Saturday, March 17, 2012

Shop Like a (Thrifty) Fashion Editor, Part 1


One of my favorite magazines,  InStyle, has a feature called “Shop Like a Fashion Editor”. Being the fashionista you are, you may already be familiar with it, but for those of you who aren’t, here’s a short explanation. Three editors are given a budget of $400, $2,000 and $4,000 respectively. Each editor in turn shares what has “inspired” them and then goes about finding key clothing pieces within their budget. This is an ongoing thing lasting 4 months or so. The funds are spread accordingly, ie: approximately $100 of the $400 budget gets spent per month. Great! But what if  a lady only has say…$200 budgeted for clothes this season, then what?
     Well, I decided to one-up them (or maybe one- down). I’m going to do the same thing with half of what their lowest budget is. That’s right, $200 over 4 months (approximately $50 a month).
     What inspired me? COLOR! It’s everywhere.  Have a look see at what I got this month!






 Jones New York skirt: $4.49
I can see myself mixing this piece with other patterns and I love the way it swishes and swings when I walk. Flattering A-line cut. A winner!









Susan Graver cover-up: $4.49
More color, more pattern mixing. This piece is made of sheer fabric with a subtle dot pattern. It's rather long and has no buttons, so I'm thinking it was actually made as some sort of swim suit cover. I'm going to wear it tied in the front as pictured here, maybe over a tank.


Soma tiered dress: $6.99
The tag on this dress says it's a Maxi. Well, that's not how it fits me! It hits mid shin. No worries though; I still like it. And I know just what I'm going to pair it with.






Bandolino faded denim coulottes: $4.49
For when I can't decide between pants, shorts, or a skirt.




Cato skirt: $4.49
What can I say? More color, more print. How would this look with the sheer orange blouse shown above?




Ella Moss tank: $4.49
Black and white; Always right. This is one of those items that doesn't seem very impressive on the hanger, but once you put it on looks dyn-o-mite!

Michel Clo purse by Cloetta: $5.99
Born floral sandals: $2.99
Silver Bracelet: $9.95
Superb quality on the purse. It's hand crafted in Italy. It even had a little certificate left inside. A keeper for years to come. You can't beat Born when it comes to comfy shoes. Aren't the flowers just adorable? This bracelet was a bit more than I like to spend for such things at the thrift store, but the original price tag says $54.00. I just couldn't pass it up!






Tahari blazer: $5.99
With so much color going on, I thought a little neutrality was in order. Enter this fabulous blazer. The small beige and white stripes make it ripe for pattern mixing. I'm gonna get some mileage out of this one.


Total Spent: $49.87
$150.13 remaining 

 Until next post, happy dressing,
Sincerely,
Style Agent 909


16 comments:

  1. I love the 2 skirts. You did very well with $50!

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    1. Hi Narda. Thanks for stopping by. I had a look around your blog. It's great!

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  2. LOVE the 2 skirts, orange coverup and purse. Great finds! I did pretty good this week too. About to post about my scores. LOL

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    1. Can't wait to see what you got Sherri. I'm coming over to have a look now.

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  3. AWESOME!!!! I love InStyle too. I buy so many fashion magazines its ridiculous. lol!!!

    Love the Cato skirt!!! I recently went to goodwill and found some scores!

    Take Care,
    Mandy
    http://www.mandyjeanchic.com/

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    Replies
    1. Oh, I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one who does that!

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Megan, I already have the feeling I'm going to blow next month's budget on a pair of shoes. Thank goodness for your Target shoe post!

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  5. What a great post! I think the same things about that section. It's a cool section but seriously who has $4k to spend per season on clothes?

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  6. Even if I did, I think I'd spend it on something else. It's hard for me to pay full price for clothes now!

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  7. Hey Ma'am!! I got your tweet this morning about the green skirt and I tried to respond and send you a DM, but it won't let me DM you.


    You can email me at carsedrag_2000@yahoo.com.


    Love your new finds by the way, it seems everyone but me can find some great stuff thrifting!! :-(



    Carsedra of:

    http://www.embracingtherealme.com/

    http://sweets4yourtooth.blogspot.com/

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  8. Thanks for visiting my blog! I'm so jealous of all your amazing thrift finds, especially that bag. Thrift store prices in New York are about 3-4 times more than these, so while I love thrifting I hardly ever get to do it. Too expensive!

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    1. OMG, 3-4 times the money? Ridiculous! Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  9. Thanks for stopping by my blog :) I love this idea. I always look at that feature and imagine what kind of shopping I would do on a $4000 budget...amazing. I love the pieces youve picked up so far. Im trying to weed through my closet now so I can make room for new treasures :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. I seriously need to go through my closet too. Interested in swapping stuff?

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  10. Under $50 for all those amazing pieces? Awesome!

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