In case you've been living under an enormous, soundproof rock this week: Sarah Palin is back. And she's everywhere you turn, promoting her tell-all biography, "Going Rogue," and addressing the hot-button subjects of Levi Johnston, Katie Couric and the infamous hundred-thousand-dollar wardrobe.

Concerning that last subject, the New York Times turns to a voice that we actually haven't heard before: the fashion stylist who engineered Palin's campaign trail wardrobe. In a fascinating sitdown, Lisa Kline explains away some of the bills.

When financial experts are recommending canceling vacations, cutting cable and staying far away from restaurants to save money in the recession, it's easy to guess what they'd think of frivolous expenses like, say, holiday trinkets and decor.

But before you let a budget-minded humbug talk you out of decking your halls this holiday season, you might want to check out fredflare.com. The site peddles inexpensive, quirky holiday tchotchkes and treats guaranteed to charm hipsters and homemakers alike.

After months of anticipation, Jimmy Choo will touch down at H&M on Saturday, and the store's expecting that the masses will start amassing while it's still dark.

According to the shopping guide on the company's Web site, lines of people are expected at all participating stores, and shoppers will be let in 160 at a time for limited shopping periods.

Sounds complicated, right? Well, you only have to worry about it if you live near H&M's outposts in Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Hollywood or Costa Mesa, CA. Those are the only stores carrying the line of tailored frocks, hardware-bedecked bags and, of course, reptilian stilettos.

The Jimmy Choo for H&M designs cost up to $300 at H&M, compared with $400 to more than $1,000 for regular Choos at other retailers.

So what to do if you live in one of the other 48 states and you're dying to get your hands on the goods? Here are a few out-of-the-shoebox options.

If you're a fan of the purse-leasing site Bag, Borrow or Steal (now called Avelle), you'll be thrilled to hear that two Harvard business school grads have just launched a company that extends high-end renting to your wardrobe, according to the New York Times. The service, called Rent the Runway, offers red-carpet brands like Catherine Malandrino and Lela Rose -- for fees that are as low as 1/10 of the retail price.

If the idea sounds fabulous to you, don't get too excited yet. The best you can do right now is join RTR's membership waiting list. Until you're accepted, you can't even browse the inventory -- and membership is far from guaranteed. RTR is working with a limited inventory and probably won't be able to accommodate, say, 10,000 members right off the bat -- especially hundreds of them are likely to clamor over the same latest Alexander Wang frock or Peter Som cardigan.

The phrase "personal shopper" inherently has a certain air of snobbery about it, calling to mind that wealthy aunt who always bought the best Christmas gifts but whose over-the-top get-ups elicited constant eye-rolls from your mother. No more. J. Crew has quietly rolled out services that bring personal shopping to the masses -- by not charging for it.

For guys, there's "Jack Knows Best." Here, male customers can read basic tips on blazers and bowties from a company stylist -- but they can also email him about specific sartorial conundrums at jack@jcrew.com.

Think your ever-prepared colleague who's already bought and wrapped all her gifts has an impressive jump on the holidays? Consider this: electronics mega-chain Best Buy started prepping for Black Friday, the official, chaotic start to the holiday shopping season, in August.

That's when the company sends out a Black Friday "Toolkit" to each of its stores, summarizing the company's ticketing and security procedures, according to company spokesperson Scott Morris. The Toolkit is followed by several autumn "rehearsals," which simulate the day's events, he said.

And now, with the big day just weeks away, the company is tanned, rested and ready, and looking forward to what it hopes is a bright spot in a dark retail year

Big Apple fixture FAO Schwarz, once besieged by financial troubles, is back -- and starting today, its magic is available to kids all across the U.S., thanks to Toys 'R' Us.

The New York Times reports that the toy megachain, which purchased FAO Schwarz earlier this year, is launching Schwarz-branded boutiques within 600 of its stores. The online boutique launches today.

The selection consists of high-end items in classic categories -- collectibles, stuffed dolls and dress-up are all among the categories. So how can Schwarz's somewhat retro -- and pricey -- wares compete in a market that often revolves around the latest Wii game or miniature iPod?

One word: grandparents.

No, seriously. Grandparents, the official sponsors of rocking horses, model cars and American Girl dolls (the historical ones, mind you!) are the last sales stronghold for timeless toys. They appreciate the Schwarz brand, love helping their grandkids build collections and believe that toddlers don't need their own mp3 players (they're onto something there).

So note to Toys 'R' Us: push FAO Schwarz to the senior crowd. They get the magic, and they have the means -- after all, if there's one type of spending the recession can't puncture, it's the kind grandparents do to spoil their grandchildren.

Itching to spend? Go shopping online -- and we don't mean on an e-commerce site.

The New York Times reports that consumers formerly known as shopaholics are acting out their old retail lust in cyberspace -- outfitting their Second Life, There or IMVU avatars in the latest Jimmy Choo stilettos and Gucci bags.

Target has drawn in consumers by putting spaghetti, shoes and stereos under the same roof. Next up in its quest to marry shopping and convenience: a target.com library of online magazines -- complete with links to the products featured in them.

The "Target Newsstand," which you can browse through, has already launched, although those aforementioned e-commerce links won't materialize until 2010.

So what's in it for Target shoppers -- and magazine readers -- in the meantime? The site's subscriptions to online versions of publications like Elle and Woman's Day seem pretty cheap -- most are less than $10.

But are the discounted, e-reader versions of your favorite magazines actually good values? We chose 10 titles and decided to find out.

The release of the "Sex and the City" movie sequel may still be seven months away, but brace yourself for the onset of what's sure to be a nauseating barrage of promotional efforts. And at the reins of it is none other than the film's megawatt star, Sarah Jessica Parker.

WWD reports that Parker's third fragrance, SJP NYC, will hit stores in May, timed to the sequel's release. What's more, Coty, the fragrance behemoth behind the scent, is already "working with the film's producers and distributors to leverage the relationship."

As fans of the franchise probably remember, the 2.5-hour, big-screen version of "SATC" gave A-list exposure to a dizzying array of products (see Vanity Fair's roundup). And since the film grossed more than $500 million worldwide, you can bet brands will be elbowing their way into the sequel any way they can.

Here's hoping that any tie-ins between the launch of SJP NYC and "SATC 2" will occur way, way off-screen.

I'm 99% sure the creatives behind the film have too much class to write Parker's fragrance into the script. But if Carrie spritzes herself with the contents of a zebra/paisley/flowered bottle before she skips off to the rumored Stanford-Anthony wedding, I'm walking out of the theater.