The Budget Fashionista

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Dear Budget Fashionista I am a poor undergrad who is very tired of seeing hordes of banal A&E, Hollister, and Abercrombie zombies wandering my campus. How can I make a tasteful and rather classical appearance with a minimum amount of damage to my pathetic wallet? Target.com SmartBargains.com

A: College campuses, once the seat of all things cool and hip, now look like something the GAP threw up after a wild night of partying at the local bar. No longer is college the place to experiment and try out new things. Campus fashion has become as boring and as tedious as an 8:00 am class.


The first stop on your way to dressing classically is to purchase the book“Dressing the Man” by Alan Flusser .  This book is an excellent reference for any guy looking to develop his own classic style. We suggest that you check if your bookstore will allow you to pass the book off as a “textbook” (tell them it for a class on reconstructing the current paradigm of the contemporary definition of masculinity through the use of apparel). 


After getting the book, head to the nearest Salvation Army or Goodwill. “Sally” and “Goody” are the best places to score key finds like classic suit jackets, overcoats and more. Look for jackets that are fully lined, made of either 100% wool or cashmere.  Leave the polyester alone. Tweed is always in for men, so pick up a few here.  These stores are also great places to land trench coats (think Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca)—a must for any classic male wardrobe. Take your thrift store finds to the nearest dry cleaners and have them tailor the items to fit you perfectly. In fact take all of your finds (whether they are from a thrift store or from the Nordstrom’s) to a tailor. If you are daring enough, ask the tailor to throw on a couple of suede patches at the elbow for good measure.


As far as pants go, you can still shop at the same spots as your unfashionable brethren. The GAP, Banana Republic, and Abercrombie are great places to purchase basic pants.  Again, look for pants made of 100% wool, cotton, or other natural fabrics. Pay attention to the rise (the distance between your crotch and waist). Your pants should hit you right at your waist.  They should not be low risers, as is the current trend. The inseam (the length of the pants) is also very important. As a rule of thumb, the pant leg should “break” at the front of the shoe and approach the top of the heel at the back. Cuffs add additional weight to help pants drape well. Make sure your tailor adds an additional 1/4-inch to the length. Pants, even when they are dry cleaned, tend to shrink a bit. 


Now to complete the classic look, you need accessories.  Wearing a tie is a classic option and is something that will definitely set you apart from your college mates. Learn how to tie a Windsor knot (the fat knots wore by bankers) and you might be able to score a free lunch or two from friends who want to learn how to make such a stylish knot.  The tip of your tie should hit the top of your pants—no shorter, no longer.

Stay away from designers like D&G and DKNY, all of whom tend to be a little trendy with their menswear designs. Also, always wear a nice belt. You local Marshall’s or TJ Maxx is a great place to find these items. For shoes get a pair of classic loafers or driving moccasins from http://www.minnetonkamoccasin.com.  If you are brave enough, buy a pair of Dexter penny loafers and put a dime in the shoe.


Clean, collegiate, and classic.

Q:Budget Fashionista, I need your help. I’m a 5"1", 110 lbs, 23-year-old female and I find it very difficult to shop for office clothes. It seems like there are very few fashion options for petite women. Any advice? A: I’ve been getting quite a few questions from petite readers in regards to the sad state of petite fashion. I agree that there’s little, to no, options for truly petite women. The fact is that as the size of the average …

You could also try wearing Parisian and Japanese designers, who tend to cut their clothing a bit smaller. Try designers like Kenzo, Karl Lagerfeld, TSE, Issey Miyake, Marini, Louis Vuitton, or the French budget site Le Redoute. With the exception of Le Redoute, these designers don’t come cheap, so you’ll have to practically live at the local outlet mall or on the bargain site—Bluefly.com. But the clothing will fit you. You could also try a store like Ann Taylor, which sometimes can be as pricey as buying designer clothing at an outlet mall and not nearly as fashionable and the Gap, which sells petite (and tall) sizes online. Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Lord & Taylor all have petite departments with a better selection online rather than in store. You might also want to save your money and head up to Canada—Ste. Catherine in Montreal and the Eaton center in Toronto have several great petite fashion shops.

Here’s some general tips:

Things to Embrace:
High Heels—Wearing at least a 2-inch heel will help to elongate your body (both torso and legs).

A Great Tailor—A great tailor is an importance asset for your wardrobe as he or she can alter garments to fit your shape.  I’ll talk more about how to find a great tailor later in this section.

