Shopscotch

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Spring Fashion Trends for 2013

Spring is about to be sprung! Well, maybe not quite yet, but the 2013 Spring Fashion Trends are on the runways. Stores are wrapping up their season of holiday shopping and making room for the new spring lines to arrive. Here’s just a small teaser of some fashion-forward items to add to your Shopscotch account this spring. Bermuda Shorts. While the ladies will still wear short shorts, 2013 is bringing back the trend of longer shorts. Of course these shorts will be available in the basics, like this black pair of Bermuda shorts from Ralph Lauren, but keep your eyes open for bold and bright colored Bermudas to hit the stores soon. Black and White. You can never go wrong with these two colors together, and this year they are back and better than ever. You will find them in a variety of styles, from patterned dresses and pants, to flowing tops and skirts. You can’t go wrong with black and white, slimming you down and making a fashion statement in everyday casual, like this Chevron tank from Banana Republic, or out-on-the-town chic, like this Blumarine Print Silk dress. Bold Stripes. Or really, stripes of any kind. Stripes are all over the spring runways, bold and beautiful. Colorful or black and white. Expect to see stripes everywhere this spring. Some examples include this beautiful Alice and Olivia Strapless Maxi dress or the Gap’s more casual Multi-Stripe Dolman T in various hues of purple. Shorts Suits. See? We can still be stylish with those short shorts for women. The shorts suit trend will be around this spring, but keep it simple. Pair some basic colors with a bright blazer, a fun striped top with a jacket, or go with classic essentials, like this two-toned linen blazer and shorts duo from T by Alexander Wang. Embellishments. Ruffles? Check. Lace? Check. Beading? Check. Bright prints? Check. All at once? Maybe not so much. Add to your style this spring with various tops and bottoms embellished with bright and beautiful accents or bold splashes of color. Or embellish with some beading or ruffles and lace along the edges. Even better, add the beading and the ruffles to a little silk, and you will be dazzling in this Jason Wu black and white silk dress. If you prefer bold and beautiful, go with this printed BCBG Max Azria  pleated print dress or this green and navy printed Elland dress by Tabitha. You might still be wrapped up in that warm puffer coat for winter, but spring will be here sooner than you think. What are you hoping to wear this season? Are you looking forward to one of the trends mentioned above, or are you planning on another style? Whatever it might be, place it in your Shopscotch account. The apparel is just starting to show up online, but before you know it the sales will start and Shopscotch will help you be fashion forward on a better budget!

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A Cold Winter's Night with a Warm Coat to Boot

Cold nights, warm fires, and a good book. The winter months are one of my favorite seasons of the year. (Okay, I admit I also love summer, spring, and fall--but all for different reasons.) Part of why I love winter is because I love to buy warm apparel. Two of my favorites are coats and boots. Winter shopping is even better this year because Shopscotch is keeping an eye on all my favorites for me. So. What’s out there this year? What’s in style? What are the fashonistas of the world wearing for their outerwear? Trench Coats and Puffer Jackets.

Trench Coats. Let’s be honest, are trenchcoats ever not in style? But this year, instead of just being a classic color like this Modern Trench from Ann Taylor, there are many different colors and patterns on the coats. For those of you who like to stick with the classic colors, but want to add a little pattern, there’s this plaid Merona Trench from Target. If you like color blocking--a popular style this season--then you may want to try this beautiful number from Anthropologie. Bright colors are also very popular this season and the Orange Belted Trench from Banana Republic or the Lined Trench from Gap are perfect if you love standing out in a crowd. Finally, if you enjoy mixing both bright colors and patterns, both the Boulevard Trench from J. Crew and the Lettie Trench from Kate Spade are beautiful choices.

For the men this year’s trench coat styles are clean cut and classic, such as this Essential Belted Trench from Banana Republic or this Grayers Raglan Trench from Bloomingdales. Last but not least, if you need a trench-type coat for a girl, this Girl’s Hooded Toggle from Old Navy comes pretty close, and is absolutely adorable.

Puffer Jackets. Very different from trench coats but still stylish, this year’s puffer jackets keep you warm and toasty while you are out around town. Puffer jackets come in a variety of shapes and sizes, styles and colors, and they fit everyone. Women, men, boys, and girls. For women many of the jackets come with faux fur, like this puffer jacket from Aeropostale, or this Hot Mitts Puffer from Volcom. Like the trench coats, bright colors are also definitely in style and include this Tree Line Puffa from Oakley or this Small Channel Lightweight from Aeropostale. For a more fitted look, you may want to try this Bernardo Hooded from Nordstrom or the Betzabeth from Guess. Men’s puffer jackets are also following with the season’s trends and come in a variety of styles and colors. For the man who likes to add a little color to his wardrobe there is the Chromatic Puffer from Guess, which is available in a variety of colors including Leaf Green and Bossa Nova Orange. For the man who likes to add a little fun to his wardrobe there is this Striped Sleeve Puffer from Forever 21. And if you just like the classic look, well then you may want to head over to REI and purchase the Nano Puff Hoodie by Patagonia. Always cute and reminding me of this scene from A Christmas Story, are the children’s puffer jackets. In a variety of styles and colors, these are easily the best jackets to purchase for children. Perfect for walking to school or riding down a snowy hill, puffer jackets for children are always in style during the winter months. Some of the best ones this season include the Columbia Mash-Up for boys from REI or the Girl’s Colorblock from Target. If you just happen to be shopping for a girl who loves bright colors, you can’t go wrong with this Cherokee Puffer. And for the baby in your life there is the Patagonia Puff Ball--it’s reversible and oh-so-darn cute.

