The Look for Less: Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson looked comfortable running errands in LA last week in her leggings, t-shirt, and black waterfall cardigan. Although her look was dark, she livened her outfit with a red Miu Miu bag. Her outfit is well over $1,000 and I have decided to create the look for less! I noticed that she wear leggings, and although I have nothing against leggings, I don't like that she wears them with just a t-shirt, so I have opted for a black skinny jean. The whole outfit I created costs about $200...which is not bad considering it includes a pair of leather boots! Click on the images to see where you can purchase them! [photo source: justjared.com]

The Look for Less: Leighton Meester

I've always admired Leighton Meester's style. She can always wear the most simple things, and yet look really stylish and fashionable. While filming for Gossip Girl, Leighton was sporting an adorable double breasted Betsey Johnson coat, which retails for about $350. I was inspired by her entire ensemble, and decided to go deal hunting. Below is what I found for much less--in fact the entire outfit costs less than the coat itself. I mixed and matched apparel from Target, Forever 21, and Wet Seal and created this entire look for $145 (Click on images below to see where you can purchase these items). This may seem pricey for some, but remember that all these items are versatile and can be worn with other outfits! [photo source: justjared.com]

Word of the Day: Lamé

la·mé (lă-mā’) n.--a fabric of silk, wool, or cotton interwoven with metallic threads, as of gold or silver.

Fab Trend: Gladiator Heels

Last Spring/Summer, I was introduced to the gladiator sandal. I must admit, I did not like them at all, but after seeing people wear them, they have grown on me. Even though I love flats, everyone that knows me knows that I would much rather be in heels than in anything else. So when I saw the gladiator sandal transform into heels, I knew I had to have a pair. I have tried on so many pairs, and although I love them all, I haven't found the perfect gladiator heels that meet my criteria: affordable, comfortable, and made of decent quality. Sometimes the heel is too chunky or too short, or the color doesn't look right, or the style isn't what I'm looking for. I want my shoes to be multi-functional: I want to be given the option to wear them with jeans or with a dress.

Last week, I entered my look book to a fashion website, and surprisingly won top 3. As my prize, I have received a $100 gift certificate to Zappos.com, which is an online retailer that specializes in selling shoes (but have now expanded to clothing, accessories, and handbags as well) of all styles, sizes, widths, and colors. I began my search for the perfect gladiator heel, and have found so many styles that I am in love with. I have posted some of my findings below (click on them to see where you can purchase them), but I think I have narrowed my search to the last 2 images below. The first one is by Jessica Simpson (in brown) and the second one is by Nine West (black patent). Although both styles come in various colors, I want to go for a basic color so I can wear it with everything. Which pair do you think I should go for? Comment below!

Kitson Boutique: Online Sale up to 70% off!

Kitson, a boutique on Robertson Blvd. in LA, has become a celebrity hot spot over the years. I have only heard about this store in the tabloids, with celebs such as Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Courteney Cox coming out of the store carrying an infinite number of shopping bags. While I was briefly living in LA, I knew I had to visit Kitson and see why celebs were so crazy about it. They had their regular apparel (jeans, t-shirts, dresses, shoes, bags), but I was surprised to see that they had home furnishings such as candles and pillows too. There were definitely things that were really expensive, but there are accessories, tees, and shoes that are within an affordable price range. Even though I left the store empty-handed, I still check back their website to look for sales. Upon checking their website today, I was flabbergasted to find out that Kitson is having a sale with merchandise up to 70% off! To check out the complete sale, click here. Below are some of the items that I would buy! Click on the images to enlarge and to be redirected to the site so you can purchase these items.

"Fashionista to the Core" baseball cap
$4.99

Little Miss Chatterbox underwear
$3.99

Little Miss Stubborn Underwear
$3.99

Milly Gray Cashmere Ruffle Cardigan
$98.00

Little Miss Bossy T-shirt
$9.99

Sam Edelman Yellow Croc Flat
$41.00

Seychelles shoe
$49.00

Jefferey Cambell shoe
$47.00

Patent Cuffs
$29.95

Looking for Discounted Designer Merchandise?

