July 2009

The hair, the lips, the eyes, the dress, the shoes…everything!  Diane Kruger is quickly becoming one of my favorite women on the red carpet and I am dying over this Herve Leger mini!  I love the kick skirt and the fact that there’s some serious shoulders on this dress…the bold shoulder is definitely back!!  Can I please, please, please have this dress!!!

And with that I’m off to bed to dream about a closet full of beautiful clothes that are far too expensive for my wallet…Nite!

I’ve been hacked!!

If you’ve come to the site over the last 24hours you’ve probably gotten some weird ERROR message so I apologize!

I’m doing my best to resolve this issue so please be patient and rest assured CheapChica’s hasn’t gone anywhere…just trying to get rid of the code that keeps messing up the site! Thanks for your patience!

It’s no secret that I love the look of a man’s watch, but I like it even better when it’s done in a bright canary yellow! This sporty watch from Urban Outfitters totally reminds me of those outrageously expensive plastic Toy Watches that they sell at Saks and Neimans for over $200…but I think this one is so much cooler and just what I’ve been looking for!

I need something that’s a little more casual (and just more fun) than my usual staniless version for the beach/pool and this one certainly fits the bill!  The oversized number and the chronograph give it that “I’m a serious watch” look, but who can take a blindingly bright yellow watch that seriously???  Pick it up here for only $28!!

So while Sienna Miller might have questionable morals, this girl does not have questionable style!  She always brings a little bit of the unexpected to all of her outfits and this simple, yet chic look at the Berlin premiere of GI Joe was no exception.

I am totally digging the high-waist tapered trousers and while I’m not sure I’m quite tall enough to pull them off, this is a nice upgrade to the classic black pant and I can see this working for a lot of women!

I also love that she paired the grey/black/white color combo with hunter green suede shoes that seem to not work upon first inspection, but then seem genius and a nice break from the whole “matchy-matchy” look…but then again, Sienna is known for her eclectic style!

I think this is a super simple outfit to recreate and with a pair of $48 pants from Urban that are dead-ringers for hers, you have a great start…

For those of you listening to Martha Stewart radio this morning, click here to join GILT GROUP for FREE!

Gilt Groupe provides access (by invitation only) to Men’s, Women’s and Children’s coveted fashion and luxury brands at prices up to 70% off retail.  Each sale lasts 36 hours and features hand selected styles from a single designer.

Up next is Zac Posen, so I thought this would be the perfect time for all of you to join and take advantage of these designer deals !!!

And you have to check out Shop It To Me!  This FREE service works by scouring the web sites of top brands and more than 100 leading retailers, like Nordstrom and Saks, to find the best sales online!

Shoppers create a profile, which let’s them select the brands they love, input their personal sizes and decide how frequently they want to receive alerts.

When your favorite brands get marked down, you’ll receive Shop It To Me’s Salemails, letting you know which new items have gone on sale in your size!

So while this may be totally depressing, I am starting to think about the upcoming season and nothing gets my heart racing like new boots!  They’re my favorite accessory to the Fall I’m always on the lookout for a new pair to add to my embarrassingly large collection!

I typically buy my boots on EBAY for two reasons…first, they’re cheap and second, they had better boots back in the 70’s and I’m a total sucker for vintage!  And while some of you might think it’s super gross to wear used shoes, that’s why they have cobblers!  For $10 they replace the insole and deodorize them so they are as good as new!

But it’s been a week of rule-breaking and today I couldn’t say no to these Dolce Vita pair at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale.  They were marked down to $119 and after applying the cash I made from a quick trade in at Plato’s Closet, it brought them down to $90 which is a great price to pay for these simple, yet totally amazing  boots!

They’re super-soft, you can wear them tall or scrunched down and they’re skinny all the way down the boot shaft so if you’ve got skinny ankles like me they don’t look ridiculous on!  And the heel is that perfect inbetween height…tall enough that I don’t look like a midget, but short enough to walk the city in!  So if you’re looking for a truly wonderful pair of new Fall boots you should make these serious contenders…and they come in black or brown!!

I was working on a story at South Moon Under last Friday when I came across this adorable printed romper by Collective Concepts and I had to have it!  I’ve seen many of Hollywood’s starlets sporting them on the red carpet (hello Blake Lively!) and been intrigued by how great they make them look!

Now I know I said I wouldn’t wear a romper of the silky/PJ-like variety, but I just couldn’t say no to this one…I love all the ruffles, the crazy print and the fit!

It was loose and drape-y and didn’t at all make me feel like a J.LO video reject in anyway!  I also bought it becasue I think it will look great with both flats and heels and who can say no to multi-purpose fashion??

Anyway, if you’re looking to add one of these to your wardrobe, Collective Concepts has a great selection of them and the rest of their styles are worth taking a look at too!!

BTW, I took this out for a test drive last night and must have had a dozen girls ask me where I got it!!

I’ve recently came across these Rainbow colored heels by Brian Atwood and had to pause. Though I totally love Brian Atwood’s apparel line, I’m not too sure if I love these shoes just as much….