Low-rise Pants—Lower waist pants will make your torso look longer. Make sure the hem of the pants covers your shoe to give the illusion that your legs are longer.

Big Hair—If you’re looking to appear taller, wearing your in a high bun or ponytail will increase height as well.

Vertical Stripes—The stripes give the effect of looking taller and slimmer.

Things to Avoid:
Cropped Anything—Cropped pants, tops, and jackets will shorten your torso.

Flats—They will not give you the additional height you need.

Long unstructured skirts --They will drown your shape and make you look shorter. Hem the skirt to either three inches above your knee, at your knee, or three inches below your knee.

Mini skirts—Off the rack mini skirts will fall at an awkward length. Make sure your skirts fall either 3 inches above your knee, at your knee, or 3 inches below.

Great Designers for Petite Budget Fashionistas
INC—Trendy, bright, and affordable.
Eileen Fisher—Fluid fashions good for plus size petites.
DKNY—Hip, younger, urban wear.
Ellen Tracy—A classic line, great for suits
Forever 21—Not a petite store per see, but clothes are cut smaller
Dana Buchman—Another classic line, great for work clothes
Lily Pulitzer—Sportswear for the ladies who lunch set.
Lauren by Ralph Lauren—The classic American designer’s preppy petite line.
Anne Klein—Suits and tops perfect for work.
Gap—Online store stocks a large number of petite sized pants.
Banana Republic—Online store carries fashionable designs in petite styles.

figleaves.com - One of the biggest online lingerie stores in the UK now has a US based site and if you have a hard to fit bra size, this is the place to buy your bra!. They have a huge selection of designer undergarments, sleepwear, and swimwear from Dolce and Gabbana, La Perla, Chantelle, and more. They also have great online coupons and a huge selection of bras from sizes AA to JJ. Alternative Outfitters. Prior to discovering Alternative Outfitters, when …

I never knew how hard it was to find affordable, age appropriate clothing for children until I became an aunt.  It’s next to impossible to find a cute dress for a girl for under $50. Is it too much to ask to pay less for a boys suit than I pay for a suit for my husband? After 9 years as an aunt and now that I’m starting a family of my own, I’m a woman on a mission to find …

Dressy outfits
When you want to spend a little more on either a good suit or party dress, head to the outlets of the big expensive department stores, like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. The outlets of these stores all have children departments, with designers like Betsey Johnson and Ralph Lauren for kids. Nordstrom has an amazing selection of shoes for little ones as well.

Avoid department stores that tend to price children’s clothing at the same price point as adults. There is no justification for a 4T Ralph Lauren Skirt to cost that same as an adult skirt. However, if you’re a department store shopper try stores like Macys, which offer great deals on children’s clothing during their major sale events, and SEARS, where the clothes are guaranteed to last thru at least one kickball season.

Saving grace - The internet
The Internet has revolutionized shopping for children. Long gone are the days of having to meander through stores with a screaming three-year-old. Put the kids to bed, grab a cup of chamomile tea and start to shop. Check out these great online stores:

GapKids- A wide selection of causal and dress clothes for girls and boys. Great clearance section.
Zappos.com- Great selection of shoes from designers like Bibi and Kenneth Cole.
Target.com - Cheap and Cool. A great combo.
Overstock.com - A wide selection and rock bottom prices. Great for coats.
Babystyle- Adorable clothing for babies and toddlers. Make sure to search Google for coupon codes before shopping at the store.

Dear Budget Fashionista, I have been trying to find pants that fit forever! Any advice for someone that is 5’ 10”, size 12 with long legs? I am also on a budget and too pear-shaped to wear “normal” pants. Help a girl with some junk in the trunk?

A: I have a bit of junk in my trunk (for those of you who are a bit lost—junk in the trunk means a big bottom) and at 5 ft 11 inches it’s also a problem finding them long enough. The best brand of pants that I’ve found is the curvy fit low rise flare pants in tall online at Gap.com. Unfortunately the pants are only available online—but they are specifically made for those whose waists are smaller than their bottoms and rarely cost more than $48.00 (usually they’re on sale for around $30).

