[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities (like everyone's favorite not-so-reality star, Lauren Conrad) are spending $5,000 and more on an ensemble, you an spend way less...and save the rest for Margarita Mondays.]

Lucy Hale is steadily climbing her way up the Hollywood ladder, propelled by the awesomeness that is Pretty Little Liars. It has everything that Gossip Girl used to have – suspense, dark humor, compelling story lines, and high schoolers who are way too attractive. Yes, I am obsessed (and still bitter over the demise of GG, but that’s a whole separate rant).

In addition to killer acting skills, Lucy has a totally banging sense of style. She can rock trendy and sexy looks just as easily as elegant, classic, preppy looks. Since it’s finally, finally, spring, I am totally excited to gush over a hot summer look. Read More »

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities (or trying-to-come-back celebrities, like J-Lo) are spending $5,000 and more on an ensemble, you an spend way less...and save the rest for Margarita Mondays.]

Lake Bell isn’t exactly an A-list actress, although she has been working steadily for almost a decade (most recently, you may have seen her being hilarious in No Strings Attached). However, she is definitely A-list in the fashion world, as her red carpet style has been garnering her tons of accolades for the past few years. She has a reputation for having a quirky style that is different from a lot of other starlets around her age. And I like quirky.

I also like cheap, which works out well for me, because Lake’s uniquely gorgeous outfit is easy to create on my meager college budget. Read More »

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities (or faux-lebrities, like Kimmy K) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you an spend way less...and save the rest for Margarita Mondays.]

After the longest winter ever, it is finally March. Spring starts in three weeks (!!!), and I am beyond ready to put my winter clothes into hibernation. I love tights and scarves and boots as much as the next girl, but I’m too stoked for vibrant colors, sundresses, and open toes…

So when I saw an outfit Rachel Bilson went for a stroll in, I pretty much spontaneously combusted from glee/envy. We all know Rachel is one of Hollywood’s most consistently stunning fashionistas, and once again, she does not disappoint. Read More »

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities (I'm talkin' bout you, Olivia Wilde) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to.]

I am completely in awe of Vanessa Hudgens. If my four-year long relationship with Zac Efron had ended, I would have fallen off the face of the earth. I would have gone on a bender that would make even Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen stop and side-eye me. My only mission in life would have been to redefine trainwreck. There’s no way I would have stepped out in public on a regular basis looking even more gorgeous and stunning than ever. And yet, that is exactly what Miss V did.

I bow down to her post-breakup prowess.

Vanessa has always had a shabby chic aesthetic that I love. She’s all about pieces that flow with her body, nothing too overwhelming or overly constricting. (Guess she’ll fit in well next Fall?) Her look is flattering and easy to put together, while still being visually intriguing and fresh. Layers and great accessories are staple elements of a Vanessa-inspired outfit and with a little savvy online shopping, I’ve layered and greatly accessorized one for myself. Read More »

[While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.]

Ashley lives in the room next door to mine so I see her a lot. Yet somehow, every time I spot her in the hall (or lounging on her bed) she’s wearing something different that looks amazing on her. Ashley’s got serious style. She not only knows what looks good, but she knows how to put things together that other people wouldn’t think of. And it always works.

The thing I probably love most about her fashion sense is that she always looks unique. She takes trendy pieces and makes them all her own, something I think we all wish we knew how to do. Plus, she’s not afraid to mix colors, patterns or styles and she always makes it look so right. If you see her around campus and you’re a fashionista, take notice; you’ll probably get some awesome ideas for how to spice up your wardrobe. Read More »

Who inspires your style? Or better question, WHAT inspires your style? Many of us use celebrities (like Khloe Kardashian) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more, well, you!

I’ve seen a lot of movies in my 19 and a half years on this Earth, and no character has ever inspired me like Kate Hudson’s in Almost Famous.  (If you haven’t seen it, you must. Right now!) This movie is based off of the rock and roll music scene of the early 1970s and Penny Lane, the leading lady/groupie, represents this era with her free-spirited, eclectic-yet-chic bohemian wardrobe.

We’ve come a long way since Penny Lane’s time, but the bohemian look has stuck around, cycling in and out of fashion every year. And I can’t help but love it.

