hilton head style

In three short weeks (!), I will have finished my last class ever at Williams College.

One week after that, I will be jumping in my car (along with the rest of the senior class, though not all in my car. That would be cramped) and heading down to Hilton Head for a week of sun, fun, and RELAXING.

It will be one of the only times in my life when I won't be a student, I won't be employed, and I really won't be doing much of anything. That's really weird to think about. I'll be taking book recommendations, if you have them.

With Hilton Head fast approaching and my pre-HH diet (or, "operation leafy greens" as my suitemate Steve is hilariously calling it) well underway (I've already lost almost ten pounds! Woo hoo!), I thought it was time to start thinking about what I'm going to wear!

I definitely want to have an effortless selection of clothes: beachy things that I can throw on during the day and cute, but simple, sundresses that I can put on at night to go out. Here are some of the things, which I already own or are planning to buy (or just really, really want!) that I'm packing:

1. My trusty Tommy Bahama coral bathing suit, which I scored for 50% off when it really wasn't on sale at all. I love the bright color (works great for blondes and brunettes), and how the top is kinda retro.


2. My adorable new Express ruffled halter dress, which only just recently came back in stock in my size (thank the lord) and which is going to be perfect for either having lunch/shopping during the day, or can be dressed up to go out at night. It's one of the cheaper dresses they have in stock this season, and, imho, one of the cutest/most versatile. [Update: It's out of stock! So sorry if I sent you lusting after it! They do have them in solids though...] They didn't have the belt in stock, which was a bummer, but they did have:


3. Express quilted wristlet, in coral. It's going to be way too hot--and sandy--to carry around a nice bag, so this wristlet will hold my id, credit card, phone, and Burt's Bees, but I don't have to worry about ruining it. Plus, it will match almost everything else I'm bringing.


4. J. Crew Factory sequined strip boatneck top, in rose. I haven't splurged for this yet (considering that, you know, I just took out a loan to buy a new computer, but more on that later), but I really, really, really want to. Mara rocked it a few posts back, and it looked terrific on her. It's so perfect for a beachy vacation because it's nautical but in a bright color, and it's glam enough to wear out at night with white or black shorts.

5. Last season, Gap had these super cute hemmed linen shorts. I can't find any pictures of them now, and am way too pale to try to take some for you, but I'll be bringing those in raspberry, dark gray, gold, and white. They're chic and effortless and perfect for walking around town or for wearing over a bathing suit (they dry really fast if they get wet!)


6. My ubiquitous H&M striped top which almost every blogger I know seems to have also bought last summer. (That was actually a pretty fun post-- I showed how four different girls in four different parts of the world wore that one darn top. Pretty cool stuff!) I am ob-sessed with stripes, as I mentioned above, and I think nautical tops are always good to have around on a beach vacation. I like to wear mine with the gold Gap shorts, or skinny jeans and red flats, and gold jewelery. (And there's L., looking really cute and indulging me in my requisite nightly summer ice cream. Hi L.!)




7. Jack Rogers Navajo sandal, platinum. Want. Want. Want. I have the Target knockoffs now, but they're ill-made and the base is starting to peel. I just can't justify paying over $90 for sandals. Sigh. Someday...(looks longingly into the distance).

Other beach essentials? My Burt's Bees pomegranate lip balm, a bright beach tote (I use a yellow one with green handles--fun!), cocoa butter and aloe for dehydrated post-sun skin, TONS of water, which should be easy since L. was so sweet and bought me a Nalgene from the university he'll be doing research at for the next two years!, and obviously great books! I need lots of book recommendations--I'm planning to have a second post where I ask you all your opinion on what I should bring! It's been ages since I could read something that wasn't for school. (But who am I kidding? I'm the person who, when she has her choice of what to read, ends up with Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence and Tolstoy's Anna Karenina).

Finally-- halp! I'm not a big hat-wearer or sunglasses-wearer. I know that's really bad! I just feel like both always look weird on my head/face. Does anyone have any recommendations for universally flattering (or round-face/heart-face flattering) brands of either?

