Teen Vogue has a slideshow on their site right now of “100 party-ready heels for prom.” Even though we’re well past our prom days, we still love a good pair of heels – whether we’re heading to a formal, going out, or just because. But after a few clicks, we discovered that Teen Vogue’s picks are way out of our price range. Miu Miu heels for $645?! Yeah, maybe when we win the lottery.

What high school girl buys $645 heels for prom? It seems ridiculous, especially when there are so many reasonable alternatives. Sure, Steve Madden is no Louboutin. But if you save a little money on your shoes, you’ll have the money you need to pay for other things. Like, you know, college. Check out the affordable alternatives we found to Teen Vogue’s pricey picks.

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Garnet is a student at Columbia University in New York City. She is “that person” who starts dancing at a party when everyone else is standing around, and if there were a Facebook stalking Olympics, she would be a gold medalist. She also loves cheesy 90s music, and almost died of happiness when Vanilla Ice retweeted her. Once. Follow her on Twitter @garnethenderson.

[Lead image via Kalim/Shutterstock]

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Browsing through magazines last week, I noticed that fur accessories have popped up in lots of editorials. Not only fur hats and fur-accented scarves, but strangely enough, purses featuring fur details. I admit, at first this seemed kind of odd, but the furry handbags have really grown on me and I’m itching to add one to my collection. ALDO is a great brand, especially for affordable accessories and I was thrilled to see some fur in the their purse section, including the Opdyke.

ALDO came out with a purse last year called the Cyphert. That totally blew up. Everyone and their dog had one. They’re banking on the success of that shape and adding a fur flap, giving you the Opdyke! PS – what’s with the totally bizarre names? Anyways, let’s move on.

The Opdyke measures 12′ L x 10′ H x 5′ D. It is made of a taupe synthetic and features a magnetic flap covered in faux fur. The inside consists of a three compartments, one of which has a zipper. There is also a back zipper pocket and two slip pockets on the front side. That means tonnes of storage and great organization.

There are also two carrying options: the satchel handle and crossbody strap. The strap is removable, which is nice for days when you’re channeling Betty Draper and only use the single handle. The fur accents just scream cold weather and I can only imagine how darling this will be paired with a wool coat or even a plaid shirtdress.

If you’re looking to stay on trend and add some fur to your purse wardrobe, look no further than the ALDO Opdyke! It’s even on sale for $40.50 right now at Zappos.

If you haven’t caught on by now, it’s official: I’m smitten with all things military-inspired.  Despite the short summer season, by the time fall clothes begin to hit shelves, I’m already swooning over cardigans, boots and fall jackets.  After spending all summer trying to dress in ways to prevent heat exhaustion (and hide pit stains), I crave layers and structured clothing.

Sure I love cute summer dresses, strappy sandals and bright colors, but right now all I want is olive (and not just garnishing a martini).  Olive is technically a shade of chartreuse – meaning it’s partially between yellow and green. When it is closer to yellow, it’s referred to as ‘olive’ and when it’s closer to green it’s called ‘olive drab.’  (There, that’s your color lesson of the day!)  Olive drab was the standard color of fabric for American military uniforms in World War II – hence the association with the military trend.

This year there are many pieces, both military-inspired and otherwise, made in olive, meaning you have one more neutral to incorporate into your everyday life. One of the best things about this color is that since it’s quite similar to the color of dirt you can wear your olive goods one more time before you have to wash them. (Score!) And if the structured pieces with masculine details aren’t your choice of garnish, try an olive colored jersey top or maybe an accessory, because there are so many choices out there!

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap in which 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 are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to. All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire ensemble. Yes, we know - there is a spot for her in heaven.]

I’m an unabashed Xtina lover. She snagged me with “Reflections” (yes, I took it all the way back to Mulan), and I’ve stuck with her through her various musical and aesthetic reinventions, from the dirty to the vintage to the futuristic.

What I’ve always admired about Christina, besides her stellar voice and her ability to redefine catty and alienate her peers is her personal style. She is not one of those celebs we’re likely to catch bumming around in slouchy sweats and stained shirts (I still love you, Britney!). Even when she’s strolling around L.A., she’ll elevate a casual tank top + leggings look with interesting accessories and sky-high heels.

