Fall is my favorite fashion season because it’s all about transitioning; changing your wardrobe, slowly but surely, over to winter wear. With cold weather comes adaptations, and that also applies when it comes to clothes! Today, I’m taking a summery dress and showing you how to wear it on Indian summer and early winter days. Presenting the Floral Ruffle Dress (no points for creativity) from Wet Seal.

This cute, patterned dress features a black shell with a printed chiffon overlay. The unique florals feature tiny red and light pink flowers. It has a scoop-neck top and elastic waist, along with a cape-like top and sleeves. The whole dress is very forgiving and flattering – sure to suit many unique body shapes. Like I said, we’re going to explore how this dress fares in different climates.

Let’s start with warm. 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 rockstar Rihanna) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble you don’t have to.]

It’s been awhile since Gwen Stefani reigned pop music (yet I know I’m not the only one who still gets “this shiz is bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s” stuck in her head), but she definitely hasn’t been slacking on being a fashion icon. Despite the fact that she has two kids, she never seems to leave the house looking anything less than perfectly coiffed and styled. Gwen’s look is so visually inspiring and fun, with tons of vibrant colors and ’80s-inspired festivity.

We’re getting deeper into the doldrums of winter, but our wardrobes definitely don’t need to be as dreary as the weather, right? Let’s all take a hint from Ms. Stefani and turn up the heat for the long, cold winter ahead. Read More »

Now that Spring is officially here and I’ve busted out my flip flops, I can’t wipe this loopy grin off my face. It just makes me so happy, especially after the winter we had in New York. I swear, if I had to step in one more brown, slushy puddle I was going to kick someone. But now that all those nasty puddles are gone and the restaurants are setting up their outside tables, all I can think about is iced coffee, al fresco cocktails, the joy that comes from going out without having to lug a giant coat along, and SUNDRESSES!

Summer sundresses are awesome for so many reasons:  they’re comfy, they’re cute and they’re totally versatile.  You can pair ‘em with all kinds of shoes (flats, sandals, heels, wedges, boots; you name it, it can work), and you can wear ‘em over a bikini, for those last warm days on campus, or for a night out.

Go for any of these babies that are all under $20 and really, you can’t go wrong. Read More »

I love tights. They not only keep me warm during the winter, but they’re also a fun way to express my personal style and give my outfit a little extra pizzazz.

Tights have been pretty popular for a few seasons now (thank god – no one wants to wear their annoying sister, hose, during the cold months) and there are tons of different styles out there ranging from funky to sexy to feminine. The surprising news is, tights can get really pricey. I’m not sure how something that rips so easily can cost so much, but I am not the one making the rules. Luckily, there are plenty of affordable options that don’t skimp on the style, and here are a few choices that will look fab without hurting your wallet. Read More »

It’s no secret that you can easily find stylish looks for under $20 all over the place. From Forever 21 to Wet Seal, us gals know where to go for the deals.  Occasionally, though, my quest for cuteness leads me to a website I’ve never heard of that has some great finds, like this one: Heavenly Couture.  Nothing on this site is over $17.95. Nothing!

Really, with a claim like that, can you go wrong?

Here are a few of my favorite finds. Read More »

So Hanukkah begins on Friday and Christmas is 17 days away, which means it’s time for holiday parties, dinners, and gatherings of family and friends. And that means you’ll need some super cute looks to show off.  Of course after buying gifts, paying travel expenses to go home, and all the other stuff you’ll be spending on this holiday season, spending money on yourself probably isn’t the most reasonable idea. But you don’t have to ruin your budget (or your reputation by re-gifting…) to look fantastic.

Here are 8 items under $20 that you can add to your wardrobe to make it extra festive. Read More »

After the judges decided to boot Ra’mon (the most talented designer on the show) last week, I really wanted to boycott Project Runway. There is so much other great TV on Thursday nights (Ace of Cakes, The Office, Community) that I didn’t feel the need to watch the same show that had turned its back on me the week before.

Also, I was invited out to the bar for some tasty drink specials. Clearly $1 beers would trump anything, even if Ra’Mon was still around.

So I went out for some drinks…and then came home to see what shenanigans the Project Runway designers would get involved in this week. And let me say – watching the show buzzed is truly the only way to go. I was wearing beer goggles and everything was just so much better!

The challenge was to design a look for I.N.C., a Macy’s brand. The designs had to be in blue and the designers had to work in teams.

As usual, the designers had to send their models to the Garnier hair studio and the L’Oreal Paris makeup room, and to use accessories from the Macy’s accessory wall which had been stocked with I.N.C. shoes.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like maybe these companies are paying to have their brands on the show. Could it be??

Anyways, the designers worked and sewed and bitched about their teammates. Epperson and Chris had a designer love affair in the back (which clearly blinded them to what the h-e-double hockey sticks they were doing), Nikolas whined about ruffles in the front, and Irena talked. A lot. Homegirl might be a good designer, but her voice is like nails on a mother effing chalkboard. She just needs to stop. Read More »

While hoodies don’t exactly have a rep for being fashionable, every girl has a few in her closet. They are pretty much THE staple in every college wardrobe since they are comfy, warm, and easily slip on over whatever you wore to bed last night. Even hardcore fashionistas have lazy days!

Since you most definitely have one (or 6) zip-ups in your closet, I’ll give you a few different ways to wear them so you look more casual cute and less “Holy sh*t I just woke up in my boyfriend’s room and I’m 20 minutes late for class so I’ll just borrow his clothes and run out of the door.”

Contrary to popular belief, that is not cute. Read More »

There’s nothing that puts a smile on my face like finding a fantastic bargain, and since we all wanna look good in a crappy economy, finding those deals is even more important these days.  Each week I’ll feature one store/website where you can find eight A-dorable items for under $20 (not too shabby, right?).

This week the store of choice is Wet Seal.  Not only does it have cute and trendy clothes on the cheap, if you order from the website there’s a flat rate shipping fee of $5, which you can order just by clicking on any (or all!) of the items below. Read More »

I recently went to Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), a massive electronic music festival/rave, and saw some wicked cool costumes. While I didn’t go all out with leather and lace like some party-goers, I did enjoy stepping away from my usually more conservative outfits and wearing neon bright clothes. I liked it enough, in fact, that I figured I could try to work them into my daily summer wardrobe.

And why not? When paired with the right articles of clothing, bright pieces are a super easy way to add color and fun to your look.

The easiest way to incorporate color is with a bright pair of shorts. Sure, you have your reliable blue or black jean shorts that practically go with everything (so you can grab the nearest clean – or not – top), but colored shorts would make the outfit more vibrant and exciting. I picked up these shorts featuring destroyed cuffs from Wet Seal, and at $12.50, they won’t make you feel too guilty about dipping into your account for a “novelty” item. They come in a couple of other colors, and  if the cutoff look isn’t your thing, other styles are offered in even more colors.

I’ve been pairing these with a basic top (white or gray v-neck, anyone?), some key accessories and flip flops and my summer look has been instantly amped up. I’m even considering heading back to Wet Seal and getting every color they got.