No matter the decade, this style is very wearable, whether to a theme party or to a long day of classes. The key to not looking too costume-y is taking some of the quintessential 70s items and mixing them with a few modern pieces. It’s easy to incorporate the elements of the early 70s rock era to your look with vintage flowers, classic flared jeans, sunglasses (Aviator or Elton John-style,) a furry jacket, and many different styles of boots. All of which are seen everywhere right now. Corduroy, velvet, and suede were also very popular back in Penny Lane’s days (or when our parents were our age, drinking Coors and listening to some Led Zeppelin) and can easily be picked up and incorporated into your own Boho-chic look as well. Read More »

If I could raid any two celebrity closets, it would have to be Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s. (Actually, they probably share a closet so I guess I would only need to sneak into one, right?) Oversized sweaters (on top of more oversized sweaters), heavy rings that weigh down their fingers (all ten of them), the highest Louboutin heels and the brightest red lipstick.

Sigh. I think I’m drooling.

How many times have I tried their look but always walked out the door looking like a clown? (Actually, on second thought, let’s not talk about the amount of times I’ve done that.) The truth is, no matter how hard I try, I never look like Mary-Kate or Ashley. It’s such a letdown. And while some people think their style is beyond bizarre-o, I happen to think they know more about fashion than half the “fashion designers” out there (are you reading, Lauren Conrad?). Read More »

[While everyone is fabulous in their own right, we thought we should celebrate the campus fashionistas of the world for their continued excellence in not looking like a hot mess for class. So, we started stalking those girls on campus to get a few pics and get some tips on their personal style.

And maybe a restraining order or two.

But it’s worth it to highlight fresh, unique wardrobe choices that show personality and the courage to wear what you believe in.]

She’s a senior and while she may be dealing with a bad case of Senioritis, her style certainly isn’t. No matter what time she wakes up in the morning – sometimes ten minutes before class…and sometimes ten minutes after it’s started – Jessica always stays fly and manages to pull on something cute. Even if its her simple staple look – one of her many v-necks, a scarf, and a pair of comfy jeans. She just makes everything look good. What got me to notice her in a sea of students wearing jeans and v-necks, though?

Her hot pink Longchamp bag and a fantastically contrasting bright scarf. This girl just knows how to stand out.

Name: Jessica
Year: 2010
Major: Political Science, Global Health Certificate
Jessica in 3 words: tongue-in-cheek, spontaneous, eclectic

1) Describe your personal style.

I’ve never really defined my personal style; it’s pretty eclectic and definitely varies with my mood. I’m from San Francisco and people sometimes tell me I have that easy-going West Coast vibe: skinny jeans, colorful Chucks, v-neck tee, and scarf. I love v-neck tees and have them in every color. Sometimes I’ll feel more girly and wear a pretty sundress with sandals or flip-flops (never heels, just too uncomfortable for me). I don’t know, I go through phases! I’ve been through a punk phase, a boho phase, a hipster phase…I don’t have much time to get ready in the morning, though, so I definitely go for something comfortable and easy to wear. Read More »

It’s (finally) June, which means shorts weather is fast approaching! I personally find it hard to spend a lot of money on shorts. I mean, they’re like 1/3 of a pair of pants for a similar price. Scam? I think so. Plus, they can only be worn for a few months a year. I’d rather invest in jeans or tops I can layer that work year-round.

This year, instead of hitting the mall in search of the latest trendy pair of shorts, stick with the pairs you already own and update them with other items that won’t spend 9 months of the year in storage. Read More »

If it’s one thing we’ve learned here at CC, it’s that all people are fascinating (Yes, even your econ professor). Let’s face it – people love to glimpse into the lives of other people. Disagree? Then please explain why you’re currently looking at your friend’s brother’s girlfriend’s cousin’s photos on Facebook. Or reading about the latest Chris Brown/Rihanna dramz in this weeks’ tabloids. Yeah we thought so.

Fact is we connect to others by learning about them. And everyone has something to share (even if it a story about a particularly embarassing fall…in a dress). So to give you yet another reason to procrastinate, we started ‘The Five Questions We Ask Everyone’ (and five just for that one person) because we know whether we’re schmoozing with an A- list celeb or your local bartender, you’ll be equally entertained.

Style expert and entrepreneur Ashley Thompson, 29, enjoys a life immersed in the international fashion scene as both a forecasting fashionista as well as the owner of New York City’s well-known shopping hotspot, Owl’s Lab.  Some of those sporting her goods include industry icons such as Mary-Kate Olsen, Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey, Maggie Gyllenhaal and more.

Owl’s Lab has been featured on TLC’s “What Not To Wear” and in publications such as Vogue, Teen Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, Lucky, US Weekly, In Touch Weekly, New York Post, New York Daily News, E! Online and Daily Candy.  It also holds the title of one of the Top 100 Boutiques in New York City (Lucky Magazine, August 2007) and is listed as one of NYC’s five “Best Bets” boutiques alongside Phillip Lim and other notable women’s fashion destinations.

Ashley knows fashion, so we wanted to get to know Ashley. Read More »