CheapJAP

Nifty Thrifty

Thrift Goes Corporate, Thanks to AA

Hating on American Apparel isn’t the most challenging of tasks. There’s the prevalence of camel toes in tights and leotards; the idea that oversized fake glasses-plus-nipples-equals-sexy; the $10 Le String intended to shape the $38, too-true-to-its-nameLe Sac Dress; the pervy-is-the-new-black trend illustrated by variations on the doggy-style theme. A world where the saggy-eyed apathy of a lethal bender is always In and partied-out promiscuity is always cool lends itself to a certain, erm, lack of responsibility: It’s all fun and games until somebody gets knocked up and blames it on a billboard.

And yet.

In the entirety of my wardrobe, there is one item without which I could not dress myself: Lame-Matte High-Waisted Leggings in black, no contest. In, Out, I don’t give a shit; if leggings aren’t pants, I’m bottomless at least three days a week and more than okay with it. I feel all kinds of awesome whenever I wear them, and feeling awesome is always In, yes?

Until recently, the aforementioned leggings were the sole source of my commitment to AA. Then I wandered into their Flatbush Avenue location and happened upon California Select.

Initially, I rolled my eyes and Oy-Veyed to myself: Was AA really pulling an Urban and manufacturing pretend-vintage clothing? Then, I noticed that every single piece was different, that the California Select racks looked more legit thrift than faux secondhand. I grabbed the nearest Unisex Tee-Clad employee and drilled him for answers.

CJ: Explain this California Select biznass to me.
AA: It’s American Apparel’s vintage/thrift line.
CJ: I see. So you’re manufacturing “vintage” clothing.
AA: Nope. Our buyers hit flea markets all over the country. The stuff they find is California Select.

Exsqueeze me? Baking powder? Did Sustainable Shopping just go corporate in a big way? As someone all too familiar with the challenges of shopping a flea (the weather-related issues, the figuring out which vendors are decent, the constant suspicion of being ripped off), I’m eternally grateful for anything that makes the process less of a bitch. American Apparel’s culling the best of America’s gently-worn goods takes the headache out of the equation. I’m happy to pay a few bucks more for convenience, especially when much of the line starts at a reasonable $9.99.

All items pictured currently on offer at California Select’s Ebay Store. As of now, the line is only available Select-ively (tee hee) in the flesh, (see this list of retail locations for more info) but I have a hunch it’ll be everywhere soon.

American Apparel’s ads might glorify irresponsibility, but their business practices do no such thing: The company was hailed as a shining example of Corporate Social Responsibility even before California Select. Their decision to, in essence, mass-produce previously worn clothes proves that they’re as environmentally conscious as they are socially. It also affirms my assessment of Sustainable Shopping as the next big thing, and hot damn! do I love being right.

Nifty Thrifty

Hats Off To Meeeee

H&M Beanie = Good.

Sustainably Shopped H&M Beanie = GREAT.

Hat, Beacon’s Closet, $8.95.

Word.

Nifty Thrifty

Meet Aunt Debbie.

Legend has it that whenever Aunt Debbie’s kids acted out in the car, she wouldn’t waste her energy screaming them into silence; she’d simply swerve her Cadillac all over the road, stopping and starting abruptly until they were too nauseous and/or too terrified to cause a ruckus. She’s obvs my kind of lady, and this past Thanksgiving, she beat me at my own game.

“I specifically wore my Cheap JAP outfit today. These pants are Talbots, originally $79.99. I got them for three dollars! And how FAB is this vest?!”

The vest WAS fab, and something like seven dollars to boot. According to Aunt Debbie, her entire outfit - pants, top and vest - cost less than $20. I was skeptical until my Nannie Cookie verified her sister’s claims. So what was this epic sale that had my grandmother and aunt all-a-twitter?

“The Beth Israel Sisterhood Clothing Drive!”
Clearly, twentysomething energy is no match for experience where shopping cheap and looking loaded’s concerned.

(Huge thanks to Aunt Debbie for being my biggest fan. You rock, girlfriend.)

Nifty Thrifty

Skirt, One Dollar, NBD

Here’s that Dana Buchman skirt I scored at Housing Works for One Whole Dollar.

This skirt’s a fairly conservative piece. So I had to badass it up a little bit with a low-cut blouse and knee-high boots.

Make it work, people. Make it WORK.

*Deer-in-headlights face sold separately.

