Thrifty Thursday ... deal finder edition!

Hi All!
Thought I would mix it up a little this Thursday and give you tips for where I find my best thrifty (and still fashionable!) deals... so that you can too!

Work pants - BANANA REPUBLIC!  This place is a goldmine for sales on dress pants.  I have 5 pairs of pants from Banana that are on a heavy rotation in my Mon-Fri wardrobe and they all came from the sale rack at Banana for under $35.  I can admit I have a problem... I probably stop by Banana once per week to check the sale rack.  However, I would advise to steer clear of the dresses and shirts on their sale racks because they don't mark them down very far.

Workout Clothes - TJ Maxx.  People don't often think to shop here for workout clothes, but they usually have a pretty good stock.  I've gotten sports bras for 2.50, shorts for $7.  Unless you are a marathoner or an athlete than needs special gear, bypass the Dick's Sporting Goods and head to TJ Maxx or Marshalls.

Bras/Underwear - I'll be honest, I've been known to frequent the 5 for $25 section in the front of Victoria's secret for underwear, but I have never and will never buy a $40 bra from there.  Those of you that know me know that I wasn't necessarily genetically blessed in the chest department, but I still like a good bra.  I've found some great bras at Target that last just as long and are actually more comfortable than Victoria's Secret.  Give it a try - you'll save yourself a lot of money!  Oh and recently, Forever 21 started making bras... and the convertible nude bra that I have is amazing/comfortable/CHEAP! ($4.80)

Jewelry - I have two really nice things that I have gotten as gifts from the boyfriend, but other than that, all of my jewelry comes from Forever 21.  I lose jewelry constantly, so I can't justify spending a lot on it.  I'd suggest buying your trendy pieces from Forever 21 because you won't be bummed if you think it's super ugly the next season if you only spent 6 dollars on it.  While writing this I decided to peruse the Forever 21 jewelry list for new stuff (they add new jewelry every week) and found two really pretty things:

                                               

 Lacquered Rose Petal Studs in Red, $1.80 (Comes in black, pink, purple, and blue too!)

These earrings are SO delicate and so cheap.  I would buy one in every color!

Filigree Bangle in Gold, $3.80

The cut-out detail is really nice and unusual.  A good find for less than 4 dollars.

What great deals have you found lately?

Preppy Officewear

So I got this great skirt at Target last week - it definitely looks more expensive than Target ($26.99) - it's a really nice fabric and its lined - the color in this picture is a little misleading, it looks more orangey to me in the picture than it is in person, it's actually a really nice camel-brown.  Clothing from target tends to run a little big; this skirt seemed big too, so I would order a size smaller than you normally wear.  This is a great neutral that could work in many outfits in your fall and winter wardrobe with a pair of tights and heels or boots.

Paperbag Skirt in Hazelnut, Target.com, $26.99

I would pair this skirt with this preppy double-breasted navy sweater vest from J.Crew (on sale for $59.99).  The vest isn't sewn closed, so you could wear it open for a more relaxed look or button it for a more structured look.  This vest also comes in grey, which I also like, but for this outfit, I would pick the navy. 

Dream Campton Vest in Navy. Jcrew.com, $59.99

This dress shirt below is a "Fab find" on Forever 21's site, and I couldn't agree more, especially for $12.50.  The cut of the neck is a lot more flattering on women than the usually dress shirt that buttons all the way up to the neck.  Since the neck on this dress shirt comes to a V, it elongates the neck, making you look more feminine, and making you look taller!  This would look so crisp tucked into the skirt with the navy vest overtop. 

Fab Pinstriped Woven Shirt in Navy/White $12.50

In order to add some femininity to this outfit since a lot of the pieces look "menswear-ish", I really love the necklace below from Anthropologie.  The flowers add a little flare to the normal strand of pearls, and give the outfit a girly feeling.

Bonheur Necklace, Anthropologie, $58

Since it is getting cooler out, I couldn't pass up the addition of a hat with this outfit.. and when I saw this Cloche style hat (popular circa late 1920's), I had to add it to this outfit.  It is the perfect final touch.  This hat looks black in the picture, but it is navy, and would look really classic and sophisticated with the pearls and the vest.  I love the bow because it kind of blends into the hat, but up close it is a nice detail.

Ring and Peal Cloche Hat, Navy, Anthropologie.com, $48

Lastly, pair the outfit with some sheer brown tights and these shoes that I featured a few weeks ago and you've got yourself a classic and preppy outfit, with hint of old world glamour.

