Last week while browsing through Net-a-Porter's "What's New" section, I came across this gorgeous Valentino purse, which has since sold out.  I decided to bring back an old post; Lust, Love, Less and find similar bags so we could get the look without spending a fortune.

This would also be fun to DIY, if you found a nice tan shoulder bag for a reasonable price you could create your own design with embroidery thread and/or buttons.  I may go that route because I've been wanting to do something crafty for a while (but I'll probably be too lazy).

Valentino Purse: $3195
Ash Handbag: $225
MMS Purse: $19.95

A very close second for the "Love" bag, but the other one had the colors better.
Patrizia Pepe Handbag: $222


Honorable Mentions:

Antik Batik Bag: $133


Anya Hindmarch Handbag: $465

Saldarini Clutch: $75

Everyone here knows I love a good deal! So when I saw a pair of gorgeous coral sandals at Marshalls for $34.99 that were similar to a pair by Marni that I had my eye on, I knew it was fate.  The Marni pair was $496, so I'd say these Mula sandals are a much better buy!  They're also more fun since they're red and textured rather than nude, I'm always a fan of color in my accessories! And they're built for comfort, with special insoles, which is always a plus! I can always count on Marshalls to help me find more affordable pieces.



* This post is in collaboration with Credit Card Insider's "Splurge vs. Save" Campaign. I was not paid for this post, I just thought it was a fun idea!

It's been a while since my last Dress for Less post so I thought I would do one for Spring!  I think Spring is finally here to stay, rain and all, so we best prepare our wardrobes with some new items to spice up our looks!  This time I went back to my usual budget: under $100 for the whole outfit.  What is one of your favorite Spring outfits?

P.S. Shopbop's Friends and Family Sale has started! So now's the time to scoop up those pieces you've had your eye on! Use code WEAREFAMILY13 .


Jeans - ASOS - $19.95 (on sale!)
Tee - Target - $8
Cardigan - Zara - $25.90
Sandals - Target - $15
Bracelets - Chan Luu - $25 (on sale!)
Total: $93.85

Today we have a Dress for Less request from reader Zuley! She asks, "I need a Valentines dress for Reno. I do not know exactly what would be good for the place but skater type dresses usually look good on me. Anything like THESE (1, 2, 3) would be nice... HELP!" Her budget is $50 so I did some sale shopping at ASOS ;)


1, 2 and 4 and 6 are my favorites :)

1. ASOS - $17.54 (reg $62)
2. River Island - $21.05 (reg $79)
3. ASOS - $21.05 (reg $71)
4. ASOS - $28.06 (reg $61)
5. ASOS - $47.36 (reg $79)
6. The Style - $23.68 (reg $74)
7. River Island - $26.31 (reg $97)

Not pictured:
8. Forever 21 - 19.80
9. ASOS - $49.11 (reg $79)
10. Glamorous - $26.31 (reg $47)

Today we have a Requested Dress for Less from Bethan! She says, "I'm looking for a formal dress like this [see image] that's quite 20s style and lace. It doesn't matter what store but my budget is £200. It has to be floor length and quite expensive looking."  Quite the challenge but I think I managed to find some great options for her...except one is over budget. But it's hard to find a pretty maxi dress with lace that looks 20's-ish, haha.  Check them out below. Option 2 is my favorite :)


Option 1 - Karen Millen £50
Option 2 - Modcloth  £126
Option 3 - Philosophy Di Alberta Feretti  £278.25

It's about time I did a post on my Michael Kors inspired lace skirt.  When I saw the Michael Kors Fall 2012 collection I fell in love with the lace skirt and cream sweater combo [proof]. I had the sweater and similar shoes already, so all I needed was the skirt.  I waited impatiently for it to go on sale so I could learn more about the shape and materials.

Unfortunately the actual skirt retails for $6,995 (the sweater is $1295) so that was definitely not an option.  Thankfully my mom can sew so I asked if she would help me to recreate it! I found the fabric on etsy (buy here) and we used some old patterns to create our own.  It took a while to figure out how to get the high-low to work. In the end we had to get rid of the scalloped hem, I was a little disappointed, but the skirt still came out great.

We had some leftover fabric so my mom made another skirt, this time shorter and with the scalloped edge.  That version is going to be easier to wear but I am definitely going to get a few more wears out of the longer version, see the first time I wore it here. I'm thinking it's my Thanksgiving outfit!

Here are both complete looks, what do you think?!