Nifty Thrifty

Housing Works Poses as Dollar Store

Yesterday, I wandered into Housing Works’ Chelsea Store. Now lookey, Housing Works is far from the creme de la creme of NYC’s thrift store offerings, but even a selfish beotch like me loves clothing that supports a cause. To contribute to Housing Works’ mission - ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness - all you gotta do is shop. That’s reason enough to stop by.

Housing Works’ prices are usually more than reasonable but yesterday, they happened to be cleaning house, i.e. clothes, shoes, bags, accessories cost $1 each. ONE DOLLAR EACH. Why had I not known about this?! All the good stuff was almost gone! Continue reading →

Nifty Thrifty

A Mad Cool Dress

Everyone’s all obsessed with Mad Men Fashion, understandably so; the clothes are even hotter than the show. Mad Men Fashion - let’s call it Madshion for kicks - even inspired Michael Kors’ latest line. Spend a mere $350 and you get a free DVD of Season 1 - what a deal! Gag me.

Going retro is a breeze, particularly when you live in close proximity to the best thrift store ever. If that’s not the case, Beacon’s Online Store recently got a Botox injection - check out the goods there. I snagged this very Joan-esque sweater dress for a whopping $18.95. If only wearing it made me as badass as she!

Nifty Thrifty

Hello AWESOME.

Now, I realize that a 100% polyester jumpsuit from Sears isn’t most people’s definition of awesome. I certainly have reservations about polyester and jumpsuits as separate entities. But together, in the form of this one piece, two fuglies make a fabulous.

Yes, head-to-toe green is borderline ridiculous. Yes, this garment might make me a walking Don’t. I’m not saying I don’t give a shit about what other people think. I just don’t give a shit about what they think of my clothes.

This garment - this absurd, green, polyester jumpsuit - makes me utterly gleeful. Said Glee cost me a mere $15.95. That’s gotta cancel out the fact that it kinda looks like a Halloween costume, no?

Sears Jumpsuit, KORS pumps - Beacon’s Closet. Belt, LV Scarf - Mommy’s Closet. Tee hee.

Nifty Thrifty

Elie Tahari for Goodwill. Bah!

Alright beotches, here it is: The Epically Cheap Elie Tahari Blazer as part of an outfit. Said outfit also includes a classy white button down (Banana Republic Outlet, thank you Jersey) and even classier Shiny Leggings. Riiiiight.

I think the length of the jacket tames the sexiness of the leggings quite nicely. I also think I must have had to pee when I struck that second pose.

Whatevs.

Nifty Thrifty

Hot Pink, Hotter Price

There’s something about hot pink chiffon that makes me feel like a little girl at a tea party a la Eloise.

This Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dress was purchased for a whopping $6 at Monk, as previously mentioned. The belt is actually a Gucci purse strap, thieved from Mommy’s closet. The Guess heels were around $60; the gray tights were $14.

All told, we’ve got an entire outfit - including a designer dress that probs originally cost $200 - for eighty buckaroos. Pretty effing Cheap JAPtastic.

Nifty Thrifty

Zara Blazer, Goodwill Price

What, you thought I only scored one fab jacket on my latest trip to Goodwill?

I paid $13.49 for this little Zara number. No big deal.

Poplin Cross-Front Dress, American Apparel, $36; Polka Dot Tights, Urban Outfitters, $14ish; Pumps, Guess, $60ish last year if memory serves.

Uber-vain bitchface not included

Nifty Thrifty

Crazy Pants, Two Ways

These Bebe adjustable cropped capris cost me all of $7.99. Goodwill is my latest Mecca.

(…probs shouldn’t say that on Yom Kippur…oopsies!)

With pants that have so much going on - what with the seamline ruching, cargo pockets, black contrast buttons and elastic toggle adjusters - you gotta tone down the rest of your bad self.

I paired these with a black Theory tank ($7) and a Barneys cashmere-blend sweater ($69), (snagged at the Intermix sample sale and Barney’s Warehouse Sale, respectively).

Then I added Converse sneaks and gray tights, and wore the getup on my walk to work, where the kitchen dudes snickered at me. Whatevs.

The pants allow for so much mobility that I covered the distance between Park Slope and Boerum Hill faster than usual, shaving 90 seconds off my best speedwalking time!

Now, just because something’s comfortable doesn’t mean it can’t be dressed up. If we’re going to be fiscally responsible, we must have an arsenal of ways to wear what’s in our closet.
To the capris, I added my trusty black boots, the same black Theory tank, and a cashmere, fur-trimmed, ludicrously expensive sweater thing stolen from Mommy’s Closet.

And now, the real reason I bought these pants:

Because they make me wanna DANCE!

