Sign up now for our new Deal Divas weekly email alerts!!!

By popular request, we're launching a weekly email alert featuring the VERY BEST deal of the week from the blog -- and all the fashion scores and snarks you've come to love.

Now you never have to miss a deal just because you got busy and missed a few days on the blog.

And if you sign up by Dec. 9, you'll be registered to win a $100 gift card to International Plaza, just in time to wrap up your holiday shopping.

Emails will go out around noon on Thursdays, and earlier on holiday weeks.

Help to spread the word to fashion-loving bargainistas!

Deal Divas

The show is Nov. 20-22 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Regularly priced tickets start at $29.50, but by using the code BRIDE when you register, you can get $69.50 orchestra or mezzanine seats for only $15.00.

So I'm going to the opera for the first time. Whatever shall I wear? No seriously, what do people wear to these things? Gloves? A church hat? A cape? Or should I take my cues from Flava Flav?

 
Perhaps not. Opera singers are the original Divas, so I want to get this right. Here's what five celebs wore to the Sept. 21 season opening of New York's Metropolitan Opera.

Actor Leelee Sobieski showed off her baby bump in this red-hot number.

If Forever 21 and Chico's had a baby, the result would be this flowy frock worn by actor Joy Bryant.

New York socialite Julie Macklowe looked like she was going to a birthday party... for Pamela Anderson.

Martha Stewart got into a fight with her glitter pen. And lost.

Opera soprano Renee Fleming, who must know a thing or two about dressing for these occasions, chose a black and white gown. I think I know where I can find something like that.

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photos: Getty Images)

Get a little and give a little using this coupon good for 30 percent off at the Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. It can't be combined with other discounts. But on the bright side, you can donate five percent of the purchase to a good cause...

Happy clipping ... err, printing!

Deal Diva Letitia

This is a fashion blog, and so we analyze what people wear, but I still feel like this needs a hearty preface. Congrats to Taylor Swift on her big CMA award Wednesday, which my pal Sean Daly readily predicted. I'm actually a big Taylor Swift fan. I got the chance to review her concert in 2008, which was suh-weet. I jam to her album in the car all the time. I think she's refreshingly cute and non-slutty. Her songwriting skillz are hot. She's dating the sex machine from Twilight. She did a great Shakira impression on SNL last week. Basically, I want to be her. So don't take this the wrong way...

Girlfriend needs a new dress. 

At face value, the dress she wore Wednesday (above) is gorge. It's glittery, and if anyone here at Deal Divas loves glitter and has two thumbs, it's this girl. But here's the thing. Taylor wears a dress like this to almost EVERY EVENT. It's sparkly. It's neutral. It's princess-y.

Exhibit A: The MTV Awards heard round the world. Here, you'll notice Kanye West addressing Taylor with his crazy eyes, pleading that she please consider color next time she's gonna steal an award from Beyonce.

Exhibit B: Taylor at the 2009 CMT Awards. Angelic and beautiful, yes, but mother of pearl all the same. I'd even go for a good, old-fashioned 80s country bolo tie or a teal rancher shirt at this point, just for a little variety.

Exhibit C: Taylor at the American Music Awards. I never -- and I mean EVER -- thought I'd say this, but... LAY OFF THE SEQUINS.

Knowing what looks good on your body is one thing, but here is my concern with Tay-Tay. Because I'm such a fan, I feel somewhat big-sisterly in this capacity. She is 19, and I fear that she's going to get so burned out on the Cinderella gimmick that she'll spiral shamelessly in the direction of leather riding crops and denim thongs and general Los Angeles Lohanity. I think she needs to gradually explore some fun, mature variety on the red carpet before she gets frustrated and finds herself strewn across a bar covered in limes. I honestly only want the best for her.

Am I off base here? Would you wear silver sequins every day if you could? It's a valid argument.

Deal Diva Stephanie

Photos: Times files

Girly lace. Racy tattoo. Funky patterns. Tights bring a new spin to your basic essentials - the little black dress, the brown work skirt, the prim tweed. All for less than the price of a dinner entree!

The catch? There are so many cute options out there right now. And so little time to give them a whirl in Florida, where fall/winter is a two-month season.