Friday Night Sushi

L. and I probably go to Sushi Thai Garden, one of about three restaurants within walking distance of campus (that aren't sandwich/lunch shops...yes, it does get very old, especially when you don't like Indian food, like me!), once a week.

Here's a funny local hint: Students call it Sushi Thai, and professors call it Thai Garden, but nobody calls it "Sushi Thai Garden." It would sound foolish.

I've never been a huge fan of sushi--I don' t like seafood! Have I told you guys that before?--but L. loves to order Dynamite Rolls, and I can actually eat two or three before I start to remember that I'm eating seafood, taste the seafood, and feel sick.

That's progress.

Sorry these pictures aren't great. I always feel really strange using a flash in the middle of a nice restaurant! Oh, the amazing meals I have neglected to share with you guys because of the flash problem.




My chicken dish, which is what I eat when I realize I don't like eating seafood.

This weekend, I bought two incredible trench coats from the Gap outlet. I've been dying for a staple, khaki, long trench for years, and had been stalking $100 versions at Victoria's Secret and Gap. This weekend I decided to make the hour-there, hour-back commute to the outlets to see what they had, and sure enough, amazing trenches in khaki AND black awaited me. PLUS, being the queen of discounts that I am, I got them each for...are you ready? $34. $34!!! That was the discounted outlet price on top of my AAA discount. Do you guys ask for that? If you have a AAA card, lots of outlet chains will honor a 10% discount just for flashing it! Definitely try it.

The coats are a dream. They're stylish, lightweight, and perfect for LA weather! And the night I bought them it was about 50 degrees, with a warm(ish) breeze blowing and the snow melting. Spring was springing. I was so excited that I'd get to wear my new coats almost immediately.

Today, it is snowing. Again. New England FAIL. Thank god I'm leaving for LA on Friday morning...

Bling for the New Year

My mom unintentionally set off a firestorm of a shopping spree when she gave me a gift card to Old Navy for Christmas...which I promptly spent and then some. As you guys know, I'm all about getting amazing, pricey-looking pieces on the super cheap, and I have to say, though I've always felt that Old Navy was hit-or-miss for me, I nearly took out their entire stock last week. Here are just some of the sparkly, blinging, New Year's-inspired pieces I picked up (or desperately wanted to, but they weren't in my size, sniff sniff.)

Women's Sequined Pocket-Cardigan in Marshmallow White, on sale in-store for $10.95!

Women's Embellished Cardigan in Cocoa Powder, on-sale online for $19.97


Women's Facet-Button Cardigan in Peaches and Cream, on-sale in-store for $10.95




Women's Beaded Button-Front Cardigan in Smoky Gray, on-sale online for $19.97



(Okay, can you tell I'm a little cardigan-obsessed?)

Women's Embellished "Swanky Tank" in Heather Gray, on-sale in-store for $5.95!


These tanks are amazing...I also got one in a dark charcoal gray with the neckline of this white one, again for only $5.95! Such a steal!



I also got a really great bead-and-jewel gray and silver necklace...it's sort of hard to explain without the picture, but think of solid gray beaded balls mixed in with sparkly silver jewels, on a silver chain.

Oh, and to wear all these cute new tops with, I got a pair of jeans from my favorite store for jeans ever, Express. If you guys haven't tried jeans from Express...you need to. Like, right now. I got my first and only ever pair of flattering skinny jeans there and just picked up a really flattering pair of boot-cut jeans, as well.

Did anyone else go on any unintentional shopping-sprees over the holidays?

First Chance Dresses

This upcoming Saturday, we're having our first Senior event of the year- First Chance! We all dress up in formal attire, relish in a cash bar that's cheaper than the bars in-town, and get a chance to start our senior year by spending time with current friends and possibly making some new ones.

I ALSO managed to score a free trim and blowout from my stylist the afternoon of the party. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about blowing out my hair, because honestly I'm terrible at it and can never do it well!

Of course, now comes the universal problem of senior year. With so many class events...I need more dresses! What should I wear?

I could do something simple, sexy, and formal like this black strapless dress from Zara.