Nifty Thrifty

Salvation Army Vest, Before/After

Remember that vest I snagged from Salvation Army for like $3.50?

Check it out now in its post-dry cleaning, cropped state.

Paired with Forever 21 high-waisted jeans and a pale yellow button down (courtesy of Beacon’s Closet), it’s kind of fun, no?

It’s amazing what one can do with a few bucks and a pair of scissors.

Nifty Thrifty

Goody Goody Goodwill

On a tip from a reader, I made my first pilgrimage to Goodwill this week - the one on 23rd between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Now, look beotches. I don’t know how many of you live in the greater New York Metropolitan Area, I don’t know how many of you have big enough cojones to shop at Goodwills here or elsewhere, but it’s got to be more than this one fabulous person who finally nudged me toward what just might be the Beacon’s Closet of not-for-profit retail stores. It’s about effing time someone fessed up.

So, Goodwill, like other stores of its ilk, involves a significant amount of digging. You must prod through the donated merch, hanger by hanger, if you want to find anything decent. This seems an arduous task until you see that first JAPtastic label (in this case, a purple chiffon Laundry top, (size XL - bollacks)).
Suddenly, you’re not shopping so much as hunting for buried brand-name treasures (back off from that J.Crew blazer! Arggh!).

This particular Goodwill was well lit, organized (mostly by gender and color), clean (relatively speaking) and - drumroll please - it had dressing rooms!

Among my first finds; a white, off-shoulder tee (Banana Republic, $4.99); a 100% silk, cream-and-black-dotted blouse (Ann Taylor, $12.99); and a ridiculously fabulous lace dress which I have since turned into a long top ($12.99).

Outfits to follow, as per usual. (Read: After everything gets dry-cleaned).

Nifty Thrifty

No Pain, No Gain: Salvation Army

A lot of bargain hunters who find things at Salvation Army will tell you it’s not that bad. And they are lying. I’m not going to bullshit you: It’s a sketchy, icky, bizarre and often fruitless endeavor. There’s a layer of dust that encompasses every garment in sight, and the heinous-to-cute clothing ratio is around 7 to 1. There’s no dressing room, there’s the occasional crackhead to contend with, and everything smells a little off. It’s the last stop before the dumpster for discarded apparel everywhere. But if you’ve got the stomach for it, it’s still worth a shot. Because it. doesn’t. get. any. cheaper.

I know these things don’t look like much, but I can’t illuminate their full potential with outfits until after they’ve been sterilized (Read: Dry Cleaned. You can’t just launder Salvation Army stuff pre-wear - you don’t know where this shit’s been). So I’ll just give you the rundown of what I got and what I paid, and you can judge for yourself.

For two button-down shirts (H&M and GAP), a preppy hoodie (Polo), a crazy vest (no name, and possibly a mistake, but still worth the fiscal risk of $3.50), and a corduroy shirtdress (Banana Republic) - all told, four tops and a dress - I paid $23.45. TWENTY THREE DOLLARS AND CHANGE. This basically means that, on average, each item was less than five dollars. And that’s pretty effing sweet.

Stay tuned for the Salvation Army Series of Outfits if you’re somehow not impressed

Nifty Thrifty

A Scissor-Happy Skirt

Remember that stonewashed skirt I snagged at the P.S. 321 Flea Market? Turns out that, when worn in its original form, it’s entirely unmemorable.

You know my stance on totally-blah garments: When in doubt, slut ‘em out (within reason, obvs).
After a bit o’ hemline surgery, this dowdy, shapeless blob of a skirt became a hot little mini.

I left the back a little longer for the sake of butt coverage. The result is definitely ’80s, and definitely fun.

Nifty Thrifty

Monkey Whistles, Motorbikes, Crazypants

Beacon’s, beware - there’s a new kid in town, and her employees are nicer than yours. She’s Monkey Whistles & Motorbikes, and she’s got really awesome shorts.

I stopped by this new-ish thrift store a few days ago and was uber-impressed. MWMB’s selection isn’t as varied as Beacon’s, but their offerings are handpicked by owner Suzette Sundae who, at age seventeen - in lieu of shopping with her parents’ moolah like most of us brats - opened her first vintage shop. She’s got an appreciation for thrift sans attitude, and keeps her prices low so we can enjoy it too.

Now, I’m well aware that these shorts are kind of nuts. They’re not overly flattering and potentially beg the question, “Um, why?” But the high-waist and side buckles make them unlike anything I own, so I figured I’d give them a whirl.