Sweater: Inis Crafts (Marshalls) $30 gift, Skirt: Made by Mom $50 for fabric, Sandals: Guess (Marshalls) $40
vs.
Michael Kors Sweater: $1295, Michael Kors Skirt: $6995, Michael Kors Shoes: $995 (they were sandals on the runway)

$120 vs. $9285 = savings of $9165  OR 98.7%

Next up I'll show you the Burberry-inspired Owl Tee I'm working on!

I know we are still in the midst of Summer, but Fall is my favorite season (for Fashion and weather) and tons of Fall trend updates are beginning to appear online.  I, for one, am very happy that the colored/printed/textured jean look is still very much on trend.  Not that it being off-trend would stop me from wearing it. In my case, I am VERY excited to wear my burgundy Current/Elliot leopard print jeans with my new Theyskens' Theory leather jacket!

Shopbop recently posted a lookbook illustrating many of the new denim trends that are emerging for Fall!  I decided to create some cheaper versions of the looks (and linked the actual pieces).  Who else is ready for Fall fashion?

Tip: If you are in the US, head to TJ Maxx and Marshalls for the latest designer jeans for great prices! Last time I went I found giraffe print jeans, lace print jeans and more! (I resisted buying them)

Another lesson learned in this post: when you can't find what you want in womenswear, check the men's section!

Actual Pieces: MOTHER Jeans, Antipodium Sweater, Tibi Top, Madison Harding Booties

Actual Pieces: Citizens of Humanity Corduroy Pants, McQ - Alexander McQueen Leather Jacket (sold out), MM6 Maison Martin Margiela Top, Stuart Weitzman Pumps

Actual Pieces: 7 For All Mankind Jeans, Haute Hippie Tank (sold out), Equipment Blouse, Maison Martin Margiela Pumps

Actual Pieces: AG Adriano Goldschmied Jeans, Elizabeth and James Blazer, KAIN Label Sweater, A.L.C. Blouse, Alexander Wang Booties

Today's Dress for Less isn't my usual whole outfit under $100 look. Instead I've decided to use designer items that are under $150 each. I want to buy every single piece, sadly I cannot. I did return those Valentino shoes I bought in the Net-a-Porter sale, because they were too small (if you buy them I would try a half size up, or maybe a full size,) so perhaps I can get a little something.

For this look I went for a simple vibe with the boyfriend shorts and slouchy tee.  I also mixed in some tribal, with the necklace, and classic by adding the Michael Kors watch. The look is finished off with turquoise wedges that bring out the color in the  necklace (because I like to do that...) It is a lot of trends but since they are simple pieces I think it works. The great thing about all these pieces is that you can mix and match them with so much in your closet! 
OAK Top - $30
Current/Elliott Boyfriend Shorts - $130 [I wanted to use these MiH Boyfriend Jeans but they were $168...]
Chan Luu Necklace - $105
Michael Kors Watch - $112.50
MICHAEL Michael Kors Wedges - $75
KARL Canvas Bag - $25

The time in between seasons is very confusing to dress for. You don't know whether to wear shorts or tights, sweaters or tanks.  The key is to dress in layers so you can adjust your outfit for the weather. Layering works great for the top half of your body, but for the lower half it's a bit more difficult.  So I just went with some light flowy pants that keep you warm but also give you a nice healthy breeze. (did anyone notice that Harry Potter reference? Probably not because I'm a psycho and it's a totally random line)   I did a bit of subtle print mixing with this look as well. One of my print mixing tips is mix a small print with a large print, both using the same color scheme. That way it doesn't overwhelm you. I also mixed girly with edgy/tribal when I chose my accessories.

One of my favorite places to look for affordable pieces is ASOS.  They have pieces for every budget, for those of us living off jelly beans to the lucky ones who can afford to dress head to toe in designers.  They are also great because they have free shipping, I hate when I have found a great piece and then the shipping turns out to be more than the item! With ASOS you don't worry about that.

Top: Lottie and Hollie $13.92
Blazer: ASOS $45.63
Pants: ASOS $20.87
Necklace: Forever 21 $6.80
Earrings: Forever 21 $4.80
Bracelet: Forever 21 $4.80
Wedges: Forever 21 $24.80

I have been seeing designer doppelgangers everywhere the past few days! These next 3 were all found at TopShop! Unfortunately the Miu Miu's and Chloé's are no longer available. Fortunately, they could show up on The Outnet in a few months, so keep your eyes peeled!  Which ones do you prefer, designer or doppelganger?
Miu Miu Glitter-finished leather and calf hair pumps - $650
Topshop Jamaica Curve Heel Glitz Shoes- $110
I actually prefer the Topshop ones here, but only because the calf-hair on the Miu Mius is a bit odd. They had them at SAKS in NYC when I met Jamie-Lee over the summer and I almost bought them, but resisted.

