[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Philo, Evernote, and Grooveshark) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

I’m a sucker for a great deal. Put me in any store, and I’ll usually head straight for the clearance section first to see what kinds of awesome deals I can score and brag about later to anyone who will listen (“Oh, you like my boots? Thanks! They were on sale for only $25, the last pair, in my size! Isn’t that amazing?” Yes, I’m sort of obnoxious).  The internet has made it even easier to find great deals through designer discount sites—but there’s a new one out there now that might have all the others beat!

Part sample sale site (Rue La La, Gilt Group), part deals site (like Groupon), FashionStake provides its users with deep discounts (usually 40-60% off) on designer clothing and accessories.  However, unlike other sample sale sites, which offer price reductions on last season’s fashion, FashionStake features serious markdowns on next season’s styles. We’re talking stuff that hasn’t even hit stores yet! Read More »

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.

Jewelry can make or break an outfit. This is fact. It’s a great way to spice up your usual uniform (jeans, black v-neck, black flats – I know it all too well), assuming, of course, that you don’t go overboard and look like you went shopping in your grandma’s closet (tchotchke heaven).

This season there is no better way to reinvent some old pieces in your wardrobe than by adding some bling bling. Right now jewelry is big, it’s bold, it’s bedazzled, jeweled and animal printed. It’s also ridiculously over-priced at so many places. But those aren’t the places you are going to be shopping, because it is so easy to find pieces for cheap that look like they belong in J.Lo’s closet. Read: bling blingin’ on the cheap cheapin’.

So before you go spending $150 on a necklace you claim will give you seasons of love, come to terms with the fact that in 12 months time, you will more likely than not have moved on out – Jeffersons style – to something that’s a lot less animal printed. So why spend $150 when you can get the same bangin look for $15?

Yeah, I thought so. Read More »

I’ve heard of them all: Gilt Group, Hautelook, Rue La La, Ideeli… The exclusive, invite only “sample sale” sites that promise hot labels to a select group of shoppers at a reduced cost. Once you snag an invite, they seem like a win-win, right? Chi-chi clothes at recession prices! But like many things that seem too good to be true, the cons might outweigh the pros.

Love ‘em:
Obviously, there’s the appeal of getting cheap, cute, designer clothes without having to get out of your pajamas. Or bed. A few weeks ago, Hautelook had a Primp boutique and I flipped out. $88 thermal leggings for $20? Perfection. I figure I can wear them for future online shopping, um, trips. I also probably wouldn’t just waltz into Neiman Marcus or Bloomies sans makeup (and chic outfit) just to check out the Chloe dresses or Gucci purses without any intention of making a purchase…but doing so online is totally acceptable!

The sites also feature a large variety of designers. Sure, these sites feature well-known, crave-worthy brands like Marc by Marc, Seven For All Mankind and Oscar De La Renta, but they also have some surprising finds. Rue La La has offered Birkenstock and Lululemon boutiques, Gilt features Rachel Leigh jewelry, and Hautelook highlighted Ecoskin. It really can’t get better than old favorites and new finds. Read More »

Being a poor college student sucks…except when other people notice and begin to cater directly to us and our needs. Like the student rate at the movie theater, or Apple’s sweet discount for college students.

Now take the excitement you feel when you get your movie ticket for $10 instead of $12 (wooohoooo!) and multiply that by the thousands of discounts you can get by joining my new favorite discount site just for students, StudentRate.com.

Did you pee your pants yet? (I’m sure they can get you a deal on some new ones!)

This fab new site allows college students to take full advantage of their school ID – all from the coziness of their own dorm rooms.  Even better? The user-friendly layout lets us search deals by category, location, “What’s Hot,” and by browsing keywords to see what pops up.  Of course, the site is free to join (what’s the point in saving money if you have to pay to do so?), so there’s really no reason NOT to take advantage.

Here are some of the best money-savers that I came across in my latest visit to the site: Read More »

Ever since I was given a fistful of dollars and a ride to the mall to buy my own school clothes, I was a thrifty shopper. I liked the new stuff too, but once I discovered that, by looking in the right places, I could find better quality things for WAY less money, I was hooked, and thrift stores became my new shopping mall. Now, when I say thrift store, I don’t necessarily mean Goodwill or Salvation Army, though I have been known to find some killer stuff there too. (I happen to live in New York, and I’ve gotta say, people get rid of some top quality clothing.)