When I need an honest opinion on a risky piece of clothing, I rely on strangers, not friends. By strangers, I mean girls who work in retail. I wore these shorts on my jaunt to LFS, and was approached by two fabulously dressed employees re: their origin. “Those are so. freaking. cool.” “Where can I get a pair?”, etc.

Say what you will about them: To me, they’ve passed their litmus test.

Nifty Thrifty

Buy Now, Wear Later…But Only If It’s Cheap

I rarely buy things I can’t wear immediately, in part because I don’t have the patience for it, and in part because said things aren’t usually on sale. Those of us continually strapped for cash don’t have the luxury of paying full price for Fall wardrobe “pieces” before there’s even the slightest nip in the air. Instead, we have the good sense to know a practical purchase when we see it - i.e. a tan, v-neck Club Monaco sweater tagged for $14.95 at Beacon’s Closet - and snap it up immediately.

In my experience, Club Monaco v-neck sweaters are as pricey as they are versatile. This is probs why Mommy flipped out when I borrowed, washed, and dried her black one into a shrunken, pilled mess last year. Oopsies. My tan version says “Dry Clean Only”: In my world, that means “Turn inside out and wash in parents’ fancy washer on cold water, gentle cycle; hang dry,” or, if desperate, “Hand wash; hang dry.”

The bubblegum pink no-namer serves the same function as the Club Monaco v-neck - a thin, transitional sweater, perfect for layering into Fall and throughout the chillier months - so I probs didn’t need it. But, at $11.95, I couldn’t really justify not buying it. (Italics in previous sentence intended to distract from double-negative grammar crime, btdubs).

Nifty Thrifty

My Flea Finds

What I scored at the P.S. 321 Flea Market: An uber-versatile gray dress, an eighties, stonewashed denim skirt, a black and white beaded necklace and a sweet elastic/leather belt. Let’s tally up what I spent, for kicks.

Dress - $15
Skirt - $10
Necklace - $3
Belt - $5

= A grand total of $33 for four fab things! I’m inspired to make flea markets a regular weekend excursion.

Nifty Thrifty

How To Shop a Flea Market

This past weekend, I hit the P.S. 321 Flea Market in my hood. Shopping a flea market is similar to shopping a thrift store in that it requires a discerning eye and a ruthless intolerance for bullshit. Alas, fleas offer a surplus of junk; finding anything decent can be an exhausting endeavor. To ensure that I always score something, I rely on the following techniques.

Pre-Flea Preparations
Have some moolah on you - fleas don’t take debit cards, doy. I’d recommend $100 in cash; while jewelry and clothes run uber cheap, $50 can often net you a legit JAPtastic bags and/or pair of shoes. The time it takes you to run to the ATM is the difference between these Bruno Magli and/or Miu Miu shoes being yours or someone else’s. Also, wear something thin/skimpy enough so you can try things on over your clothes - dressing rooms not included.

Reconnaissance First
Survey the flea scene before blowing your load on anything you have lukewarm feelings about. Do a lap, reassess, then go back for whatever you can’t stop thinking about. Conversely, if you see something you absolutely must must have, buy it on the spot. I found a kickass black, woven leather belt ($25) I intended on buying post-browsing. When I returned to the vendor ten minutes later, some hippie chick had already snagged it. Bollacks!

Be Picky…Very Picky
The organized vendors are the best vendors; if a table is a hodgepodge of books, teacups, sunglasses and pins, it’s not worth your time. Slowly back away, and move on to the spaces that are easier on the eyes. Unless you happen to have seven hours to kill, in which case, dawdle away.
Continue reading →

Nifty Thrifty

A Vintage Jewel in a Stroller Wasteland

I’m not usually a hat person, probs because the only headwear that fits my little noggin is intended for small children. I’m also not usually a vintage clothing person; I don’t give a shit if that musty suit jacket is Armani, I’m not paying $200 for anything with shoulder pads.

However, on the day I wandered into L. Verdi - a tiny vintage shop in Park Slope - I found I was both.

The heavily powdered and rouged proprietor initially greeted me with skepticism, and rightfully so. I’m fairly judgmental of patrons of Michael’s, Screaming Mimi’s, Zachary’s Smile, and the like - I deem them sartorial snoots willing to pay top dollar just so they can say, with feigned nonchalance, “This? Oh, it’s vintage.”

