Tag: frugal

Fab Finds Friday!

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Can you believe we are already 10 days into the new year?!  I can’t!!  Time flies when you’re having fun, right? 🙂

I am certain that, like most people, you may be engaged in upholding some new year’s resolutions, or have set goals for the year; unless of course, you are the wiser, and decided to just live your life the way you want to live it! Haha!

I did not actually resolve to do anything specific this year, but did join in on some fun on Instagram (IG).  One of my IG friends, Jen, started the #2014closetremixchallenge.  The idea is to NOT SHOP for ONE WHOLE MONTH!!!  AH!  I know; the idea of ME not shopping for an entire month seemed completely outlandish/impossible/flabbergasting, but I figured, eh, why not give it a try?

So, I am 10 days into not shopping, and to tell you the truth, I have yet to go through withdrawal!  I was scared to quit cold-turkey, but honestly, it has not been as bad as I anticipated it to be.  In fairness, it is probably helping that I am head deep into manuscript and grant writing, so I really HAVEN’T had the time to peruse my usual websites and step foot into my favorite stores.  But, I will say that it has helped me to better assess what is already in my closet; made me aware of the fact that I had several items with price tags still on them; and, that I had pieces of clothing and accessories that I love, but had not worn in years!  Perhaps I needed this challenge more than I imagined!  THEN, this happened…

Don’t worry, I didn’t fall off the challenge wagon!!  Instead, I opened my inbox this morning (btw, thanks Gmail for creating a tab for ‘Promotions’ so that all my store emails are in one place and not mixed in with my work emails!!) and was confronted with several emails from stores alerting me to their fab sales!!  Sigh.  Everyone said I would be crazy for vowing to not shop this month because the sales would be SO amazing.  Well, it turns out they were right!!

Anyway, just because I have vowed not to shop, doesn’t mean I should keep YOU from doing so!  So, as an act of public service, I figured I would put together a few of my favorites and pass them along to you!  I am, afterall, a giver. 🙂

Below are some of my picks (all items under $50, one as little as $2!!) based on the emails I received this morning.  Links are listed below the collage of items.  Credit to the incredibly stylish Marce (@lawyercouture) for the tip on the Ann Taylor Faux Fur Collar!  Of note, all the items are at least an additional 40% (discount applied at checkout)!  The only exception is the Lotus Boutique necklace (black stone necklace with red shirt), which along with other items on the site, will be on sale tomorrow during the flash-sale taking place from 10am-12pm CST! Use promo code FLASHSALE to get the discount! You heard it here first!!

Have fun shopping and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for outfit styling inspiration for your new purchases!!

Have a great weekend!!

Fab Finds Under $50

Mixology

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Mixology – mix·ol·o·gy (m k-s l -j ). n.  Most commonly referring to the art of mixing drinks (e.g. as in bartending), ‘mixology’ is a term that is often applied to fashion as well.

I’ve previously blogged about my love of labels and the reasons I prefer brand name/designer items over non-brand name items.  Affected by long-term memory loss?  No worries, refresh your memory, here. 😉

Anyhow, I realized after putting together a few of my outfit layouts on Instagram, that I too am a mixologist!  I love to pair high-end items with non-designer items.  It is not uncommon for example, that I would choose to pair a Forever 21 dress with a Chanel bag.  The idea simply is to – in the words of Tim Gunn – ‘make it work’!

Here are some of my favorite outfits; examples of mixology in action:

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Bag, MAC Daddy Rebecca Minkoff, purchased for $185, originally $395 (Saks, here) // Dress, Dorothy Perkins, purchased for $29 (DorothyPerkins.com, here) // Shoes, Cole Haan Nike Air Heels, $37, originally $328 (Nordstrom Rack, read about them here). Cost: $251 (saved, $516).

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Jacket, $17, originally $42.50 (Forever 21, old) // Dress, $12, originally $27.50 (Forever 21, old) // Bag, $250, originally $1275 (Balenciaga, eBay, old) // Shoes, $89, originally $325 (KORS by Michael Kors, TJMaxx, here).  Cost: $368 (saved, $1302).

