(Courtesy of Bloomingdales.com)

It happens once a year, but it’s today: Save 15 percent on your purchase at Bloomingdales.com during its Fashionable Fundraiser to support amFAR’s AIDS research.

Bloomies is making a $75,000 donation to amFAR and discounting thousands of items 25 to 40 percent as part of the Fashionable Fundraiser sale.

To get 15 percent off (or 20 percent off if you’re a Bloomies cardholder and you spend more than $300), just enter code FFSAVE at checkout. But hurry, because the code expires at midnight.

BCBGMaxAzria “Graphic Waves” Side Shirred Dress, $118.50 at Bloomingdales.com.

(M.J. Prest/EthicalStyle.com)

Earlier this summer, I became a thrifting convert. I was aware of the budgetary and environmental benefits of snapping up gently used clothing, but I always viewed the thrift-store scene as too much work for too little payoff.

That was before I figured out how to play the game. And so was born the “Goodwill Hunting” guide to successful thrifting.

The best part? Today I realized every last thing I was wearing (aside from undergarments and shoes) was thrifted. These items have become just that integrated into my closet. The striped sailor tee set me back only $3. My $5 vintage cross-body purse is genuine, thick Italian leather in the richest buttered rum color. The Salt Works bootcut jeans? Originally retailing for $175, I paid a mere $6.

All that means I managed to put together a reasonably presentable and totally recycled outfit for $14. And that’s not counting the $10 Seven for All Mankind black jeans, the $4 Michael Stars long-sleeve tee, the $4 cashmere-blend cable cardigan, and the many $3 real leather belts I’ve also adopted into my wardrobe over the past month.

My secret is threefold: patience, pickiness, and perseverance. I flip through every item on the rack, and I never go into the store unless I have at least half an hour to browse. For every 20 things I pick up, I try on maybe one and from those, I like maybe one out of every three items I bring into the dressing room.

And ultimately, with finds this cheap, I almost never have to choose between one item and another. If I like it, I will buy it without putting a serious crimp in my shopping budget. Because the one thing I can’t afford when it comes to blink-and-it’s-gone clothing is non-buyer’s remorse.

Give & Get has become a summer tradition at the Gap line of stores, and 2010 is no exception.

From August 26-29, you can save 30 percent off your purchase at the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and their respective outlets — plus Gap will donate 5 percent of the purchase price to one of six sponsored charities. And you get to pick where the money goes!

This year, the lucky beneficiaries are Big Brothers Big Sisters, Feeding America, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria/Project RED, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Teach for America, and the World Wildlife Fund. We’ve had our issues with the Gap’s manufacturing policies overseas recently, but if you’re a charity-starts-at-home type, this promotion will generate thousands of dollars for American nonprofit groups.

Here’s how you participate: Visit the Give & Get website and select the charity you want to support. Then you can print your coupon and use it in stores (unfortunately, it’s not valid online). You can also refer your friends to the website so they can share in the love and great discount.

It comes just in time for back-to-school and stocking up on fall fashion!

Banana Republic Faux Wrap Dress, $98 at BananaRepublic.com.

Navy TOMS are a classic ethical purchase, and today you can get them half price from KaightShop.com, courtesy of Lucky magazine.

That’s just $24 for a comfortable pair of kicks in versatile navy that the company will match with a shoe donation to a child in need. Wear yours with jeans, skirts, khakis, shorts — you name it.

Just click here, add to your cart, and enter code LUCKYDAILY2 at checkout for the discounted price.

We love it when one good deed leads to another, and following in TOMS Shoes’ charitable footsteps comes the Portland-based 141 Eyewear, a eyeglasses company that donates prescription glasses to people in need.

Kyle Yamaguchi, one of the company’s co-founders, tells us:

The premise behind 141 is simple: For each pair of 141 Eyewear purchased, we give a new pair of glasses to a person in need. No portions of proceeds. No percentages. One Four One.

Our entire line is handcrafted in Japan from the finest plastics and materials; so we aren’t asking our consumers to sacrifice quality or style to make a difference.  I think we do a great job of combining a great fashionable product with a great cause.

Earlier this year, the founders traveled to typhoon-ravaged Taiwan and fitted 200 people for glasses in its first 141 Eyewear Clinic. More clinics are to come, so this is one company worth keeping an eye on.

The peak of summer can be a hard time, scent-wise. Especially if you live in a city, the heat can turn scents that you could otherwise ignore — like a coworker’s perfume or the pizza place next to your apartment building — into an overwhelming sensory experience. And not a good one.

Luckily, there are an absolute ton of refreshing and eco-friendly bath and body products to look forward to at the end of a brutal day. Perk up your senses with one of the following:

• Start a spa night off on the right foot with a pick-me-up bath. We love One’s I Need This! Natural Bath Fizzer ($5.99) for its zingy scent of lemongrass and totally recyclable packaging.
• Love the energizing smell of crushed fruit? Then you’ll want to dig into the Cranberry and Pomegranate Sugar Scrub ($13) by Burt’s Bees. The exfoliator gets down and dirty on dry patches and calluses, and the ingredient list is practically edible.
• Work on your tan without heading to the Hamptons with a generous application of Lavera’s Self-Tanning Lotion ($19.86) — which gradually builds your healthy glow without the use of nasty chemicals or an even nastier fragrance.
• Lavanila’s products are already well-known among eco-beauty cultists, but now you have even more of a reason to buy up. For every product sold through its website, the company will plant a seedling through the Nature Conservancy. Our pick? The lushly floral Vanilla Blossom perfume ($58), which combines rose, orange blossom, and jasmine with Madagascar vanilla.