As I gingerly stepped around the racks bursting with pencil skirts, blazers and boots, I noticed that L. Verdi’s prices weren’t entirely ridiculous (if I knew anything about vintage clothing, I’d probably say they were reasonable). The clothing racks required more time for adequate assessment, so I thanked the rouged lady, complimented her store and vowed to come back. That’s when I saw the hats.

For someone who neither owns nor wears a lot of hats, I have a serious appreciation for millinery. The rouged lady enthusiastically pulled some options for me, and I had a 90s flashback of Mom and I trying on hats just for kicks at Henri Bendel. When I put on the hat pictured, we both cooed triumphantly. I wasn’t psyched that it was $55 until I saw the Stetson label stitched on the inside [high quality Stetson straw hats retail for around $200 - the material on this is so fab, it doesn’t even feel like straw!].
Continue reading →

Nifty Thrifty

Seasonal, Schmeasonal

For me, shopping’s all about instant gratification; nothing kills a consumer’s buzz like the buy-it-now, wear-it-later factor. When I first saw these black-and-purple-suede, over-the-knee boots at Monkey Whistles and Motorbikes (my latest Brooklyn thrift obsession), I immediately tried them on. The fit and the price were right, but I couldn’t possibly get away with suede boots in June, and couldn’t bear the agony of buying them now and waiting until Fall to wear them. So I petted them affectionately, said goodbye, and vowed to find a pair like them in a few months. Then I realized that I’m lucky enough to live in a city where originality continually trumps practicality, a place where you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want with one stipulation: Just make it look cool. And these boots were pretty effing cool.

It’s tough to find quality suede, over-the-knee boots for less than $100. Alas, mine were $58 (don’t hate). I wore them out with an American Apparel Navy Minidress and a silver headband - very mod indeed. If anyone has doubts about the In factor of these boots (believe me, I did), see their designer counterpart i.e. the Prada Suede Color Block Boot (not in stores yet, but can be easily pre-ordered for the equivalent of three rent checks!). I win.

Nifty Thrifty

Style Superfood: The Shirtdress

The Shirtdress is one of those eternally In warm-weather items. It’s easy, flattering and - with the collar popped - endearingly obnoxious. But if I see one more shapeless, solid-colored version of it at H&M, I’m might have a narcoleptic episode.

Thrift stores - Rags-a-GoGo in this case - usually offer much more interesting (and cheaper, obvs) versions of this could-be played out trend. This one ($28) was slightly matronly when purchased, so I butchered the hem to sexify it a bit. Belt it, add wedges and voila! A trend beloved by everyone becomes uniquely yours.

Nifty Thrifty

Mission Accomplished: Cheap Thrift in Manhattan

Finding cheap, cool thrift store goodies in Manhattan is kind of a bitch, what with the amount of designer resale and vintage outposts posing as beacons of bargain shopping. Rags-A-GoGo’s sign meant I wasn’t going to have the disheartening experience of not being able to afford somebody’s trash. I don’t care how impressive the brand or how mint the condition; terms like “vintage,” “consignment,” and “designer resale” can’t change the fact that you’re buying old, unwanted clothes. Write that down.

It would have taken me a solid hour to work through Rags’ t-shirt selection; I’ll obvs hit the store again and report back. I was equally impressed by the store’s rack of shirtdresses hiding in the back, but I only had time for a quickie. I scored this fab, leather watch band/bracelet thang for 20 bucks - probably more than I’d usually spend for an accessory, but I’ve already received a slew of compliments on its cool factor. And we all know how much I heart compliments.

Nifty Thrifty

Muumuu No More

I shorten almost every dress I purchase and by “shorten,” I mean hack away at the hem with a pair of fabric scissors. I do this for a few reasons:
1. I’m a whopping five feet, two (and a half) inches and short hemlines give my midget-esque legs the illusion of length.
2. It’s the only way to take a thrift store dress from muumuu to uber cute (really struggled for the rhyme on that one).

On the rack at Beacon’s Closet, this number was more seventies housewife than spring hotness, but it hit two out of this season’s Top Ten Trends - Bright Colors and Bold Florals. Whew, because the Bright Ideas and In Bloom looks are like, so last year. Belted, post fabric surgery, this seventeen dollar dress is totally In. And it’ll be just as cool in Spring 2009, when the same trends masquerade as Loud Tones and Surfer Girl Chic.

