Fashion is just not for NYC anymore.  Catwalks abound, stores are in the mood to give deals, and there are free events for the masses right here in Los Angeles. The Beverly Center  goes all out with runway shows, shopper incentives, and even free self parking from 4 to 10 PM on September 10, Fashion Night Out.

The Frugal Diva would wear jeans and a comfy shirt everyday so I had to turn to Fashionista for the low down on primo events for that night. For the complete list of participating retailers in Los Angeles go to the official city site for LA Fashion Night Out .

And remember you can just have fun without even buying anything.  If you do buy consider the event T shirt to show your support for the next generation of fashion leaders.  Buy the exclusive FNO Los Angeles t-shirts at participating retailers and at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Book Store!  All proceeds go to the California Fashion Association Foundation to be distributed as tuition grants for FIDM students.

This is a global event so look for local fashion activities in your area.

T shirts, and all types of gear for students at a great price manufactured right here in downtown Los Angeles.  American Apparel   means back to school specials for kids in and out of uniform available online. Buy a cotton pique multi pack of three high quality unisex polos for $87 or a three pack of ultra soft Tees for $42.

While teens are the target market, there are plentiful items for kids that include organic and natural  play dough, organic cotton clothes, and fun hair accessories. Even if they are mocked on Sex and the City, a scrunchie keeps the hair out of your eyes and off  your neck on hot days.

They might not be the first place you think of for maternity however there is a fun selection of tops and leggings.  They will see you through the final days of summer discomfort and you can lounge in them after the baby arrive.

The ads are not my favorites however let’s support this local business and their efforts at not only manufacturing here but keeping it sustainable, donating to local schools, and encouraging employees to bike or bus to work.

Your wedding day is a great opportunity to acknowledge that you are in love, starting out of a new path, and have the attention of everyone in the room.

First place to start, decide how many. Now there are two options, just the immediate family or 150 guests. How do I get to that equation? Everyone who has invited you to their wedding, your cousins, your neighbors, your family’s neighbors, and there are two of you-so unless one of you was found on the doorstep of an orphanage or raised by wolves-double all numbers. If you are going to stay with just parents, brothers and sisters, children, and grandparents you may stop reading here.

The rest of you suckers for that big day, let us move forward. Invitations – hand engraved on parchment by a professional calligrapher – no way!!  Printed on your ink jet using nice colored paper from the Paper Source  or the envelopemall.com - yes way!! Get some transparent labels for the addresses – print two copies so you can use the second one for the Thank You notes.  Print your own return address labels for the RSVP envelopes and the outside envelopes.

We all love beautiful flowers. Here is the truth about flowers – they are very expensive and die in three to four days. This is not the kind of investment you want to make. Here are some great options. Living baby roses in a beautiful container. And here is a great tip from Sasha Taylor owner of Bodhi Babies - buy inexpensive glass bowl shaped vases, fill them with water, float a few candles and then add a few roses or another flower to glide prettily in the water.  Sasha also added color by buying two small ficus trees and strategically placing roses in the leaves. Later use them in your apartment or plant them in your garden. Remember a small spash of color makes a great impression.

You can learn how to make a bouquet from a DIY internet site. Another tradition that I just loved. As the bride walks down the aisle, her friends each handed her a flower that she placed in a embroidered cloth holder. Everyone got to participate and she had a beautiful spontaneous bouquet.

Stay tuned for more wedding day tips. First, second or third time around, this can be a fun day without the expense.

This is like a great bargain basement however instead of plowing through racks, you just click and see what tempts you.  BadJoan.com puts the fun back in online shopping deals.  No membership and no login just  see what’s new, check out the brands, and $4.99 flat rate for shipping. Bad Joan deals in overstock which means items come and go quickly. As Frugal Divas, you know that if you miss one deal another is coming down the road.

Bad Joan is skewed to the young and hip however there are deals for all ages including shoes, eye wear, and roomy tops that flow over jeans. Check out the final sale page where prices are even lower.  An item that protects your skin and looks chic such as this cute crocheted hat is offered for $14. This Vanitas top is lovely for summer and wearing through the fall for $19. If these items are gone by the time you get there just click back to the final sale page for new discounts.

There are measurements for most of the items to give you a better idea about fit.  As always when purchasing clothes on the Internet it is best to stick with brands you know for better sizing results and always check the return policy page.  Bad Joan has a strict return policy and every item you send back requires another shipping fee.  There are no returns on final sales.  The tradeoff is great prices for name brands.

When do you pick up sports equipment?  The day you need it or over the course of time when prices are good.  Steep and Cheap offers one great deal every day. This not just for gearheads, yesterday they had cute walking shoes that would look just as good on the city streets as off the beaten path. You can grab a button for your desktop or sign up for the email to be alerted to the daily deals.  The tyranny of seasonal shopping has been broken.  Shop for biking attire in the winter, get your ski clothes in the summer, and create your own fashion statement with clothing that suits your style. 

 Frugal Diva Tip: Set up a free email address just for your deals. You can scan it quickly for anything important without having to clog up your personal and business correspondence.

Now where does stuff go after it leaves this site?   It migrates to Clean Snipe.  When did the simple messenger bag become stylish and high priced?  Check out the original and see how chic you can be for under $40.

There exists a store in Westwood that sells shoes for under $20, under $15, and some even lower then that. It has no website, no advertising, and almost no sign. Without the help of my friend Susan and her daughter Erin, I would never have known about Top Shoes at 933 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024.  It is very easy to walk by this store so here is the phone number in case you miss it (310) 208-6238.

