Spring seems to be showing up rather early this year and it’s the perfect time to update your jacket collection. Substitute your heavy winter coat for this stylish motorcycle jacket by Parameter from Sine’s new e-commerce site.

Light weight with a front side zip, this jacket will keep you looking cool during the spring breeze and perhaps also appear daring. Comes only in black (my favourite color) at $148.

Until the end of March, all stylish partlySunny readers can enjoy 20% off on anything off the site with promo code “Spring20″. The e-commerce site can be found at: www.shopsineny.com

Sunny Shum, Your Industry Insider

 There are not a lot of thrift and charity shops quite like this one. Merci, located in Paris, has a very unique way of saying ‘Thank You’.

Founders Marie-France and Bernard Cohen opened their 16,000 sq ft doors, (yes it’s three very large floors) in March, 2009.

This luxury concept store carries everything imaginable from homewares, to books, to clothes, jewelry and art work. Vintage and new items are beautifully merchandised and mixed together for shopping ease.

Here’s the kicker, not only will you get 30% better pricing off retail, 100% of the sales are donated to a foundation benefiting impoverish children in Madagascar.

Talk about shopping guilt free.

111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 42 77 00 33

Sunny Shum, Your Industry Insider

Everyone is tightening the money belt nowadays and trying to shop smarter. Here are a few tips to make sure you stay within your budget and stay on top of trends:

1. It makes sense to invest in pieces that last you a long time and never go out of style, like tailored blazers, knee skirts, button shirts, boot cut jeans, sheath dresses, and button up cardigans. How do you know when an item is an investment piece? I always ask myself 2 questions: Can I wear this 5 to 8 different ways and am I able to wear it more than 3 to 4 times a week?

2. Shop vintage and second hand. Not only will you find some stellar and unique items, you’re helping the environment by re-using. … more …

I found something interesting. A group called “the 3/50 project”, who’s main gaol is to support and save local businesses in the United States.

Founded by Cinda Baxter, here’s what they promote:

3 | What three independently owned businesses would you miss if they disappeared? Stop in, say hello and pick something up that brings a smile to your face. Your purchases are what keeps those businesses around.

50 | If half the employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.*

68 | For for every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stay here. Spend it … more …

I found this really cool site that allows you to play dress up (and play interior designer) with no limitations!

Polyvore is a free, easy-to-use web-based application for mixing and matching images from anywhere on the web. It is also a vibrant community of creative and stylish people.

Once you become a member you can simply choose images, click and drag them onto the “canvas” and create your “collages”. You can save your sets and share them with the Polyvore community!

This is such a great tool to help you express your creativity and have fun without breaking the bank.

Sunny Shum, Your Industry Insider