Friday, June 24, 2011

Express listened to me: now the sale is worth it!

Remember when I said a few days ago that the Express sale sucked? Well, it did, and then they put more things on sale and put sale things on clearance, and now it is a lot better and worth stopping in.

I saw leggings for $4.50, pants for $31.99, espadrille shoes that look like Tom's for $7.99.

Here is some stuff from the site. Sale items are an additional 20% off at checkout so I did the math for you and have put the final prices here.

MEN

$23.99 Cowboy stretch cotton button down
These come in a variety of colors and I like the western look.

$31.99 Cotton Poplin short sleeve button down
Light but still professional and put-together for summer.

$31.99 Corded striped cotton Producer pants
These have good texture in person and come in a few nice dark colors. Please don't wear light colored pants, men, unless they are white linen and you are on the French Riviera/a yacht.

$31.99 Chukka boot
I like the black version of these better but I couldn't find a pic of them

$23.99 Lion swim shorts
Solid and functional, not too short. Don't go past the knee, though, it makes you look like a little kid.

$63.99 Khaki Military jacket
Sexy! Not the normal detective-style tan trench that makes everyone look like a dad with a big butt. This one I can get behind. The hip-length is flattering and I think wearing it open like it is shown here is the way to go.

$23.99 Plaid modern fit button down shirt
This would look good with jeans or gray, black, or blue pants.

$15.99 Narrow cotton plaid tie
The cotton and matte finish made it modern.

WOMEN

$4.79 Capri tights
These will make you look like a ballet dancer. Especially if you wear them with ballet flats and a flouncy short skirt.

$31.99 Stella boot cut white jeans
White jeans are great for summer, and bootcut flatters every figure.

$31.99 Wide waistband Editor pants
The wide waistband is one of my favorite pants tricks. It makes your stomach look smoother and smaller while also making your legs look longer.

$15.99 Pintuck button down longsleeve shirt
The zigzags and seams are great for those who want to draw attention up and maximize a small bust line. D cups and above need not apply.


$23.99 Elite stretch ruffle front shirt
This top is great because it looks like a V neck when really it is closer to a halter and doesn't show much skin or cleavage at all. It would be a good day-to-evening shirt worn with a cardigan or boyfriend blazer to work and then with bare shoulders at night.

 $7.99 Glitter flat espadrille
These are those Tom's-like espadrilles I was talking about. they come in boring colors and matte finishes, but why not go crazy and have some done with tiny sequins?
Personally I don't like this style of shoe and I think they cut the line of your foot in a weird boxy way, but there are people out there who are really into them now, so at least they won't have to spend too much money.

$23.99 stretch notch-back long shorts
These are good city shorts or walking shorts or just regular shorts for people who don't like to shave their thighs. I am one of them.

$23.99 Cuffed 4 1/2" shorts
The inches refer to the inseam, and this is a good adult (not teen 2") length.
Don't get these in white, though, because if they look this see-through on the model after special lighting and photoshop, they are going to be totally see-through on you. The black or stone options look more promising.



And one to avoid:

DON'T BE TEMPTED!!! THIS SHOE WILL MAKE YOU BLEED AND CRY! EVEN IF IT IS ONLY $24 NOW, DON'T DO IT!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

"Leather" Jackets under $50 for Juliet

I take requests!
If you have one, you can leave a comment here or email it to me.


Juliet recently noticed that seemingly everyone around her was wearing black motorcycle jackets, and wanted in.

Real leather jackets are beautiful and durable, but they are costly (and kill cows). For something that you want as a trend piece, I think going fake is preferable. That way if you decide that next year all you want to wear is velvet Victorian frockcoats, you won't feel bad donating the moto jacket.

It can be called pleather, faux-leather, manmade leather, PU, leatherette, etc. It's all good.

Here are some cute and cheap options under $50:

$46.55 ASOS PU bomber
comes in black and brown

$44.99 Fox Racing Kyla jacket
I like the vertical piping on this one.

