Lace is easily one of the most popular fabrics this season. No longer just for your undies (though there are many, many pretty lace-y underthings available), Lady Gaga’s VMA outfits, or your Grandma’s doilies, lace has found it’s way onto every type of clothing and accessory imaginable this season.

Whether you wear lace tights or a lace trimmed top, there is a way to add a little lace to your everyday look.  In stores, lace is appearing in unexpected places adding an unexpected touch of sex appeal to your basic t-shirts, tanks and jewelry (!).  But lace is doing more than turning up the sexy;  lace patterns found on fabrics this season add texture and visual interest. And simply adding lace – at the neckline, for example – adds a touch of playfulness, covering you up but still letting a little skin peek through.

No matter how you want to wear lace this season, there is the perfect piece (or many, many pieces) out there for you. I’m lace-obsessed and here are a few of my favorite things. [Click on each photo for shopping info.] Read More »

Now that Halloween has come and gone, it means it’s only going to start getting colder.  Bundling up in a warm coat is not the only way to stay warm on a chilly autumn day – gloves or mittens are essential. Well, if you want to feel your hands upon arriving at your destination. Have you ever tried to grip a pen to take notes with numb hands? It ain’t pretty.

But gloves are. Designers have really pulled out all the stops on gloves/mittens this year. They’ve incorporated all the latest trends (studs, ruffles, animal print, color) and made them fully functional for women of the 21st century. Meaning, fingerless/thumbless options so you don’t have to risk frostbite to check your News Feed.

And the best part: you can get them for cheap. You don’t need to spend $30 on something that you know you’re gonna lose (because you will and you know it).  Just stock up on the cheapies or, even better, grab a pair with strings. It worked in pre-school, so why not now? While your friends may mock you, you’ll be the one laughing when they tear off a mitten to return a text and lose it somewhere between here and that lecture hall across campus.

Here are some of the best of the best in hand and wrist warmers. Click on them for more info. Stay warm out there!

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With the world premiere of This is It and recent trips to costume shops, I’ve got Michael Jackson on the brain.  And when it comes to the King of Pop’s style, one thing stands out: that single, sparkly glove.  While donning a sequined glove is a very literal way to pay tribute to MJ (not to mention impractical – won’t your other hand get cold?), sequins are EVERYWHERE this year, and there are much more creative ways to show your love for the moonwalk master.

Or, you know, just for fun, fabulous style.

Thanks to those innovative designers lining 5th avenue in NY, sequins have taken on a totally new look in 2009 and  have become suitable for both day and night.  A cute, sequined cardigan could add sparkle to your morning lecture, or add a dose or personality when you’re heading to work.  On the other hand, a pair of made-for-a-rockstar sequined leggings are the perfect party pants.  Or, if you are more interested in adding a subtle dose of shine to your everyday outfit, you could opt for sequin shoes or the perfect sparkly accessory.  No matter how you want to wear them, there is a sequined item (or many, many fun shiny things) out there for you!

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The leaves are starting to change and the temperature is starting to drop, bringing in the season of hot- cocoa-and-tv-nights and cute, cozy clothes. While layering sweaters and scarves might seem like a no-brainer, there is another way to ensure you stay warm. And chic.

With a hat.

Yes, while you always listened to your mother when she told you to zip up that jacket, you probably tuned her out when she started nagging you about a hat. “You lose most of your body heat through your head,” she’d yell behind you. Not that you cared; you’d rather lose body heat than look dorky and mess up that hair you just spent 30 minutes straightening.

But not anymore. Hats are all the rage (just ask The Budget Stylista) and I’ve got 16 right here that will make your mama proud. They not only serve the ever-functional purpose of keeping you warm, but they also add a whole new layer of cool to your winter ensembles. Oh, and did I mention how wonderful they are for covering up an unfortunate hair day? Because bad hair days happen.  Especially if you’re doing a walk of shame across campus.  But no one will know if you throw a little cap on top.

And don’t tell me you’re not a “hat person.” Everyone can be a hat person, especially with the variety of styles. Just take a gander and you’re sure to find one that you love and that loves you back. Read More »

While switching my wardrobe from my summer sundresses to my winter wools, I realized one very depressing thing: my winter wardrobe is more drab and depressing than those dreary January days. If I don’t want to slip into a winter funk (fixed only by large bowls of mac-and-cheese), I need to do something fast.

And that something comes in the form of color. The color purple to be exact.

Every girl needs a little color in her wardrobe and what better way to liven things up than with something beautiful, luxurious and violet?  Historically, purple is associated with nobility, but we don’t need to be canoodling with Prince Harry to enjoy the benefits of this year’s hottest color. (Although, that would definitely help with the winter blues…) We can all look regal and faboosh, even on our student budgets.

