La Vie Boheme!

We all know fashion cycles.  If a style or piece of clothing becomes worn out, save it, it's sure to be in again.  Right now I'm seeing eclectic mixing of several decades, from the 60's to the 90's being incorporated into a single outfit.  I am a child of the 80's and will always think that Clarissa Darling knew everything, especially about fashion, when she "Explained It All" on Nickelodeon.  If you haven't seen the movie version of the musical Rent, watch it.  It takes place in the late 80's.  All the fashion is fabulous; its very realistic and has a strong bohemian feel.   Mimi is my favorite character and at least one piece of every outfit she wears could be incorporated into a modern woman's wardrobe.  Couture designers are taking note as well.  If you notice, most designers are including pieces reminiscent of previous decades in their collections.  Draw inspiration from current looks and go vintage shopping to find pieces at extreme discounted prices.  If you need a modern example of a woman who makes this work, think Sarah Jessica Parker ah la Sex and the City...notice how she can pull off the craziest outfits because she incorporates trendy pieces with the more off beat ones.  Be brave.  Think of fashion as art and you're the canvas.  If you hate the outfit you concoct, you can always change clothes!

Tie It Up...Make It New

Say what you will about Kate Moss.  Whether you love her, or frown on her party girl past, the girl is a fabulous model and revolutionized the modeling industry in the 90's when she hit the scene in her Calvin's, and she will forever leave a lasting mark on fashion.  With her unique look and fragile frame, she carries clothes well and can make almost anything look good.  Though there is one specific look that inspired me to write this article.  Miss Moss was at an event wearing a fragile vintage dress.  At 9 pm the dress was still in one piece, though the same couldn't be said by the end of the night.  As the night progressed the dress literally began falling apart at the seams.  Do you think that stopped her from having fun?  Never!  She tied it up, and kept going, and not only did it look good, it looked better than the original.  While I don't recommend ripping your clothes, it does solidify the importance of good tailoring.  If an outfit doesn't fit right, no matter how expensive it is, it's not going to look good.  The opposite can be said for bargain piece.  Even if it's less expensive, if it fits you to a T, then you're going to look like a million bucks.  This idea inspired me to "tweak" a dress of my own.  It was, of course, a bargain dress, but really cute non-the-less.  I tried tying it different ways, Ah La Kate, and ended up with a "brand new," adorable dress.  What do you have to lose?  Tie, pin and tuck away, if you like it then you can cut and sew, if not, just start over!

Purple People Eater!!

Because of the difficult and time consuming process to produce, Purple was traditionally a color reserved for royalty.  While it is now available to the masses it is easy to understand why its beauty was so revered.  A deep purple is rich, expensive looking, and even if its only on a tee shirt, automatically gives the wearer a look of elegance.  While jewel tones are everywhere this season including deep greens, teals, and reds, purple seems to be the favorite among designers.  Whether you wear purple on an evening gown, on a suit, or a top be sure that you'll get noticed for your beauty...after all, purple is also the color of Passion

Vroom Vroom...Biker, Baby!

They made an appearance last fall, but biker jackets are by far the season's jacket must-have. Automatically edgy and cool they lend a certain something to any outfit.  Top off a flirty, floral dress with a jacket to keep it from being too saccerine.  Add polish to a tank and jeans.  While black is a classic, look for other colors like grey, brown, or even red.  While a biker jacket made of leather could run upwards of several hundred dollars, you don't have to spend a lot of money to achieve this look.  I bought one a few weeks ago from Sarah Jessica Parker's "Bitten" line at Steve & Barry's for 8 dollars...which was great find, even for me, the Queen of Cheap! : )

Sleek, Sexy, Simply Stunning

Among Fall's trends, one of my favorites is the sophisticated, minimalist look.  Designers are embracing this with rich fabrics, clean cuts, and long silhouettes. Despite the simplicity of the the designs, they are incredibly rich and give the wearer a look of elegance and strength.  Anyone can achieve this look without buying designer labels, though look for darker colors especially if the fabric isn't of the highest quality.  Lighter colors show more imperfections.  

Tights Tie It Together

Unpredictable weather and lack of funds can often make the wardrobe transition from Summer to Fall difficult.  The best way to ease into Fall is to incorporate lighter layers with a heavier sweater or my favorite...Tights. Black opaque tights are a classic standby.  Wearing them with a lighter summer dress automatically gives the look a more polished and heavier feel. Though, I have always been a fan of colored or patterned tights.  For the brave, wear them as a monochromatic look with deep purple tights and a dress in the same color.  For the faint of heart try a black dress or skirt with pink or red tights to add a pop of color.  Any color goes and even navy, grey or burgundy can be used as a neutral, just like black. My advice, be brave!  I promise you'll be surprised at the amount of compliments you'll receive!  Check out these links for ideas.

http://legluxe.com/opaque

http://www.welovecolors.com

Who says Cheap can't be Chic?

I'll be the first to admit, I'm a girl who loves a bargain.  Don't get me wrong, I can drool over expensive couture all day long, but when it comes down to actually forking over the cash (or plastic) I just won't do it.  But I love expensive brands.  Basically my motto is this..."I want nice things, but only want to pay a dollar for them." Now I understand that a dollar may not be realistic for a pair of BCBG pants or a pair of Oscar De La Renta sunglasses, but I've bought both for less than ten dollars.  How, you may ask?  I shop around.  Stores like Marshalls, TJ Max, Ross, Burlington Coat Factory...all of these have expensive name brands for much less than half of the regular retail price.  The styles are current and pieces are usually in excellent condition. The clearance racks are my favorite.  I'm like a moth to a flame.  You have to be patient and sometimes picky, but if you look carefully, you can walk out of the store with 5 pairs of pants for less than 20 bucks...like I did last week.