Quickie Darling Deal & Steal: Seven Must-Have Sale Items For Under $100!

Now that I’m in the throes of dual employment, it’s become clearer than ever to be conscious of what investments I’m making in my wardrobe. I always love to find end-of-the-season deals on sale, especially when they feel like brand new pieces the following year. However, I’ve been seeing a lot of cute separates & accessories that I’m eager to mix & match on these cooler spring nights, into the summer, & eventually include for some fashionable fall outfits. Making tiny purchases here & there are easy on your budget & can really change the way you reinvent old favorites.

Recommended sale items include Dress Barn‘s shimmer stripe sweater ($19.00) in silver, which is perfect for over a maxi dress with ankle boots, or how I recently wore it with leggings & sparkly ballet flats. Also, the Just Chic tee ($7.99) from Forever 21 is exactly what it advertises to be; try wearing this with leather skinny pants & a bold boyfriend blazer, or to dress down a peasant skirt & gladiator flats. I’m always one for a cute skirt, which is why I’ve included the striped jersey pencil skirt ($12.99) in blue from Old Navy. It’s casual enough to wear for brunch with a pullover & a denim jacket, but it can also be worn with a blouse & belted cardigan.

My favorite piece is the Drew dotted cuffed ankle pant ($22.49) from The Limited, which mixes spring’s trendiest fabric, chambray, with the always-classic polka dot print. These will pair well with a nautical-inspired top in stripes or a neon embellished blouse. Affordable accessories include the faux suede colorblock flat ($13.95) in red from GOjane, jewel drops diamondite stretch cuff ($9.25) from Claire’s, & the snakeskin embossed metallic skinny belt ($13.93) in ivory from Express.

The total for these pieces is under $100, ringing in at $99.60, which is quite the bargain! How would you style some of these pieces? What sale items are you eyeing? For more posts on affordable fashion, check out the details behind 3.1 Phillip Lim’s latest collaboration with Target, Ashley Madekwe’s Topshop jumpsuit look, spring-ready cardigans for under $25, & stylish shirt dresses for any size! Happy Styling!

5/6/2013 Darling Of The Day: Ashley Madekwe’s Checkered Topshop Jumpsuit!

Usually when I post something for Darling Of The Day, I share look-alike pieces that are much more affordable than what a celebrity is wearing. However, Revenge actress & style blogger extraordinaire Ashley Madekwe (who is making her second appearance in DOTD) calls on the pajama trend for a recent red carpet in support of a Topshop event. She showed up in the brand’s check dungaree jumpsuit ($110.00), which is currently available for purchase online. Yes, it’s a lot higher than I would pay, but the one-piece has a lot of versatility & plays with the same light flirtiness of a maxi dress.

To complete this look without breaking the bank, I’ve selected affordable pieces from Forever 21, including the essential layering tank ($2.80) in white, Love pendant necklace ($1.80) in gold, & lacquered geo hinge cuff ($5.80) in cream / white. Also, other pieces to build the outfit include the strappy faux leather heels ($22.60) from GOjane & Lulu Townsend flower snap box clutch ($34.95) from DSW. I also wanted to share that Ashley’s showing off some major toe cleavage & her pedicure looks fantastic with this season’s greatest color trend. To achieve this look, I recommend the salon formula nail lacquer ($6.00) in mint condition @Ulta.

What do you think about Ashley’s stylish overalls? Would you wear this look? Do you follow Ashley’s style blog, Ring My Bell? For more celebrity posts, check out the most recent update from Top 10 Celeb Sightings, Olga Kurylenko’s latest red carpet looks, Gwyneth Paltrow’s promotional tour frocks for her latest cookbook, spring floral looks inspired by Elizabeth Olsen & Miranda Kerr, & Scarlett Johansson’s Marie Claire cover shoot! Happy Styling!

The $100 Challenge: Fun & Flirty With A Bicycle Print Blouse!

Since starting my second job, I’ve been re-thinking my spring / summer wardrobe & have found a lot of inspiration from unusual prints, for example: the bicycle print keyhole to ($38.00) in navy from Dress Barn. This really struck me since I’m so used to wearing polka dots, stripes, graphic prints & watercolor florals, however I’ve taken a new look at the possibilities for this top. This includes a white skirt, colored jeans, or an opposing, yet color-coordinated print for the bottom.