Or I could so something sweet, frilly, and feminine like this J.Crew ruffled cotton dress.

Royal blue is one of my favorite colors for dresses, and I LOVE the neckline of this Banana Republic piece. I wouldn't even need jewelery!

Sequins and belted waists are super big right now, and I've always wanted to try a one-shoulder dress, like this one from Forever 21. But maybe the fact that it looks like two separate pieces is too casual for a formal party?

I don't know if I could be bold enough to don this slinky cutout halter from Arden B. It looks super sexy, but is it too much?

I'm heading to the outlets this weekend, to look for dresses like each of the different types I've listed above: simple LBD, feminine and flirty, statement necklines, sequins or one-shoulder, and cutouts. What kinds do you guys like best? I promise pictures of the winner!

Real or Fake?

Let me begin this post by saying that, at least until college, I had never once owned a designer label in my life. And actually...I don't really think I do, still, since the espresso-colored faux leather "Dolce and Gabbana" bag I carry around was purchased for a whopping $20 at a knock-off flea market. I've certainly splurged for the nicer things that I couldn't live without, like my bandolino boots. And my North Face fleece is warm, cozy, and honestly sort of par for the course for a New England liberal arts college campus. But usually the only times I splurge for things are when there isn't a satisfactory knock-off around. I don't believe you should have to have a lot of money to own great fashion. That's why I even devote a lot of my blog time finding cheap look-a-likes to the season's biggest fashion trends from pricier places.

HOWEVER. This is all not to say that I have something against labels, or that I'm an anti-capitalist who thinks that consumer culture is disgusting and going to be the decline of our society. Honestly? If I had the money? I would certainly treat myself to a pair of really nice shoes or a really nice bag. (I'm dying over the solid acorn Madison Maggie.) And even though my H&M one fits and looks just fine, who honestly would not want a Burberry trench coat? I mean, look, all I'm saying is if someone offered it to you for free, you wouldn't turn it down!

I don't really think there's anything wrong with rewarding yourself for working hard and feeling your best. Having a wealthy older gentleman caller or having your parents pay for these things? Different story. I can usually feel my best in an ensemble purchased from Old Navy and flip flops, but that doesn't mean that slipping something eye-catching and somewhat coveted doesn't give me a little thrill.

(Of course, high school Michelle would have none of this, and would probably slap present-day Michelle in the head.)

But I'm a woman, I've grown up, and I'm going to be starting my career soon. So why not put my best self out there? Why not make my outer self be as competitive and well put-together as my resume?

Anyways, that's a bit of a digression from what I wanted to talk about today. Which is shoes. More importantly, Jack Rogers sandals.

This should be proof of how rarely I covet major labels: until last weekend in Cape Cod, I had no idea what Jack Rogers were! Honestly! I'd always noticed and admired C.'s pair, but that's because I LIVE in sandals, hardly ever wear anything else, and they were metallic and looked sturdy and well-made. Which is sort of essential if you wear flip flops every day of the year, at least from March through November, and hate wasting money when they fall apart after a month. (I'm looking at you, Ciao Bella silver strappy sandals.)

This last weekend, however, Jack Rogers basically vomited all over my life. C., her mom, her mom's friend Trish, and their friend were all wearing Jack Rogers at dinner one night. I started feeling the itch. I had no idea that they were a major label, or how pricey they were. So I did a little research and found out I was totally under a rock, and that they were a big deal. More importantly, that the pair I wanted, the Hamptons Navajo in platinum, would run me $96.00. At least I could get them with free shipping on Piperlime, but still. Not cheap.This began a dilemma of sorts. I knew I would wear them all the time. I knew they looked great. And honestly? A little part of me liked that they would be recognized and well-appreciated at my somewhat elitist school, and that I'd be recognized for my put-togetherness by virtually any girl I walk by. Is that shallow? Maybe. Is it the hidden truth at elite colleges everywhere? Definitely.

