We are loving little cardigans right now. Partly because First Lady Michelle Obama is such a fan; seeing her wear them so often makes us remember how cute they are. (She’s wearing her favorite cropped Azzedine Alaia black cardigan here during her visit to Europe. Photo from New York Magazine.)And partly because this time of year is notorious for buildings not getting the a/c quite right. You go to work and it’s cold at your desk, but by the afternoon you’re hot and bothered (and not in the good way).

So we’ve dropped by a bunch of our favorite stores to check on their cardigan supplies. Our only sweater rule, besides the fact that they must be irresistible, is that they be appropriate for work. We chose (more…)

The Style Insider is into nesting now. We have taken down the tree and put away the way-too-many boxes of decorations, and we’re ready to do something fresh and new. January is the traditional month for white sales, so we’re presently enchanted with comforters and duvets and about 100 pillows, maybe even some Euro shams tucked in the back. And if you’re feeling frugal, come along anyway — we’ve found some very pretty ensembles that have the looks of their big-city cousins.

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We love Vera Wang, she of the quiet, beautiful wedding dresses, the lavender ribbons, the chic clothes that are actually - OMG - wearable. She who knows that pretty is not a sin. She who peeks almost hesitantly from behind the scenes of yet another gorgeous runway show, and then designs an affordable line for Kohl’s that embodies the same philosophies.

We’re about to nominate her, however, for our 2009 Bigger Than Martha Award, given to a celebrity becoming ubiquitous enough to risk overexposure.

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Starting to sweat? You have a little more time before you must admit online defeat and head to the mall for those last gifts. We’ve found several that are cool and pretty cheap, too.

We’re swooning for these organic cotton knit throws, which are made in Portugal without dyes and would complement nearly any decor. Order them in sea spray, neutral or clay, and relax into a luxuriously pretty present. At West End ($49, above).

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We are thankful that we were not up at 4 a.m. today in order to stand in line at one store in order to get out of that store by 4:45 a.m. in order get to store No. 2 by 5 a.m., and so on until we dropped. We suppose Starbucks could step in and save us somewhere in the black hole between 6 and 7, but honestly, we’d rather be in bed.

If you are one of the amazing souls that hit the stores this morning, we salute you. You are probably taking a nap right about now, happy in the knowledge that you have filled your Christmas list with things that said “40% off before 9 a.m.” But if, like us, you are a bit of a slacker, you can still accomplish amazing things online. Most of the major stores have online specials today, and some sweeten the deal with free shipping.

Here’s a guide to black-Friday shopping without alarm clocks, traffic or crowds:

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We’re always keeping an eye out for stylish bargains and great sales. This week we’ve found a handful of handbags, all for less than $50:

1. Kohl’s has a faux snakeskin hobo bag by Relic that’s a bit shiny, with black patent trim, on sale for $33.60 (it was $48).

2. Botkier is that very pricy, hip designer line that has a Target line of bags that look a lot more expensive than they are. The roomy gray faux python satchel even has a cell phone pocket, for $28 (it was $40, pictured left).

3. If you want a splashy colorful statement bag, look no further than Betsey Johnson’s Betseyville canvas tote, complete with pink spotted straps, a wild girly graphic and her signature metal tag. It’s $43.50 at Macys (pictured, right), originally $58. 

4. Piperlime is a great site for bags and shoes, and they also have great sales. This Jessica Simpson Pacha tote was $99, and now it’s $50!

5. Another great site for accessories (and clothes, jewelry, etc.) is Amazon. They’ve got a lot more than books! We spotted a sporty RuthMichael blue Bali slouch purse for exactly $50.

The most recent big-name designer to launch an affordable line of clothing via a major retailer is Vera Wang. Her Simply Vera line was launched at Kohl’s with much fanfare early this fall, and it is a surprisingly broad lineup of offerings that are pretty darned stylish and timeless. Demand has been high, but you can buy some of her pieces from the Kohl’s collection online for a discount. The website for the Simply Vera line of clothes, accessories, jewelry, intimates, sleepwear and even home items offers a lot of options. The price points on Wang’s creations at Kohl’s kind of push the envelope for retaining that “low-cost” label ($128 for a long textured coat, $98 for a popular bubble skirt), but the looks are classic and she even offers an online guide to mixing and matching her items to get a chic, modern look. Don’t look too closely at the fabrics and the details, and you’ll think you’re wearing the real thing. This pendant pictured is $224.99 (it was originally $375) and the cabled sweatercoat you see here is $78. If you want to compare some of these looks to the designer’s high-end merchandise, peruse Vera Wang’s website.