Still, a cool front is coming through tomorrow, so there's no better time to get tight with tights. What styles are you jonesing to try on?

I can also salivate over the savings now available through the Kate Spade sample sale. Through Friday, get up to 75 percent off Kate Spade purchases online, and pay just $5 for shipping. (Note: All sales are final.)

In the words of Victoria Beckham, some of these deals are MAY-JAH. Check out this gorgeous Tortola Paola clutch, regularly $345, now $89. Get the Fairfax Short Paola purse for $119. The sale includes shoes, accessories, jewelry and clothing.

Consider this an invitation to do some smart holiday shopping for the Kate Spade lovers in your life. Or heck, just go ahead and buy yourself a little something. You deserve it.

Deal Diva Colleen

Beckles plans to expand to necklaces, bracelets and earrings, says his still-in-progress Web site.

Now for the price: $249 apiece.

Still reading? Then I'll tell you the rings are available at Urban Body, 715 S Howard Ave., Tampa. I wonder why Beckles doesn't hawk the goods at his own store, As-I-Be. I also wonder what you think: Is $249 reasonable to spend on a fashion ring? And who's more likely to wear these, you or your guy?

Deal Diva Dalia

(Photos: Ring photos courtesy of Icon B. Marketing and Publicity Group. Ian Beckles photo by Kathleen Flynn of the St. Petersburg Times.)

So, boot season is here in full effect. And I am on the hunt. This year's trend du-jour: over-the-knee boot.

They come in a variety of textures and either heeled or flat.

I've been on the fence about this look for a while and I'm just about ready to leap.  One half of me thinks slutty 80s raunch while the other side says trendy stylish statement.

What's a girl to do?

So I pose the question to you purveyors of style: OTK boot: Fug or Fab?

Deal Diva Nicole

(Picture: Elle.com/Givenchy)

But therein lies the conundrum.

It took a good five minutes to squeeze into the shapewear that hides beneath your bridesmaid gown to make you look beautifully lump and bump-free. You ask yourself: Is it worth the trouble to wiggle out of the skin-tight contraption, or should you just pray for super-human bladder strength? You drink another glass of wine to mull over these inconvenient options.

Ah, the irony. In order to look good on the outside, we deal with discomfort underneath. Men would never subject themselves to such ridiculousness.

A recent Wall Street Journal story delved into the troubles of shapewear, which apparently manufacturers are trying make more aesthetically pleasing and easier in general to navigate. The opening scene sounds like something straight out of Bridget Jones's Diary. This is an occasion for genuinely tiny knickers...

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Universal Studios' Bridget Jones and her not-so-tiny knickers.)

Two, actually.

Now I've always been a late bloomer. I'm still not much for shopping online, except for shoes. Over the past year, I've spent hours and hours flirting with cyber shoe stores like 6pm.com. But I was always a good girl and went home alone. Until last week.

I was ready. I wanted to make the buy. Shoes (on sale) seemed like a reasonable splurge in these difficult times. Especially when 6pm.com was running a deal on Nine West-- every pair for $20.

I spent a scandalous lunch break surfing the styles. Since I had to pay for shipping, it only made sense to buy two pairs. The ones that I needed (solid yet stylish brown pumps) and the ones that I wanted (gold peep toe wedges).

I expected to wait a week after clicking "buy," but the shoes I ordered arrived in two business days! I tore into the box and pranced around the house. The fit was perfect. And the high was better than, well, I'm not going there.

But I want to do it again.

Deal Diva Letitia

(Photos: My shoes! I got the peep toes in gold and the faux croc pumps are already a workday fav.)

Junior Deal Divo Tucker DeGregory, who helped readers decide what to wear to see Tim Gunn's speech at the University of South Florida this Wednesday, had the pleasure of meeting the style guru in person.

In fact, Tim's peeps were so impressed with 11-year-old Tucker's article, they arranged for him to sit down with the Project Runway rock star before the event. Tucker, an aspiring fashion designer and 6th grader at Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School in St. Petersburg, got to show off his very own design sketches, which the incredibly gracious and enthusiastic Tim Gunn autographed. He also gave Tucker useful feedback, tips and resources for making his career happen.