$17.49 Attention Gray pleather flyaway jacket
I love gray leather and think it would look great on Juliet with her coloring. It's less harsh than black. This jacket isn't the usual style, either, which I think is cool.


$34.99 Roxy Burnout Pleather jacket
This is the most standard of the bunch, a classic jacket with an off-center zipper.


$49 DKNY Jeans Missy Zip Front Faux leather jacket
This one has a little more hardware than the Roxy one, and is a little tougher.

$48.99 Ebay Gray crinkle faux leather jacket
I like the zip pockets on this one, and the casual feel that the crinkle gives. Plus I am not giving up on the gray thing yet.

$38.90 Steve Madden faux leather jacket
Speaking of gray.... this one is sleek and looks expensive.
(it also comes in black)

$47.99 Via Spiga studded motorcycle jacket
Ok, one more black one like she wanted.


And here's a few for the boys, so you all can look like sexy Justin Timberlake:



$49.13 Gio Goi Jethro pleather biker jacket

Do you know what a placket is?
It's the area around the zippers or buttons down the front of a jacket or shirt, and the placket on this jacket (RHYME) is what makes it so cool.

$39.99 JC Penney Decree Faux leather jacket
Be a stud with studs. On your shoulders.

$39.99 Charles and 1/2 Faux leather jacket
This one is awesome and slim and my favorite of the bunch.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Get your a$$ to Uniqlo NOW!

Or, how I got 2 pair of pants for $29.

Uniqlo is having a great sale on pants now, including their slim cut cropped jeans, boyfriend cropped jeans, jean leggings, and linen pants. They are marked down from $29.90 to $14.90!

Uniqlo lets you browse online but not buy, so sorry non-NYCers.

I got a pair of seersucker striped light blue linen pants (being hemmed for free as we speak)
$14.90!!
and a pair of light blue cropped slim jeans.


$14.90!!

As a short girl with muscular (that is a euphemism) legs, I tend to steer clear of capris and cropped pants that make my legs seem shorter, but these are a great length that hits below the widest point of your calves, highlighting the slim part of your legs.

Let me take a minute and tell you how much I love Uniqlo's jeans:
{---------------------------------------THIS MUCH-----------------------------------------}
They hold up well, they are good denim, a great range of colors, and fit many body types.
Plus, you really can't beat the free hemming.


Also on sale were a ton of other great things that I refrained from buying but maybe you should:

WOMEN

$14.90 Denim skirt


$14.90 Button down stripe shirt

$14.90 Women's cuffed cargo shorts
These are a great length and inseam- not teenager short nor skater long.

MEN

$14.90 Men's white half-chino shorts
I also like these in Navy and Gray

$14.90 Men's denim half-pants

$14.90 Men's cargo shorts
I'm usually not a fan of cargo shorts on boys, but these don't have too many doo-dads.

I'd also recommend that men check out and try on the women's linen pants (which come in S, M, L, XL) since they are such a great deal and could be unisex.

Don't Bother: Sales that aren't worth your time

There are a bunch of summer sales going on now in the online and brick and mortar retail world and while some are ok, many are disappointing.
I checked these stores out and found them lacking, so don't bother with them this time around:


GAP- they say things are super marked down but really it's only basic tees for $9.99+. Even the marked-down underwear isn't as cheap as it usually is. I didn't see anything worth getting.

Express- the graphic tees are marked down, as are some of the dresses, but the markdowns still don't make the shoddy cloth quality or overly ruffled designs appealing.

H&M- sometimes it's a goldmine here, but this season everything seems to be elasticized and crappy. The sale items are clearly the failures that no right-minded shopper would buy because of fit or color.

All Saints- it's always hit or miss here, but there are only a few sale items and they are all things that would be difficult to fit into a normal wardrobe's rotations.

Ann Taylor- I as really hoping to find some of their cute shoes on sale, but even the 40% off didn't make the prices seem worth it. There were some pants that were ok, but very boring in the office-khaki style. The tops were see-through and poor quality.

Summer is officially here: white handbags

I finally changed from my little black Coach Station bag to my Franco Sarto white hobo in honor of summer.