But then, my good sense saved me. In that I found these. For only $19.99. A comparison:
Jack Rogers Hamptons Navajo flat sandals in platinum. $96.00.
Target Merona Enid Whipstitch Flat Sandals in gold. $19.99



I really struggled. My biggest fear was that the Target knock-offs wouldn't hold up, and I'd have to purchase three or four of them to get the same life that I would have gotten out of one pair of Jack Rogers, thus making the money saved irrelevant. But the reviews said they were super comfy and long-lasting--some people even said they were more comfortable than the real deal! And in trying on C.'s Jack Rogers, I've noticed that they're extremely slippery, and since I have a penchant for being clumsy, I didn't want to go flying down any carpeted staircases. Plus, I wanted the platinum color so that I'd be able to wear them with both silver and gold, and in reading the reviews I found that the knock-off "gold" version is really closer to a platinum color.

So, clearly, I went with the knock-offs. I feel good about saving the money, but I'm still apprehensive as to what the quality will be like. So perhaps a pair of real-deal Jack Rogers isn't far off for me.

Do you guys treat yourselves a lot more than I apparently do? Or do you also like finding cheap look-a-likes and saving money along the way?

I won AGAIN!

(Don't forget to enter the Alpha Ring giveaway before tomorrow at 5pm!)

Clearly my karma is building up a pretty nasty practical joke for me.

It will let me have all sorts of great things now, like finding $10 on the ground of the lobby of the movie theatre and winning the L'Amour dress in the lovely Freckles Chick's giveaway, but soon enough it will turn on me, and I'll be crossing the street under ladders with black cats while stepping on mirrors.

Huh?

To add to this pile of cosmic back luck heading my way, I recently won yet ANOTHER giveaway!

See what I mean? It's too good to be true.

I won the Alex Keller necklace in the Bon Bon Rose Girls' Sizzlin' Summer Giveaway Week! That was a pretty awesome week, ladies. All my online-shopping urges were cured just by oogling the cute things you ladies were giving away.

The necklace is beautiful. I am so, so excited about it. It just arrived in the mail a few days ago.


Funnily enough, I was already planning on wearing gold strappy sandals and gold jewelery with my new L'Amour dress. Now I've essentially won my entire rehearsal dinner outfit for my brother's wedding!


Now if only I could win some gold shoes...


[Images via Alex Keller, Shabby Apple, Nine West]

What do you think of the green and gold combination?

Validation

How funny! Emily, from Cupcakes and Cashmere, just posted her most recent outfit recap...and she was wearing the same striped H&M top I got in Boston last weekend! Here it is again for reference:


No doubt Emily wears it better; I would snag a pic and link to her outfit post (okay, I'll link it), but I won't repost a picture right up next to mine because then it will turn into one of those People magazine "Who Wore it Better?" features and frankly, I wouldn't stand a chance against Emily. Oh, and Rachael commented on my Boston post to let me know that she had just bought the top, too! I guess I picked a goodie. Rachael, I'd love to know how you wore it. I paired it with a gold necklace that my best friend C. bought me for my birthday, white shorts from Old Navy, and silver strappy sandals. Emily paired it with jean shorts, gold necklaces (it works so well with the nautical look), an awesome green military-inspired jacket, and killer platforms. Typical: the East Coast girl plays it safe and nautical-preppy, and the West Coast girl makes it stylish and bold. I really can't wait to get out there!!!

Update: Rachael commented and said that she wore her top with black opaque tights, a black skirt with braces from Urban Outfitters and black flats. (She says she thinks it was boring and necessitated by the bad weather, but I think it sounds oh-so-chic!) Rachael's from the UK, so now we've seen how three girls in three very different parts of the world wore this one top, and you can totally see how our locations influenced us. Is it just me who thinks that is so cool?

And, Chelsea commented to say she owns it too, and wore it with jean shorts, black opaque tights, oxfords, and a gold owl necklace. So she sort of combined elements of Emily and Rachael's outfits. And the gold necklaces seem to be a constant.

I love seeing one top do so many different things! And getting validation from a true style icon that my own isn't too bad ;)

I WON!

Guys!

Pardon me for getting all squeaky for a second.

But I WON!