So, what we're saying is this: When you are rich and famous and we're all paying big bucks for your designs, remember us little folks back at the blog, Tucker!

Deal Diva Stephanie

(Photo from Tucker's proud mom Lane.)

Colleen and I spent Wednesday working from the malls (it's a hard job, but someone has to do it), finding you the best deals you can ALREADY get for holiday shopping. I know, I know, it's only the first week in November, but that's exactly the point. You can't walk into a store without seeing a heavy array of pine and glass bulb ornaments and snowflake window stickies. Just submit to the seasonal retail gods and take advantage of the sales that come with the madness.

An entire opus will run in the St. Petersburg Times tomorrow. We hope readers will take some notes over their coffee before hitting the stores. But for you, loyal Diva fans, we present a sneak peak. And if you've seen any good sales we missed, add them to the comments section!

HOLIDAY SALES BONANZA!

Deal Diva Stephanie

Over lunch this week, when I shared news of the transaction with the other Deal Divas, Nicole nearly choked on her salad. "WHY?!" she gasped.

So for Nicole and all the other haters out there, here are seven reasons why I said "I do" to selling my gown.

1. I'll never wear it again. Hubby and I are happily married. Even if we renew our vows one day, there's no way I'll shimmy into the same gown I wore down the aisle at age 25. Why compete with your younger self? (And for those of you who think remarriage may be in your future, you wouldn't really wear the same gown twice, would you?)

2. My daughter won't wear it, either. My mom's dress was hideously out of style by the time I tied the knot. So as beautiful as mine seemed in 2008, I'm sure my 10-year-old step-daughter (or any future daughters I may birth) will consider it an abomination by the time she weds.

3. I'm plenty sentimental. I have video and a gazillion pictures of myself in the dress from every angle, and they're much easier to store and display than the real thing. Then there are the cards, journals, ticket stubs and old e-mails I have documenting our relationship. I even photocopied the check I earned for selling the dress.

4. Why live in the past? The wedding was fun, but it was only one day of our lives. Hubby and I can use the $250 to create new memories. Maybe we'll splurge on a fancy dinner or take a weekend getaway.

5. I was sitting on a goldmine. Okay, so $250 isn't exactly enough for me to give my boss the finger and jet off to San Tropez. But at least it's something. My gown was on sale for $500 at David's Bridal. On top of that I paid about $100 for alterations and another $125 to have it cleaned after my big day. We've talked about how we're unwilling to pay big bucks for jeans, but at least those are versatile. And I know, I know -- you can't put a price on love. But a wedding dress isn't love. It's fabric.

6. I want the space. Anti-clutter guru Peter Walsh says that if something is truly important to you, then you'll give it a place of honor. For nearly two years, my gown has been stuffed into a closet with a vacuum cleaner and Christmas decorations.

7. It has a great new home. I admit, when LaShonda stepped into the gown, I thought, This is actually happening and began to have second thoughts. But then I saw the way she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. "I feel like a princess," she kept saying as I laced up the back. She called her friends to tell them she'd found The One. She called her tailor to ask about getting it hemmed. She was as happy as -- well, a bride -- and I was happy for her. My dress would never have brought anyone that much joy just hanging out in my closet with the vacuum. By this time next year, LaShonda will have her own photo album full of memories in the dress. So if anyone plans on tying the knot in the fall of 2010, I know where you can get a great deal on your gown...

***

Nicole's turn: "Why!?" I exclaimed when she told us the news.

Yes, Deal Diva Dalia is correct when she said I choked on my salad when she told me she sold her wedding dress. For me parting with my wedding dress would be like giving my dog away. Sure, it would make my life easier, but it would be horribly painful.

I'll admit, my situation is a tad different. My seamstress aunt made my wedding dress, as she has for all the young women in my family for their big day. We designed it together, picked out the ivory poire de soir fabric and rhinestone buttons. I stayed up all night with her as she made the pattern. Through the process my aunt gave me morsels of wisdom about marriage and life. So in the end, the dress was more than something I wore on my wedding day, it was symbolic of my rites of passage from a single girl to a wife.

