the sheen of the fabric and the shape of the bag: the more dramatic the fabric, the simpler the shape. Keep jewelry and shoes more muted if you’re going for a statement bag.

For evening, you can’t go wrong with metallic. Pick a clutch in silver, gold, bronze or pewter, and for extra drama, pair with metallic heels. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to shine on this season’s holiday circuit; some of our favorite picks from stores like Ann Taylor Loft and Mark are under $30.

For a bag that will take you through several seasons, stick with basic black, but punch up with interesting details like ruffles or ruching for an understated, but still unique look.

To achieve a day-to-evening look, try out crocodile. Croc clutches in black, brown and even red are elegant enough for evening, but also add the perfect polish to a pantsuit or day dress.

Here’s hoping that 2008 is your best year ever, and that you ring in the new year with cash, cell, and lipstick ensconced in style!

In this corner, we have the new Sony Vaio, which is kind of the supermodel of laptops. It’s undeniably gorgeous, wears that shiny red lacquer finish to devastating effect, and is right on trend with the patent leather craze. But it’s also a bit flimsy, and if you’re a frequent traveler, you could probably blow it over with a good puff (not unlike a supermodel).

For some reason, the Apple iBook G4 has also been a popular item in the past two weeks. Given that those went out of production in 2006, we’re going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you thought you were looking at a Macbook. After all, if you really wanted to go all retro and ironic, you’d have to go all the way back to an original Mac, which is practically a museum piece by now (my husband actually displays one in his office because he considers it art).

I digress. Take a look at our other contender, the MacBook. While not quite as stunning as its competitor, it nonetheless has a classic design…more of an investment piece. Like a classic handbag, it holds up to abuse while looking perennially stylish.

But in the end, utility trumps appearance, and looks aside, you’re either a Mac or a PC person. Which side of the digital divide do you come down on?

If you’re having trouble getting inspired to stuff footwear, here are a few creative ideas culled from the StyleFeeder community.

If you’re a practical gift giver, you might like these shredding scissors. Because how often do you really use that hulking paper shredder hiding in the recesses of your office?

Here’s a stocking stuffer you can also benefit from. Why not gift a set of Topics to Go? These conversation starters with provocative questions will make the road trip home from Grandma’s house seem just a little bit shorter.

Finally, there’s the problem person on your list. But even the person who has everything probably doesn’t have a tooth floss holder shaped like a piranha:

For more holiday gift ideas, check out StyleFeeder’s Holiday Gift Guide.

Get the Shorty handbag for just $60 (normally priced at $90):

Or, choose the Shopper style for just $65 (normally priced at $95):

Hurry…Lori’s generous discount is only good through November 30th! To order, just visit Hardware Handbags and enter code HH3 at checkout.

The most popular product on StyleFeeder in the past few weeks comes courtesy of StyleFeeder sebastyne. For those of us space-challenged urban dwellers that need to maximize every inch of space, these stairs with built-in storage make a world of sense. Too bad they’re not available online – they’re courtesy of a joinery company in Australia. Hopefully, some online retailers will jump on this great idea soon. At the very least, file the idea away for future use!

We’ve decided to buck the trend. StyleFeeder is powered by our users – why wouldn’t we want our blog to be powered by StyleFeeders, too? So we decided to reach out to some of our most active StyleFeeders (the ones who have us obsessively checking our Watchlists like a kid on Christmas morning), who not only consistently find great stuff, but tell you why they like it. We’re turning our blog over to them so you can get the full story behind their StyleFeeds.

Some are verifiable experts who make a living from their impeccable sense of style. Others are professional power shoppers who’ve got one hell of a hobby. We’ll be introducing you to these mavens over the coming days, and soon, they’ll be sharing favorite items from their StyleFeeds. They might not all be your cup of tea, but we’re sure you’ll find a favorite or two.

And us? We plan on getting out of the way. We’ll check in every so often to share a product that has entranced the StyleFeeder community at large. Otherwise, it’s up to you. Think you’d make a great blogger? Drop me an email and we’ll see what we can do!

We were joined by a handful of local StyleFeeders, including lovein20oz, one of the most active shoppers on our site, as well as nadinebl, who wanted to attend one last party before heading back to her native Switzerland. Thanks for making it out, guys!