Nadia Shoe, Nine West, $79

Thirfty Thursday... Date Night

For this edition of Thrifty Thursday, I came across an awesome deal on a shift dress from Old Navy that is currently only $15!  What a steal.  I liked the black and grey equally, so I decided to do two outfits, depending on what type of date you are going on, or what type of dresser you consider yourself.  On the left, I put together an outfit for a more adventurous dresser... yeah, you'll see the purple suede booties below.... not for the faint at heart, but CUTE (especially when you find out where they're from).  And on the right, I chose a more conservative, romantic look.  No matter which you pick, I am sure your man will be drooling at the first sight of you.
Twill Shift Dress in Pavement $15 (limited time) and you can get 15% off today! Oldnavy.com

For the shoe options, with the black dress (we'll call this option #1), I love the purple suede booty below.  It is a big statement, but since it's paired with a black dress and other black/grey accessories, it works, because it isn't TOO much in one outfit.  For the grey dress, I love these Suede Peep Toe shoes - and both pairs are from PAYLESS! Can you believe it?

 Left:  Sasha Booty in Purple for $34.99

Right: Koture Ruffle Peep Toe in Black for $24.99

I picked the accessories below because they would work with both outfits.  I like the black belt to cinch the waist of both dresses,  since the traditional shift dress doesnt have much shape through the middle.  I also like the thinness of the belt because it gives you a figure but doesn't attract too much attention, since this isn't the focal point of the outfit. I picked the earrings just because I thought they were pretty.... a little bit of shimmer but not gawdy, simple as that.

Left: Drop Earrings from Forever 21 for $9.80

Right:  Faux Leather Skinny Belt in Black, Forever21.com $2.50

For the black dress + booties, I'd like to pair it with slightly see-through grey tights.  The grey will create a good buffer between the black and the purple, and keep you warm!

3-pack of tights from Forever 21 in Medium Gray, $4.50

Lastly, something to keep your sholders warm in these cool fall months: The pashmina on the left in Charcoal from Target for $19.99 would play off the grey of the tights in Outfit #1 and also give a little contrast up top to the black shift.... although I wouldn't suggest wearing it the way the model below is wearing it.. I think it would look better if she took those long edges and "flung" (if you will) them over the opposite shoulder to create more of a cocoon.
For dress option #2, I like the  pop of color near the face while incorporating the grey from the dress.  This magenta colored scarf is really delicate and pretty.

Left - Pacific Pashmina Wrap With Bamboo Box - Charcoal, Target, $19.99
Right - Two Tone Printed Scarf in pink, Old Navy $12.50 (+ add'l 15% off today)

Farm Chic

I was looking around Shopbop.com today and found this beautiful shirt below (it should be beautiful, for the +$200 price tag!)  I really love this shirt... its romantic, flowy, and very pretty.  If you search a little, you can find quite a few shirts similar to this style in stores right now, if you can't break the bank to buy this particular Tucker style.

Tucker Smocked Collar Blouse, $264, Shopbop.com

As much as I love the flow of this shirt, I also really like an addition of a  blazer over top of it.  The discord between the light, airiness of the shirt and the structured blazer create a visual interest for the eye.  I really like this wool blazer from J crew.  It has a slim fit and hits the hip at the exact right spot.  You never want a blazer to be too short or too long - use this picture as an example of where a blazer should hit on your body.

Butterscotch Wool Flannel Schoolboy Blazer, $178, Jcrew.com

I think the combo of these two tops would look so perfect paired with a sleek high heeled leather boot.  I really like the curved lines of this boot because it adds another hint of softness to the outfit.. I think a pointed boot would be to strong to pair with the top portion of the outfit.  Add a nice medium-to-dark wash tapered jean for a good fit under the boot.

Boot: Eliza Slouch High Heeled Boot, Sale for $198, Banana Republic

Pants: DL1961 Kate Slim Straight Jeans in Twilight, $158

Who doesn't love a pretty (and cheap!) accessory?  I think this sea green colored floral ring  is the perfect accessory to this outfit, which is a good complement to the floral pattern of the shirt.  A thin, long gold chain would also look really pretty over the shirt - pretty, yet simple enough that it wouldn't take away from the shirt.

Shimmer Flower Ring in Green/Clear, Forever 21, $4.80

The whole ensemble gives me a "farmer meets chic city girl" vibe... and I love it.  Hope you do too!