What a great Steeper vs. Cheaper!
When Bridget posted these gorgeous wedges I fell in love. I was not in love with the price tag though. A couple days ago I discovered the Steve Madden version.
I think we can all agree that the quality and craftsmanship of the Stuart Weitzmans are to die for, but the Steve Maddens won’t kill your wallet.
It’s no secret I love a bargain. Often when I see a hot item with a discouraging price, it motivates me to search for a cheaper look-a-like, a la my Steeper vs. Cheaper section.
Check out this celebrity-inspired look above featuring Amanda Seyfried on the red carpet, composed of super affordable items all from JCPenney.
Celeb look for less:
A special thanks to Megan Conley for tipping me off to these awesome products from JCP!
In my dreams I own a Mulberry bag.
I’ve adored these iconic handbags for years, and in a temporary batch of insanity during my pre-rent days, I considered spending a paycheck on one.
When I heard Mulberry was launching a line for Target out this month, I was so sure I made the right choice in deciding not to make that big purchase—but I was so disappointed with the products they put out. Why would a brand this sophisticated and well-reputed put out handbags made of fake-looking patent, scary denim wash and hot pink leopard print? I decided to look elsewhere.
As I perused the racks of handbags at TJMaxx last weekend, I spotted a bag that reminded me of the popular Mulberry Alexa bag that goes for more than $1,000. After I ripped it off the shelf and slung it over my shoulder, I checked the price tag and crossed my fingers for faux leather.
Luck was mine. It was made by Nine West and was only $35. And this friends, is how I earn the Queen of the Bargain title. Well-earned, I tell you.
I love the three Chanel khaki nail polishes—Khaki Vert, Khaki Brun and Khaki Rose—introduced at Fashions Night Out, but there’s no way I would spend $23 on a single bottle of nail polish. So I set out to find more affordable versions of these hot fall colors.
And I found them. Essie has some alarmingly similar colors for a fraction of the Chanel price tag. Check out the Chanel/Essie comparisons:
I list it as my version of Chanel’s fall colors instead of Essie’s version because I worked my Queen of the Bargain magic in order to reduce the cost even further. I picked up the polishes, which are normally $8, at ULTA where they were having a buy two, get one free sale. And I also used a $5 off coupon that I ripped out of this month’s InStyle.
Budget-friendly and trendy. I win.
While perusing the Interwebs last week, I came across a fashion article on how best to wear the uber-trendy clog for fall. The article featured what I thought was the exact clog I purchased from Target recently, but what instead was just a higher-priced replica.
Check out the Steve Madden clogs at left for almost $90—and its shoe twin to the right for only $20 at Target. Both have brass studs, wooden bottoms and a five inch heel, but sadly, the Steve Madden version only has limited sizes and the Target version just sold out.
What do you think about these almost identical options?
There has been a lot of buzz about shearling jackets lately, from the Rachel Zoe newsletter The Zoe Report, to Who What Wear’s newsletter urging me to Go Buy Now, these things keep landing in my inbox.
What is a shearling jacket? Simply put, the shearling jacket is a warmer version of an aviator jacket, lined with faux fur or sheepskin. Depending on the materials, this style can be outrageously expensive. But it doesn’t have to be.
Check out the sold-out Burberry Prorsum on the left for nearly $3,600. This style has a lush sheepskin interior all the way from Iceland and a rich brown leather exterior.
Now check out it’s similar and cheaper counterpart, the Bebe shearling jacket at right for only $150. It only has one row of buckled cuffs to Burberry’s two, but it has the same chocolatey brown leather as the designer option. Although this version is not yet online, I’m currently checking with Bebe to see when it will become available.
So when it comes to what they’re calling fall’s hottest outwear, you’d be crazy to spend a fortune when you can be frugal.
Leopard print is everywhere this fall, be it a thin belt, chic gloves, an all-over sheath dress or a bold booty. You can’t flip through one September issue without seeing spots.
I’ve been toying with the idea of snagging a pair of leopard-print booties, or even wedge booties, and after seeing several high-end designer releases, I went in search of a few affordable options.
Check out the Giuseppe Zanotti leopard wedges at the top available for nearly $1,200 at Zappos—and then check out the budgeter’s dream to their left. An on-trend pair for a cheap price, this option is only $25 from Urban Original (the same website where I got my favorite cobalt blue, faux-suede peep toes).
The platform heeled version doesn’t have to cost you a paycheck either. The Brian Atwood heeled booties go for almost $1,000 at Saks, while the similar pair of 5” booties go for only $23 at AMIClubwear.
Will you be embracing the leopard trend this fall?
