Wardrobe Wish List: Nine West Skipper Boot

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I’m really sad to see summer go (waaaah, goodbye beach days!), but I am kinda, sorta (ok, REALLY) excited to break out my new wardrobe for fall. I’m getting sick of my flip flops and summer dresses and really just want to wear some light sweaters and <drool> boots!

But we’re not quite there yet. Even though the nights are getting chillier, it’s still too warm to break out the biggest trends for fall without looking a tad out of place. Thank god for Nine West! To help all of us transition from summer to oh-so-delicious fall, they have given us the Skipper boot.

It’s nice and boot-y (that’s an adjective, not a noun) on the bottom with great detail like durable leather, straps and buckles over the ankle. But what makes this the best. boot. ever is the perforated shaft. Not only does this detail make the boot unique and different (and you know me, I like different), but those holes lighten everything up a bit so  you can now rock your precious boots without feeling as though you’ve dressed too warmly for the weather. Tuck a pair of skinnies into the Skipper and you’ve got the perfect look for this in-between-seasons kinda time. Read More »

Budget Stylista: A Now and Later That’s Better Than The Candy

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Let’s face it – August is a hard month for shopping. Everywhere you go, window displays scream mohair and motorcycle boots, but you are still sittin’ pretty (and very happily) in your flowery sundress, thankyouverymuch. And while you know you should be looking to invest in a good pair of boots to walk through the slushy snow in just a few months (ew), you would much rather peruse the racks upon racks of summer dresses that are cute and – um – ON MAJOR SALE.

I mean seriously, $200 dresses on sale for $40? I don’t care if it’s negative 30 outside – we can find a way to wear these badboys a little while longer. Who says you have to part with floral the second the leaves start falling from the trees?

Here’s a way to be stylish and savvy: reuse and rewear your favorite summer frocks. Just pair them with some thick tights, a boyfriend blazer or leather bomber, a scarf, some booties or boots and – presto chango – your springtime floral is instantly ready for a stroll with a pumpkin spice latte (the one good thing about cold weather).

Here are 3 options of summery looks that you can take well into fall, but feel free to try this with most summer dresses in your wardrobe! Read More »

8 Under $20: Macy’s

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So I know you’re thinking: “How can you get anything for under $20 at a department store like Macy’s?”

I get it – sometimes I feel like I can’t even afford to breathe the air in that store and I am doomed to spend my life lusting for everything on the over-stuffed racks. But I’m here to tell you it’s not impossible.  Macy’s is all about the discounts and they always have a giant selection in the clearance racks. Most of the stuff is under $50 and a giant chunk of that is under $20! You just need to know where to look for ‘em.

Here are a few of my personal favorites right now. And, yes, a lot of this stuff can take you right into fall: Read More »

Shopping Your Closet: Boots

kate_moss_halkin_hotel_05 kate moss boots

When summer rolls around, boots get shoved to the back of the closet along with heavy coats, sweaters, and scarves. But who these days can afford to buy a wardrobe for each season? And who wants to give up wearing the fabulousness that is a hot pair of boots for nearly half of the year?

Well, you don’t have to! Boots can totally be rocked in the summer if you do it right.

Do like Kate Moss and pair boots with denim shorts in the summer, or rock them with a dress for a new look. When Fall rolls around, switch into skinny jeans or leggings. Voila – year-round fashion.

Here are some ideas for wearing those boots right now: Read More »

Wardrobe Wish List: J. Crew Garden Dress

PapayaGardenDressIf there’s one thing I love most about summer, it’s the freedom to flounce around every day in cute sundresses. They’re my go-to look – breezy, easy to wear, and feminine.

Naturally, when I saw this J.Crew Garden Dress I needed to have it.

This is the kind of dress that works in almost every situation: date night, summer cookout, girls brunch, beach-front. With the right accessories, you can even take it edgy.

The Garden Dress is short and flirty, featuring an ultra-flattering fitted bust, and straight cut sillouhuette. The charm of the dress, however, comes from the raw-edged petals that adorn the bust line. If you’re a sucker for ruffles, then this dress is most definitely for you. Just pick your color – navy, papaya, shell, or white – and you have the perfect dress for what remains of summer ‘09. Or, you know, get ‘em all for a little variety.

And, duh, you totally can!  J.Crew offers a 15% discount to college students when you bring in your student ID and shop in-store. Now that you know, run to your nearest J.Crew and grab this beauty and other preppy staples! 15% off means 15% more chinos with flamingos on them!

