Marshall's
Fashion Advice: The Great Fake Debate Continues
Q: How do you buy a knock-off hand bag? What are your guidelines, what are smart prices to pay? What is important to look for? I want to be able to have nice handbags but not be broke because of them!
A: There has been quite a bit of debate regarding knock-off bags (especially fake Louis Vuitton handbags) and the impact these bags have had on the fashion industry. Exact duplicates are not fair to the designers, period. Imagine spending years perfecting your art and name, only to have some steal your idea and sell it for well below market value. However, using elements of a popular design is nothing new in fashion. Every major and minor design house “borrows” design elements from other fashion designers and lower priced stores like H&M often sell items using a design made popular by more expensive designers (I call it “designer inspired” items). The difference between “knock-offs” and “designer inspired versions”, that the designer inspired versions don’t claim to be the real thing.
When looking to buy a knock-off you have to ask yourself, do I want it because the celebrity of the moment has it or do I want it because I truly like the designer and the bag. If the later is your answer, skip the rest of this article and save your pennies (nickels, dimes,) to purchase a real bag. However, if the reason why you want it is because Nicole Ritchie, Lindsay Lohan, or whatever celebrity of the moment has the bag, then I suggest you really think about why you’re buying the item (and why you feel the need to emulate an idea that isn’t real in the first place—celebrities often get those items for free). Buying a designer bag isn’t going to make you Jessica Simpson.
If it is quality you want—rarely are knock-offs good quality—then look for high quality, mid-priced bags from designers like Coach, Hype, Kenneth Cole, Donna Karan, Cole Haan, etc. You’ll find these bags for up 75% off at stores like Nordstrom’s Rack, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and their outlet stores. Furthermore, designer label doesn’t always equal quality. For example, a very famous designer makes a nylon bag that just because it has its label on it retails for over $300. You could buy the same bag, same quality for around $30 at your local T.J. Maxx.
Neiman Marcus Summer Sale: Save Up to 75% Off
THIS SALE HAS ENDED.
Neiman Marcus is having a major online sale, with prices so reasonable on classic pieces like the Chetta B lightweight wool dress shown above ($50.00), you’ll almost hestitate to call the store by its nickname “Needless Mark-up”. If you’re a fan of designer fashions, this is the time to stock up on classic pieces (Remember the Perfect Ten) in prep for the upcoming fall season. Find complete suits from designers like Ellen Tracy and Theory starting at $70.00 for the COMPLETE SUIT (cheaper than Marshall’s), lightweight silk sweaters from $20.00 and Cinzia Rocca wool coats from $198.
Plus, petite and plus size fashions are on sale as well.
Readers: Get free shipping by using coupon code SAVE6 at the checkout.
Fashion Advice: Where to Find Designer Jeans on Sale
Dear Budget Fashionista:
I absolutely love the “7 for all mankind” jeans—but don’t want to spend $120+ on DENIM! Any clue as to where I can find these jeans without hurting my bank account?
Answer: Try outlet stores like Off Fifth the Saks Fifth Avenue outlet, Last Call Neiman Marcus Outlet. You should also take a peek online at Bluefly.com and the sales section of ShopBop.com
. You might want to take a peek inside of your local Marshalls or TJ Maxx as well.
Fashion Advice: What to Do with a Peasant Skirt
Dear Budget Fashionista
Last summer I stocked up on cute peasant skirts. They’re cute and flattering, but not as in style this season. Are there any ways I can accessorize or change my skirts to make them more on trend for this year?
A: Try pairing the skirt with a monochromatic top, one of the seasons’ wide belts (Forever 21, H&M, Deb, Mandees, Marshall’s, etc. all have versions of this belt) and this summer’s must have shoe—the espadrilles.
You can also add a little more color (beaded necklace, embroidered cotton top, chandelier earrings) and flare for more of a Mexican/Chicano influence (think brillant Mexican artist Frida Kahlo) than the boho influence of last summer.