Just to prove we really do exist…here’s me, your very own VP of Marketing, otherwise known as sweeps, and Phil, our founder, CTO and the lifeblood of Stylefeeder.

StyleFeeder has been called a “social shopping” site, but the term has always bothered us. Yes, we enable users to share links and help each other find new things, in the same way that social bookmarking sites like de.li.cious allow users to share links to new content. But what if we could actually make online shopping truly social? What if we could actually replicate the best parts of shopping in the offline world? What if StyleFeeder was the friend you take into the dressing room with you, the one who will tell you that those jeans aren’t so flattering, and that you’ll regret buying that zebra rug later because it’s not really you?

That’s when it hit us. We can. So we strove to create a Personal Shopper…one that’s accessible to anybody, no matter their budget. An online shopping companion who will go with you wherever you shop, who knows your tastes inside and out and can make suggestions for things you might like WHILE you’re shopping.

Not only that, this Personal Shopper is powered by actual people, connecting you to your real-life friends, as well as others who share your taste and style. (Not to mention our powerful recommendation engine, always working in the background).

In a nutshell, Personal Shopper is an application that sits in your browser (Firefox or IE) and goes with you while you shop, allowing you to:

o Shop in real-time with your friends
o Meet your StyleTwins
o Get product recommendations specific to your tastes
o Keep track of your faves from around the web
o Send a Shopping S.O.S. and get advice from others

Let StyleFeeder’s Personal Shopper be your trusted shopping companion — the friend with great taste who always hears about the next big thing before anyone else, suggests under-the-radar specialty stores and knows just where to find what you’re looking for. We can be that friend because our aggregate knowledge of the many is always better than that of the individual.

We’ve created a short, fun animation that explains the concept in about a minute. We hope you’ll check it out and give Personal Shopper a try!

On 07/07/07, concerts featuring major music artists will be taking place around the world, from Giants Stadium, to Germany, to Australia. If you can’t catch the concert live, considering checking out Stage Z, an event taking place in virtual world Zwinky. Some of our celeb StyleFeeders are taking place as VJs on Stage Z, presenting music videos and tips on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle…these artists include R&B singer Kelly Rowland, metalheads Scott Ian of Anthrax and Austin Hinder of Hinder, and teen sensations Lil Mama, Teddy Geiger and Jordan McCoy. Check out their StyleFeeds for their favorite green products…and don’t forget to add your own faves with the tag “liveearth” to help perpetuate the use of recycled, organic and low-carbon products.

Of course, there’s always been a strong eco-minded community on StyleFeeder, and there will be long after the Live Earth stage has been packed up. Check out the StyleFeed of environmental activist greenloop, or get out in the garden and grow your own hyper-local product with tips from gardener greenthumb. Even better, join our Green Products group and let other users know what you’re finding…you can even add the groups widget to your blog to show off your commitment to responsible consumption.

We know Paris is richer than God and can afford just about anything she needs. But, as she is quick to remind us, she’s human too. Which is why we know a package full of love and good wishes from her fellow shoppers is sure to warm her heart. Today, we shipped off a basket full of goodies selected by StyleFeeders just for Paris.

Some user selections were extremely sensible. For example, an anonymous user picked out Law for Dummies…Paris might want to actually read this herself, rather than regifting to her publicist. Futurereeck and caligirl78 selected a pair of practical ballet flats that are comfortable – and safe – for driving.

StyleFeeder akpemberton wanted something “comfy and sexy yet discreet…I think we could all agree that Paris needs a few things to just keep to herself.” Hence, days of the week undies to go under Paris’ newly demure outfits. Eunice suggested that Paris wear this handcuff lariat necklace as a ever-present reminder of her growth experience in the slammer. Stay strong, P, stay strong.

Our most bizarre inclusion is a Dogs Playing Poker Puzzle. “This puzzle is officially titled ‘A Friend in Need’. If anyone needs a friend right now, it’s Paris Hilton,” comments user galaxypuzzles. “Plus, there is no way to get into legal trouble while working on a jigsaw puzzle.” That probably depends on what one is imbibing while pursuing this most wholesome of pastimes, but we’ll let it slide.