Nifty Thrifty

The Maharajah of Thrift: Beacon’s Williamsburg

It’s pretty obvs by now that I’m maniacally obsessed with the Park Slope outpost of Beacon’s Closet. I assumed that their Williamsburg shop was similarly excellent save for the fact that, well, it’s in Williamsburg, land o’ the anti-JAPs. A combination of sloth and fear hindered my urge to check out the store until recently, when I suffered a fruitless experience at Beacon’s Park Slope. So I bit the bullet that is the L train and found my way to its sister store. Beacon’s Williamsburg is approximately 10 times the size of its Park Slope sister. Clothes are organized by color throughout the massive, warehouse-esque space and shoes of varying degrees of awesomeness sit atop the clothing racks. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I almost couldn’t shop. Almost.

This Alice and Olivia sweater/shirt thang is 85% silk, 15% cashmere and probs retailed for at least $150 in it’s prime. I got it for $19.95. Booyah. Continue reading →

Nifty Thrifty

Solving the BJ Equation

By BJ, I mean Boot/Jean, of course. Pervs, all of you. I want you to think long and hard (oops) about what you’d be willing to spend altogether on a pair of kickass boots and jeans. If I still had Daddy’s Amex, I would have said upwards of $400. Thankfully, I have something better than a gold card: A local thrift store.

It’s way too easy to find great jeans and boots sans budget. It’s also not nearly as fun to wear them when their respective price tags make you nauseous in retrospect.

I know, I know, you shouldn’t scrimp on jeans, which I’ve been doing extensively as of late. But I can’t help it if this $20 pair looks as fab as its $200 designer counterparts. Belted and tucked into rubber wedge snow boots (also $20) the BJ combo screams seventies coolness.

Fractions aren’t my forte, but I believe $40 is one tenth of $400 - what I would have paid, once upon a time, for jeans and boots. Many thanks, once again, to Beacon’s Closet for providing me with new versions of a few of my favorite things…at a tenth of the price.

Nifty Thrifty

Cheap JAP for Marc Jacobs

I find the whole “vintage clothing”/”designer resale” genre seriously bothersome because coded in the terminology are the letters R-I-P-O-F-F. I am, however, a big believer in thrift stores. I hit thrift stores for cheap, cool shit, which means I neither look for nor expect to find anything remotely brand name-esque. Perhaps this is why fortune sporadically smiles on me.

I came across this blacket while perusing the racks at Beacon’s Closet (blacket = blazer/jacket, i.e. cut like a blazer but thick enough to work as a mini-coat). I almost ignored it because Mommy bought me a Marc Jacobs blazer two summers ago - pale pink cotton, $300 at Scoop, Hamptons. (No, my fam doesn’t summer. Would I need to shop cheap to look loaded if I had a fucking house in Amagansett?).

Thankfully, the familiar tag on the blacket caught my eye. Marc Jacobs. At Beacon’s Closet. Shut UP. I immediately realized that the MJ blacket was totally different from the MJ blazer I already owned; it’s corduroy (ideal for Fall), more rouge than pink, and has some sweet ass snap details on the sleeves to boot.

Take a good, hard look at this image, because it’s a fucking work of art. That’s a $27.95 price tag attached to a Marc Jacobs blacket.

Sample sales are for pussies. This is the real designer discount deal.

Nifty Thrifty

How to Rock a Long Dress

I found this dress at Beacon’s the other day for $14.95. On the hanger, it looks kinda blah; it was equally meh in the dressing room. I bought it with the full intent of shortening it into a mini shirt-dress (by “shortening,” I mean hacking at it with a pair of fabric scissors - I don’t waste money on professional alterations unless it’s absolutely necessary).

Pre-hemline surgery, I tried the dress on and cinched a thick brown belt around my waist. The dress didn’t look hot. It looked understated and classy - two of the most difficult adjectives to achieve where style is concerned.

The length wasn’t doing jackshit to create the illusion of height I’m constantly striving for, but I restrained my urge to shorten the dress and added ankle boots instead. I needed public opinion to affirm the outfit’s awesomeness, so I wore it out to a party that evening. “Great color,” “Love the dress,” “You look gorgeous,” from guys and girls alike. Yaay, my massive ego totally needed that. Now let’s talk overall cost. Continue reading →

Nifty Thrifty

Battle of the Fur-Collared Cardigans

Two sweaters, both alike in dignity, in fair Brooklyn, where we lay our scene (sorry - had a Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet moment there - how much did you effing hate Claire Danes when that movie came out?).
On first glance, these fur-collared cardigans are similarly versatile, adorable and of course, JAPtastic. But we don’t have Daddy’s credit card anymore, which means we need to deal with something we soooo used to not care about, something with serious ick-factor: The cost. Let’s bite the bullet and assess the price differential of these two garments.

Continue reading →