The perfect pointy-toe flats

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.

I am absolutely loving these pointy-toe flats from DV by Dolce Vita.

Dolce Vita has long been one of my lust-after shoe brands, but is a bit on the pricey side.

DV by Dolce Vita is much more affordable and has some adorable shoe options, like this!

Every woman should own a great pair of pointy-toe flats, as they look amazing with many different outfits. My favorite pairing? Slightly slouchy skinny jeans and a faux-fur vest.

Do you have any pointy-toe flat favs?

Posted November 17, 2009 in News

Making a statement with a bib necklace

Refusing to be usual, Danielle is constantly tracking down the latest street style trends, collaborations, and avant-garde indie fashions from London to Toronto. You can also catch her on her blog, GLOWINGDOLL.

Be fearless this winter with larger-than-life statement accessories. These bib necklaces can be dressed up or down, and in the case of the two felt pieces below, will also help keep bare necks warm!

Neve Hex Bib Statement Necklace

Geometric Bib Necklace

Consider revamping your old New Year’s eve dress with the floating Gem Bib from DoloresPetunia:

Bib necklaces can seem intimidating at first, but they are an easy way to update your wardrobe, as they are both fashion-forward and comfortable.


This just in From DoloresPetunia:

“To anyone who mentions “style feeder” for the month of november when placing an order I will take 10% off of the total.”

Posted November 3, 2009 in Fashion, News

Win a $500 Bluefly shopping spree!

Dina is StyleFeeder's resident marketing goddess and shopping addict, who will keep you up to date on what's new and hot with the StyleFeeder community.

We’re proud to say that StyleFeeder is very close to having a million registered users. We think it’s only fitting to reward one of our loyal members who helped us grow to this point, with what else, a shopping spree (courtesy of our good friends at Bluefly)!

Help us cross that millionth user threshold by telling all your shopping-obsessed friends why they should join StyleFeeder (it’s a great way to track and share your finds and get inspired by other fashionistas, natch). Even your peeps who hate to shop will love the site…because StyleFeeder gets to know your tastes, we can make recommendations that make shopping faster, easier and more fun. Even search results are returned in your predicted order of preference!

So take a minute, send an invite to your friends, and if you’re the lucky winner who refers our millionth user, your toughest decision will be what designer dress and shoes you’re going to spend 500 clams on! Click here for official rules.

Posted November 20, 2008 in News

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.

Get the whole scoop »

Posted July 7, 2008 in Fashion

More web sites 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.

As a continuation of my previous post, I present more of my favorite online shopping destinations.

Etsy.com is addictive. With hundreds of thousands of items, you are literally guaranteed to find multiple things you absolutely musthave. Luckily, almost everything on etsy.com is quite affordable.

My favorite things to buy on Etsy include jewelry, vintage clothing and paper-related products. Most of these things are either re-worked new pieces (like American Apparel shirts with appliques) or created from scratch/by hand.

When buying jewelry from Etsy, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you are buying a genuine pearl necklace for around $20, contact the seller for a guarantee. Although it may be vintage and being re-sold for a steal, you want to make sure you aren’t buying something cheap or poorly made. There are so many quality sellers on Etsy that there’s no excuse for something that may fall apart or not live up to your expectations.

Keep an eye out for really unique items. One of my favorite things I’ve found on Etsy were bracelets with letters all over them made with different fonts…sort of an jewelry-themed ode to typography, if you will. The seller is taking a hiatus right now, but keep an eye on her shop space. You’ll want to pick one of these up when she starts producing them again!

Vintage clothing/items are another good thing to look for. There are plenty of home items and trinkets to be found at a steal of a price, and there is some very good vintage clothing. Just keep digging until you find a seller you like and then bookmark it!

The great thing about Etsy is that you are dealing with real people, not a large corporation. If you become a regular buyer, you can start a dialogue with the seller and maybe get alerts to new items before anyone else.

Posted June 5, 2008 in Fashion, apparel

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

A week of chic spring style

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.

I love those spreads in fashion magazines that detail, “A Month of Style!” with a photo for every day’s ideal outfit taken from a gigantic wardrobe of things to pick and choose from.

Alas, I am not wealthy enough to afford to buy their wardrobe suggestions. $300 for a dress? Not gonna happen! I’d like to have a settled career, thanks, before I start spending large chunks of rent and food money on clothing. As fun as that is, a girl’s gotta eat!

My thought was to re-create the same idea: a week of fashion, made from a few simple items, but all affordable. Mind-blowing, right?

Day One – Bohemian Chic

Pair these great (and cheap) sandals from Forever 21 with a Lux skirt by Urban Outfitters and a top from Delias.