Will my daughter want to wear the dress when she gets older? Perhaps not. I mean she doesn't exist yet, so of course we don't have an answer to such things. But I do want to give her the option. And if she doesn't maybe my niece will or who knows...a future daughter-in-law perhaps?

The point is in this world people don't put a lot of time into much. And ritual and tradition are about as rare as a 5 year celebrity marriage. So, for me, the hassle of storing my dress on a bust in my closet until a worthy cause arises is a small duty.

Deal Divas Dalia & Nicole

(Photos: Photos.com)

Anyone who watches Project Runway knows Gunn is a gentleman on TV. Well, having been among that happy audience last night, I can now attest: He may be even more gracious in person. After lecturing on fashion history and dishing about Project Runway past and present, he answered probably two dozen questions from students AND stuck around until nearly midnight signing copies of his book. Impressive!

Turns out, he's also a charming gossip who doles out juicy tidbits while peering over glasses that continually slide down his nose. For all you Runway junkies, some quick insider stuff: Gunn says Season 7 starts airing on Jan. 14 and "it's fantastic." Models of the Runway has grown on him. And he's interested to see what fans think about the outcome of tonight's show, when viewers will find out which designers get to show collections at Bryant Park. His reaction to the judges' picks: "Really? Are you sure?"

To tide you over until showtime, here are some more insights into the fabulous and funny mind of Tim Gunn:

On his first impression of Los Angeles (the shooting site for Season 6 of Project Runway): "I thought, 'Where's New York and where's my deli and where's my sidewalks that people can actually walk on?'"

On fashion: "The clothes we wear send a message about how the world perceives us. It's not inconsequential...If getting our fashion right were easy, everybody would look fabulous! And regrettably, everybody doesn't."

On celebrity "designers": I don't believe Lindsay Lohan or Lauren Conrad would have made it beyond the first semester of freshman year (at Parsons design school, where he used to teach)."

On Crocs: "I get the comfort part. But when I look down I see a hoof."

On the upside of the down economy: "If I never see another $26,000 handbag, I will be perfectly happy."

On super-skinny runway models: "It's getting really ridiculous. (When) the circumference of her knee is bigger than the circumference of her thigh, it's not pretty."

On bare midriffs: "It belongs on the beach. I don't believe it belongs anywhere else."

On cosmetic surgery: "There is nothing sadder than a man who has had cosmetic surgery." (He doesn't mind it for women, as long as it is subtle.)

On quality vs. style: "Quality. Always."

On trends: "The trouble with trends is, you don't know when they're going to become dated." For instance, the gladiator sandal. "I mean, my God. It takes 30 minutes to put it on."

On trends that need to go away for good: "Big, broad shoulders. It's just not flattering on most women. It makes them look boxier. I hold these up in stores and say, 'Who's going to look good in this?'"

Deal Diva Colleen

(Photo: Getty Images. No, Mr. Gunn didn't wear a tux to USF. He wore a dark pinstripe suit from Banana Republic, but my pictures turned out yucky.)

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper have been named the new faces of MAC Cosmetics, Women's Wear Daily reports. The “From Our Lips” campaign debuts Feb. 25, and MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick and Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick, $14 each, will launch in North America on March 18. All the proceeds will benefit the MAC AIDS Fund, which is a great cause that has raised millions for AIDS organizations around the world.

MAC Cosmetics is my favorite makeup brand, and although a lot of people hate her, I'm a little obsessed with Lady Gaga these days. I have tickets for her Orlando concert in January, and I even dressed as her for Halloween, along with 8 million other people. See?

(Sure, it's a little trashy, but I didn't do squats for eight months to wear a snow suit on Halloween.) That's my main squeeze Jim under the Kermit mask. Ten points to anyone who can point out the cultural couple costume reference here.

Anyway, I'm totally getting the Gaga lipstick when it comes out (and, uh, Cyndi Lauper is cool, too.) Will you pick it up? Do you hate Gaga's style? Are you that sexy nurse in the background?

Deal Diva Stephanie

(Photo by the incomparable Dirk Shadd, Times photographer and Halloween host extraordinare.)