Designer Looks On A College Budget: Blake Lively

I have an embarrassing secret. I am absolutely addicted to Gossip Girl. I know it’s completely tacky and implausible, not to mention cheesy and melodramatic. But I can’t help myself. I CAN’T HELP MYSELF. Plus, the clothes are fantastic. And so, for this inaugural post I’ve decided to reproduce an outfit from an upcoming episode.

By Ccandyjessne

Yes, I’m aware not everyone can rock the shiny, skin-tight leggings look with confidence, but in this color, with a longer tunic, it can actually be pretty slimming.

So first, let’s look at an approximation of how much this would have cost with the original designer pieces. Now I’m just guessing here, but the leggings are probably Matthew Williamson Metallic Leggings, original retail price $230. The cardigan looks like this Edun Mine Sleeveless Cardigan ($155), and the gold loafers look similar to these Gucci leather “Britt” loafers ($440). The Chanel logo necklace probably retails around $500, so let’s say this original look cost around $1,325.

One of my favorite things in the world is finding cheap versions of designer pieces. It makes me feel like I cheated the system, and as ridiculous as it sounds, makes me feel more confident in my clothing. So I scoured the internet and found some cheaper alternatives for y’all.

First, we have this adorable racer-back sleeveless cardigan. The Gap has a similar one in navy, for $39.50. I actually like the navy better with this particular outfit, because it helps transition the entire look into a lighter, more spring-y look.

These leggings from American Apparel actually look exactly the same as the ones in the original outfit. At $34, they’re pretty pricey for leggings, but they’re an investment piece…you don’t really need more than one pair of these, and I think they’re going to get pretty big this year, so you’re ahead of the curve.

I really love the metallic gold loafers in this outfit, but they might not be everybody’s cup of tea. These slide moccasins from Target are a little more understated, but still echo the vibe of Blake’s loafers in the original outfit. Even better, they’re a steal at $17.99, and they are also great shoes for spring.

In the original outfit Blake is wearing a long Chanel logo necklace to add a little sparkle. Most of us can’t afford this, and it’s even less appealing if you’re not a label addict. I think a suitably cheap and adorable replacement would be this skeleton key necklace from Fred Flare, for only $12.

So our total, for the entire outfit, comes out to $103.49! That’s less than 10% the total of the original outfit. See how much better you feel about buying it all now? Happy shopping!