Blogging on the Cheap Stuff

There are some other fashion blogs that I really love to read. My favorite one is probably Style Bubble, but I find Daddy Likey hysterical, and I enjoy various other blogs, such as Do This Don't and Facehunter. My only issue with these blogs, in particular Style Bubble and Facehunter, is that they spur in me an inate desire to buy clothes I simply can't afford. As much as I love clothes, sometimes I would rather have money to go on vacation, or to eat for that matter. That philosophy just doesn't give me the budget to spend over $25 on a shirt. And as much as I adore shoes, I will spend a good $60 on a pair of running shoes whose life will span the style changes, and then $30 or less (each) on a select few pairs of shoes that I buy "just for fun." To do otherwise would deprive me of other neccesities. Also, I'm the kind of girl for whom more is more. I'd rather have a handful of cute, cheap dresses than one expensive one. Yes, the cheaper dresses will fall apart more quickly, but I figure that they will be out of style by the time that day comes. If I ever become rich and famous, I can splurge on the good stuff, but for now I'll have to satisfy myself with the glories of H&M, Forever21, Wet Seal, and thrift stores. This is why I blog about the cheaper stuff...It's what I know. There will be the occasional lust entries where I rant about my high fashion desires, but for the most part, I think I can keep those to a minimum.

Payless Red Carpet Collection by Patricia Field

Payless sure has been busy as of late. First Abaete and Lela Rose, now Patricia Field. Yes, that's right...Patricia Field (You may know her as a stylist for Sex and the City and a costume designer for The Devil Wears Prada) is designing a collection for Payless. I, for one, am excited. The only shoes from the collection that are shown on the Payless website are the ones pictured above, but while I don't love them, they set a tone for a fun, funky collection that you could easilly picture on the set of Sex and the City. I do hope the rest of the collection involves shorter heels, though, because these ones are ankle-breakers. Expect to raid the Payless shelves for Patricia Field's creations in the holiday season of 2007.

Tights and Leggings

Right now I'm really into fun tights and leggings. I love neon tights that pop from underneath a skirt or dress, and I admire the funky abstract patterns you can find on various leggings. I really covet the H&M leggings below. They would really pump up the little black dress or black shorts or a black jumpsuit.



I need to get down to H&M one of these days. It really has some fantastic clothing at very good prices. Also, I want to check out Madonna's collection. It seems pretty nice to me...I love that kimono-style dress that's being featured. Very classy, no?

Vintage Websites to Watch

http://www.vforvintage.com/index.html
http://vintagefabulous.com/index.php
http://www.ninjavintage.com/index.html
http://www.adorevintage.com/ - pricey but awesome
http://avantgaudy.com/ - cheap shoes
http://sydneysvintageclothing.com/cart/
http://www.dandelionvintage.com/
http://www.sveetcouture.com/catalog/
http://www.prettybabyvintage.com/
http://www.modcloth.com/ - coupon code 'blog' gives you 10% off
http://www.vintageamore.com/

Want Asian Street Fashion?

Well, you're in luck. Asiajam.com sells adorable clothing and accessories imported from Asia. Some of them are too cutesy or puffy for the average American, but others are just right for putting together unique, fun look. The prices aren't bad either.

I like a lot of the items for sale there (Those Hello Kitty purses are so sweet!), but there was one item that really stood out. The skirt pants (shown above) are cute and unique. I've never seen or heard of skirt pants, but I hope they make it big. I may just buy these and bring the trend to America.

Spring?

Today is a glorious spring-like day, at least in Massachusetts. As I was walking along through the melting snow and streaming sunlight earlier this morning, I was struck by a sudden urge to put on this Forever21 Coat and some playful heels and frolick in the beautiful weather. I wouldn't begrudge myself a pretty umbrella either, like the Free People one below.



So, has Spring sprung, or does it just feel that way? It doesn't really matter. I will enjoy it either way.

Abaete and Lela Rose for Payless

I'm getting kinda psyched for Abaete and Lela Rose's collections for Payless. The Abaete collection is due to hit stores in March '07. As in this month. So get ready for a major shopping spree! The Lela Rose collection won't be available until Fall '07, but that gives us plenty of time to get excited.

The above pictures are my 2 favorite shoes from each collection. The Abaete shoes on the top left are funky, unique, and they have the spring bling-bling trend down flat. Whether I can walk in them is another story. The Abaete shoes on the bottom left are what I like to call retro-fabulous. I'm a big fan of flat boots because I refuse to put my feet in anything that will cause them pain (well, unless it's absolutely gorgeous). I could see these boots with a lot of current trends, like jumpers, tunics, retro dresses, and pretty spring dresses. These are my favorite shoes from the 2 collections, so I will be picking up a pair of these. Hey, the price is right! The Lela Rose collection includes some pretty nice shoes as well. The pair featured on the top right is adorable. I love the t-strap look, and I love how they are chunky, but still femenine. I may have to spring for these as well. The red pair beneath these is nice, too. I don't find it incredibly special, but, like most red pumps, it has that old Hollywood glamour appeal.

Just to show how awesome the boots are, I'm posting a picture I found of a girl wearing similar boots. The pic is from the flickr group Wardrobe Remix, and it was uploaded by liebemarlene.