Prettybeth16, who declares herself the biggest Paris fan ever, wants the wayward socialite to get back her trademark pout with Baby Phat’s Raspberry Schnapps Lip Plumper. Bonus points for the ironic, and most likely unintended, alcohol reference!

We’re not entirely heartless. Which is why we included Trish McEvoy Orange Ginger Candle, courtesy of curvyabby, because “Paris could use a few of these to burn during her first post-incarceration bubble bath.”

Finally, Paris can perform a ritual cleansing with “Wash Away Your Sins” soap, suggested by user erlack. Because her suggestions were consistently creative, with clever color commentary, erlack has been declared the winner of this little experiment, and will receive her choice of any one of the products included in the package. Congrats, erlack!

We’ll keep you posted as to whether these StyleFeeders receive a thank-you from the hotel heiress, who proclaims that she’s turned over a newly humble leaf. The proof is in the pudding, Miss P.

Paris Hilton is one of us…a seriously addicted shopper. Poor Paris must be going through withdrawal, locked away in county jail and physically separated from her favorite stores. At StyleFeeder, we want to make sure one of our own kind doesn’t feel out of touch with the fashion and shopping worlds. She’s missed a whole month of sales, not to mention a lot of Fafarazzi points.

That’s why we’re asking YOU to browse the web for items Paris might like upon her return to the Hilton manse. Just add the tag “parishilton” to any item the socialite sinner might like…bonus points for providing a short comment as to WHY you think the item will contribute to the star’s newly Simple Life.

Next Wednesday, June 27, we’ll choose a selection of items and send them to Paris on behalf of the StyleFeeder community…a welcome home care package of sorts. If one of your items makes the cut, we’ll spotlight you as a featured StyleFeeder on our home page. And one lucky winner will even snag one of the items for themselves. Shopping for Paris and yourself? What could be better than that? So have a little fun…may the cleverest gossip hound win! And, if you’re really lucky, maybe you ‘ll even get a thank you note from Ms. Hilton (but don’t hold your breath).

When your friends join up, they’ll notice our fancy new signup process, which guides new members through the process of adding the first few items to their StyleFeeds.

Secondly, we’ve got TRUSTe certification– that means we’ve gone through a vetting process that makes sure we disclose to you exactly what we’re doing with the personal information we collect on the site.

Neither the new alerts nor the certification change our basic principles: we don’t do spam or spyware, and we don’t sell your personally-identifiable information.

At the total opposite end of the spectrum is the lowest-scoring item on StyleFeeder: a vintage sweater with a Pillsbury Doughboy image knitted into it. 213 rated this one, and just over half of them gave it only 1 star.

We’ve got plenty more prizes to give in April! To win, just invite friends to join you on StyleFeeder. Don’t forget to have something in your StyleFeed so I can give you a prize. If you haven’t made a wish, I can’t grant it.

You’ll even find a few things your parents might be willing to pay for, like this cute dress from Miss Sixty: it costs less than $125, it’s the classic little black dress, and you could definitely wear it more than once. Sure, it’s not really a prom dress, but what’s wrong with… where are you going? Fine, wear whatever you want.

As long as it doesn’t involve those fetishy latex opera gloves. You’re not wearing those to the prom, young lady.

Today, I sent out prize-winner alerts, and within a couple minutes someone claimed the first prize– an incredibly cute t-shirt from Alloy. It’s going to Meghan in Wisconsin.

Also, the first Jonas Brothers CD is heading to San Jose, to the home of Joanne (spatalian on StyleFeeder). The youthful rockers are due out with a new CD in June, too– Top 10 Sources has a page on them with more info.

For two months now, we’ve had people enter the contest by posting the StyleFeeder widget on their websites. This month, we’re asking you to tell your friends about us a different way: invite them to use StyleFeeder. Whoever sends the most invitations each day will get a prize. Also, since this is a totally new contest, you can win, even if you’ve won a prize from our earlier contests.

More details will be posted here and on our front page on Sunday.

We’ve also got some lovely lipgloss from Sephora going out to Mickey Milan, who lives in New York City, capital of fashion.

There are just four days left to win a prize in March before we start in on a new (and different!) contest in April– I’ll fill you in on it soon. Until then, get on over to the widget page and post your widget somewhere.