I recently wore this top to a friend’s baby shower with red pants & nude canvas wedges, but I wanted to re-style it with The $100 Challenge in mind. I couldn’t get the idea of navy & red out of my mind, which is also why I picked the rockstar super skinny jeans ($25.00) in ‘apple of my eye’ from Old Navy, which are available in sizes 0-20.

Accessories that make for perfect finishing touches to this look include the ankle-strap single sole pump ($25.50) in nude from Charlotte Russe, the Croft & Barrow silver tone striped bead drop earrings ($5.40) in red white from Kohl’s, & Forever 21‘s multi strand woven cuff ($4.80). This whole look has a nautical feel to it, not to mention the Americana color combination that’s sure to liven & brighten up the season. I really love how each piece can be mixed & matched with other wardrobe essentials, as well as reinvented with pieces like the blouse with a hot pink pencil skirt, the jeans for a sequined tank, or the shoes with an embellished sheath dress.

Would you wear a bicycle print blouse? Which details are your favorites for a blouse? Would you wear red, white, & blue in an outfit? For more posts on affordable fashion, check out previous posts including Katy Perry’s white & silver sandal flats, spring-ready shirt dresses, my favorite latest dress purchases, & Derek Lam’s DesigNation collection for Kohl’s. Happy Styling!

Luxury Look-Alikes For Less: Katy Perry’s Silver & White Sandals From ALDO!

Katy Perry has been everywhere these days, promoting her upcoming film, The Smurfs 2. Along with hitting Europe & Mexico, Katy turned up in Los Angeles to the I Create Music Expo. The “Teenaged Dream” singer wore a cell phone-designed graphic print collared tank dress ($650.00) by Suno, as well as Kasota sandals ($80.00) from Aldo. While I think it’s a great idea for the pop star to don accessories from retailers that can be found in the local mall, $80 is still a pretty penny to spend on sandals. Surely this style can be worn with plenty of looks throughout the spring & summer, but I was really inspired to search for silver & white look-alikes to recreate Katy’s footwear choice, without breaking the bank.

I’ve come up with the following shoes: Forever 21‘s studded strappy sandal ($27.80), the Sperry top-sider Meridian sandals ($29.99) from 6PM, & the Impo Gaga wedge sandal ($39.95) from DSW. Aside from wearing these with a spring or summer dress, they’re also perfect for pairing with a blouse & cropped pants, a tunic top & leggings, & a pullover tee with silk shorts.

Which sandals do you prefer? Do you like Katy’s Suno & Aldo look? How would you style these shoes? For more posts on affordable fashion, check out cork heels by Michael Kors, peplum tops inspired by Cate Blanchett & Olivia Palermo, studded loafer flats for spring, how to get Taylor Swift’s sophisticated menswear look, & Kim Kardashian’s silver pointy toe pumps! Happy Styling!

Show Me The Shoes: Celebrating Spring With A Flirty Design By Sophia Webster!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted in Super Style Wishlist, but as soon as I saw the Sophia Webster Leilou polka dot t-strap sandal ($595.00) from Neiman Marcus, I knew I had to share them. I love all of the aspects of this shoe, including the blue & pink polka dot color combination & mod black & white striped heel. These are right up Carrie Bradshaw’s alley, which will work with plenty of looks. These can be worn with a classic LBD, skinny jeans & a boyfriend blazer, a belted sheath dress, & shorts romper look.

Do you like these shoes? How would you style them? Do you like Sophia Webster designs? For more amazing styles by Sophia Webster, check out the official website, as well as Net-A-Porter, Style.com, & Bloomingdale’s! Also, for more shoe posts, check out more from Show Me The Shoes, including my new metallic flats from Dress Barn, accessories with nautical inspiration, Taylor Swift’s collaboration with Ked’s, silver Jimmy Choo pumps as seen on Kim Kardashian, & trendy mint shoes for spring! Happy Styling!