With consumer spending down, merchants are putting even greater emphasis than usual on the importance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. (Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday season.)

So, in order to do our part to stimulate the economy, here are some deals you can take advantage of:

Black Friday and CyberMonday deals:

Amazon: Visit Amazon.com to find great Black Friday deals and get FREE Super Saver Shipping on millions of items.

Footlocker.com: Black Friday Special Offer! Take $15 off $75. Use Code LKS18BF7. Valid 1.26-11.29.

J & R Electronics: Black Friday Deals $50 to $100 at JR.com

Zazzle: 15% off & Free Shipping on Zazzle Tees (use code ZazzleFriday)

Sports Authority: Get 15% off your entire order at SportsAuthority.com! (exclusions apply) 12.1.08

MotoSport: $20 Instant Holiday Bonus when you spend $150 or More at MotoSport.com!

eSportsonline: eSportsonline Holiday Gift Shops. 20-50% Off + Free Shipping.

November 23, 2008

Still recovering from a shoulder injury, which forced her to miss a significant part of the 2008 season, Masha hopes to return to playing tennis in January.

In the meantime, the Russian ace has been having fun on the fashion front, attending New York fashion week,  and modeling for such publications as British Hello!, Russian Vogue (Nov. 08 cover) and California Style (Dec. 08 cover). Sharapova also recently posed for the December 2008 issue of Spanish GQ Magazine.

Check out this vid for a sneak peak of the Pretty Tough fashionista’s latest photo shoot or visit Sharapova’s website for more photos.

November 20, 2008

Cosmogirl RIP: It’s the very last issue of CosmoGirl (tear) which becomes the fourth major teen mag to suspend publication this year after YM, Ellegirl and Teen People. CG, which was published ten times a year and reached approximately eight million readers before folding, will continue with it’s website but I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that the print version of the teen mag will be universially missed.

The Dec 08/Jan 09 issue featuring the lovely Taylor Swift on cover, takes a cue from Barbara Walters by doing their own spin on the most intriguing people of 2008.  Included are gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson who are honored as girls who have the guts to follow their hearts rather than the crowd.

Uniqlo Try: To get the word out about their newly launched Bra Top, Japanese retailer Uniqlo recruited hundreds of women to participate in a video survey; questions ranged from “how comfortable is the top?” to “what’s your favorite magazine?” and the resulting videos were posted on a website called Uniqlo Try. Site visitors can opt to watch videos of women physically (age, height, size and build) similar to them. The website has gone viral, spreading to blogs and news sites, which apparently has contributed to a five-fold increase in sales of the Bra Top

November 20, 2008

The former tomboy from Lake Forrest, Illinios, McKey, won (all together now…) a contract with Elite model management, a spread and cover for Seventeen magazine, and a $100,000 contract with covergirl.

Nineteen-year-old McKey defeated her rival, LA high school student Samantha Potter, after strutting along one unique runway, a giant hot pink hill, and striking memorable poses. Annaleigh was third in the contest.

We picked both of the finalists at the beginning because of their athleticism and beauty. Winner McKey played all kinds of sports as a kid including hockey and soccer. She now trains as a boxer with her cagefighter bf. 

When McKey was 15, a sports injury forced her off the field and she began to channel her competitive energy into modeling.  Looks like it paid off!!

November 19, 2008

For those of you whose notebooks are filled with sketches and doodles, the ninth edition of Emerica’s Design-A-Tee contest maybe the perfect chance to leverage your design skills.

To qualify, you must somehow incorporate an Emerica designed theme into your doodle.  Get the Design-A-Tee template here and get your creative juices flowing because the contest ends December 3rd.

After the contest ends, three winners will be chosen, each of whom will receive five shirts bearing their winning design, and three pairs of Emerica shoes. Note: Upon entering the contest, your artwork becomes the property of Emerica (Sole Technology, Inc.) The three winners’ designs will be produced in a future Emerica Gear (apparel) line, and the only payment is the prizes listed (that means no royalties on your fantastic design).

Here’s what Emerica wants you to avoid:  Do not submit any entries containing the words “God Bless Emerica” (despite the title of this post) or depict an American flag with Emerica Triangle logos in place of the stars. Another cliché to avoid is the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon graphic with a Triangle logo prism.

You can also enter now for a chance to win a year’s worth of Emerica shoes! All you have to do is build your own Emerica Team profile page and post a link to it in the comments sections.

Trick out your page with a cool background and fill each section of it–News, Photos, Video–with at least five posts. The company is looking for original, creative and personal content. When the contest is over,  one winner will receive 12 free pairs of Emerica shoes. This contest ends on December 31, 2008.

Though Emerica’s is mostly a guys brand, there’s no clause that prevents you from entering, so get crackin.