I keep asking myself, “can I pull off rainbow iridescent heels”? Aaahh? Not so sure! Not to mention these colorful babies are $460! Thank goodness they’re way out of my budget, but even if they anywhere near affordable I’m not so sure I’d even purchase a pair. Would you?

In this new weekly feature, I’ve teamed up with  mystyle’s resident “star” reporter, Danielle Datu, who’s giving us the style scoop from her red carpet adventures with today’s hottest leading ladies!!

Gossip Girl Jessica Szohr has been making the fashion world stand up and say, “OMG, how cute!” ever since she switched up her look from grunge to fresh and feminine .

How does the exotic-eyed beauty see her style? “Simple and comfy. No matter what I wear, it has to be something easy that I can move in,” she dished. “I don’t like things very fitted.”

With good reason! Unlike most stick-thin young Hollywood types, the girl likes to eat. “I have a stomach that doesn’t stop! When I start eating, I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll take this and this and that,’ ” confessed the actress.

Although she loves big name designers like Burberry and Marc Jacobs, Jessica is a recessionista-at-heart. “Go to Target and get a simple wife beater in the boys’ section,” she advises. “It’s really cute with cool accessories.”

And while she doesn’t mind slipping into a pair of Georgina Goodman pumps (”They’re very comfortable—and I’m not a heel type of girl”), the rising star prefers to keep her feet close to the ground in good ‘ol Keds and Converse. “I’m usually in boyfriend jeans, a T-shirt and flats.”

For more great StarStyle, be sure to visit mystyle.com!

Ever wandered around the cosmetic counters looking for a new shade of shadow glancing at all those flat, matte, muddy, ‘no-shade’ shades only to pass them by wondering what to do with them?  I’ll tell you…

Full, Padded brow bone?  Try a skin tone shade like Bobbi Brown Grey or Mahogany to minimize a puffy brow bone or large space from the crease to the brow (i.e. Asian eye) while avoiding the dated ‘Dynasty crease’ of the 80’s.

Technique: Use a medium shadow brush like Stila Double Sided #15 to shade in the crease with the larger end making sure to keep the eye open to find perfect placement.  Open your eyes like your surprised (funny I know, but it works:) so you don’t lose the shape of your crease and gently shade back and forth

Pro- tip: Use the small end of the double sided brush to wrap the same matte shade under the eye as liner instead of pencil liner for a soft day look.  Don’t forget mascara on bottom!

You’ll never look as good as you do today…

Dara

With all those cute summer tanks out on retails floors, girls are always looking for a way to hide unwanted straps and avoid having to wear the dreaded strapless bra!

Well…. according to Strapperfect they have the perfect solution to hiding those pesky straps!  And while I’m sure we’ve all seen (and ignored) their super cheesey infomercials, once I finally paid attention I could totally relate to what they were saying!

I totally love the racerback look, but I don’t want to have to run out and spend money on a special bra to wear with my tanks!  So instead of buying a new bra, you can use their nifty strap holders to create the perfect back to compliment all of those cute summer tanks!

Strapperfect offers 9 strap holders in nude, black and white for only $19.99!  And I was just in Forever21 and overheard a girl talking about how much she loved her Strapperfects…she totally caught my attention b/c she did look quite fab in that racerback tank she was trying on!   She said they were a simple solution to one of life’s fashion challenges! So for anyone who has tried these, let me know if they worked for you!

And in the meantime, here are some adorable racerbacks all priced under $25 that might just tempt you to get those Strapperfects!

When you head to the beach this summer, leave the baseball caps to the boys and go for a funky fedora or a feminine hat instead to help keep you cool!

I happen to love a bikini with big brim hat, but I know that look isn’t for everyone…so if that’s too much drama on the sand you can always opt for the classic fedora.  They look good on everyone and if you look for one with a fun detail like this striped grosgrain ribbon, it’ll be the perfect accessory on the beach!

And more importantly, hats protect your face from the sun’s damaging rays so don’t skip out on one!!  Here are some options all priced under $25 …

And not Chanel this time…

This time it’s all about Alexander Wang’s Coco Duffle which I fell in LOVE w/when I saw MK Olsen sporting it months and months ago…sometimes I hate those  mini-moguls!!

Anyway, the bag is finally available at a few online stores (b/c there’s no WAY anyone in Philadelphia has it) but it’s going fast and with good reason…

It’s you really think about it, the bags is kind of like a mullet…business on the top and a total party on the bottom!!  If you’re interested in making a serious investment ($850 to be exact) I think you would get a TON of wear out of something like this and you would make this CheapChica very very jealous!!

Some stores always get it right!  Whether you’re looking for a carry-all tote for the office or a fabulous back to school bag that will hold your laptop, this purple Apprentice Bag from LuLu’s will suit all of your needs!

And it’s like having two bags in one…carry it by the handles or simply fold the top of this versatile handbag over and you have an urban chic saddle bag!  It’s got all the style of a big ticket handbag and it will surely make a statement on your shoulder, but you won’t have to break the bank to get it!  This lovely purse will only set you back $44 and with two great options to wear it it’s like getting one bag for free!