I hadn’t seen anything from Squidglass before, but I’m really impressed. My favorites are the Girl Detective series, which use illustrations from old-fashioned children’s mystery novels, and the namesake squid pendant. Good find, Jennifer!

We’ll be giving plenty more treats away for the rest of the month. Want to win something? Here’s how: sign up for StyleFeeder and create a wishlist, then post the StyleFeeder widget on your web page. See official rules for details.

Ace is a rocker from Whitman, MA. Seriously: his name is Ace and he’s in a band called 120 Decibels, which counts loud sixties and seventies rock among its major influences. He’s getting a belt buckle of the Who logo. (If you’ve read your pop-culture history, this actually makes him more of a mod than a rocker: the rockers listened to Elvis and rode motorcycles, the Mods listened to the Who and rode scooters). The important thing, though, is that he’s won a pretty cool belt buckle.

We’ll be giving plenty more treats away for the rest of the month. Want to win something? Here’s how: sign up for StyleFeeder and create a wishlist, then post the StyleFeeder widget on your web page. See official rules for details.

Plus, you can pimp your profile with the StyleFeeder widget.

We’ll be giving plenty more treats away for the rest of the month. Whether you wish for pirate’s booty or beauty bounty is up to you, but if you want anything at all, here’s how to win: sign up for StyleFeeder and create a wishlist, then post the StyleFeeder widget on your web page. See official rules for details.

Now, if YOU want to win, here’s how to do it: sign up for StyleFeeder and create a wishlist, then post the StyleFeeder widget on your web page, blog, MySpace, LiveJournal, or whatever. That’s it. We’re selecting one person to win an item from their wishlist every day. See official rules for details.

Today, we begin a March contest! Post yourStyleFeeder wishlist on your web page, and you just might win. I can’t say that posting something green for St. Patrick’s Day will increase the chances that you’ll win… but it can’t hurt.

There are still a few more chances to win in February, plus several unclaimed prizes from January I’ll probably be re-awarding in a few days. So, make a list, check it twice, and post the widget on your web page, and you just might win.

Have you posted your StyleFeeder wishlist on your web page? You could win something from it if you do. Jasmine did.

Buy Olympia, as its name implies, sells handmade and unique items mostly from the Pacific Northwest. Now, the Pacific Northwest in general and Olympia, WA in particular have an unusual concentration of hard-edged punk bands that share an independent-minded DIY ethos. Any connection? Yes! Buy Olympia also runs the storefront for the record label Kill Rock Stars, home to Sleater Kinney, Bikini Kill, and Unwound.

Of course, it’s not all punk rock– they also sell some pretty cute handbags. Anything independent, regardless of style, can be shipped anywhere. It’s a nice store and I’ll be adding to my wishlist from it– how about you?

I’m also sending a pair of hemp-cotton blend t-shirts to Morton Grove, IL, where StyleWise lives. Made from hemp and organic cotton, they’re perfect for screenprinting or actual wearing as unadorned and un-logoed clothing (remember that?). You’ll find a bunch more where they came from at Cultureskate.

That’s in addition to the one-click widget setup for FaceBook and Friendster.

Because Etsy connects you directly to the people who make stuff, you can do things like ask for reprints, or a different color. And you don’t have to buy from an expensive store with expensive overhead and snooty service. This thing could sell for seventy bucks at a chichi store on South Beach, but since we bought it directly, we paid a lot less.

And of course, since she’s a winner in the wishlist contest, Jess got it for free. If you want to win, there’s still plenty of time– just post your StyleFeeder wishlist widget on your web page and you’re in the running.

Now, Andrea over at Dreams and Jewelry makes all the pieces herself, and she’d made just one just one of the “Robin” necklace. That one necklace sold out before I could snag it for Molly, but Andrea was kind enough to offer to make another just for her. She should be shipping it out some time tomorrow.

If you’re looking for some beautiful gifts this Valentine’s day, Dreams and Jewelry would be a good pick: you won’t see just anyone wearing the same thing.

Andrea has set up her own StyleFeed for Dreams and Jewelry, as well:

(Or so I’m told. I had one experience with cologne in college and it ended badly: I accidentally broke the top of the bottle right before a date, and it spilled everywhere, and I had to go out smelling like I’d showered in it. Not classy.)