Forth and Towne, the Gap’s new store for the 40+ set, is opening a new store in Houston in September. Thanks I heart fashion for the tip. fashion advice fashion trends shoes fashion shopping weblog budget fashionista Clothing Fashion Expert budgetfashionista contest

Dear Budget Fashionista, It seems like department stores target two types of shoppers—Lindsay Lohan wannabes and little old Ladies. How can I, a mom in her late 30’s, continue to look hot without looking like a teen pop star or my grandma? Help, Hot Mama Target.com SmartBargains.com

Dear Hot Mama,

Is there a happy medium between a teen that wears many different trends all at once and an unfashionable retiree who might not wear any trends? You betcha.

The key to looking relevant, but not too young, is to always pair a trend with a basic and to only wear one trend at a time. For example, a pair skinny leg jeans with this summer’s tunic, gauchos with a basic tee or fitted blazer, red wide belt with a basic black dress, animal printed tank with a basic black suit. Feel free to try some of this season’s other top trends.  For example, wrap dresses continue to reign supreme and is something that is both in fashion and easy to wear. Add a fabulous necklace, a pair of this season’s platform shoes for support, and a pair of Assets by Spanx (at Target Stores) for a dressier look or pair the dress up with a pair of black leggings and ballerina flats. This fall skirts, pair up a knee length pencil skirt from Isaac Mizrahi at Target with a graphic t-shirt from Old Navy and pair of black microsuede knee high boots from Isaac Mizrahi at Target—again mixing a classic piece (wrap dresses, pencil skirts) with trendy pieces (platform shoes and graphic t-shirt).

Once you get the kids in bed, go online and browse to stores like Nordstrom, Coco-Delilahs, Gap, and Smart Bargains for great up to date finds that are grandma-free and affordable. For single hip pieces check out Asos.com, Bluefly.com and Old Navy.com.  Last but not least, find a great tailor who can tailor your clothes to give it that finishing touch.

Happy Shopping,

The Budget Fashionista

Everyone should have a classic trench coat in their closet and I recently found this great coat at the Gap on sale for $58.00. The big brown buttons and stitching around the wrists, updates this classic piece without making it too trendy. Now here’s the kicker—it comes in sizes xS to xxL and petite and tall sizes.

The Deal: 25% off women’s swimwear at GapBody until June 12, and their SummerWear campaign ends June 8. The Lowdown: Find your summer suit both online and in stores. We’ve never understood the $300 bathing suit. Unless it’s covered with Louis Vuitton signature print, you can’t tell that it’s designer. The only requirement should be that it looks great on you. The best swimsuit is the one you don’t feel self-conscious in. If you can lay out on the beach …

The Deal: GAP’s summer sale has arrived online and in-stores, so head there to get great deals on men’s, women’s, and children’s wear. What We Say: GAP’s classic and affordable merchandise ranges from office to weekend wear. This sale offers uber-cute dresses, tank tops, T-shirts and camis, but their selection of blazers and little jackets are especially good. Since your summer wardrobe may already be completed, this is a good opportunity to pick up something to throw on in a …

As August starts to wind down, thoughts turn to fall . . . and fall fashion. While we’re always anxious to jump into the season’s latest look, there’s the pesky matter of weather to contend with—and while the calendar may say it’s fall, there’s that in between time—when the mornings are brisk but by noon the mercury’s hit a sticky 80 degrees—that is soooooo very challenging to dress for. Of course, any fashionista worth her salt knows that layering is the …

Checkers and gingham have been updated with bright colors and modern cuts—meaning they’re no longer relegated to the farm. The trends been spotted on Reese Witherspoon, Ashlee Simpson and Lauren Conrad, and we have to say, they all look pretty cute and comfortable in their loose, button-down shirts and jeans. The bright color trend of the summer, of course, is translated to the checker trend, but you can go with the classic black and white if you want to keep it …

In the past, only certain types of women have been able to truly pull off menswear , Katharine Hepburn among them. Right now though, aspects of menswear are appearing all over, giving everyone the opportunity to be a little androgynous. But don’t think of the 1980’s working woman blouse with the limp, sad-looking bow at the neck when you picture this trend. This year’s tie-neck blouse has sharper lines, comes in a variety of fabrics, and it doesn’t have to be …

Gap has had its ups and downs as far as variety and stylish offerings—and as far as we’re concerned, they still have a ways to go. However, we do love Gap for sort of all-purpose, casual weekend wear and the occasional work piece. And their jeans are still fab, if sometimes a tad overpriced. Our picks from the Gap for Fall 2008: Striped Roll-Sleeved Cardigan, $58 Wear it with jeans (see below), a t-shirt, and some ankle boots. The Classic Trench, …