Speaking of “member’s only,” Ideeli.com is having a ton of amazing sales and giveaways this week. For those who haven’t seen our other posts for Ideeli sales, here’s the “deel”:

Ideeli is an invitation-only shopping community which creates dailyonline events providing members with the “ideel” shopping experience: privileged access to the most sought-after brands and products, often at privileged prices. 

PoorLittleRichGirls have instant access to these hot sales. Just go to Ideeli.com and enter invitation code: poorlittlerichgirls

Sales for Wednesday, December 17

Isabella Fiore Handbag Sale
Save up to 71%
Prices start at $152
Exquisite leathers are finished with handcrafted details: from intricate prints to elegant tattoos to colorful embroidery, each piece is truly unique. Like the culture that inspired it, Isabella Fiore reflects confidence and grace, allowing each of us to enjoy a little California dreaming of our own.

John Varvatos Sunglasses Sale
Save up to 79%
Prices start at $65 (gift alert!)
In keeping with his punk rock philosophy, the CFDA-award winning designer has used bad boy musicians like Iggy Pop, Ryan Adams and Cheap Trick in his ad campaigns. Naturally, when it came to choosing a location for his second store in New York, there was only one spot to showcase his clothes: the former CBGB’s space in downtown Manhattan. No wonder Varvatos has found fans in the coolest guys in Hollywood like Brad Pitt and Ashton Kutcher.

Vivienne Westwood sunglass sale
Save up to 72%
Prices: $70
Fashion forward ladies can’t get enough of her unique pieces. It’s no surprise that Women’s Wear Daily has called her one of the six best designers in the world and in 2004, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London featured a retrospective of her work. Not bad for the first lady of punk.

Michael Kors Watch Sale
Save up to 79%
Prices start at $52
Perfectly suited for a modern lifestyle, Michael Kors transforms American sportswear into American splendor.

Wednesday, December 17th, CHANEL GIVEAWAY!

Chanel is synonymous with Parisian perfection and now Ideeli is giving away a tiny piece of perfection, a Chanel clutch just in time for the holidays! This event is part of ideeli’s Holiday Giveaway Series. All of the items for this series are specially chosen with the winter holidays in mind, and all events in this series will run before December 22nd. As a result, these giveaways are perfect for gifting (but are also great to keep as a holiday treat for yourself! You have to be register on ideeli to win - so what are you waiting for! 

Sales for Thursday, December 19th

Kale Handbag sale
Save up to 65%
Prices start at $220
The brains and beauty behind Kale handbags, sisters Jennifer and Leslie Kale, understand all too well that sumptuous calfskin, elegant silhouettes, and subtle, polished hardware, produce intensely covetable handbags.

Trace Handbag Sale
Save up to 65%
Prices start at $89
Created by seasoned designer Jennifer Kale, Trace handbags reflect her easy-going attitude and commitment to craftsmanship. Trace, a play on “tres,” the Spanish word for “three,” embodies the simplicity and perfection of its namesake.

Thursday, December 18th, Louis Vuitton GIVEAWAY!

This event is part of ideeli’s Holiday Giveaway Series. All of the items for this series are specially chosen with the winter holidays in mind, and all events in this series will run before December 22nd. As a result, these giveaways are perfect for gifting (but are also great to keep as a holiday treat for yourself!).

Sales for Friday, December 20th

Leigh & Luca
Save up to 72%
Prices start at $54 (last minute gift alert!)
ll pieces are made with traditional craftsmanship, hand-woven on antique looms in Inner Mongolia from exquisite cashmeres, silks and cottons, and then modernized with embroidery and hand printing. Every design is produced in limited quantity, keeping each piece personal and unique.

Ever tried to walk into Target and not spend at least $100? It can be damn near impossible. With all of the great high end designers they work with, who peddle everything from home goods to handbags, it’s not difficult to go a little overboard. 

Lately, Target has added a slew of big name make-up lines to its repertoire. While most of the prices are much more reasonable than department store brands, if you do not choose wisely (a.k.a. shop around) you may not save as much at this Big Box as you’d like to. During our research, we found that some of the Target brands were actually pricier than the department brands. 

So, to help guide you through the confusion, we have put together a primer on each of the new designers Target is featuring, and which of their products are worth a purchase.