Jackie links to her MySpace profile from StyleFeeder, and you’ll note, in addition to her lovely smile and hilarious headline, her StyleFeed posted right there on the page. Congratulations to Jackie and thanks for using StyleFeeder!

Lindy’s just about the last of the January winners– there are still a couple left unclaimed, but all the new prizes awarded will be going to people who post the StyleFeeder widget somewhere.

So, keep making wishes on those wishlists. We’ll be keeping an eye out.

(Some restrictions apply, kids need parental permission, see official rules, blah blah blah.)

(You know, delicates. Lingerie. Bras and underwear. Bras, especially, can get all tangled up if you just toss them in with the rest of the laundry. Putting them in a mesh bag prevents that. You can also use them to avoid lost-sock syndrome.)

Anyway, congratulations to Karin and thanks to everyone so far who’s participated in the StyleFeeder contest. We’ve just got a few days to go, so keep building those wishlists.

We’ve also added group StyleFeeds– each group you join has its own shared wishlist, which everyone in the group can contribute to. Every time you add an item to StyleFeeder, you’ll get the option to have it added to group StyleFeeds as well. For example, I’m in the motorcycling group and the StyleFeed for motorcycling looks like this:

It’s also problematic, because, if you click through and examine carefully, you’ll notice it costs $55.00. That’s way too much to pay for a t-shirt, yes, but it’s also five bucks over the fifty-dollar limit we set on prizes. I fudged the rules because I just liked the shirt too much to toss it back. I want to apologize to the rest of the contestants I let down in this way, and I hope that you’ll be able to forgive me and continue to enjoy the remaining few days of this contest.

Not only is it a great book, but San Pellegrino (her name turns out to be Rebecca, and she lives in Sacramento) has picked it out from Harvard Bookstore. It’s my favorite place to shop for a good read, and I’m not alone– Harvard Boostore is consistently rated as one of the best independent bookstores in the country. It’s a real pleasure to buy such a great book from such a great store and send it to someone with such great taste.

Buon Appetito, San Pellegrino!

A slightly less surprising, but equally wonderful theme is the focus on high-quality handmade products at PixelGirl Shop. Everything at the store is made by individual artisans, and then selected for sale by just one person. Her name is Shana and her selections have been popping up in the wishlists of a wide variety of StyleFeeders– Kodim10, Aaron, Mellonhead, Sonya6… and maybe you. Have a look around.

We’ll also be sending a tea education in a box to the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, where Marie has won a gift from Adagio Teas. The starter set includes four kinds of tea, a teapot, and a book about tea.

Finally, Decatur, GA native Lady Crumpet got herself a necklace in the shape of handcuffs from craft jeweler Erica Weiner. I suggest jewelry-hounds out some of the other pieces from that studio as well– it’s hard to find jewelry that’s clever and still subtle enough to wear every day, but Weiner manages to do it.

She may like things that look pretty and smell good, but Gina is not a stereotypical LA-dweller. Look at the rest of her StyleFeed, which includes not only beauty products and vintage clothes but also good books and cookware. Or have a look La Bloga, a group blog focused on Chicano literature, where she’s a regular contributor.

Congratulations to Gina, and to those of you who haven’t won yet, a reminder: you have twelve more chances, so keep adding to your StyleFeeder wishlists!

The most-popular item on the site, however, is still the Apple iPhone. Mary-Kate and Ashley have put it in their StyleFeeds, and so has just about everyone else.

For more of the most popular, most wished-for, and generally niftiest stuff, check out the StyleFeed I’ve put together for The Best of StyleFeeder.

What I like about her StyleFeeder wishlist is that it mixes electronics and gadgets with diamond rings and high-heeled shoes. It’s a broad mix of stuff, but it’s all well-selected and shows her personal mark of style:

I first saw Dirty Coast shirts in 93octane’s StyleFeed, but they’re in about a half-dozen wishlists now, and growing steadily. The company itself is the sort of shop you’d have to hear about from af riend: it’s run by a couple guys from New Orleans who got sick of all the terrible souvenier t-shirts in the French Quarter and decided to make something they liked enough to wear themselves. They got started right before the hurricane hit, and then started up again as soon as the power came back on. Now they print shirts to order and ship them anywhere.