Is this investment dressing?  This is buying shoes so you have money to invest at the end of the day.  This is buying that crazy pair of bejeweled sandals that will last one season.  This is saying that all the other shoe stores that sell flimsy summer shoes at designer prices better watch out.  This is hunting up and down racks looking for hidden treasure.

Set aside a few hours and get ready to be surprised at how much stock is in this small store.  From slides to high heels to boots, enjoy the thrill of finding the shoes of your dreams for $15.  Remember in Sex and the City, they looked for new men however they always ended up with new shoes.

While usually pricey, there are bargains to be had at Nordstroms.  When the sale happens, look for well made basics and classics that will last for many seasons to come.  Outerwear that those of us in Los Angeles can keep forever and that basic dress you need a few times a year. Check out the children’s department for cute bags and hair accessories that work for adults at a much lower price. They usually open at 7 AM and close at 10 PM on the first day (check your local store to verify hours).

And what luck, the men’s sale starts just before Father’s Day.

• Half-Yearly Sale for Men-starts Friday, June 18
• Anniversary Sale-starts Friday, July 16 and ends Sunday, August 1
• Half-Yearly Sale for Women and Kids-starts Wednesday, November 3
• Half-Yearly Sale for Men-starts Sunday, December 26

Unable to make the sale? Two other great ways to shop this store are the online sale section and at the Nordstrom’s Rack.  The Rack is a bargain hunter’s dream with new merchandise coming in every few weeks.

Disclaimer: This company advertises on my site.

The Frugal Diva loves Anne Klein flats and has been searching for them all over the net. The best deal so far is at 6pm.com.  Now 6pm is not just any discount site, they are the clearing house for Zappos which means good customer service and efficient delivery. Unlike the parent company, 6pm charges $6.95 for shipping an order. That means if you get one pair or ten pairs the price is the same.  And if you are unhappy with the fit, you pay the return shipping.  The best policy is to go with lines that you have tried on and know fit you well. 

The site is easy to navigate with searches by brand, style, and price which can be narrowed even further for size, width and color. In the final clearance section this is very handy. Make sure those Charles David heels come in your size before you fall in love. The discriptions of the shoes are also very detailed so you know what materials are used, the exact heel height, and size specifications.

And yes they do have bags to mix and match. They also have sunglasses, a selection of clothing, makeup, and accessories. And they carry kids and mens sizes also. That’s for after you finish buying those cute sandals for the summer.

 Montana Ave  in Santa Monica is charming and a delightful place to stroll,  this Thursday night July 22nd they are having their first art walk. Enjoy savings or free treats at the following shops. 

17th Street Café: 10% off dine-in, 20% off all bakery take-out
Aura: Peter Fetterman Gallery – Prints, Refreshments & 60% off merchandise
Blue Plate: Glitter tattoo artist, for kids & adults. Champagne.
Cafe Montana: 10% off dining in, 20% off take-out
Citron: Refreshments
Dermalogica: Snacks & refreshments, specials & discounts
Golden Wellness Rx Pharmacy: Music & tea

Keep walking west on Montana until you reach Palisades Park. Your reward will be a fantastic view of the ocean. Tourists come from all over the world to see this span of coastline and we have it all the time.

Now you might wonder why a Frugal Diva would cross the threshold of an upscale department store. Here’s why – fantastic sale, coupons that give you $25 off for every $100 that you spend, and the need for a new dress for a very special occasion.  So at the Beverly Center Bloomies, I went to the 3rd floor ready to just walk in and walk out.  These clothes looked perfect if you were young, thin, and trendy. Luckily for me, I was helped by Pamela Ruday (if I misspelled your name, please email me and I will correct it). 

Just a little background here, I worked for a women’s knitwear company and had accumulated a nice wardrobe .  It had been about three years since I had seriously shopped for a frock and I wasn’t even sure what was in style anymore. I wasn’t sure what would look good on me and many times had entered a store only to leave without trying anything on. Here I was ready to bolt when Pamela appeared. I explained my situation and she showed what a great salesperson can do when confronted with a woman who wants to flee and will be condemned to wearing a five year old dress that had passed classic to become just old and worn.

Pamela started showing me possibilities. Explaining that certain of these dresses would look much better on the body then they did on the hanger. I looked but I did not believe until they were on me and I actually looked good-dare I say it not only good but confident and just a little hot. Now I asked her to start with only sale dresses and she came up with ten choices which we narrowed down to two DKNY styles that I loved.  One was a black number that looked like a sack on the hanger until she showed me how to pull up the skirt and blouse the top. Amazing, all of sudden this was so flattering that I didn’t want to take it off. The other was a black tank top attached to a light weight tweed skirt that looked like two pieces. At home, I tossed on a draped camel jacket and this became a fantastic ensemble.

The prices?  The original price of $195 became $104.50 after the sale and coupon deduction. The $295 dress became $46.95 after the sale and coupon deduction. How did this happen?  I had to throw in a pair of DKNY sheer pantyhose for $20 (we added the stockings to bring the total to over $200 so I could use two $25 off a $100 coupons) and the total was $168.46 before tax. That’s two DKNY dresses and stockings and you can return them if you change your mind later.

Oh, I also got  a $15 gift certificate that can be used after the sale bringing my total down to $153.46.  They think I will spend alot more than the $15 however that’s were they will be wrong.  It looks like I have another pair of  pantyhose in my future.

Remember Frugal Divas bargains are everywhere however they are only a bargain if they look good and you wear the item. Pamela you saved the day!

Become a Bloomingdale’s Insider and receive coupons by signing up for a credit card. You don’t have to use however it insures that you will be ahead of the curve when they have sales. The Insider sale starts April 20th until Thursday April 22nd.