We’re not sure how Philanthropist Boutique stays in business, but for the moment we don’t care. The San Francisco shop offers hot items from popular contemporary labels — among them 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alice + Olivia, Catherine Malandrino, Derek Lam, Issa, Marc by Marc Jacobs,  Marchesa, Rebecca Minkoff, Splendid, and Thakoon. So far, so good, but lots of boutiques sell these brands.

The twist? All of the profits are donated to Bay Area charities. That would be 100 percent. Wow!

The lucky beneficiary changes every three months, taking online votes into account. Currently it’s the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, a nonprofit group that offers pro bono legal counsel to those in need.

Be sure to check out the online sale rack, currently packed with summer sundresses and pretty blouses.

Philanthropist Boutique, 3571 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, Calif. (415) 441-1750.

(via GOOP)

Can’t photo editors leave Crystal Renn alone?

As you can see in this unedited photo, there is nothing wrong with the model-of-the-moment’s body. Ms. Renn is now a size 10 but in her own words, she’s far healthier than she was in her anorexic days. And she’s getting more work than she knows what to do with.

Big-name labels aren’t hiring her despite her curves, but because of them. So why would photographer Nicholas Routzen make the editorial decision to digitally shave several dress sizes off her frame for the Passion for Fashion charity campaign?

Ms. Renn herself has no idea, as she tells Glamour of her reaction to seeing the finished product:

I was shocked. When I saw the pictures, I think I was silent for a good five minutes, staring with my mouth open. I don’t know what was done to those photos or who did it, but they look retouched to me. And listen, everybody retouches, but don’t make me into something I’m not. …

But in the new pictures…well, that body doesn’t look like my body. It doesn’t. Having had an eating disorder, I know what that very thin body looks like on me, and it’s not something I find attractive. It’s not something I aspire to.

I feel completely confident in my own health because I know I don’t look like that, but even to see it in an image was really disturbing to me.

(Photo comparison courtesy of The Cut)

About a month ago, we wrote our first guide to successful thrift shopping. We got such great feedback on it that we decided to expand it into a full-length feature. For the uninitiated and the intimidated, read on to learn the tricks of the thrift-shopping trade.

—-

(Courtesy of TheVintageSociety.com)

Whenever I travel to a new place, I always check out the local thrift store — Goodwill, Oxfam, hole-in-the-wall charity shop, you name it. Not only does your purchase raise money for a good cause, it’s the most affordable and unique place to score a souvenir, and it’s interesting to sort through what the locals have worn. (You also get major coolness points back home for being able to say “Oh, I picked this up in Argentina” or “I found this in Paris,” knowing it’s a one-of-a-kind.)

Even at home, thrifting can be a deeply satisfying way to spend an hour or two. In fact, I only ever go into a thrift shop if I have cash on me, because I know I will walk out of there with something in hand.

My favorite thrift shop is divided into women’s and men’s sections, and then organized by tops, pants, skirts/shorts, dresses, coats, accessories, and activewear. It’s also in a ritzy area that’s pretty much split between retirees and young people, so having an idea of the local demographics is helpful in knowing who’s likely donating their stuff. (Indeed, this shop has plenty of brand names, from Seven for All Mankind to Eileen Fisher.)

I love the idea of rehoming unwanted clothes. It reminds me of an animal shelter in that way — they have plenty to offer for the person who has the inclination to give a new treasure the attention it deserves.

Intimidated by the lack of organization or squicked out at the thought of wearing other people’s castoffs? Fear not. There’s one central principle in the art of thrifting, and it’s called “compromise.”

In short, enter a thrift shop with the broadest possible idea of what you’re after. It could be a beaded bracelet, a trench coat, or a clutch purse. Then head to each section and assess your options.

I find the best way to shop is to do a sweep of the entire store first, grabbing anything that catches your eye. Don’t overwhelm yourself with options — once you reach 5 or 6 items, stop and try them on before roaming unexplored territory. That way you can edit your choices as you go, and you might later discover the perfect skirt to wear with the tank top you’ve already settled on.

There are a few pieces that deserve special consideration before you buy. Touching everything and trying each item on for size is key, especially if you’re still developing your eye for determining how a garment hangs on the rack will translate when it’s hanging on your body. Inspect every inch for stains or other defects that you know you won’t be able to repair; loose threads and missing buttons are one thing, but a funky smell is quite another. White shirts and dresses in particular must be searched thoroughly; check for yellowing, food stains, and sheerness, because you won’t be able to fix those problems. Have some faith in your DIY skills, but don’t bite off more than you can chew.

You can also use thrift shops as a means of procuring cheap clothes to alter and upcycle, or even just for the thrill of a bargain It’s remarkable how your price ceiling adjusts when everything is objectively inexpensive, because I’ve been known to balk at a $25 price tag on a coat before. Yet where else can I find a well-made coat for so little?

Above all, keep an open mind. Making the mistake of adhering to too specific a treasure hunt means you won’t give a second look to items that are truly special.

Great news for TOMS Shoes lovers! The line is now available at Nordstrom, meaning more mainstream shoppers will be introduced to the do-gooder shoes.

Nordstrom.com currently stocks some of the classic styles as well as the metallic glitter slip-ons, the men’s “Harbour Cordones” lace-up sneakers, and the peep-toe espadrilles for women.

And as always, for every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need. So head to Nordstrom to spread the love and show off your pedicure at the same time this summer.