Last year, I was telling a friend about my love for designer clothing, and she recommended that I go to Jeremy's Department stores. I went to the San Francisco store (the other store is located in Berkeley), and was overwhelmed with the amount of merchandise (both men's and women's) they had. The store had 2 levels so I was immediately excited with the potential Gucci, Galiano, and De La Renta I would encounter throughout my shopping experience. When I walked in, I saw this large black Gucci top handle bag with tassels for only $400. Now I know that may seem pricy, but I know for a fact that bag retails for about $1200! I knew I couldn't afford it, but I asked to see it anyway so I could inspect it (see first image below to see the bag I'm talking about). There was a piece of plated hardware that was missing, but other than that, it looked pretty good to me! I would have probably taken it to a Gucci store and ask it be fixed. Since it's only $400, taking it in to get fixed would still cost less than the retail price. There were also brand name shoes such as Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Marc Jacobs. A friend recently purchased Marc Jacobs wedged heels for only $35! Jeremy's isn't limited to only designer labels. There are great basic tees, sweaters, and tops too for a very affordable price.

According to the website, the merchandise is inexpensive because they could be sample sales or past season's stock. Some items are damages, customer returns, or items that department stores can longer use such as those used in window displays or ads. There were so many great finds, and this is one of the places where you have to sign up for e-mail updates so you can find out what shipments are coming in. For more information on store location, hours, or to sign up for e-mail updates, check out the Jeremy's website here.

Gucci Handbag. Retails for about $1200. Jeremy's price=$400!

Ooh La La it's RUE LA LA!

I was recently invited to join this website called Rue La La, which is an "online destination where Members discover premier-brand, private sale Boutiques, each open for just a brief window of time." Rue La La features online sales of high end brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, and Diane Von Furstenberg. However, these sales only last for 2 days at a time and it's only while supplies last. This morning, I received an email telling me about the Marc by Marc Jacobs sale, and upon opening up the website (this is only 5 hours into the sale, mind you), all the sunglasses, watches, and a good number of the shoes were already sold out. These items are deeply discounted, but that does not mean that they are dirt cheap! Shoes that were originally $465, are now being sold for $150. When I opened up the Diane Von Furstenberg sale, I feel like the items were sold at a better deal--dresses that were $350 are now on sale for about $140. But hurry! There are only 19 hours left in the DVF sale and 1 day and 19 hours left in the Marc by Marc Jacobs sale. In the next few days, sales will include brands such as Vera Wang Lavender Label, YSL, and Missoni. It is important to note that sales operate on East Coast time, so if you want to get your hands on your first choice, then you would have to wake up early! If you would like to join Rue La La, comment below, and I will send you an invitation! Happy Shopping!

Below are some of the items that are featured on the Rue La La website:

This DVF button down top is $78 originally $185


This DVF Matte Jersey Dress is $138 originally $345


This Marc Jacobs pendant is $55 originally $98


This Marc Jacobs belt is $108 originally $228

Fab Trend: Going Tribal

On a recent shopping trip, I've noticed a lot of ethnic, tribal prints popping up in several stores from Forever 21 to Bergdorf Goodman. These prints are in all types of merchandise--shoes, accessories, clothing, and even furniture. Incorporating colorful prints into your wardrobe will take your outfit from drab to fab (I couldn't resist the rhyme)! I'm really into pairing up patterns with a really simple outfit. For example, if you're sporting a basic black shirt and dark washed jeans, then I would add a pop of color by wearing these Oscar de la Renta ikat flats (see below) or that amazing clutch from Target (see below). Don't over-do this trend by piling on the Navajo-inspired necklace with the ikat shoes, and the printed bag, and the beaded top. That will be fashion overkill! Remember that simplicity is key and adding in that something extra will make you look effortlessly fashionable. Click on the images below to see where you can purchase these items!