(Did you hear the squeak? It was there.)

I have not-so-great luck. I don't ever really win anything. But I enter lovely giveaways all the same like nobody's business, because I feel the same way about them I feel about plane crashes: the odds are slim it will happen, but really the odds for everyone are the same.

Does that make sense?

(This is why I'm terrified of flying.)

I digress! I entered the lovely Freckles Chick's (if you don't read her...go start!) Shabby Apple giveaway last week, an adorable boutique home to only the most amazing dresses ever. And when she posted the results tonight, I almost fell out of my chair when I saw my profile picture next to MY comment next to MY NAME!

Here are the colors of the dress I get to choose from:

L'OPERA:


or L'AMOUR:


What do you guys think I should pick? I'm leaning toward the green color, as I think it goes well with brown hair and brown eyes. It'll be a perfect summer-into-fall work dress, no?

(PS- a green, cotton dress worn to my brother's rehearsal dinner at the end of the summer will be the perfect complement to my fancy pink cocktail dress I bought for his wedding! Scratch that purchase off the list!)

Ugh, Uggs

If you're like me and have been dying for a pair of camel-colored Uggs for as long as you can remember, but don't want to shell out the $180.00 or so that they usually go for, check out what I just found:

This Basic Faux Suede Boot from Wet Seal is only $12.00! Sure, it might not be as warm...or stand up as well in the snow...or, you know, be real, but for $12, who cares! And Wet Seal often does free shipping, so I would say if you've been coveting a pair of Uggs, this wouldn't be a bad start!

Also, I started my Jenna's J. Crew Holiday Gift Picks: Michelle Can Do It Cheaper Edition post on Monday and just published it today, so it didn't appear as my newest post. Frustrating! To make sure you don't miss it, check it out here =)

Jenna's J. Crew Holiday Gift Picks: Michelle Can Do it Cheaper Edition

As I mentioned in a previous post, J. Crew stylist Jenna is really going to hate me if she ever finds my blog. But come on, girl. We don't all have $80 (okay, okay, I'm exaggerating...$79.50...)to spend on a ruffle cardigan! Am I right, or am I right?

Thus, I proudly present my perhaps-bitchy, definitely-useful feature, in which I post pretty pictures of all Jenna's Picks, their nasty price tags, and their doppelganger alternatives that I locate for all of you for a much lower price. Think of me as your personal buyer...except you don't have to pay me. Scratch that: you can pay me in comments and bloggy love.

Jenna's Gift Picks: Michelle Can Do it Cheaper Edition

#1. Festive, Metallic Belts

Okay, sorry Jenna, but this one is a no-brainer. Jenna's picks include the J. Crew Superskinny Satin Belt, and the J. Crew Metallic Mirror Belt, shown respectively:


Obviously, they're super cute. The silver satin belt, at $25.00, isn't gonna put you out of house and home. But the gold mirror belt, at $35.00, is asking a little too much of you. Granted, it is in "fine Italian leather," but guess what? No one is going to know the difference. Really. Unless you tell them. In which case, you're being snobby.

The clear-cut alternative are these Old Navy Metallic Bow Belts.


They're only $10.00 and they have little bows on them. Um, could you get any more cute? The answer is no.

#2: Jacquard, Sounds-French-But-It's, Once-Again, Italian Ballet Flats

Okay, I have to admit, these were really, really difficult for me to substitute. I mean, they are gold and floral, and crafted with silk, metallic threads. These people pay more attention to detail in making shoes than I do in writing papers during finals....umm...


Beautiful, huh? Well, are they as beautiful as a crisp Benjamin, a Jackson, a spankin' new Hamilton, and a handful of Washingtons? ($135.00, for the non history-obsessees in the room).

I love me some pretty shoes, but I love my boys more.

I said it was hard...but please, I pride myself on how good I am at this stuff. So I present: the Xhilaration Sheryl Floral Print Ballet Flat--Gold


Honestly? I think I like those ones better. And they have a BOW, which we've clearly already established that I love. Oh and um THEY'RE ONLY $19.99 at Target which is why you'd be crazy to spend $110.00 more dollars on such similar shoes.