Why should you wear this? It’s got a great, “oh-this-old-thing” casual look, but still looks like you took time in choosing your appearance.

To mix it up – Add a bright colored scarf, a couple gold bangles or hoops or a light, loose jacket.

Get the whole scoop »

Posted April 14, 2008 in Fashion, apparel

Bright outlook for spring fashion

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.

Color, color, and more color! After the drab and dark days of winter, I am so happy to see bright, fun colors taking over my favorite shopping spots.

I wear a LOT of monochromatic colors like black, gray and white, with the occasional pop of navy or taupe, but I am determined to wear a lot of fun colors this spring and summer. And why not? Just looking at the page above from People Style Watch makes me feel better about my day. Imagine a double-page spread of black clothes? Not nearly as exciting.

Check out some of my favorite (and, as always, affordable) finds for spring.

Blue

My favorite spring shade is an eye-popping cobalt blue. Blue with black is no longer taboo, so feel free to match these separates with black accessories or other items at your heart’s content.

Jackie’s Favorite Blue Picks: These deep blue Forever21 slingback platforms are super-inexpensive and have a great glossy patent finish. These could be worn with jeans, pencil skirts, dresses…they’ve got a really versatile quality. I also love this cobalt blue peacoat. Since it’s still a little cold in DC, I’m still gravitating towards warmer clothing!


Get the whole scoop »

Posted March 5, 2008 in Fashion, News, apparel

Become your own “sartorialist”

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.

Anyone who reads lots of fashion or style blogs should have heard of The Sartorialist. It’s an intelligent, photo-filled fashion blog filled with inspiring photographs of everyday people in interesting outfits on the streets in various cities.

A lot of the time you have to assume that the people Sartorialist founder Scott Schuman photographs are wearing vintage or secondhand finds because of the uniqueness of their clothing. Schuman does not often snap someone in identifiable clothing–i.e. anything with bold logos or recognizable graphics. The exception to the vintage assumption is, naturally, NY Fashion Week. The photos he takes in and around Bryant Park feature a lot of stylish women probably wearing a lot of expensive clothing. I doubt women wear anything from a secondhand shop to Fashion Week…unless it’s secondhand designer!

How can you emulate the cool, street-style of these women given their 15 seconds of fame via The Sartorialist?

I’ll show you.

This girl has managed to look both stylish, individual AND comfortable. Luckily, Victoria’s Secret makes a dress similar to the one she’s wearing:

Her gray shoes add a bit of flavor, where black shoes would have just melted into her tights. Try these from Payless. They’re cute and really inexpensive. To finish off, a black coat with a great cut and trendy quarter-length sleeves.

Get the whole scoop »

Posted February 13, 2008 in Fashion, News, People, apparel

Amazons, rejoice: Terrific trouser/shoe combos for tall women

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.

Elle Macpherson said this great quote:

“I used to wear heels because I wanted to show people I wasn’t ashamed of being tall. But I don’t wear them any more because you don’t have to wear heels to be beautiful. I can’t even remember the last time I wore heels.”

I was 5′11” by the time I was 15, and ever since then I’ve dodged questions about my basketball playing, volleyball playing or modeling ability (or lack thereof.) To clear things up: I played basketball in junior high, never cared for volleyball and the only time I model is for THF.

Nearly every tall woman has similar problems. Finding pants is impossible. Every knee-length skirt looks mini on you. You may have long legs, but you can’t find pajama bottoms to cover your ankles. Being tall as a woman is simultaneously the best and worst thing in the world. You feel empowered when you walk down the street, but end up in tears in the dressing room because pants just don’t fit.

I harbor such a hatred of changing rooms from all the disappointment of never finding pants that, to this day, I’ll rarely try anything on. I’d rather buy it and take it home and return it, than stand in a barren, too-bright changing room trying to pull pants down on my hips so they fit my 37-inch inseam (35 inches, plus two extra inches to allow for heels).

So, to save you the toil and trouble of searching for pants long enough to fit your legs, I’ve picked out some of my favorite styles in denim and trousers for spring…along with complimentary shoes.

Alloy.com is a tall girl’s fantasy. Pants and jeans come readily in 37” inseams, running all the way down to the petite 32”. Skinny jeans are perfect for tall women, too. They compliment your long legs, and you don’t have to worry as much about length, since skinny jeans look fine hitting you at the ankle, or slightly above, depending on what shoes you want to wear with them. This black pair is super-flattering in cut and wash, since everyone looks good in black pants.

Try skinny jeans with a punchy colored shoe for spring. It will update the look and bring it out of the dark winter doldrums.

Get the whole scoop »

Posted February 4, 2008 in apparel