Fashion Advice: Classic Men’s Style on a Student’s Budget
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?
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.
Budget Shopping Tips for Men: Looking Great for Less
Men. The final budget shopping frontier.
Most men have no idea how to shop, yet alone budget shop for less. Men have been taught that they can’t be both frugal and stylish at the same time and their choices have been limited to either a pair of $5 Wranglers from K-Mart or a $2,000 jacket from Hugo Boss.
So what’s a frugal, fashionable fella to do? Stores like Target, Loehmann’s, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, and Marshall’s, offer fashionable men plenty of options without breaking the bank, you just need to know what and how to buy items from these stores. In an effort to provide a little guidance to my lost budget shopping brothers, here’s ten quick budget shopping tips for men:
- Fit is King. Focus on finding garments that fit your body, not just your budget. Avoid high water pants (guys—your pants should break/fold about mid-foot), shirt/jackets that swamp your body, and shirts with sleeves that are either too long or too short (below your wrist joint).
- Bring a Friend. A second eye can be a fashion lifesaver.
- Know Your Designers. Head to style.com, Vogue’s website, and browse their listing of the world’s top designers, so you can recognize a designer brand when you see it. Additionally, “expensive” looking shirt tags may indicate that an item is a designer piece.
- Dress Monochromatically. Wearing one color like black from head to toe is an easy way to dress in style and it’s also very slimming.
- Quality Over Price. Cheap clothes look cheap. Focus on finding quality garments for less. If a garment has patterns check to make sure they’re matched up through out the garment, look for lining in slacks and jackets, make sure the fabric feels good against your skin, and look for natural fabrics like wool/gabardine, cotton.
- Add a Higher-End Accessory. Adding a higher end accessory from a major designer is a surefire way to up the ante on any outfit, especially if the accessory has a visible logo. Wearing a Gucci belt with your Dockers will instantly make the Dockers look more expensive or adding a high-end watch with your Old Navy shirt will make the short look like it’s hot off the racks of your Saks Fifth Avenue. For men, adding a great pair of shoes from designer brands like Kenneth Cole or Cole Haan, that are ALWAYS shined, is another great way to increase the style quotient of your wardrobe. Find these shoes on sale at your Nordstrom Rack, Filene’s Basement or, yes, TJ Maxx.
- Technology as an Accessory. After paying $200+ bucks for the latest gadget, why not get extra use out of your iPod, blackberry, as a fashion accessory.
- Don’t be a Walking Billboard. Avoid clothing with the brand name advertised largely across your chest.
- Always Buy a Complete Outfit. Buying the complete outfit will save you both time and money. Go a step further and hang the complete outfit together in your closet.
- and if all else fails—Bet on Black. Black looks instantly more expensive than other colors like brown and light blue.
Don’t Sleep on Jersey Garden Outlet Mall
Yesterday, I spent the day at the Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall near the Newark airport in Elizabeth, NJ—an outlet mall that puts the “g” in ghetto (before you leave angry comments, visit the outlet mall. The kiosks sell gold fronts (aka teeth) that would make Flavor Flav proud and there’s a shop in the mall that sells rims).
Despite the quality of 90% of the stores, you can actually find some pretty solid deals on designers that your favorite rap stars have yet to discover, like the Vivienne Westwood khaki canvas jacket with black stripes that I found on the clearance rack at Marshalls (full disclosure: Marshalls is sponsoring my book tour) for $16.00. At the same Marshalls, I found a House of Deron, Beyonce and her mama’s new clothing line, cropped cream brocade jacket for $29.99 (not on sale). The jacket was constructed nicely, but the wrists of the jacket were lined with what looked like fur from a dead cat.
Dead animals and 20 inch spinners aside, the mall is a great diversion if you have sometime to kill before a flight or need a little apparel therapy before hitting IKEA (historical note: The Elizabeth IKEA was one of the first IKEA in North America, Plymouth Meeting, PA was the first). Plus it’s a bit closer than Woodbury.
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