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I love shopping, but I just can’t help but feel a tad guilty every time I invest in another mother-earth-will-cry-when-I-wear-this kinda number.

I know that the clothing industry contributes to global warming, air and water pollution, and tons of waste, but I really can’t bring myself to be Goodwill’s number one customer.  Don’t get me wrong, thrift and consignment shopping is awesome, especially in economic times such as these, but once in a while I want something new of my own.

So what’s a girl to do?  Find cute, eco-conscious clothes that don’t make you look like you’re wearing a sack of potatoes.  And that’s exactly what I have done.  All of these have been cuteness certified by yours truly, so feel free to go ahead and splurge!

Plato’s Closet:  This is one of my personal faves.  It’s a consignment shop, but this place is anything but shabby.  They have tons of designer jeans for super cheap – plus they’re pre-broken in.  I also sell a lot of my clothes here because you get money up front instead of having to wait the 10 years for your senior prom dress to finally sell.  Cute clothes, money in your pocket, and green shopping – what more could you ask for?  Check out the Plato’s Closet website for locations in your area!

Good Society Denim: Now to move on to the new stuff.  The best thing about Good Society denim is that their clothes look like high quality designer jeans with all the benefits of an organic label.  They only use 100% fair trade organic denim, making all of their products entirely sustainable.  The top of my wish list is their Straight Cut Denim in Raw, which, at the semi-meager price of $93 (hey, it’s cheap compared to the $210 True Religions everyone is wearing), is soon to become a reality.

Stewart and Brown: Established in 2002, Stewart and Brown is one of the top non-granola-y green brands out there.  They have a cute, Urban Outfitters-esque style featuring clothes only made from 100% organic cotton grown from non-genetically modified seeds and other sustainable fabrics.  Plus, they donate 1% of their profit to various charities to keep giving back.  Pick up one of their cute dresses and then bask in your eco-conscious glory.

Beyond Skin:  100% of Beyond Skin’s shoes are vegan and made from entirely earth-friendly materials such as polyurethane leather and polyester satins.  And like Stewart and Brown, Beyond Skin donates a percentage of their profits to environmental and social projects.  I personally recommend the Cherub pumps in black hemp (you can’t even tell it’s not leather).  All products are shipped from England, so it’s not the most eco-conscious thing for us Americans, but it’s definitely better than the fugly pleather alternatives.

Every week, CC and John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, saddest things he hears on his college campus. Join the Overheard revolution!Leave your own overheard convos in the comments or send ‘em over!

(Guys, walking through a grove on-campus.)

Guy: Nice day… birds, blue skies, not a cloud in sight. Yup. This rock looks pretty good to take a crap on.

(Older student, talking to high schooler on campus tour.)

Student: There’s actually a statistic, I think, something like 30 percent of the liquid of water parks is urine.

High schooler: Yeah, that sounds pretty reasonable. That’s about right.

Student: What the f***? No it’s not! That would be disgusting!

(Guy, preparing Mexican food.)

Guy: I love cilantro. It makes everything taste like it’s just been rinsed in a mountain waterfall. Read More »

I have this awesome Chinese cut red dress. The tag says it’s a size 14 but it’s form fitting if you’re a sexy eight. But you know back during the 40s sizes were just different. There was a war going on then, you know. I wasn’t there. I heard about it from my grandma, the original owner of the dress.

In any case, in the event that you don’t have a grandmother who stock piles everything that she and her children have owned since BIRTH you might need a place to fill your vintage needs. Because vintage clothes are awesome and pretty and everyone needs some.

Fortunately, the internet is there for you:

1) Mod Cloth

This is a fun little boutique featuring everything from dresses to shoes. You don’t see many retailers sporting vintage shoes, so this is a rare find. Or maybe I just love shoes. Too much. Anyways, they also carry a wealth of accessories to augment your perfect retro look whether it be 40’s swing or 60’s flower child.

And they’re giving it all to you for 15% off until August 8th! Just shop your vintage little heart out, put it all in your “basket,” then enter the super special code (ModCandy 15) at checkout! That’s it. 15% off some of the cutest vintage-inspired goods on the web.

Read More »

The economic crisis has not stretched my wallet to the breaking point just yet, but our intelligent President-elect does say that it’s going to get worse before it gets better, so I’m not about to dole out any more than I have to on holiday gifts this year.We all know the traditional ways of saving money on gifts (knitting scarves for everyone on your list, offering homemade coupons or baked goods in lieu of actual presents, etc.). But what if you do want to get actual gifts for people without going bankrupt? Try these hot tips to save some moola while doing your shopping.

Tip 1: Search/Clip Coupons

I ordered my dad $30 worth of merchandise from Land’s End the other day and almost had a heart attack when I saw that the shipping was $8. Let’s get real here—it does not cost $8 to send two turtlenecks via 7-day delivery. In my incensed state of rage, I went to Google and typed in “land’s end coupons”—and lo and behold, a page with a free shipping code on it popped up.

Deals like that are only a few clicks away, so make sure to search every time you buy something online. If you prefer to do your shopping in the flesh, cough up a few quarters for the Sunday paper and comb all the ads. You can clip coupons from there and learn about the hot sales going on near you. It takes extra time, but you’ll make up for it in extra money. 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 »

As a girl on a budget, shopping (or more accurately: window shopping) can be painful. When even chain stores are too pricey (really Urban Outfitters? $110 for a shirt?), what’s a girl to do? Well, I always head straight to the sale racks for some of my best finds, like the $10 leather bag I got this weekend, but sometimes the most heavily discounted stuff is out of season, ill-fitting or just plain ugly.

The thrifty girl’s best friend is, well, the thrift store. While I can’t afford to drop hundreds of dollars on clothes each month, plenty of people can and do. And when these people get tired of their outfits, they sell them or give them away. That’s where we come in.

The first step to good thrifting is knowing your stores. Scope out your town or city and figure out where the good shops are. Most cities have a Salvation Army or Goodwill, as well as various consignment shops. Bigger cities and most college towns will have thrift or vintage stores (but keep in mind–vintage is often code word for EXPENSIVE!) If you find a shop you like, go there a lot, even if you don’t buy anything when you go. You’ll get a sense for when new clothes come in, so you can get to the good stuff first. Read More »

You could go to pbteen.com for a dorm room like this…or follow our time-tested advice!

It’s a dorm. Not an apartment, not a studio, and not a tiki hut. Keep that in mind whilst decorating.

In fact, one of my closest guy friends constantly mocks those girls who go all out on a simple dorm room, exclaiming, “GiRlzz! Letz do a BeaCH ThEmE! Lolz!”

That aside, it is your home, and your own personal residence for an entire school year, so it’s important you like it, want to be in it, and it’s presentable for guests at uh, any hour of the night.

So yeah, there are those crazies who have the money (and stupidity) to pimp out their dorm rooms, but what about you? What about poor, busted-my-ass-at-Ruby-Tuesdays-for-this-paycheck? you, who likely can’t afford a single Johnny Depp poster, let alone an entire room’s worth of decoration.

I’ll let you in on a little secret chickies, it’s all about the bargain shopping. And knowing where to find that. Read More »