I’m going to be honest with you — my first thought after watching that Shopaholic film was ‘so this means if I got a credit card, I could have amazing clothes like that too?’

Definitely not the point, as every person I shared my revelation with was quick to point out. But what’s a shopaholic on a limited budget to do? Figure out how to do it on the cheap!  I’ve rounded up some less expensive alternatives to those pricey stores we all love in hopes that we can look super trendy, without being super broke.

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Any more suggestions?

It’s still not even officially summer for a few more weeks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t save on a new summer wardrobe now!  There’s a great sale currently going on at Express — the entire Summer Collection is 30-40% off! There are tons of cute dresses, shorts, tanks, t-shirts, sandals and more in the collection on sale!

I stopped in last weekend, and was amazed at both how much cute stuff there was and the great prices. I had to restrain myself from buying everything, but I managed t snap up a few great pieces, including a cute party dress that I plan on wearing to a wedding later this summer. While my new dress wasn’t under $20, there are quite a few choices that are — including all of these!

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m getting a little tired of this whole “April Showers” thing. Monday was supposed to be 70 (a huge deal for anyone living in New England), but what happened instead? Rain! Again! I’m ready for those sun shiny days, filled with beach cook outs and margaritas.

OK, so, truth be told, I’m not totally ready. I’ve been so scared of whatever is going on under my clothes that I haven’t ventured out for my yearly swimsuit shop-a-thon. I just haven’t been ready to face my thighs under those unforgiving fluorescent dressing room lights. And it turns out, it’s a good thing I waited, because had I nabbed my summer 2011 swimsuits back in February like I normally do, I totally would have missed out on the brand spanking new line of women’s swimwear at Express.

The new line, available only online, is full of the eye catching styles Express is known for – like bold prints (think metallic animal!), bright colors and ruffles – all at wallet friendly prices. And (don’t you just love when there’s an ‘and’?) they come in all sorts of styles: string bikinis, halter bikinis, monokinis and more.

And here’s the best part, ladies. Express is currently giving away 10 $200 gift cards for their swimsuit line! What do you have to do? Just subscribe to Express e-mail and you’re entered! (Get the full sweepstakes rules .) Can you even imagine what you could do with that money? I can. And it looks a little something like this: 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 (like "who the hell are you and why are you so beautiful" Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble you don’t have to.]

There’s no way I could continue to write a fashion column without highlighting Rihanna. This girl is one of the most eclectic celebrities out there. One day, the paparazzi snaps photos of her in suspenders and harem pants; the next, you could easily see her in a body-contouring mini-dress with 6-inch stilettos…going out to lunch.

Rihanna attained her fashionista status by being completely and utterly balls to the walls…how can you not love it?

However, the outfit I’m re-creating today is actually one of Rihanna’s tamer looks, because though you, CollegeCandy reader, are fabulous, you are bound to certain rules of fashion that do not apply to celebrities. Read: you can’t really pull this off for class.  But it’s still hot, not just in its own right, but relative to that tragic gaggle of girls strutting around campus thinking Uggs, leggings, and Northface = high fashion. Read More »

Ah green. The color of trees. And money.
And really, really cute clothes.

Everywhere I turn there they are, just staring me in the face. The clothes and accessories come in every shade and every style. From mini-dresses to bags, kelly green to army green to sage green, feminine to boyish – green is everywhere and green is cute. And now, green is cheap!

Green is also a great transitional color that complements your gorgeous summer coloring now and works well into the dreary days of Fall. Who doesn’t love a green lightweight sweater-dress with tan flat sandals now and paired with chestnut boots later? No one with good style, that’s who.

So here are some of my favorite budget friendly green pieces for you! Read More »

I’m in a lot of pain right now. I’d like to say it’s physical pain from all the hours I’ve been putting in at the gym, but unfortunately the unbearable heat wave has kept my butt right on the couch watching marathons of Say Yes to The Dress while internet shopping.

The pain I’m feeling you ask? It’s an emotional one, due to the fact that the back-to-school commercials and Nordstrom catalogs flooding my television and mailbox are making it painfully obvious that for the first time in my life I cannot justify an August shopping spree that empties my bank account because I’m not going back to school. Obviously in order to crack open the books and learn you need to have a new pair of leather boots, some go-to jeans and four adorable dresses. But if you’re not going back to school….well, what’s the point?

If you’re thinking this pain is going to cause me to skip the back-to-school sales, however, you’re wrong. Very wrong.