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Top, $15, originally 22.50 (Forever 21, old) // Skirt, $22, originally $89.50 (JCrew, here) // Belt, $10 (Lotus Boutique, old) // Heels, $12, originally $89 (Nine West, eBay, super old!).  Cost: $59 (saved, $142).

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Dress, $15, originally $79.99 (Maggy London, TJMaxx, old) // Jacket, $15, originally $37.50 (Forever 21, old) // Belt, $69 (C.Wonder, here) // Tights, $8 (Hue, TJMaxx, old) // Shoes, $42, originally $98 (BCBG, TJMaxx, recent), Necklace, $20, originally $365 (Kenneth Jay Lane, eBay, old).  Cost: $169 (saved, $411.49).

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Jacket, $15, originally $37.50 (Forever 21, old) // Dress, $12, originally $22.50 (Forever 21, old) // Shoes, $89, originally $325 (KORS by Michael Kors, TJMaxx, here) // Necklace, $20, originally $365 (Kenneth Jay Lane, eBay, old) // Bag, $800, originally >$2500 (Chanel, eBay, old).  Cost: $936 (saved, $2314).

In general, I tend to purchase less expensive clothes and invest in bags and shoes.  Bags and shoes tend to have better resale value on eBay, so I won’t shy away from spending a little more on those items, since I can guarantee reselling them for at least 75% of my purchase price.  As you can see, though, even my high-ticket items were either purchased on sale or purchased in pre-owned state on eBay (stay tuned for my post on eBay buying soon, including how to tell fake from authentic items!), so I make sure to save even when buying designer items.

Most recently, I was made aware that my ‘mixologist’ tendencies come through, not only in my outfit layouts on Instagram, but in past blog posts as well!  As a dear family friend, Chic in Academia reader, and fabulous fashionista (let’s call her MDF 😉 ) recently put it,

“Your ideas and smart shopping guides show me that one doesn’t have to go crazy spending lots of money or be extremely wealthy to wear higher-end designers’ clothes or accessories. Love how you mix and match, for example when you combine a designer’s accessory with a not too expensive garment!!!”

I hope that this post  – as well as prior blog posts – inspire you to think ‘cheap chic’ when considering spending outlandish amounts of money on high-end clothes, accessories and shoes!  Never pay retail!!

Be a savvy shopper and shop stores like TJMaxx, Ross, Nordstrom Rack, or Marshalls for designer labels at low-end prices.  Also consider consignment shops, online community resale websites like Poshmark and Threadflip, as well as eBay for amazing deals on designer labels.  For clothes, my low-cost staples often come from Forever 21, Target, and small boutiques like Lotus Boutique or Francesca’s Collections, as well as from eBay!

Remember, you don’t have to spend a million bucks, to look a million bucks. 😉

Finally, IF you thought these outfits were still too expensive for your taste, stay tuned for another post where I style 5 outfits with at least one item purchased for $5 or less!!

-Stay Chic!

Steal vs. Splurge – Elizabeth and James Heels!

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Bargainistas, I’ve got another Steal vs. Splurge for you!

D’orsay heels have been popular for years, though currently re-emerging as a popular heel to wear, paired with everything from skinny jeans to leather jogging pants (yes, such a thing exists!).

A few months back, I came across this pair of Elizabeth and James D’Orsay heels on Shopbop.

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Sadly, at $325 a pair, these heels would remain on my ‘covet’ list.  Since then, the heels have been discounted a bit, but the 40% discounted price ($195) is still too much for my budget to bare.

 

 

 

So, I was beyond excited when I came across this ‘luxe for less’ version!

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Currently sold at Forever 21, this version is selling for only $36.80!  Much more reasonable than the ‘discounted’ $200 price tag on ShopBop!  What’s more, I was ordering online and – as usual – Googled ‘Forever 21 promo code’ and came across this 10% off, plus Free Shipping code: RA9TT7.  The caveat:  Using this code makes your items FINAL SALE, so make sure you are familiar with Forever 21’s shoe sizing before ordering.

 

 

Here’s a side by side comparison:

Heels v2

Pretty similar, right??  You’re welcome, again (version 3.0). 😉

P.S. – Follow me on Instagram to see how I styled the Forever 21 version of these heels with office-appropriate outfits this past month!