Shopping Your Closet: Toughen Up A Sundress

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The best outfits happen when you mix two contrasting styles to create something totally new. Recently, the feminine yet edgy trend has been spotted on many celebs, including Demi Lovato and Lindsay Lohan. The leather jacket adds a tough element to a floral dress, making a new and totally unique look.

Utilize this mix and match trend in your own wardrobe to create new outfits! The key is mixing dark materials like leather or python with soft, flowing pastel cottons or chiffons. Here are some ideas for toughening up a feminine sundress with stuff you might already own: Read More »

The Budget Stylista: Budget Beach Babe

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I don’t get the appeal of the expensive beach babe. First of all, budget beach babe just sounds better. Second, I simply don’t understand the point of spending so much on a bathing suit just because the piping is plaid. What is the point of spending that much on something that isn’t even original. You look down the row of lounge chairs at a hot Miami hotel and it’s like Burberry drank too much last night resulting in a major hangover and then vomited all over the sunbathers.

There are SO many cute bathing suits, cover ups, sunglasses, totes, etc., out there that are muy cheapo but look muy expensivo. Plus, not only do you look like a beach babe, you look like an original that-girl-has-mad-fashion-sense one to boot.

Just don’t forget your SPF. Even I can’t make a person-turned-lobster look cute. Read More »

Day-to-Night Styler: Spring is in the Air

So spring has (finally!) sprung and I don’t know about you, but for me that means pulling out all those cute sundresses, sandals and the rest of my spring/summer wardrobe that I love so much (and, hey, adding a few pieces to the mix as well).   So in honor of spring, I figured I’d focus this week’s day-to-night styler on a basic sundress that can be easily converted into a stylish and sassy outfit for the evening.

This dress from Forever 21 is totally cute and flattering for a number of different body types. It’s long enough to sport to class or while running around town with mom, but sexy enough to dress up for later. And, better yet, at $11.50 a pop, you can buy it in more than one color.  I love the pink, blue and purple for spring.

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The CC Weekly Weigh In: Wardrobe Staples

closet.jpgYou have stuffed so much clothing into your closet that the door won’t shut. The bottom of your Ikea drawers are drooping from the weight of all your long sleeve tees shoved in there.

And you didn’t even bring everything you own to school!

Yet, no matter how much sh*t you have, you keep wearing the same three things over and over. We know how that goes; we too have that one favorite thing in our wardrobe that we just can’t stop wearing. With everything. For every occasion.

So what if it has holes in the armpits? And who cares if it is 4 years old? That is fashion perfection.

Below is a list of our writers’ favorite wardrobe items. You may want to consider adding these items to your over-stuffed closet; obviously, they are totally worth it. Read More »

TTYL, Summer. I Miss You Already.

tanning.jpgLabor Day weekend kicks off tomorrow. Yay for a long weekend filled with delicious BBQ! Boo for high gas prices and the end of sweet, glorious summer. While most of you can’t wait to get back to campus and read those books and write those papers see your friends and hit the bar scene, I am going to miss the summer.

Yeah, yeah, yeah – fall is great too: football season, hoodie and jeans weather, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. I know all those things are great, but there are so many things about summer that I can’t get in any other season (like white pants) and I am really (really) gonna miss em:

Drinking Outside – Maybe it’s the warm breeze or the sun on my back (or the fact that while I am outside I don’t quite feel as bad drinking alone), but there is really nothing more heavenly than enjoying a nice sangria outside on a hot summer day.

The Sundress – Getting dressed in the summer is always easy: just throw on a dress and a pair of flip-flops. No need to mess with itchy and uncomfortable tights, or layering with long-sleeved shirts. The summer dress is simple and cute.

Daily Ice Cream – I love ice cream. LOVE. So the summer is my season. I can make daily trips to the ice cream shop without looking like a fatty/8 year old. I can chase the ice cream man down the street and no one thinks I’m crazy (but they do sometimes think I have a thing for small children….) And I just get to enjoy my favorite treat (some sort of Flurry/Blizzard that involves Reeses in some capacity) on a daily basis.

The Sun – And the way it turns my skin a color that is not pasty white. How I don’t have to put on tons of makeup, because my face looks sunkissed and perfect without it. How I can wear sunglasses all day, every day. How it feels on my shoulders as I’m drinking on the porch, or chasing the ice cream man. Read More »