I love the fresh, light look of white bags in the summer. White is a great neutral that you can wear with any outfit or color. Plus, they contrast with tanner skin tones very well.

Here are some great white bags for summer:

$127.20 Tignanello Pebbled shopper
I like the durability of pebbled leather- it repels scratches more than smooth leather which is especially important for light colored bags that show marks easily.

$248 Dooney & Bourke Dillen 2 satchel
This would hold your spare ballet flats, lunch, and a book with no problem.

$110 Etienne Angier Corrolla tote
This one looks sporty to me with all the lines. I can imagine a tan tennis goddess carrying this in one hand and a can of new green tennis balls in the other while wearing one of those little pleated white tennis skirts. Why didn't she put the can in her bag? I don't know.

$216 B. Makowsky Tobi Satchel
With the gold hardware and the sleek lines, this is totally a yacht purse.


$98 Steve Madden Kyla woven satchel
I like the woven look and the elongated shape.

$375 Kate Spade Farrah clutch
Tidy and clean for a classy look on a night out

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

What to buy from the ASOS Summer Sale

ASOS is having a summer sale, and it's pretty great! If you like them on Facebook, you get even more deals.

Here is what stands out to me:
$68.96 (down from 106.88) Dahlia dress
This would look great with black leggings (maybe sequined ones) and tuxedo shoes or wingtips. It's shorrrt so I wouldn't wear it with bare legs unless I was under 25.
Very Alexa Chung.

$68.96 (down from 170.67) Ri2K Bay Baby Bay bag
So pretty! And such a steal for real leather. I love the swirls on the front. It also comes in black if you want a more traditional look. It's bigger than you might think, too- I thought it was an evening bag at first but actually it could be a real day bag.

$68.96 (Down from 129.29) Karen Millen Metal Plate bracelet
Industrial chic, wear this to toughen up a floral summer dress or make a plain black jersey dress look fancier.

$67.23 (down from 112.05) Vera Moda Ruffle shoulder trench
Classic style with a twist-- fun ruched shoulders.

$60.34 (down from 94.81) ASOS one shoulder multi color dress
Pretty pops of color make this dress lively but it won't overwhelm you.

$58.61 (down from 112.05) ASOS manoman buckle flats
Nice detail on the side and a great basic.

$55.16 (down from 110.33) House of Harlow Mixed media ring
This reminds me of the Kara Ross rings with the stingray leather that I love. This is much cheaper though.

$51.72 (down from 86.20) ASOS Hazel T-strap wedge
 A light blush color for warm weather, plus a platform to make you tall.

$49.99 (down from 79.30) ASOS crop raw edge blazer
I think this looks very modern and chic, a good way to make a plain outfit office-appropriate.



$46.55 (down from 94.81) Nishe sweetheart neck top
This would look cute with light jeans or a dark A line skirt.

$41.37 (Down from 68.36) ASOS 50s Style Playsuit
A tight and sexy version of a romper

$41.37 (Down from 68.96) ASOS Belted Tea Heart dress
Adorable, and the black piping and belt ensure that you don't actually look like a 6 yr old when you wear it.

$39.67 (Down from 94.81) Rare halter dress
The buttons draw attention to your waist and the length keeps it sassy

$37.93 (Down from 68.96 ) ASOS Cherry 2 in 1 dressI like dresses that look like whole outfits- Less work!

$37.93 (down from 64.06) ASOS laser cut sweater
This would look great over a sundress

$34.48 (Down from 68.96) Dogeared Gold plated Anchor studs
The perfect topper to any nautical summer outfit. Stripes ahoy!


$31.93 (down from 60.34) ASOS Stripe Skinny Capris
Cropped and cute for summer, perfect for a blousy top.

$25.86 (Down from 37.93) Falke block Optic tights
For when you really don't want people to see your knees


$17.24 (Down from 25.86) River Island Hilary Cat eye sunglasses
I like the peekaboo corners of these.

$12.07 (Down from 17.24) Jonathan Aston Mock Suspender tights
These are really cool but you have to wear a super short skirt to show off the pattern.
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