November 18, 2008

So what guy is brave enough to put in a shocking pink performance? A guy very sure of himself - who’s fast as a whippet and capable of scoring a hat-trick every game. Or is the pink thing for guys not a big deal anymore? I feel like the shock value may be passe.

See what reaction the cleats have caused among Europe’s finest male players — including Rio Ferdinand, Cesc Fabregas, Gabby Agbonlahor and Theo Walcott — in the latest Nike video viral.

The hue is technically called Mercurial Rosa but make no mistake, it’s pink. Don’t know how many guys will go for the cleats but I can think of more than a few girls who might check them out - they’re pretty cool!

November 17, 2008 - This month’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar features the swinging sisters of tennis.

Serena and Venus Williams took part in a high-fashion editorial shoot in Flushing Meadow, home to the US Open, posing for photog Terry Richardson. The girls wore an array of designers including Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Sonia Rykiel, Diane von Furstenberg, Celine, and Herve Leger by Max Azria.

In the top right shot, Serena reaches for a serve while sporting a $695 Diane von Furstenberg dress, a $380,000 De Beers bracelet and a $148,000 Tiffany necklace.

The sisters went to great lengths for the shoot including wearing stilettos to practice.

“High heels kind of hurt on the court, but fashion is pain.” —Venus told Harpers.

Serena felt the fashion accessories gave her a view of the court from a whole new angle.

Asked who would win a fashion match, Serena said she would because she’s a little quicker in her heels! 

Check out this vid of the shoot.

November 10, 2008

LG has just come up with a girl-centric compact phone, the LX600 Lotus, and according to Wired, it doesn’t completely suck (if you ignore the fact that the crammed keys make it difficult to dial, text or navigate  — even if you’re blessed with dainty digits). Available from Sprint.

Sparks: On the fashion front, sparks will fly at Wet Seal as American Idol season six winner Jordin Sparks has designed a line of clothing exclusively for the retailer.

The collection, appropriately named ‘Sparks’, will begin with an assortment of holiday dresses - in sizes XS to XL - delivering to stores just in time for Thanksgiving. The collection will later include casual apparel and accessories. Each piece will reflect Sparks’ youthful sense of style.

Better known for her big voice than her sense of style, it will be interesting to see what Sparks’ collection looks like. As of this post, we couldn’t find any photos of the pieces. Thoughts?

October 24, 2008

One of the best innovations we’ve seen - and perfect for Pretty Tough girls on the go - is from London-based designer denim line Suzy Radcliffe. If you have a favorite pair of jeans but are limited to wearing them with either heels or flats because of their length then you’ll love this idea.

 Radcliffe Jeans comes to the rescue with its revolutionary Heels2Flats system. These denim dynamos let you insert cuff links into the inside leg seams, making the pant leg longer or shorter depending on your footwear. Best of all, the system works on both bootcut and skinny leg styles.

At $195 the jeans may seem pricey but the product actually helps curb consumption. The Heels2Flats cufflink system gives fashionistas two different length options for the same price, letting the denim go double duty with both heels and flats.  We think it’s jean-ius.

October 9, 2008

You’ve probably noticed an increase in temporary retail installations, from gallery-like shopping spaces with one-off exhibitions to mobile units bringing innercity-chic to suburban areas.  If new products can come and go, why can’t the stores that display them do the same? Here’s a couple of spaces that have recently popped up in LA.

Nike Sportswear@ The Montalbán
Nike has set up camp at the historic Montalbán Theater in the heart of Hollywood offering a temporary retail experience for consumers in the market for select Nike Sportswear apparel and footwear; there’s even a NIKEiD studio in the balcony!

True to its legacy as the oldest functioning theatre in Hollywood, Nike Sportswear at the Montalbán will host film screenings every Tuesday night. Exclusive studio pre-releases, Nike commissioned short films, documentaries and international film festival faves are screened free for the public.

Nike has also partnered with local artists and public school art programs, offering workshops and a design series for kids. Scheduled through the end of October, Nike’s presence at The Montalbán has received an overwhelmingly positive response thus far and is certainly worth a “pop-by.”

Quiksilver Site LA
In conjunction with the launch of a new women’s collection, the Huntington Beach-based extreme sports label Quicksilver has commissioned six creative women to take up temporary “residence” in a branded multi-purpose space featuring communal work stations and exhibition/event space in LA’s Silverlake neighborhood.

Over the course of the next year, Quiksilver is sponsoring the residents’ respective pursuits by providing them with valuable resources and tools pertaining to their interests, as well as the ultimate career-builder, major exposure.

The residents, including a fashion blogger, singer/songwriter, architect-in-training and a bicycle safety activist, are working on individual projects in the communal environment, which is also home to a series of events, performances and educational forums open to the public.

Much like brands that sponsor major athletes to perform better, Quicksilver aims to sponsor the cultivation of this creative community. There are lots of cool events taking place so be sure to check it out.