Michelle Williams has had a pretty great year. Between receiving oral from Ryan Gosling and being chosen to play Marilyn Monroe in a critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film, I’d say she’s probably one of the luckiest ladies in Hollywood. I’ve been a huge fan of hers since she was the tortured girl next door (not named Joey Potter) on Dawson’s Creek, and I love that she is getting so much recognition for her talent and beauty. Read More »

Even though Olivia Palermo hasn’t graced our TV screens in a while, the paparazzi is still following her around. I don’t know why, but she’s stylish and I covet many of her ensembles, so I’m cool. She’s like the American Kate Middleton, but way more visually interesting (and personally I think she has better hair). Read More »

Ladies across the pond are so stylish. Seriously, the two times I’ve been to the find island of Britain, I’ve gorged myself on fashion. Primark, Whistles, River Island…and Dorothy Perkins! These so-called “high street” shops pump out gorgeous pieces at reasonable prices. Forever 21 is starting to catch onto the trends these stores follow, but we still don’t have a retailer quite like these magical places. Luckily for us in North America, there is online shopping! I was browsing the Dorothy Perkins website and came upon these beauties. I instantly knew that they needed a feature!

Made of faux suede, these little booties are the perfect addition to your fall shoes; the burnt orange shade just screams “autumn!” The ’5 heel will give you quite a boost in height, but don’t worry about destroying your feet. The ’1 platform takes a lot of strain off your feet and makes it feel like you’re only wearing a ’4 heel. Even though most people associate heels with evening, when you begin to go to job interviews or meeting professionals in your field (even professors), it’s a good idea to wear heels or fancier shoes.

Let’s start with daytime.

Click picture for all the shopping deets!

For daytime, start with a pair of dark skinny jeans and a cute printed blouse; bonus points if the print has the same burnt orange shade! This one has a bow and a print with birds – so adorable! If you tend to get cold, wear a sweater or cardi in another bright shade. This purple one complements the orange really well. Add a roomy satchel and simple gold jewels and you’re ready!

And now evening.

Click picture for all the shopping deets!

For night, start with a plain white long-sleeve and add a black pencil skirt. The lace overlay of this one makes it very lady-like and dainty. You could even go wild and choose a bright color like pink or blue for the skirt! After that, it’s just accessories: a clutch that matches your outfit (hence the b&w patent), a gorgeous pair of feather-inspired earrings, and layered chains. You don’t have to keep your jewelery in the silver or gold family; mixing makes you look brave and funky.

And that’s it! I kept the shoes the star but didn’t shy away from other fun elements. Check these boots out at Dorothy Perkins for about $75. Happy styling!

Rachel Bilson never fails to impress. She always makes fashion look so simple and easy. That’s what all of my favorite fashionistas have in common. Even if they spend 5 hours on their outfits, it always looks like 5 minutes. True style is a reflection of your personality, so it shouldn’t look forced or uncomfortable. But enough with my philosophizing, let’s get to the clothes.

gray blazer - Macy’s, $34.99; gray hobo bag - New York & Co, $11.99; black booties - DSW, $9.94; denim shorts - American Eagle, $29.99; boyfriend shirt - Lands’ End, $19.99; sunglasses - Forever 21, $5.80

Blazers always make me swoon, and I’m totally jealous of wherever Rachel is that it’s cool enough to even wear one (why does summer have to be soooo hot?). This gray one is perfect for layering. Boyfriend shirts will never go out of style, and they always look sexy paired with a blazer. Denim shorts make this look more summer appropriate, and take it towards a more casual place, especially distressed ones. Black booties add a little rock star/Taylor Momsen-y edge, which fits in very smoothly with this ensemble that flirts very coyly with “grunge.” Accessories include a great, functional, cute little gray bag and classic wayfarer sunglasses. It’s an interesting outfit for day or (especially) for night that combines comfort with sexiness.

[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.]

90210 starlet Shenae Grimes is an undercover fashionista. She’s not someone who’s all over the fashion rags or in red carpet photos, and it’s not like 90210 ever got the same fashion cred that Gossip Girl ever did, so no one exactly goes out of their way to check out what she’s wearing. That said, she has a really interesting, yet attainable style. She combines flirty, feminine, and whimsical pieces with darker, edgy, menswear inspired pieces to create eclectic, multi-dimensional looks. Read More »

I’m not a girl who’s skilled enough to wear heels. I’m not sure what the problem is, but every attempt at stiletto sex kitten I’ve ever made has resulted in scars of the physical and emotional nature. My knees and my pride may never recover from past attempts, but a wise woman once told me what her 24 years had taught her: it’s all about the wedges.