You can work purple into your look in a big way – like a silky sheath dress – or just add little splashes here and there. Either way, you won’t have to look far to find the perfect purple pieces to lift your winter spirits. In fact, I found 16 hot ones right here. Read More »

I had an aversion to plaid for a really long time. Seeing it gave me hives as I remembered the days I was forced to wear it every day in the form of a pleated skirt paired with an ill-fitting polo and some tall navy socks.

Shudder.

But that’s all changed thanks in part to my (Gossip) girls doin’ their thing on the UES of New York City. Well, that and the fact that designers have embraced the classic pattern this season. Plaid is everywhere right now and it’s so cute I can’t even think of a good enough word to describe my newfound love for the stuff. Yes, I’ve gotten over my plaid-allergy and I want it all. There has never been a better or easier time to reclaim this fabulous fabric. Just leave your old plaid skirt in the closet (unless it’s Halloween… or you’re into role playing) and embrace a more sophisticated and updated plaid piece instead.

There are many ways to wear plaid, despite your shape, style or budget.  Every type of clothing and accessory imaginable can be found in plaid this season.  Whether you want to make a statement with a plaid coat, or embrace this trend secretly (via Victoria), there’s the perfect piece (or pieces!) out there for you. Read More »

In my mind, the second best part of going back to school as a kid was buying new school supplies (second, only to buying new clothes). While you might have swapped your Lisa Frank bright-colored-animal-covered notebooks for a laptop, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still have fun with your school stuff. If you have any distance to walk to class, chances are you have to haul your books. This year, why not buy yourself a new schoo lbag to make this trek more enjoyable?

There’s the perfect bag for everyone (or bags for your every mood). For the sporty gal there’s the ever useful backpack that will be easy to carry even if you’re ten minutes late and need to haul ass. For the fashionista there’s the less practical, but ever fashionable satchel. If you take your laptop to class, there tons of solutions with laptop compartments. No matter what your style, your price range, or your needs for a school bag, there’s something out there for you. Read More »

September is one of my favorite months for many reasons: Back-to-school, Labor Day, Lil’ Wayne’s Birthday, Starbucks’s Pumpkin Spice Lattes and, of course, Fashion Week. Fashion Week is actually a misnomer; instead of a week, it is a month-long event full of runway shows, presentations and parties that starts in good ol’ NYC, and then travels to London, Milan and Paris.

Don’t know your Marc Jacobs from your Calvin Klein? If the only designers you know hail from Project Runway or Go! International lines at Target, listen up. Here are five hot designers whose work has them poised to become the next Oscars de la Renta and Diane von Furstenbergs.

Grab a bib and get ready to drool. Read More »

Just because summer is over, doesn’t mean you have to mourn. With the start of fall comes new opportunities – including new clothes (!!!). And what’s one piece you just gotta get this season? The skirt. It’s chic and fun and more versatile than a pair of jeans.

Yes, really!

Skirts can be worn dressed up or dressed down. You can wear them over bare legs to show off that tan, or layered over a fun pair of tights when the weather gets cool. You can rock them to class with a tank and flats, or pull ‘em up a little higher with a tucked in cami and some heels for a night on the town. There is so much fashion opportunity with a skirt, you’d be a fool not to get at least one. Or, you know, all sixteen of these. Read More »

Remember back in your pre-college days when the start of school always meant new outfits and school supplies? Even though you’ve probably swapped your notebooks with netbooks, there’s no reason to end the tradition of new clothes for the start of a new year and what wardrobe would be complete without a new pair of jeans? (Or 12.)

Denim (not sweatpants) should be the staple go-to in any college girl’s wardrobe. They are the perfect thing to pick up off the floor and pull on when you’re running late for class, you can wait months between washing them (don’t judge – you know you do it, too) and, obvi, they are a much better evening option if you wanna avoid the crotch shots.

With all the fits and washes of jeans out there this year, there’s bound to be at least one pair perfect for your lifestyle, figure and budget. The key to the perfect pair of jeans is to try on pair, after pair, after pair, after… well you get the picture. Each pair – even if it’s the exact same size and style – will fit differently, so patience is most definitely a virtue when it comes to shopping for denim. It’s also important to realize that not every fit will look good on you, so keep trying ’til you find that perfect pair that makes you feel like a million bucks.

Oh, and it’s OK if that pair also costs a million bucks. If there’s one thing worth splurging on, it’s a high quality pair of denim. Just trust me on this one. (Click on the jeans to get all the shopping info.) Read More »