That’s where Tamara and her wishlist come in. I’m hoping I’ll be able to give out a few more shirts from their store before this contest is over. You’ve still got sixteen more chances to win, so don’t stop shopping now.

Some people just don’t know how lucky they are, though, because they haven’t claimed their prizes yet. Yammy wished for a pillow from BlueFly and won it, Kasia305 put a cameo charm necklace on her list, and I’m itching to buy this incredible New Orleans-themed t-shirt for FunnyBunny.

Now, my original plan was to wait until the end of January and buy all the unclaimed prizes for myself, but something in the rules says I can’t do that. If people don’t claim them soon, we’ll have to either pick new winners, or award one giant prize worth as much as all the unclaimed prizes put together.

In the meantime, I’m going to have to order that New Orleans shirt for myself.

The first winner was a lady from Sacramento named Teresa, a.k.a. Pantone292, who got an adorable baby hat in her list. It’s from a shop on Etsy, which means it’s handmade in small quantities. In fact, it looks like Teresa and I grabbed the only one in that particular style, but they have a whole bunch of others. She says she’s going to give it to a toddler she knows.

Rules update: The initial rules said the contest was only open to people over 18, but we felt bad enough about it that we got our lawyer to rewrite the forms, so now if you’re underage you can get your parents to vouch for you and we’ll send you the goodies.

You still have to be in the US, though– we don’t have the legal expertise to run a global sweepstakes. Still, it makes me sad not to be able to give the skull ring from Fred Flare to the Austrian girl who wanted it. It’s so awesome I’m tempted to buy one myself, but I can’t type with rings on. And pink is so not my color.

Moral of the story: you should put more things in your StyleFeeder wishlist. I have the corporate credit card and I’m itching to use it.

Here’s how to win:

• Sign up for StyleFeeder
• Add something to your StyleFeed

That’s it! Every day this month we’ll select one thing added in January and buy it for the lucky wisher. The more you add, the better your odds.

Winning items must be legally available for less than fifty dollars– we can’t get you a cute guy or a Bentley. See the complete rules here for more details.

So go ahead and get wishing!

What are your favorite jeans? Let us know– or just search for them.

The good folks over at

Etsy, you see, runs a storefront for a diverse group of artisans, while StyleFeeder helps shoppers build wishlists. When Etsy products appear in StyleFeeds, shoppers from both sites benefit.

Want to talk about it? Try joining the Etsy discussion group at StyleFeeder.

I will be among them.

That’s certainly true, and it even seems a little obvious. Yes, StyleFeeder is a website for savvy shoppers, not OPML developers. But I think Wired was right to emphasize it, anyway– it’s something we think about a lot. Just like you can drive a car without being a mechanic, we want you to be able to use StyleFeeder without being a web guru.

That’s why we’re trying to make it easier to install the StyleFeeder item grabber, why we’re re-evaluating the ratings system and touching up the page design, and why we’re overhauling the groups feature.

How do you think we’re doing? Let us know.

In particular, gently scented soaps are a great gift– a small luxury that’s also useful and practical. Plus, getting one that’s all-natural says you care about their skin and the environment.

If you want something a little more permanent, go for something shiny– a one-of-a-kind necklace is always a nice touch.

These are the gifts that give themselves. Or something.

KarmaLoop rep Giovannah is a featured StyleFeeder this week, and she’s got a great collection her own personal recommendations from the store:

But the sense of smell is intense and evocative, and there are a large number of StyleFeeders who really understand and appreciate what wearing a good perfume can do for you. Just browsing through the perfume tag, you’ll find plenty of items posted by Marlen, also known as The Perfume Critic, one of our first scent-expert members. And of course there’s Salamandre and Soap and Flutter, all of whom have quite a few scented items in their feeds.

If you love scents and smells, check ‘em out,

But if you fill your house with just their goods, it starts to look a little too much like their showrooms. That’s why I was so excited to find Ikea Hacker, a blog about using Ikea products in unconventional and creative ways. Check it out before your next run to the big blue box.

StyleFeeder also got some positive press from Fast Company Magazine, which says StyleFeeder is the Future of Web 2.0. I was pretty happy about that– seeing us mentioned up there with Redfin and all those map-mashup sites was deeply gratifying.