T-shirt, Jeggings, Sunglasses, Hat, Heels

What I love most about this look is that its perfectly casual for your daily activities, but – thanks to the funky fedora and oversize sunglasses – still totally chic. (Plus, the fedora provides ample coverage for that “I woke up late and didn’t have time to wash my greasy hair” issue we often encounter.) The outfit is perfectly balanced with the loose-fitting tee over a pair of ultra-skinny jeans, and the fire red heels add an extra touch of rock star. Of course, if sporting heels to 6 hours of class isn’t your idea of fun, you can replace the heels with a more comfortable patent leather flat and still maintain a look that is fresh, fun and the antithesis of college sloppy. The best part of this look? Layering on a loose cardigan for those frigid campus buildings only makes it better.

One mom approved must-have for both fall and college is a chic fall jacket.

The perfect fall jacket is neutral, goes with all your favorite clothes and fits just right.  Not to mention, it “keeps you warm on those walks to class. You don’t want to catch a cold!” (Thanks, ma.)

This year there are lots of options out there regardless of your style: denim, military, leather, oh my! With so much variety at so many price points, why choose a favorite?

A fall jacket will take you to the field to watch football, on a walk home from an evening class when the air starts to feel crisp, and even out at night.  Though if you’re going to a party, and don’t want to lose your coat, see if you can find a hot yet chivalrous boy to lend you his oversized jacket. If you’re wearing a feminine outfit underneath you’ll instantly achieve the “Cardellini effect” and have an excuse to find Mr. Hottie another day!

If you’ve grown a bit sea sick from all the nautical-inspired clothes you’ve been sporting this summer, why not return to dry land and go more utilitarian with the military-inspired pieces dominating stores?  These pieces have a harder look, with cargo pockets, neutral colors and grommet detailing.  Though many of these pieces are quite masculine, the neutral coloring means they can easily be softened with feminine pieces such as floral dresses.  Think combat boots with tights, a floral mini dress and cardigan.  So cute!

The best thing about this style? While military inspired pieces have been pretty trendy for a few seasons now, the utilitarian coats are a classic investment piece that can stay in your wardrobe for years to come. And they’ll come in handy if, you know, you ever need to go on an incognito stalking mission. What, just me?

This year’s fashion trends range from the ranch to the yacht, and stripes are one of the perfect ways to look seaworthy this summer.

The easiest way to incorporate nautical elements into your wardrobe is with stripes.  With so many super cute ways to wear stripes how can you not have something striped (or something striped for every day of the week!) in your wardrobe?  Summer items are starting to hit clearance racks, so you can pick something up to wear now with shorts, or later with jeans without breaking the bank.  While the longer sleeved breton-striped tops will keep you warm if you’re outside on a summer night, some of the striped dresses are perfect to toss over a bathing suit at the beach.

If you’re pinching pennies for a summer vacay, stripes are a recurring fashion trend (just look back to Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn!) so you may even luck out finding an adorable top at the thrift store.  Just don’t be afraid to check the men’s (or boys if you’re petite) departments as this unisex trend looks even cuter when it’s loose and laid back.

As summer solstice just passed, there is only one more indication that it’s summer: it’s time to put on a bikini and head to the beach/pool.

There’s usually anxiety surrounding your first time each year in a bikini, meaning it’s time to hit the gym (if you haven’t already started.)  While you may dread going to the gym even more than putting on a swimsuit, there are so many fun ways to get into shape now that it’s warm out.  There’s hooping, tennis (with the best clothes EVER!), soccer, jogging, rollerblading and much, much more.

And what better way to encourage yourself to get active then with a set of new gym clothes!

Workout clothes have gotten a serious face-lift these past few years giving you a million sexy/cute/functional items to choose from. So toss out your uninspiring, oversized sweats and the t-shirt you stole from a one-night stand and pick up some clothes that are both cute and made for exercise. There are different styles for every activity, as well as special styles to soak up your sweat and keep you as comfortable as possible during your ball-busting workout. So choose your activity and dress the part as you prepare to bare your favorite bikini this year.

With so many summer colors and patterns to choose from this year, it’s hard to know what to pair them with. While you could pair the bright yellows, pretty pastels or the super popular turquoise with denim, khaki or another solid neutral, the bold black and white prints available this season are a more interesting way to go.

There are many interesting black and white items to choose from, on everything from shoes to headbands to rompers.  This year they can be found on black and white prints in the form of stripes, florals, an abstract print and many, many more interesting patterns.  Additionally, white items with black accents, or black items with white accents are a super cute way to wear this combination.  With so many black and white items to choose from, who needs to live in Technicolor?