Pixi

Philosophy: Petra Strand, the makeup artist behind the brand, is a big fan of the “natural” look. Her goal is for her products to help you look like a better, well-rested version of yourself.

Hot Pick: We recommend the Water Blush Collection ($20), available in two colors- one for fairer and one for darker skin tones. It’s almost $10 cheaper than designer cheek & lip stains and gives you the exact same effect! Plus its super easy to apply. just dap on and blend!

JK Jemma Kidd

Philosophy: Jemma Kidd’s line is all about approachable glamour. She has experience as a makeup artist, runway model and product designer, so she really “gets” fashion. She caters to women like PoorLittleRichGirls who want to look fabulous, but don’t have tons of time or money to spend.

Hot Pick: JK Jemma Kidd Mannequin Skin Complexion Enhancer ($24) is a wonderful substitute for the oh-so-popular Smashbox Photo Finish. Mannequin Skin can be worn alone or under makeup and creates an even and more glowing complexion.  Best of all it is anywhere from $10-$30 less than other department store brand primers.

NP Set

Philosophy: Napolean Perdis want you to look like a celebrity. Think refined glamour, like Debra Messing at the Emmy’s (for which he is the official make-up artist). This Australian born artist is passionate about making real women look their absolute best.

Hot Pick: We think the NP Set Lip Gloss or Lip Stain & Plumper (both $15) are the ways to go with this line. The colors are natural, it contains flax seed and avocado oils to keep lips moisturized and it costs anywhere from $5-$20 less than other designer brands.

Outlet malls. Just the name alone makes some people cringe. But for savvy shoppers, this is their saving grace to splurging on brand name items for less. Outlet malls of the past were given the stigma of shoddy quality or last season’s leftovers, however, times are a changing.

According to Kristina Bellasario, Assistant Store Manager at Theory at the Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, “Speaking for my store in particular, I can say that everything is top-notch quality and none of the items are made specifically for the outlets. We are only 6-8 weeks behind full price stores. I can’t even tell you the number of times a customer says to me “I just bought this exact dress at Nordstrom for full price”!”

The mantra of the “new” outlet mall is targeting a different type of shopper. This shopper is someone who is trend-savvy and likes luxury brands, but doesn’t like to pay the luxury price tag. Sound familiar?

According to Kristina, “As soon as we receive shipment from the full-price stores, we immediately mark everything down 40% from the retail price - that right there is a huge savings in itself! A lot of people don’t realize that we carry the same merchandise, and are so close behind full-price. Other stores that aren’t far behind would include Michael Kors, Salvatore Ferragamo, Juicy Couture, and Kate Spade.”

But buyer beware, some stores are not up to full-speed on their inventory. Some of the “mall” type stores found at outlets are mostly guilty of this tactic. “I would say about half of outlet retailers carry merchandise a full year behind - this would include stores like Gap, J. Crew, Banana Republic, etc,” Kristina explains. But, if you’re searching for tees, business slacks, and other 

classic items, whether or not it was last year’s items isn’t really a huge factor. Classic means timeless!

With the holiday’s right around the corner, you can find just about anything from Diesel jeans for your boyfriend to Mikasa crystal stemware for Auntie Mable. Kristina’s last tip of advice, “Outlet stores are well-known for having huge markdowns on holiday weekends. If you can catch a good sale, you’re easily saving 60-70% off the retail price.”

Just in the Chicagoland area alone, there are three outlet malls that carry brand name fashions and home goods for big savings. For information on these outlets visit the following links:

Chicago Premium Outlets http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=63
Prime Outlets http://www.primeoutlets.com/cntrdefault.asp?cntrid=1028
Gurnee Mills Mall http://www.simon.com/mall/mall_info.aspx?ID=1251

(Story by Stephanie Sarto)

The 4th Annual Fashion Focus Week celebrates Chicago Fashion from October 1-8. Here are a few PLRG hot picks that are all FREE - just remember reservations are required for most events so get on it ladies!

 ”Dress Code” runway show, Oct. 3rd at 7:30pm, featuring the best of the best from Chicago’s fashion design schools.

Shop up-and-coming Chicago designers at Shop Chicago in Millennium Park.

Macy’s presents the “Designers of Chicago Fashion Show” at Millennium Park and previews its Spring 2009 collections.

And stay tuned for more updates and info on Chicago Fashion Focus 2008.