Wardrobe remix…Remixed!

Jackie has champagne tastes on a student budget. That’s why she keeps a close eye on celebrity trends, then scours fast fashion outlets to recreate the look for less.

One of my favorite spots for fashion inspiration is a Flickr group entitled Wardrobe Remix. Regular girls and guys can submit head-to-toe shots of their outfits and then fashion voyeurs, such as myself, can partake in the thousands of great real-life looks.

I recently found two looks I really liked and decided to recreate their outfits for as cheap a price point as possible.

First, I found a photo of night.owl, whose outfit was quite basic but had a fun pop of color.

  1. Start out with a basic white dress, as night.owl did. I chose one that’s a bit more full in the skirt, which is more universally flattering.
  2. I love the edgy jacket that night.owl is sporting. The dark charcoal gray also adds a modern, casual feel to the dress. Try this one by Forever 21.
  3. Gray shoes are harder to find in the summer, but come fall/winter they should be much more plentiful. For now, try this pair.
  4. Red tights completely made night.owl’s outfit. They added a punchy color and a quirky element that really stood out to me.

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Posted July 7, 2008 in Fashion

Want a sweet deal? Favorite websites for fashion bargains.

Jackie has champagne tastes on a student budget. That’s why she keeps a close eye on celebrity trends, then scours fast fashion outlets to recreate the look for less.

A lot of people ask me where I get the clothes I’m wearing and they’re always surprised when I say where I got them and how much the item cost. Typical reactions include disbelief and jealousy, especially when I’ve spent less than $20 on a pair of shoes identical to an $80 pair someone else owns.

How do you find your own sweet deals and which online shopping destinations will give you the most bang for your buck?

Here are a few of my favorite sites and a few of the best items from them that I’ve added to my StyleFeed over time.

Forever 21 has incredible selection and style and the prices are outrageous, especially if you do a bit of digging. I’ve unearthed fabulous dresses for less than $20 and great costume jewelry pieces for around $5. The shipping from the site is painless and quick and they have easy return policies should something not fit.

Here are my tips for shopping online at Forever 21:

Visit the store before you shop the website so you know what fits you and what you’re looking for. Often, the actual clothing looks different in person than it does on their website, especially in the dress length area. Some “dresses” Forever 21 sells are more tunic-lengthed, meaning you’d have to wear them as shirts or with leggings in order to make them street-appropriate.

Don’t expect pristine quality. Forever 21 keeps their prices low by mass-producing huge quantities of clothing that aren’t meticulously made. Don’t expect your clothing to hold up for years-or sometimes weeks-on end.

Beware of dresses or shirts you need to zip. Forever 21 has fairly cheap zippers that often break.

If in doubt, go up a size. Their clothing runs tiny–truly tiny. If you have a wide rib-cage, like I do, you may need to go up two sizes if something is really fitted around that area.

Posted June 2, 2008 in Fashion, apparel