Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Splurge vs. Steal : Studded Tote Bag


From celebrities, to fashion bloggers, to the average girl with a savings account big enough to splurge, Mr. Valentino's genius Rockstud collection has everyone coveting. Valentino created perfection when he blended classic ladylike with a little bit of studded badass-ness. Unfortunately for this girl... a rockstud goodie is way out of my budget with starting prices in the thousands. BUT, luckily, there are many designers who have taken to knocking off this popular design and studs are all over everything this season. 

For those of you who don't know yet, TJMaxx launched an e-commerce site last week! Maxxinistas rejoice (and start crying for your bank account)! I was super excited to shop online at one of my favorite stores and I was even more excited when I found a fantastic rockstud knock off at a fabulous price online! I ordered the bag and just got it today. 

What do you think? 

Splurge     |     Steal  

$2,075.00            $34.99  


                


Also, I found these Rockstud 
sandals at my local TJMaxx! 
Such a steal at $399.99 but unfortunately 
still out of my budget, so I had to pass. 




Thursday, September 19, 2013

Splurge vs. Steal : Quilted Leather Jacket

You know that perfectly stitched, fabulously chic, quilted leather Chanel bag with the gold chain that almost everyone thinks of when they think of the Chanel brand?

Well if you don't here's what I am talking about:

This season, designers have swiped this fabulous quilting 
and used the technique on everything from boots, to bags, to bomber jackets. 

One of my favorite places that it has been used is in fabulous leather jackets, that possess similar iconicness and chic factor. I fell head over heels with a version by Haute Hippie but the 'fabulous factor' of the jacket comes at a hefty price of $795 (way out of this girl's budget)! 

Guess who has a fantastic version at a much more affordable version of a quilted leather jacket? MARSHALLS! Check out the version below compare to the Haute Hippie version $49.99

Splurge   |     Steal        
$795  .00            $49 .99          





Monday, September 16, 2013

Splurge vs. Steal : Leather Leggings

I am LOVING leather this fall. Leather is super classic and goes with anything. You can dress it up, dress it down, make it feminine, make it tough... it's always chic. This fall it's also a trend in a huge way. I have been looking for some great leather leggings to wear with heels and a trendy top for work and have found so many splurge worthy options, but haven't found many affordable options that don't look super cheap.

I was also a little apprehensive of the whole wearing leather pants thing and potentially having 'sticky' issues...

 Or maybe I am just remembering the sticky situation
Ross from Friends had when he
 wore leather pants (see below)



 I  took the leap and tried on a pair of the J.Crew Collection leather legging, and I LOVED them. The were super comfortable and felt like butter, but the price is crazy! One of the best more affordable options I have found were these ones below from Blank Denim which I tried on and liked, but just wasn't ready to commit yet. 

What do you think would you take the risk with leather pants?
 The steal is pretty similar to the splurge right?


  Splurge     |      Steal
  $695  .00                $98 .00
            


and for a super steal... 

Check out these fabulous faux leather leggings from Nordstrom!
$28.00 



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Rock it at any age : Cabernet

This fall cabernet is HOT. This classic color looks good on anyone. The rich color brings out each persons skin tone differently, and flatters accordingly. The color is being use by designers in EVERYTHING: watches, handbags, shoes, jackets, jeans, leathers etc. (See my previous post about my favorite cabernet picks!) I thought it would be fun to show that this color trend can really work for anyone and any age. I put together a few outfit suggestions for different ages that I thought were great ways of incorporating this fabulous color while also keeping in mind age appropriate attire.


      20’s                     30’s

           



       40’s                   50’s

      


Workspace Wednesday

I have been thinking about a workspace makeover for some time now... 
and would love for my color palette to be blues and whites! 
Here are some of my favorite things I have found 
that would be perfect for my new space.



Inspiration Photo via Polyvore

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Splurge vs. Steal : Denim Jacket

The Jean Jacket: Is it on trend? Is it not on trend? I feel like I have asked myself this question so many times  and I never know the answer. I kind of talked myself into the idea of a denim jacket after coming to the conclusion that denim is ALWAYS a classic (if it is a dark classic wash of course) and therefore a denim jacket is a worthy closet staple. I searched for a few seasons now for a classic cut, dark wash denim jacket and had such a hard time finding one. I absolutely loved some of the designer versions from Hudsons, Joe's and True Religion, but I totally fell in love with a Rag & Bone version. Guess where I found an off brand version almost identical to Rag & Bone's (that I actually even like more!)? Of course, at TJMaxx. 

Here is my Earl Jeans TJMaxx fabulous find compared to the designer Rag & Bone version:

Splurge       |       Steal
$330 .00                      $19 .99




























Monday, September 9, 2013

Color Covet: Emerald


  Emerald
I truly fell in love with this color senior year in highschool when I found the most perfect silk Calvin Klein gown to wear to my senior prom (it was emerald).  Emerald has been a pretty hard color to find over the years when shopping, but thanks to runway designers and fashion tastemakers, this year it has been a color trend in a major way! Here are some of the fabulous emerald inspirations for this colorful trend...



































Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Splurge vs. Steal : Studded Sandals

I absolutely loved these Michael Kors sandals when I first saw them this season, but there was no way I could justify the huge price tag for such a trendy shoe. I was super excited when I found these sandals (below) from Forever21 that were really similar and a much more affordable price! 
What do you think?


Splurge       |       Steal

$233.00                      $32.80
 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Transitioning like a pro: Summer Dresses


Let’s just be real…

on a hot summer day there is nothing more 
comfortable than an airy, breezy summer dress. 
I love dresses and have never been fond 
of retiring my summer favorites to the
 back of my closet once it gets colder outside. 
I was super psyched when I realized 
I totally don't have to! 

A great little summer dress isn't just for summer: Add a blazer, 
denim jacket or sweater and pair with some great booties or flats 
and your summer dress just made it's way into 
your fall wardrobe. 

Here are some outfits I put together for your inspiration. 
Enjoy! 







 Summer Dress 
Inspiration