So, whether you are heading out to the snow, walking through the city in the rain, getting dressed up for a night on the town, or just going grocery shopping at your local store, you just can’t go wrong with either a trench coat or a puffer jacket. They will keep you warm, dry, and stylish all through the cold winter months.

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Log Back Into Shopscotch

Once you've done some shopping online and started tracking some fashion items using Shopscotch, you might want to log back in to Shopscotch to manage what you are watching or check out what new stores we've added recently. Here's how you do that.

Go to Shopscotch.com in your web browser and login using Facebook or using your username and password that you chose when you signed up. Once you're logged in, you'll see images of all the items Shopscotch is tracking. You might see a star and black box at the bottom of some of your items...that means they are currently on sale. As you mouse over any of the items, you'll see some options for what you can do with that item. If you click the little "i" in the bottom left corner, you'll see the information that we've gathered about that item. Specifically, you'll see a price history graph if the price has changed at all since we started tracking it for you. This should help you make an informed decision about when might be the best time to buy. Going back to the main page with an item moused-over, you'll see a "remove" link at the bottom right. This will stop Shopscotch from tracking the item for you so you don't receive any more emails about it. If you click anywhere else within the highlighted item, it will bring you straight to the product page on the website that is selling that item.

Lastly, you can change your settings by clicking your name at the top right of the webpage or logout of Shopscotch.

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Holiday Sales: Fashion Fabulous or Faux Pas?

Holidays. The season when we all spend more time than we have on shopping. However, the time is worth it when we see the faces of our family and friends as they open their gifts. Of course, as I am running around shopping or searching online for the “best” deals trying to find the perfect gift for each person, I start to ask myself, “Am I really saving money right now? Is this really the best time for me to buy these silver earrings?” Why do we shop so much during this time of the year? Is it because of the holidays? Well, of course! But the interesting fact is that during this time of the year the majority of shoppers spend the most money on--you guessed it--themselves! Wait. What? I spend more money on myself during this time of the year? If I really think about that statistic, I realize it’s probably true. After all, this is the time of year I am shopping the most. I am looking for all sorts of wonderful gifts for my family, and while searching for a new pair of boots for my sister I find these boots. For me. Next, I head over to get my dad a scarf, and I find this scarf. Oh, and this coat is really cute. But I digress. Am I really getting the best deals? What if I were to shop for these items at other times in the year? True, if you purchase apparel, you will get a better deal if you wait until the season changes. (Of course, then you have to wait until the following year to wear that new jacket.) The consumerism centered on the holidays is mostly due to gift giving. Retail outlets count on us to be out there shopping in droves, and they offer deals they know will bring us running with our credit cards and cash. So yes, holiday shopping is usually the best time of year to get the best deals, mostly because it’s the time you are shopping for others. The majority of us aren’t buying holiday gifts in March. But what about the BIG days? Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day. Do you get the best deals on those days? Or is it all just hype? According to this infographic from 2011, it depends on what you are planning to buy. Black Friday is great for sales on electronics and apparel, but not so much if you are buying cosmetics, books, or music. If you want to save on jewelry, buy the week before Christmas, not the day after. In all honesty, I don’t need that coat or those boots today. For now, I am leaving them in my Shopscotch account. When that email alerts me to the sale, I will know I am getting the best deal—regardless of what day it is, or even if it’s not the holiday season.

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Once you've got your Shopscotch button installed, you'll want to start using it!

Shop online at your favorite fashion stores and look for things you like. When you've found something you might want to buy, click the Shopscotch button when you are on that page and a popup will come up. If you’re not logged into Shopscotch yet, you’ll be prompted to login, and then we’ll start tracking that item for you right away. If you’d like to share what Shopscotch is tracking, choose one of the social buttons and share away!

We'll watch the fashions you like and let you know when they are on sale.

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How to Sign Up to Shopscotch

Here's a quick video on how to sign up to Shopscotch. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to start saving money on the fashions you love. Happy Shopping!

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Shopscotch Launches

Have you ever spent too much time shopping for the best deal online or in stores? Do you find yourself skipping the purchase of a really nice jacket, or a well-fitting pair of pants because it’s not on sale? What if there was a way for you to know when your most wanted clothes and accessories were on sale? Guess what? There is.

I am excited to introduce Shopscotch, an online service that tracks clothing, shoes and accessories, then lets you know when they go on sale. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it saves you money.

I am a shopper. Like many of you, I spend hours combing through the mall for the perfect pair of shoes, dress, shirt, jacket, etc. But more recently I find I don’t have time to go to the grocery store, let alone the mall. With two young boys at home and commitments to my local community, I just don’t have the time to shop. Added to that is the cost of raising a family—when I do shop; I need to find the best deal. So, I started shopping a lot online. More and more I found myself on the computer late at night searching for the best online bargain. I checked and rechecked websites for the best deals. I purchased clothing on sale, only to have the price drop even further a week later. And I quickly decided there had to be a better way. Simplify your shopping life with Shopscotch. It’s an online service that monitors the pricing of the clothing and accessories you want. To start, sign up at Shopscotch.com and install the Shopscotch button in your browser. Using the Shopscotch button, add products to your account from various online retailers, and sit back and relax. Shopscotch will alert you to sales via your email. Say goodbye to late night searches, sale racks, and crowded malls. Say hello to more time and money with the click of a button. Welcome to Shopscotch. Megan Ollenberger Co-Founder/CEO