Why should you have to give up feeling confident and sexy because those heels in your closet look better as a prop then when you try to wear them out? OK, so they make your legs look like the hottest stilts in the world, but how hot do you look waddling in them until you trip and smack your face on a keg and have a black eye for the first week of classes? Wedges could have saved my cousin.

And these are the hottest pair of the season. The lace up wedge is so on trend right now, and this Steve Madden pair just won’t quit. They have the awesome height, the sexified peep toe, and an added hole (peep heel?) in the back. The above-the-ankle cut makes them PERFECT for wearing with leggings to completely avoid the dilemma of wearing tights with exposed webbed toes; the legging will totally disappear under the lace-up ankle of the wedge and – voila – you’ve the appearance of opaque tights that allows you to show off the pedicure you splurged on. Read More »

[When moving into either a dorm or an off-campus apartment, your wardrobe will face two major challenges: 1. A major lack of funding (to add more to it). 2. A major lack of storage space.

For these two reasons alone, maximizing what you do own becomes essential. That's why you need to learn to Shop Your Closet. Each week, I’ll show you how to wear 1 item 3 ways – with the stuff you most likely already own! – to get the most out of your purchases.]

Fashion is all about recycling trends (which is why I kick myself when I think about all those leggings I got rid of in the ’90s ). One decade that made a strong reappearance during the Fall/Winter 2010 runway shows was the 1950s.  With the overwhelming popularity of Man Med, this really comes as no surprise; I mean, Banana Republic has a line to accompany the show! The re-emergence of the ’50s style means it’s time to break out the full skirt! But rather than looking like you’re an extra on Mad Men or a month early for Halloween, it’s important to know how to wear it right. Read More »

I hate to admit it but fall is almost here. Major tear.

But while I’m not excited for midterms, wool coats, shivering on my walk to class and being too cold to drink iced coffee, I am excited for boots (and really excited for Pumpkin Spice Lattes). I know, its not easy to think about knee-high boots when you’ve got sweat building up in the crook of your arm (just me?), but right now- while you’re still in summer mode – is really the best time to stock up on boots for the season:

1) Because you can find good deals.
2) You can find whatever you want in your size.
3) You’re so sick of dirty flip flop feet, you just want something soft and buttery covering up those toes.

Those three reasons were good enough for me to go on an Internet shopping spree from my bed last night. And I found some major gems.

This season, embellished boots and more masculine lace-up boots are totally in my closet. Doesn’t seem like you? Wrong. You can wear these little guys with anything. Pair them with leggings and a long button down for the day, or pair with a flirty feminine look for a nice juxtaposition of girly and boyish. Read More »

I don't blame her - Chanel is pretty delicious.

Who or what inspires your style? Many of us use TV characters (like Adriana La Cerva) or movie characters(like Queen Gorgo from “300″) 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 you!

Alexa Chung is more than just your average British socialite it-girl sitting front row for every designer during London’s Fashion Week.  She’s actually doing pretty cool things! All over the place! When she isn’t busy being a model, being the contributing editor of British Vogue, or supporting numerous charities, she’s working on her TV career with her most notable MTV show from this past summer (that you probably didn’t watch) called, It’s On with Alexa Chung. Even though it was canceled after one season (hey, we can’t be great at everything, right?), she now gets to focus on what she’s truly good at: fashion.

Take one look at Alexa and you know she knows oozes fashion. When asked about her style Alexa says, “I guess my look is generally quite preppy, like school girl meets grandma and a skanky older brother.” It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Alexa’s willingness to mix anything with anything always comes out looking totally awesome. And her fashion bravery is totally inspirational to all of her fans who want to look just as effortlessly cool. Read More »

Hard to believe that in only 2 days we’ll be ringing in the new year and it’ll have been a decade since all that Y2K mumbo jumbo.

I know; that whole “only 2 days” thing freaked me out, too. Not because I’m not ready for 2010, but because I’m not ready for NYE. I’ve been so busy unwrapping presents and relaxing in front of the TV that I have yet to secure a NYE-worthy ensemble for the big countdown.

But it’s OK. As usual, Forever 21 has come to the rescue with some pretty fantabulous frocks and smocks for under $20. So grab that wad of Christmas cash (don’t worry, you won’t need much of it here!), and head over to the mall. Here are some of the goodies our BFFs at F-21 have to offer for the big, bold and boozy night. Read More »