A daily dose of the hottest buys on the web's biggest marketplaces.

E-Mail Print Feeds Share
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

The Girls of ebay blog: It was bound to happen someday...

3:05 PM, August 24 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
tumblr_koupoacqNj1qzm2tio1_400.jpgIf you spend any time on eBay (and certainly if you spend the amount of obsessive-to-the-point-of-scary time I do), you get to know a special little world of women. The pose-y, often flirty, sometimes verrrrry serious, extra-styled, amateur models of the auction site are a fascinating lot. Their winking, coquettish faces have encouraged me to bid on vintage items I would've never thunk to own; while some of their more vampy postures have kept me away from pieces I otherwise may have coveted. So I was kind of thrilled to see the genius new blog "Girls of Ebay" which celebrates these ladies in a spare, sexy, retro way. They're displayed like hipster pinups--maybe the Farrahs of their day?--and they're awfully fun to gaze upon.  
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

Etsy: I want these shoes

12:46 PM, August 24 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
il_430xN.85058785.jpgI've been on the fence about the oxford shoe trend (main worry: that they'd make me resemble a dumpy, pear-shaped Alice in Wonderland character), but then, on Friday, I saw the cutest girl wearing a black t-shirt, black skinny jeans and a pair of pale oxfords that looked exactly like these. She had her hair pinned in a pretty bun, wore rosy-deep pink lipstick, small dangling earrings and fun, vintage-looking sunglasses. The effect was sleek, and a little punk, and I wanted it immediately, except...it was so hot! And she was wearing black jeans! Then, weirdly, later that day, I spotted the same girl, and she'd changed the outfit just slightly, switching out the pants for a bubbly miniskirt and it all still looked perfect. The shoes really work. I'm also into this vintage Ferragamo pair, which would be excellent with tights long into fall.
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

Do you apologize for your outfits? (and a very cute miniskirt!)

5:19 PM, August 20 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
15743065_00_b.jpegIn college in the '90s, two of my friends attended what they thought was a casual party wearing J.Crew roll-neck sweaters, pegged oversized jeans and some version of Timberland hiking boots. When they arrived, they realized that it was more of a classy soiree--girls were done up in dresses and pearls and the boys wore blazers and nice shoes. My friends spent the rest of the night feeling like lumberjack wildebeests, enduring snotty girl stares, futilely hitting on guys, and explaining awkwardly to everyone they met, "We didn't know it was dressy!" I have made them tell me this story one hundred times.


Read More
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

When disaster leads to style inspiration

5:55 PM, August 19 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
633845554300053750-21-G.jpgI was stuck on an unmoving subway train for two hours today. Yes, you read that right: TWO HOURS. Between the smell of underground MTA funk; the garbled, anti-helpful announcements; and the "air conditioning" which was not so much cold, but a kind of sweaty, intermittent, essence of cool--I could've died of claustrophobia-rage. The only things that kept me from becoming a FULL crazy person were my iPod, a tattered old New Yorker found at the bottom of my bag, and one extremely stylish, inspiring girl who was holding it together in the cutest shorts/plaid shirt/tie-up booties outfit I've seen in a while. It made me want to start adding more retro-preppy pieces to my wardrobe--a button-down plaid shirt for sure, but maybe khaki shorts and even (gulp) loafers? Perhaps that's the key to remaining calm? 
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

Etsy: Perhaps the prettiest underwear ever, at prices you can afford

5:02 PM, August 18 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
il_430xN.83101458.jpgI've decided there are two things no one thinks about buying in the depths of summer: 1. Coats (I literally tried to give away half of mine this weekend with no takers), and, 2. Underwear. The height of lingerie season always seems to fall squarely in romance-forced February; a month when I don't even love seeing my pasty, scaly bod in clothes, much less a pair of skimpy knickers. So, I'm stocking up now, when I feel tan, fit and sexy enough to actually enjoy my purchases. To that end, I found the most outstanding, handmade underwear on Etsy today. It's from a London-based store called Love Baby Grand which turns out truly unique, feminine, playful designs. (Are you kidding me with these heart panties? So cute! So vampy-but-not-forced!) Best of all, none of the meticulously-crafted pieces costs more than 40 bones.*

*OK, ok. There's one camisole that's $55.
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

Etsy: Throwing a Themed Lady Party

4:21 PM, August 17 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
bachelor_partyposter.jpgWhen I think of a bachelorette night, I think of naughty baked goods, girly shots, shenanigans and dangerous teetering on high heels. However, my friend Melissa— perhaps wisely recognizing that these fetes can skew Coyote Ugly, with a large serving of ugly—has requested I throw her a more civilized affair. She wants a sit-down dinner where we dress fancy, drink old-fashioned cocktails and socialize in a classy way (if things devolve into a late-night dance party, she's open to that, too). Since it's at my house, I'm considering going all Mad Men-ish glamorous with retro food, linens and glassware, maybe even some old, early-'60s Life magazines floating around.  I've already found an array of party dresses from Etsy store Red House Vintage that seem perfect for the occasion, but I'm leaning toward this one's glittery, metallic, Betty Draper-esque sophistication—it looks comfortable enough for hosting, sitting around and, eventually, Single Ladies-ing it up when the (cheesy, dorky, awesome, dance-y) time comes.  


Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

What I'm Buying for Fall: Great finds on eBay

5:23 PM, August 13 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
2009_08_ebaybootandjacket.jpg
Remember David Letterman's kind of cringe-y Oscar hosting gig a few years back? Remember how he inexplicably launched into that weird "Oprah, Uma, Oprah, Uma" rant? Well, sometimes I find myself stuck in a similar semantics labyrinth with eBay and Etsy.

Read More
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

Etsy: Our first live shopping event! (You know you want to watch.)

2:49 PM, August 12 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
il_430xN.66190133.jpgil_430xN.81955692.jpgHow fun is it to watch other people shop? Answer: FUN. Like whenever there's a makeover montage in a movie and you see this high-energy spree and then suddenly the character is totally beautiful and carrying 14 bags and life is perfection. Or how about shopping game shows like Supermarket Sweep? Every time I watch that program I always wind up yelling at the TV screen "Grab the HAM! Grab the HAM! Could you just GRAB THE HAM?"
Anyway. Tonight, at precisely 5pm, Lucky's lovely online fashion editor Jackie Nasser will be shopping in public, specifically on Etsy. She'll be hunting for the following awesome fall trends: Jeweled bib necklaces, cocktail rings, ‘80s-revival pieces, men’s-inspired clothes, plaid, bold florals, and, last but not least, long-sleeved minidresses. If you're interested in finding any of this stuff at super-affordable prices, you should really check it out. Also because cute clothes you can actually buy are a heckuva lot better than expensive canned meat. Here's the link. It's live at five.
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

The baby showerer's dilemma

6:11 PM, August 11 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
il_430xN.73133600.jpgThere comes a point in every girl's life when she has to attend important parties that involve only women and are centered around watching one of these women ooh-ing, ah-ing, opening gifts and eventually wearing a hat made out of bows. These weird parties are called showers and they always seem to come (at least for me) at least a half dozen at a time. I attended nine wedding showers in 2004, and, now, as is the way of the world and nature and reproduction, I've graduated to showering for babies. And, herein lies the problem and the point of this post: What do you get someone for a baby shower? Even though I think I should buy diapers, slings, and that bulb thing people use on a baby's nose, I'm more that person who goes for  completely pointless, so-cute-I could-die onesies or stupid-tiny shoes that will look great for a month, but never be worn by feet that actually walk. Today, however, I may have solved the dilemma through a store called Sewn Natural, which sells beautiful, organic baby blankets, changing pads, burp cloths, car seat covers, etc to infant needs infinity. Sewn Natural's stuff is stylish, but not too hipster baby; eco-friendly, but not too crunchy. Best of all, it fulfills the gift recipient's need for practicality and my desire for sleek adorableness all at once. 
Filed Under
Keywords
FROM: eBay, Etsy, et al.

Which John Hughes heroine do you relate to the most?

11:33 AM, August 10 2009 by Jennifer Romolini
MollyRingwaldActressMenuPic.jpg Probably like half the people of my generation, I spent a large part of this past weekend watching old John Hughes movies and feeling nostalgic. Have you seen any of these lately? They're still so awesome, fun, and completely smart. I still have crushes on the boys. I still want to be the girls. And, maybe more than anything, I still love looking at all of the outfits. Though most of my friends were far more influenced by the female characters in Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (in VERY serious ways), and as much as I've rhapsodized about Molly Ringwald's look in The Breakfast Club, I realized it was really Samantha Baker in Sixteen Candles who made me love fashion. She was just so adorably casual and well-accessorized and natural and pretty. It's in some ways, to this day, everything I want to be.
Today on Etsy, I found a slick, off-the-shoulder cotton tee that's very Samantha-esque, a more grown up version of her plaid skirt, and a great pair of '80s ankle boots to finish the look. Now all I need is just one date with Jake Ryan.
Filed Under
Keywords
Subscribe to Lucky
Lucky Shops
Conde Nast Store
Gift the gift of Lucky
Subscribe to Lucky