#3: J. Crew Sequined Starland Tank

Jenna is a smart cookie, and she knows what looks hot. Her problem is that she can't seem to separate "spending a couple days' at work paycheck" from "omg this is so cute," which is clearly a problem.

The tank is clearly awesome, and would look great under a nice black cardigan and with skinny jeans and boots or pumps (Christmas party outfit?) But it's $138.00, and I'm guessing the Christmas bonus has to whore itself out to a lot of different places this year.

This Express Twist Racerback Top--Sequins, at $49.50, however, is much more reasonable and still super cute. I wanted to show it to you in the dark metal color, which looks more like the J. Crew one, but we all know the problems I have with the Express site (the images are on Flash so you can't save them right off the site, and they're always very small and end up being blurry), so click the link to see it. PLUS today (Thursday) they're having a free shipping day, so get over there!

#4: Sequined Cardigans

I'm just gonna admit it: I don't really find the J. Crew Sequin Tuxedo Cardigan to be all that attractive. It's chunky and a little too masculine (hence the name, I suppose).

It's also $88.00. Girl. Please. What do you expect from me?


I really like this Sequin V-Neck Cardigan I found at Martin and Osa much better:



I think the fit is much more flattering and feminine, and at $44.75 you could get it in black and grey for the same price as one of the J. Crew cardigans!

5. Cashmere Scarves

Cashmere scarves make a great gift. Here's a J. Crew one, for $78.00 (and that's on sale! It was $98.00! Sorry Jenna, but I've gotta look out for my paycheck instead of my friends on this one!


This cashmere scarf which I once again found at Martin and Osa is more reasonably priced ($64.00) and...get this...it has little pockets in the front to keep your hands warm! Best idea ever! I really love the rich blue colored one, too.


So there you have it! I hope I managed to save everyone a couple dollars this year, whether it's on crossing items off your own wishlist (don't even feel badly about it! Treat yourself!) or your Christmas shopping list. Some of the pieces may seem only slightly cheaper but when you add it up there's hundreds of dollars worth of savings here!

Also, here's a helpful trick I learned from Cosmo: If you're shopping for something online and you're not sure if you want to get it, leave it in your shopping cart/shopping bag for a few days. The company will often email you some sort of coupon to encourage you to make the purchase! Since I have a crazy little habit of filling up virtual shopping bags all over the interwebs, you can imagine how many coupons I've gotten!

If You Find Yourself in Need of an Orange Wool Pea Coat

My friend P., having read my previous posts that are becoming a feature of sorts where I find really cute clothes...and then find versions for all of you for a hell of a lot cheaper (such as I did here and here), asked me if I would do the same for her with a gorgeous orange pea coat she had found, but was hoping to find for a lot less. I accepted the mission.

Since we already did the prowling of the internets looking for other versions that I have to normally do when I write these little features, I thought, well, I might as well make one, and see if anyone needs an orange pea coat!

Thus, Michelle's Cheaper Finds for the Karmaloop Breathe Easy Jacket by Joyrich:


P. found this beautiful pea coat in orange and decided, naturally, that she had to have it. But at $118.00, she wondered if she could find something comparable for a better price.

I set out in search of a coat I had spied when I may or may not have been ordering some cute sweaters for myself at American Eagle (25% off and free shipping! Come on, what do you expect from me?), so I directed her to the AE Warm Pea coat:

The color insists that it's "red," even though to me it's definitely an orange-red--or perhaps even a red-orange. It's super cute and slightly less than the Karmaloop coat, at $89.95. But P. was convinced we could go even lower, and that's when I realized she was looking for a Christmas miracle.

So what do you think? Did P. find her miracle, under-$50 (yes, that was her parameter...girl knows what she wants!) orange pea coat?

Why yes. Yes, she did.

The Forever 21 Chelsea Wool Blend Coat:


I'll admit, I lost faith for awhile there. I did not believe that P. would be able to find her orange pea coat for under $50. Plus shipping.

The Forever 21 coat?