I’d apply the tag “awesome.”

Which is why I had to copy the chocolates with Brittany sea salt to my StyleFeed as soon as I saw them.

Yeah, we’re cool.

Find anything fun, weird, or just plain great? Post a comment or write to info@stylefeeder.com.

Like a musical toothrbush.

Yes, someone has posted a musical toothrbrush anonymously. Not sure why. But I bet it sounds cool.

To go with those beans, check out these sweet vacuum coffee-makers– and the rest of the huge trove of coffee and coffee-related merchandise that StyleFeeders have collected.

So, what are your favorite beans?

Nine hundred million is a lot. Look through StyleFeeder items tagged expensive and see if there are any social networking sites in the list.

Check ‘em out on StyleFeeder or etceteramedia.com.

Also a nice addition to the “add an item” page is a list of all the tags you’ve used in the past…

For more stuff, see items tagged as: scarf, knit, funny, or awesome.

Don’t know who Domo-Kun is? See the Wikipedia entry: he’s an impossibly cute Japanese TV mascot.

I’m not sure what to make of that, honestly. Does it say that we’re a website full of wine-drinkers? Or that there are simply more products related to wine than there are to other beverages?

It also means you can tell your friends that we’re a trustworthy website and they’ll believe you, unlike that time you got everyone involved in that free iPod scam.

• Becks & Posh Nosh, a food-oriented blog by Sam Breach.
• Decremental and Baba-Baba by Bart Decrem of the Flock project.
• Here There Be Tygers, by featured user Annette.
• TheVieve, by featured user Genevieve.
• Life, Love, Chocolate, by featured user Connie.
• Perfume Critic, which uses the badge in several interesting ways.
• Flying Seeds, by Tim Post.
• La Tartine Gourmande, by Béa.
• Nika’s Culinaria
• Mikim Press
• Lucila from MySpace

Plus, of course, the StyleFeeder staff blogs: Secretly Ironic, Mamacentric, Halley’s Comment, Whirlycott, John Palfrey and HubArts.

But they totally missed her giant bikini spree. I was heartily amused to catch my boss shopping for what turned out to be some fairly raunchy garments.

Go to any product page on the site, like this fancy side table. On the right side of the page is a small button that will allow you to add the item to your StyleFeed with just one click.

If you run an online store, email info@stylefeeder.com and ask about becoming a StyleFeeder partner.

And now LawPundit has found a dozen or so new blogs to read, and is signing up for StyleFeeder.

I guess it really is true that the Internet makes the world a lot smaller.

This is all part of a kick I’ve been on recently of trying to vote with my dollars for sustainable commerce, handmade and independent products, and so forth. It started with picking up a copy of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and wanting to eat more organic or sustainably-grown food. But it’s not just food: it’s housing (the latest issue of Dwell is all about environmentally responsible buildings and design) and clothing (like this organic cotton t-shirt in my StyleFeed), and everything else.

Another store I think is worth noticing is one I found while browsing the Environment tag. It’s called Pangaya and it sells a bunch of environmentally-reasonable (organic cotton, free-range wool, that kind of thing) clothing for women and kids that doesn’t look too hippie-ish.

Baba-Baba, a global music blog, has included their StyleFeed, with interesting tags like stuff to go along with the music.

Anyway, that’s nothing compared to the Ferraris, or even the other other car and motorcycle gear. But that’s not as high as it goes.

Look past the the various decor items tagged with house and you’ll find a fair bit of real estate, which as far as I can tell takes the cake.

Anyone find anything that costs more than a few million? Let me know.

RambleWoman went over the list of goodies handed out by companies at the BlogHer conference, praising the StyleFeeder shirt our CEO Halley was handing out there.

She uses StyleFeeder to keep track of exotic food items including ostrich and other game meats, Japanese candies, and hard-to-find teas. It saves her a lot of time because she doesn’t have to hunt around trying to remember where she last saw the ingredients she was looking for.

Have a look at her StyleFeed or visit Nika’s Culinaria and let her know what you think of her flavorful choices.

So, I wrote to her and asked if we could talk about her on the blog. It turns out that she’s a Hamilton, Ontario student named Melissa, and that she first heard about StyleFeeder on a blog she reads. She says “I like that I can keep track of things that I want to purchase because I have a horrible memory and wouldn’t remember anything without it. I also like the tags feature because I helps me find interesting things I like on other people’s StyleFeeder.”