Chloé Watersnake and patent-leather pumps - $650
Topshop Spector Contrast Back Platforms - $124
Okay, so the print switched places for these shoes but they have the same feeling and that's all that really matters. There were a few versions of these Chloe's but these brown ones were my favorites.

Yves Saint Laurent Opyum suede pumps - $665
Topshop Gilmore Contrast Toe Points - $120
In this case I prefer the muted color Yves Saint Laurent a lot more than the Topshop, but only because I like muted colors (and the colors are perfection!) But I know a lot of you girls like bright colors so I included these as well!

I am still obsessed with the YSL's but $665 i a bit too much for me to spend...maybe if they go on sale. [Hopefully this doesn't become a repeat of the Miu Miu leopard sandal debacle & I can't stop thinking about them...]

As I was perusing Zara over the weekend and lusting over clothes I came across a pair of shorts that really reminded me of the Edun Spring 2012 collection, so of course I fell in love! I was a bad girl on Saturday night and ordered them along with a pair of floral shorts. I don't own any good shorts (okay one pair, but they are boring khakis) so they will be perfect for those hot Summer days and in the Spring with blazers!

Edun Shorts $285
Zara Shorts $60
Edun Top (seen in red runway shot) $300

They also have these pants similar to these Edun ones. I am also very obsessed with the Edun dress below, the color, mixing of prints...everything! I want to splurge so bad but I am resisting (especially since I bought this Edun dress from The Outnet with a gift card I won).

No post here today since I did a guest post on Shannon's blog, Wine Taste Girl, while she is on vacation! It will be posted some time today, I'm not exactly sure when. UPDATE: The post is up, here.

But here is a little sneak peek, it is a Dress for Less featuring the following little beauty:

Splendid $97

Here is my dream outfit for visiting a Christmas Tree Farm which I did on Friday [evidence in this post]!  When picking out your Christmas tree you want to be warm, comfortable and still look great.  You and your companions will want some warm hats, plenty of snuggly sweaters and cardigans, and more. For these looks I went for some leggings, Christmas/Winter sweaters, an awesome coat and durable boots! And we can't forget gloves, hats and scarves, but it isn't that cold yet this year so I just did a hat!  I went a bit red crazy in the first look...but come on, it's Christmas!

Sweater: Stella McCartney $1145
Coat: Moschino $2855
Leggings: Current/Elliot $795
Boots: Rag & Bone $795
Hat: N.Peal Cashmere $67.35
TOTAL: $5587.35

And now here's a Dress for Less for good measure. I tried to do under $150, but I was bad and went over by $5 ;)
Sweater: Mossimo Supply Co via Target $24.99
Coat [there's a red version too]: Merona via Target $59.99
Leggings: H&M $14.95
Boots: Xhilaration via Target $49.99
Hat: Forever 21 $5.50
TOTAL: $155.42

Today we have a Dress for Less requested by Jaymee! She wanted me to find this Fall 2011 Jason Wu dress in a bright color with the slit!  I tried to find inexpensive options but I threw in a gorgeous expensive one too. It was also hard to find dresses with slits that still had the correct look down at the bottom...but I assume a tailor would be able to add a slit, maybe. The colors got a bit more muted when I saved them, so go to the product pages (linked below) to see actual color.
Marchesa via The Outnet $2090
Robert Rodriguez via The Outnet $358
ML Monique Lhuillier via Nordstrom $198

Ugh, I've been such a bad blogger this week, I didn't take outfit pictures yesterday.  But it was raining when I got home...so that would have been kinda hard.  So instead I have decided to do a dress for less outfit! :)  We all know how into purple I am lately so I made an outfit centered around these awesome purple pants. This took FOREVER, I couldn't even find accessories, and I'm going to bed super late, so you better like it :p Aren't those pink shoes amazing!
Pants - ASOS $34.92
Sweater - ASOS $34.92
Blazer - ASOS $48.02
Shoes - ASOS $36.67
TOTAL -$154.53
[I went a bit ASOS crazy]

For this Dress for Less I'm featuring a wonderful Simon G necklace from Kranich's Jewelry.  It is a gorgeous pendant set in 18 karat white gold and features .64 carat total weight diamonds.  Kranich's carries a ton of gorgeous jewelry in all different price ranges so there is something for everyone!