$32.80

Even with shipping, she'll still come out under $50.00

And now I kind of want it...

Stay tuned for Jenna's J. Crew Holiday Gift Picks: Michelle Can Do it Cheaper Edition, coming soon!

(Wow, Jenna's really gonna hate me if she ever finds my blog...)

Gorgeous Cheap Coat Steal!

As you might remember from my Wishlist post, a couple weeks ago I was salivating over this J. Crew Wool Duffle Coat in camel:

It's gorgeous and looks super warm, but for $298.00, it was going to have to be a Christmas miracle.

And then, one happened.

It wasn't even on Black Friday-- it was on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and I was shopping in-store at Old Navy. That's where I spotted this beauty, the Old Navy double-breasted wool blend coat:


So the color might not be as rich, and it does have the brass buttons. But guess what? It was originally $99.50, but that day Old Navy was having a 50% sale on outerwear.

Yup. I got my adorable wool winter coat for $49.50. It doesn't have the hood, but I would have taken that off anyway. It's super flattering and has a gorgeous silky magenta lining:


I'm not really a big fan of the funnel neck, so I wear mine folded down for the double-breasted look. I'm so happy with it and have gotten so many compliments already--and I've only gotten to wear it once so far! It looks great with skinny jeans and my Bandolino Castalina boots, and I can't wait to wear it with dresses, tights and flats.

In other fashion news, though I've never been a lucky person in the least, I won my second blog giveaway a couple weeks ago on So About What I Said... for a really pretty ModCloth purple scarf. I was so excited! Their Blog Coordinator emailed me to tell me that the scarf was so popular it had sold out, and after looking over the alternative choices I decided on the ModCloth In The Loop sapphire-colored circle scarf, which just arrived today!

I've never had a circle scarf before, and it's a little tricky to figure out. I've been playing with it and am hoping to put my work outfit together tomorrow around it. (It's so fun to be able to dress for work at school, otherwise I'd probably just wear jeans, moccasins, thermals and puffy vests all day!)

Jenna's Picks and Their Budget-Loving Alternatives

Especially now that I'm out $846.00 because of my car, I need to be watching the budget. While it was only for a brief but glorious moment in time, this summer and fall I was actually in a position to be pairing expensive indulgences with penny-pinching finds, which worked wonders in increasing my wardrobe staples and updating my style. But alas, those days are gone, not to be back until most likely next summer when I can once again work 40 hours a week, and escape from the misery that is the life of a poor college student with car troubles.

Enough of the melodrama.

J. Crew has creative director Jenna's current Picks up on their site. At this moment in time, Jenna's all about unexpected pairings--to quote from the site, "sweet with sleek, soft neutrals with black and a shot of red." The pieces have a lot of fall trends integrated, while polished with a J. Crew classiness: the biker babe look is evident in their studded belts and motorcycle jackets, but when the belts are pink leather and the jackets are paired with red pumps, you can see this rebel-style all grown-up.

Here are some of my favorite pieces from the current Picks, and, in as much of an effort to help myself curb spending as the rest of you, their cheaper, guilt-free doppelgangers.

First up is the J. Crew Belstaff Leather Bomber Jacket (left). I have to say right off the bat that this isn't a piece I would personally own; anyone who knows me knows that the rosy cheeks, big brown eyes, and pearl earrings hardly scream "leather bomber biker," but I still admire those who can pull the look off well. This piece obviously has J. Crew's collaboration with Belstaff going for it, which delivers both name-brand appeal and an assurance of quality. I mean, really, who wants to get the $19.99 Wal-Mart fleece pullover when there's a staple black North Face fleece to be had? I'm not going to lie, when it came to buying a fleece, I wanted the real thing.
But here are my arguments against the bomber. Firstly, I wear my fleece every day. Who is going to wear their Belstaff to class or the office? Secondly, at $1,195, I could pay for my car to get fixed twice over--hell, I could almost buy a new car, for the amount of money I would spend on this jacket.




