A step above that are second-hand stores like Buffalo Exchange and Beacon’s Closet; really excellent spots for finding top notch clothing at a fraction of its boutique price. The great thing about these places is that they have very high standards of quality, so you’re not going to find anything with rips, stains, holes, or anything else like that. The key is being able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Just because something has a designer label stitched into it, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the genuine article. Here is what to look for in your quest for honest to god designer clothing. Read More »

[Every week 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 are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to.

All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire ensemble. Yes, we know; there is a spot for her in heaven.]

I may be one of the few who truly loves Private Practice. Come on, people; don’t tell me you don’t dream of a doctor’s office filled with smokin’ docs! I also love Kate Walsh’s Bob. It’s chic and fresh, but still long and girly (unlike our pal Posh). And it looks so easy to deal with (unlike my unruly fro).

And now, not only am I jealous of Kate Walsh’s job and hair, but I’m jealous of her ‘fit. Cause it is just so cute. She looks totally fashion-forward for a day about town, which makes me believe that we can do it too!

But it’s a recession and we can’t afford to buy a $200 skirt! So leave it to me (your trusty budget fashionista) to break it down and find it for us all on the cheap: Read More »

My friend and I decided “to hell with this recession!” and did a little shopping this past weekend. Well, discount shopping (I’m not totally frivolous). Stops included Nordstrom Rack, Off 5th, Loehman’s and, my personal fave, H&M.

Upon walking into H&M, where I was looking for some basics, I was visually assaulted by something so outrageous, I didn’t know what to say. While my friend was sifting through a pile of spring sweaters (read: throwing all the sizes she didn’t want on the floor), I was frozen in my place, staring at what couldn’t-possibly-but-so-totally-was a zebra jumpsuit.

Yes, you read that right. Zebra. Jumpsuit.

If you have been to an H&M in the last few months, you have probably seen this before. The saleslady, who came over to assist me in my state of shock, explained that the jumpsuit had recently become H&M’s biggest seller. “I don’t get it, but the minute they come in they are sold out.”

I had so many questions:

“Why?”

“What?”

“Are girls getting too lazy to pick out a shirt and a pair of pants?”

“Isn’t it more difficult to pee with that thing on?” Read More »

JC Penney may not be the same maven of style that is, say, Fifth Avenue, but they have recently rolled out with a few things that are definitely worth a second look. And a purchase. And some instant gratification from wearing it all right outta the store.

Their newest lines come from tons of fabulous, fashionable designers like, Nicole Miller and Ralph Lauren. They are trendy, good quality and easy on the wallet. I don’t know about you, but I’d take a $15 top over an $80 one any day. With prices like these, I can get triple the wardrobe!

Here are a few highlights from JCPenney’s newest collections. Click on the look to get the deets…and buy the item. Read More »

A new school season is here, which means more than new books, new cute boys in class and new dorms. Back to school clothes are one of the most essential things on your list of “To-Do’s” before you pack off for another year of learning and debauchery.

So, where to look for the best finds, as well as the best prices? Check out these stores and, if they’re not near you, pop on their websites!

Target – This is the mini-mall of a college girl’s dream. Here you’ll not only find the best bedspreads and towels, snacks and sodas, but you can now also peruse the clothing section, which seems to be coming out with new high-end-like lines every other day. With prices ranging from $9.99 and up, you’re sure to find some cute basics and exotic prints at this fine, serious leap from Wal-Mart.

Marshalls/TJ Maxx - Get ready to dig, dig, dig, but dig with the best of them because if you do, ladies, you can find the best Seven Jeans, Joe’s Jeans and Theory shirts all for a quarter of the price than on the racks at Nordstroms and Bloomies. Who said we can’t have designer trends in college, despite our almost empty pockets? (Why, I was just in Marshalls today on my lunch break – productive, I know – and I snagged a pair of Joe’s Jeans for just $69.99, a quarter the price than the $200 plus pairs at Bloomies!) Read More »