And here I thought the discount Absolut was the best part of my Costco membership...

Chanel at Costco? STFU.

I thought the only thing of value they had there was the 40-pack of Trojans for a mere $10. Who knew that between the 80 rolls of Angel Soft toilet paper and the caskets, a myriad of designer brand names could be found at your local Costco warehouse?

New York City residents celebrated the opening of its first Costco by rushing the doors and buying out their stock of Louis Vuitton and Chanel handbags. Oh, did I forget to mention they had Burberry and Coach available for purchase as well? Shock me, shock me, shock me, Costco, with your fabulous merchandise. As if the Costco brand wasn’t designer enough already.

And it doesn’t stop there. 7 For All Mankind jeans? You got it. Michele watches?  No big deal. Paris Hilton’s latest perfume… well I’ll pass on that, but if I ever get the urge to smell like a Can Can dancer, I’ll know where to go.

Costco people are a special brand of human. We live life large. Extra large, if possible. Our carts are always filled to the brim with giant boxes of whatever we can get our hands on. And just when we thought life couldn’t get any better, Costco delivers us the crème de la crème of a shopper’s paradise.

These goodies aren’t available at all Costco’s nationwide (…yet), but I’m just happy to live in a world where it’s OK to purchase a discount case of hot dogs and a Chanel purse at the same time.

Here are my favorite shopping tips to don’t just save the environment, but they can also save you money.

Read on, my fellow “Frugalista” (thank you, Target.)

Shop in stores.  Preferably ones you can walk or carpool to.  Retailers get their shipments in bulk, which decreases the amount of packaging material used to deliver the products.  When you shop online, shipping costs (and all that wasted paper and cardboard) can add up quickly, so spare yourself and hit the local mall (with your reusable tote!). Be sure to try on before you buy so you can avoid the extra gas needed to return something to the store.

Look for local labels.  Try to buy from companies that are based in the your state to cut down on energy needed for transportation.  If that’s not possible, look for brands that produce their products within the United States.  American Apparel, C&C Cailfornia, Splendid, J.Crew, Lucky Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion, Juicy Couture, 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, and Rock and Republic (just to name a few) all manufacture their clothing in the U.S.

Shop smart online.  If you’re going to shop online, be sure you do it in an ecologically responsible manner by using the following tips.

Buy in bulk. Wait until you have a large order before ordering online or combine with friends to save on the environmental and financial costs of shipping.

Ditch the rush order stress. Plan ahead so you don’t have to choose expedited shipping over standard shipping rates.  This also gives the Postal Service a chance to fill up their trucks with packages before shipping them out.  More packages = fewer cross-country trips = a happy planet.

Choose your delivery address wisely. Be sure to have your packages delivered to a convenient address.  If you have them delivered to your apartment, for example, be sure that your roommates will be around to pick it up for you.  If they aren’t available, leave a note on the door telling the postman that he can just leave the package on the doorstep without a signature.  This avoids the annoying and fuel-guzzling trips back and forth to the Post Office.

Switch to Paperless Statements. Once all your earth-friendly shopping is done, you’re going to have to pay that credit card bill. But make Mother Earth proud and do it all online. No more 5-page bills coming to you in the mail. No more wasted paper (and money!) on mailing that check back to the company. It’s the greenest way to pay.

[Do you ever feel like you can’t pull something off? Have trendy pieces in your closet that you would never have the courage to actually wear out? Well take those pieces out, shake off the dust, and continue reading!

In this series, I will choose a different piece that can be difficult to incorporate into an outfit and give you ideas on how to wear it. If there’s anything you would like to read about in the future, please leave a comment!]

Is anyone else getting tired of skinny jeans? I mean they look great on people like Kate Moss and Nicole Richie, but for those of us without personal trainers rocking skinny jeans can make one feel a little self-conscious. If you feel more comfortable with a wider pant (something a little more forgiving of that 3 a.m. Chinese food feast), then I suggest my current favorite style: wide leg jeans.

Wide leg jeans are just as trendy as skinny jeans right now, but they flatter a wider variety of body shapes. The difference between a wide leg pant and a pant that is wide at the bottom (i.e. flared denim), is that they fall from the hips instead of the knee break. To me, this makes them seem a bit more dressed up than other pant styles because most dress pants are constructed similarly. However, wide leg jeans are definitely still appropriate for class or a night out.

If you are just purchasing your first pair of trouser or wide leg jeans, you are probably wondering what to wear with them. There are two keys to rocking wide leg denim:

1)Wear a fitted top. Too often I see people make the mistake of wearing a baby doll or other wide top with their wide leg denim and the result is: WIDE. This does not necessarily mean that you have to wear something skin tight, but you should put on a slimmer top to help balance out the wideness of your jeans. The tank on the left, from Abercrombie ,is an example of a shirt you should not wear with wide leg jeans, while the Arden B top on the right would be perfect.

2) Watch your hemlines. Perfect tailoring will make any pair of jeans look amazing, but it is especially important for wide leg pants. The hem of your jeans should just skim the floor to create a long and lean look. This means that you won’t be able to wear the same pair of wide leg jeans with your heels and ballet flats – you have to commit to one (PLEASE – no cuffing!).

My favorite brand for wide leg jeans is 7 For All Mankind. Both pairs are super comfortable and stretchy. For a high waist, try the Ginger style (left). If you prefer a lower waistline try the Dojo style (right). Both are available at Nordstrom.

This pair of jeans from American Eagle is also really cute (for only $50!). The best part is that it comes in Long, Regular, Short, and X-Long styles so you might be able to skip the tailor!

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