Long story short: Etsy is a new favorite site of mine and PoeticWonder is a new favorite StyleFeed.

“I’ve spent my every free second since, browsing this site,” she wrote in her post this afternoon. “StyleFeeder harnesses all of the coolest things for sale across the internet and tidies it up in one simple feed; or just visit their website and browse through their comprehensive tags. … It’s not just a website, it’s a shopping community.” Thanks, Dana!

The first mistake is assuming that “it’s a social network.” If there’s no communication between members, it’s not a network. This is an old-fashioned amateur talent contest with some MySpace makeup on. Wal*Mart won’t get a lot of people to spend a lot of time on the site, but the contest will get a few kids excited and Wal*Mart will get a new perspective on what kinds of ads young people want to see. It doesn’t need or want to be MySpace.

Now, if Wal*Mart wanted to add a social element to their website they could add product reviews and improve their gift registries and wishlists. Take a look at what I’m guessing is a typical wedding registry: J. Smith, of Marion, AR. Most of the items don’t have images (most of the items are in-store only), the descriptions are pretty minimal, and there’s no sense of fun to it at all. It’d be great if they just had some captions stating why the couple wants that new set of towels or whatever. A partnership with StyleFeeder would be a good first step.

You knew I’d get this on-topic somehow, right?

Canadian blogger Mikim Press features the badge as well. Visit Mikim’s StyleFeed to say hello.

Like StyleFeeder? Use it in an interesting way? Drop us a line or put your StyleFeed on your page and tell your friends.

StyleFeeder is also one of the featured sponsors of BeautyAddict; if you’re of the makeup-wearing persuasion, drop by and have a look at this season’s chocolate-tinted eye shadow.

Got other recommendations? Comment on his items or add your own.

Finally, I just peeked over my co-workers shoulder to see that he a splattering of his SF pictures on his blog. It looks so cool, and it is such a fun way for his readers to check out his favorite styles, that it tempted me to start my own blog, if only to post my favorites. But wait.. that’s what Style Feeder is, right?

I’m sure there are even more ways to use Stlye Feeder. If you figure out more, let me know!

In the HTML StyleFeeder gives you to paste into your page, you’ll see a line beginning:

      width="150" height="450"

Change those numbers in increments of 50. So if you wanted your feed to be six boxes wide and two boxes tall, you’d put in width="300" height="150", and you’d get this:

I think this means that we’re building something which is obviously and logically awesome.

She’s so pleased by it that I feel compelled to point out that we haven’t paid her.

“I added her StyleFeed to my watchlist,” said Stefano, “and when she found something she wanted my opinion on, she’d just add it.” The couple used StyleFeeder to pick out a new TV and DVD player, a set of patio chairs, and an armchair. Months after the move, Stefano says they now use StyleFeeder as a wishlist. “I’m still subscribed to her feed– Stylefeeder has been an invaluable tool for us.”

Visit Stefano’s and Jessica’s StyleFeeds yourself and see what you think, then join StyleFeeder to create your own.

PS, founder and developer Phil’s StyleFeed is here.

Or maybe it’s more like showing your first painting to someone. You’re never sure what they’ll think.

And you get the feeling like you’re giving someone that you really care about a present… wondering if they’ll like it.

But StyleFeeder is now live. And we hope that you like it.

StyleFeeder is a new website that you can use to share and organize the great stylish things that you see online.

Looking for shoes? We have shoes. And they’re not shoes that some marketing droid is trying to sell to you. They’re shoes that another StyleFeeder found and liked enough to post to the site for others to see.

We all know that the best way to find things that we like is to ask someone who likes similar things. This type of filtering works best, because humans know when something is just different enough in it’s own special way that it triggers a reaction inside. “Yes, I like that.”

There’s a lot more to come.

Special thanks to Beatrice Peltre, Jake Shapiro, Brendan Greeley, Seth Fitzsimmons, Bart Cilfone, Sara Jacob, Gregor Rothfuss, Jason Prince, Kim Prince, Eric Savage and Stefano Mazzocchi for making this happen, their advice and their input.