Here's my alternative to the Belstaff: the American Eagle Leather Moto Jacket (right). First of all, it's cognac-colored, and anyone who has seen my new boots can attest that it's only the most beautiful and perfect fall color ever. Secondly, at $250.00, it's guaranteed not to break the bank. You could buy almost FIVE of these bomber jackets for the price of one J. Crew Belstaff. And, it'd more versatile--appropriate for the office, class or retaining femininity while giving off an edge of rebelliousness on a date.

I've been on the prowl lately for some skinny jeans that I can fit into my boots (they're really fitted around the calves; flared or even boot-cut jeans just won't cut it). The J. Crew Ankle Stretch Toothpick Jean in Twilight Wash seems like it'd be great, but definitely presents two big drawbacks. The first is that, although the ankle stretch cut would fit beautifully into my boots (the less material, the better!), my hips are WAY too wide to wear these on their own, with flats. Therefore, they'd be completely defeating the purpose of finding new skinny jeans to wear with the boots, by the boots being the only shoes I could wear with the jeans. At $125.00, they're almost as much as the boots themselves! Unjustifiable.




















However, I could just be a prude. My idea of splurging on jeans is to shop at Express. At 59.50, I feel like I'm paying just enough to ensure good quality, while not paying hiked-up prices for a brand or, worse, for no good reason at all. I've been eyeing the Express Stella Skinny Leg Jean for awhile. Express jeans are the ONLY jeans that fit me just right and feel true t0 size; actually, when I lost two jeans sizes this summer after South Beach I was shocked to see I even fit into my size in Express, and not only that, they're actually loose! Anyways, I can be the biggest voucher in the world for these jeans, and would buy these ones gladly if I could get to an Express within 150 miles of Williamstown =(.

J. Crew/Jenna recommend that "a chic little belt is all you need to instantly update your wardrobe." Theirs are designed to be worn around the waist, and so they recommend getting a size up if you're going to actually use a belt to hold up your jeans (who does that, anyways?). I actually really like this Studded Skinny Belt and wouldn't be completely horrified if I knew that someone spent $35.00 on it. Except I know that J. Crew would like if I wore it around the waist on the outside of a cardigan, which is one trend I can just NEVER get into. Who WANTS to make their hips look bigger???




















Anyways, while a $35.00 belt isn't going to mean giving up dinner one night to reward yourself with studded-leather luxury, I'm always convinced there's something out there that's just as cute and much, much cheaper. And what do you know, I found this: a Faux-Leather Silver Belt at Old Navy for a mere $10.00! It might not be Italian lambskin leather with a solid brass buckle, but here's my philosophy: who needs to know??? If you don't tell anyone you're not wearing Italian lambskin leather, they won't ever know you're not wearing Italian lambskin leather--and you'll have $25.00 left over to maybe buy two more in gold and pink.

Something amazing happened while I was browsing and doing price-comparisons with some of Jenna's other Picks. I found this GORGEOUS Shawl Collar Cardigan in a beautiful oatmeal color on the h(y)r collective magazine blog, and realized it was a $590.00 version of a very similar cardigan at J. Crew! The h(y)r collective cardigan is 80% lambswool, 20% nylon and guaranteed to hold its shape for years. The shape is neutral enough to be worn with almost anything. However, at $590.00 you'd HAVE to wear it with everything.





















I'm surprised I'm doing this but I'd say if a good, chunky and quality-made knit cardigan with big cute buttons is what you're dying for this fall, the J. Crew Donegal Shawl Cardigan is the much, much more economic investment. It's a wool/mohair/angora heathered yarn and, though it's a touch more pink than the oatmeal cardigan and thus perhaps less versatile, at $148.00 you could buy more clothes to pair with it and STILL pay less than the h(y)r collective version!

I may be picking up that Old Navy silver metallic belt to go with a particular purple dress you may remember from an earlier post, but sadly, my goal here today was to find and provide cheap and gorgeous alternatives for all of you, while having no intentions of buying, myself. How very Emma of me. Until I can make back the money I have to put into fixing my car, I'll be trying to reinvent and update old pieces, without buying any new ones.

[Images from respective stores; find links within text. (Do some shopping!)]