File this under: What Took Them So Long? A new web site is renting special occasion designer dresses a la Netflix, just in time for your holiday parties!

Rent the Runway is the genius idea of two Harvard Business School grads -- women, of course! RTR loans out the high-end duds for a four-day fling for as little as $50 (or up to $200, pricey by our standards but maybe you'll feel the thrill of wearing a $1,000-plus dress is worth it). The dress is shipped directly to your doorstep with a prepaid return envelope and the price includes dry cleaning (they do it -- one less errand for you).

Not sure about the size or style? Each gown comes with a "fit kit" that includes bra strap adjusters and double-sided tape, and an on-call stylist to help you decide. An extra size of the same dress is provided at no extra charge, or an additional $25 will get you a second style as a backup.

The one beef we have is that there's a waiting list for "membership," though when you sign up RTR promises to "get you in -- and into one of our dresses -- as soon as possible."

Here’s a new kind of Thanksgiving dressing...clothing made to wear on your annual holiday shopping sprint. God bless the legions of moms who rise before dawn and make their way, coffee in hand, to Toys R Us, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart.

I confess, I have never had the energy, since I always host a whopping big dinner the day before -- or should I say the night before, since the last relative rarely leaves before 10:00 p.m. But I have a friend who goes every year with her neighbors, and they try to make it a girls’ morning (night? It’s still dark when they leave) out.

If you, too, make a tradition of dashing to door-buster sales with your pals, donning these celebratory duds will add to the fun. Or at least, squash the temptation you must feel (admit it) to bag the whole thing when the alarm goes off. ("We bought outfits! We have to go!")

Head to Black Friday Apparel for the dish.

Buying sunglass online is risky -- a little tooooooo risky, if you ask me. I think there are just certain things in life, like cars and wedding cakes and... sunglasses... that you need to test drive before purchasing. The people at Ray Ban think so, too. They have created a downloadable program that will let you try on sunglasses in a virtual mirror. You just take an image of yourself on your web cam, so you can see how the shades look on your face when you're moving your head. Thank you, Ray Ban. (Now can you invent something to stop us from losing our sunglasses once we've bought them?)

If you don’t feel cute in your workout clothes, you’re that much less likely to go to the gym. That’s especially true if you’re pregnant and feeling like an overgrown pear, and yet studies show that exercise during pregnancy can lead to a quicker labor and delivery, and an easier time shedding those postpartum pounds.

That’s why we’re loving Zobha’s maternity line of yoga tops and pants. The well-designed tops show off shoulders and provide extra support with a built-in shelf bra. And the bottoms – fortified with lots of stretch and support – sit below the belly, making them a good bet for postpartum workouts too (nothing screams maternity pants like a big ‘ol belly panel). One note: this line tends to run small, so buy up a size.

$64 to $78, available at zobha.com.

If you watched Season 4 of Bravo's Project Runway, then you're no doubt familiar with the hilarious, confident, and ridiculously talented winner Christian Siriano, who this week fully launched his debut maternity collection, called (what else?) Fierce Mamas. This flirty line offers a wide range of styles, including ruffled silk chiffon dresses, soft cotton maxi dresses, jersey T-shirts, versatile tunics, and linen casual suits, all incorporating Siriano's signature innovative touch. All of the interchangeable pieces are priced under $300, so pregnant bellies everywhere can have a touch of fierceness at an affordable price.