This look is under $150 (minus the necklace) rather than under $100 because I fell in love with those ASOS shoes ;) This look probably needs a jacket for the current weather, but we'll pretend we're still suffering through the heat of summer.
Simon G Pendant
Dress: ASOS $32.93
Heels: ASOS $71.35
Purse: Hurley $29.99
Total: $134.27

Also, there were a whopping 214 entries in the Shopbop giveaway, wow!! I used random.org to choose the winner and it is comment number 27, Carrie of this free bird! Congrats, I'll be emailing you soon!

Today I decided to add a little twist to my usual Dress for Less feature! I am making an outfit for $100 not counting the cost of one central piece: The Alexander Wang Freja Booties.  I was seriously considering buying these babies when they landed on the site a couple weeks ago, but they are $270, so I will be good and resist.

Boots: Alexander Wang via The Outnet $270
Blouse $25.61
Pants $27.44
Purse $27.44
TOTAL: $350.49
TOTAL WITHOUT SHOES: $80.49

Should I do more posts like this?  I'd pick one designer piece that is really unique and fun and create an outfit around it with those pieces adding up to under $100.  You guys could even send in pieces for me to feature!

Also, Shop It To Me is having an AWESOME contest where you can win a Marc Jacobs bag, Rebecca Minkoff bag, Christian Louboutin shoes, or Jimmy Choo shoes!  To win all you have to do is  sign up, enter the contest, then invite your friends to join for extra entries.

Okay, here we go with a cheaper version of the outfit I posted yesterday! It obviously isn't exactly the same, but it has the same feeling.  If you forgot, the other outfit was over $4000, this outfit is under $175. I still prefer the other one though, sad. I wanted to use this blazer from ASOS, but it was $94, and the one I used was only $28...so in this case, cheaper wins.

Top: Alloy $22.80
Blazer: Forever 21 $27.80
Bag: Alloy $19.99
Shorts: ASOS $44.82
Wedges: Forever 21 $26.80
Ring: La Dama $30
TOTAL: $172.21

Last week my lovely friend Emily (of Ruby Slipper Journeys) asked for my help in finding a similar sweater to this Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony Cropped Crew Neck Pullover. She didn't have a specific price but asked that it be, "a grey, pullover cropped sweater (it has to be cropped as a lot of my dresses are high waisted). It doesn't have to be cheaper, well, not cheaper than the sale price, but if it's on the expensive side I want it to be made out of some reasonable material... like wool!" So...here we go!

The sale price was $62 [retail is $205] so I tried to stay under it, but that's a pretty good amount of dough so I was confident! But boy was this hard!!! I kept finding perfect sweaters, but they weren't cropped so that crossed them off the list.  Hopefully these few choices suffice! :) [I did throw in an expensive one too though] What I find amusing is that it is so hard to find the perfect simple piece, like the perfect blazer for example. So we all end up settling for something less than perfect (though we may end up loving it more than what we were originally searching for)
H&M - $19.95  [not exactly cropped but its a great price and a great match]
Rubbish - $38 [this one has pockets, but otherwise its a good match]
Bridgette Bailey - $65
Splendid - $79.00

There was also this cropped McQ sweater but it has lighter grey on the sleeves which isn't what Emily wanted, you may see it here though!

Last week ShopBop sent out an email with 5 looks using one of Fall's colors, orange! I fell so in love with one look that I decided to create a Dress for Less inspired by it.  But before I get to the cheaper look, here's the original, I really want the Marc Jacobs sweater but it is far too expensive :(
Marc by Marc Jacobs Sweater - $228
Current/Elliot Jeans - $188
ONE by Matisse Footwear Penny Loafers - $150
Linea Pelle Belt - $99
Total: $665

This was a bit difficult but I think I did well! The colors are a bit off, but not all the stores have fall clothes out, once we're closer to fall I'm sure we'll be able to find a closer match ;) But I couldn't wait until them.Sweater - Free People $69.90
Jeans - Forever 21 $22.80
Loafers - Alloy $29.90
Belt - ASOS $15.48
Total: $138.08

There is another sweater match here at ASOS! Also, here's another pair of loafers that are more neutral from ASOS ($60.34)