Of course I’ll have to deal with a small side of guilt knowing that I’m now just a struggling college graduate and not an eager student, but I’ve decided to throw self-control to the wind and go at the sales anyway. Shopping smart can take the edge off the guilt, and so I have my eye on pieces that can easily transition from work to play. At least every time I whip out my credit card I’ll be getting two outfits in one.

My first buy? The 2-in-1 Chiffon Vertical-Ruffle Dress from Express. I totally love the skirt and tank combo now and into fall and this dress takes all the guesswork out of planning an outfit by giving you the same look without the hassle of matching separate pieces. It looks as effortless as it actually is with a thin black tank melding into a high-waisted army green chiffon bottom complete with chic, cascading ruffles. For a perfect fall work ensemble I’ll tone it down with black studded flats, tights and a boyfriend blazer. Read More »

It’s that time of year again: The season of the skirt. In all honesty, shorts really aren’t my thing. Sometimes they squeeze in all the wrong love handles places and give me some serious wedgie dilemmas. That is why I have a great relationship with all of the skirts out there. They are girly, breathable, comfortable and wedgie-free. What more could a girl ask for?

One of my favorite things about summer is slapping on some sunscreen, shoving a towel and a Nicolas Sparks novel in my beach bag and throwing on a skirt and a tee. Then, come evening, all I have to do is slather some aloe on my arms, exchange the flip flops for some comfy wedges and hit the town for some summer lovin’. Care to join me/rub sunscreen on my back? First, take a lookie at these pretty numbers.  I promise they will not disappoint.

[Click on the skirt to get all the shopping info.]

Read More »

I’m in one of those (very sad) stages where I don’t actually need anything. I know it’s hard to believe. But with months of winter buying under my belt, I have leggings and cashmere cardigans and sweater dresses everywhere (no seriously, I sleep with at least three articles of clothing every night).

And with spring yet to have shown us a glimmer of hope that it’s on its way, it’s just depressing to purchase anything floral and skimpy, catching a glimpse of it as you trudge out of the house in snow boots and a down filled jacket.

But then that amazing little thing creeps into my agenda pages, the one thing none of us college girls can resist shopping for, and which totally warrants the purchasing of, at minimum, a new bathing suit and a super sexy party dress. Spring Break, baby!

This being the last of my Spring break’s ever (I know, I am most definitely in mourning right now), I am going all out, spending 7 glorious booze-and-sun-filled days in Cancun, the spring break capital of the universe.

Which means I am now in need of something again (whew!).

Of course, I’ve already found the perfect dress. And it’s sitting in the display window of Express. Their Escalating Ruffle Strapless Dress is pure sex. The perfect combo of spicy vixen and flirty girlishness. Read More »

As winter break winds down, I’m starting to have nightmares of exams, a jam packed calendar, and having my alarm wake me up before noon. But no matter how much I dread it, next semester is coming and it’s coming fast.

Obviously this has me tearing apart my closet, sifting through piles of jeans and tanks and blazers, letting them all duke it out for a place in my tiny suitcase.

After packing my must-have PMS sweats, I moved on to “work attire,” because, sadly, instead of lounging around the house all day eating leftovers, I will actually have to wake up early and go to an internship when I get back to school.

After my pair of black dress pants and a modest sweater dress made the cut, I was extremely bored. Am I really going to go from partying with friends in my leather jacket and sequined mini to a stuffy button up? I felt my fashionista heart breaking into a million pieces.

That is until I stumbled upon Express during a daily web-surfing session and found the High Waist Cotton Pencil Skirt in Geometric. Suddenly a light bulb went off: Just because I have to wake up early and go to an office like an adult doesn’t mean that I have to leave my fashion-forward college self behind. Read More »

What do you get the Rachel Zoe in your life?

What does one get for the girl who has everything?

The fashion obsessed chicadee who spends every ounce of her free time pouring over fashion magazines and blogs, scouring the racks at vintage stores and making a look that is all her own? The girl who’s closet won’t close, yet she still comes home with bags and bags of new stuff every time she leaves the house?

Well if I was a betting woman, I would say getting her something she can add to her already kick-ass wardrobe is always a winning choice.

Starbucks giftcards and holiday themed socks hold no soy-scented candle to clothes and accessories for this uber fashionista. Which is why I combed through stores and Internet sites to find the best holiday gift for your fashion loving friend. Read More »