by cheapchica11 on February 16, 2010
So what is a bralette? I was sort of wondering the same thing. Then, it hit me. I immediately thought back to when I was in college. My French friend Sophie, who was living in the States at the time, asked me where she could find a bra that was “made like a shirt on top” to wear with a deep v-neck she had just bought. At the time, I was puzzled, thinking she just wanted some sort of fancy undershirt but couldn’t find a word in English…
Well, my friends… I think the word Sophie was looking for was bralette. Very recently, I came to realize that a bralette is, in fact, exactly that: a bra “made [to look] like a shirt” so that you can wear it under low-cut tops and have the top of the undergarment show… but there is no shame in it because it looks as if it were a shirt. I know, awesome, right?
We all have a top that’s either too see-through to be worn outside the house or so low-cut you know it’d make your mom blush (and consequently… probably you) or that one Oxford shirt that only looks right if you have three buttons undone. I have a feeling a bralette might be the solution to some of these problems…
It was initially this floral one from Free People that caught my eye. Seriously, how cute would this be peeking out from under a denim button-up? And then, after seeing FP’s page full of bralette options, I really got thinking…
Then I found another amazing and affordable selection of bralettes on Aerie’s Website…these have a much more romantic and lacy feel to them, but so cute nonetheless!
I should’ve known the French would be about ten years ahead of us on this.
by cheapchica11 on January 31, 2010
This post was inspired by a new item I saw posted on Free People’s Facebook page last week: the Locket Bag Layer Charm Necklace. Very cute, right? And only $38.00 (!)?
Yes, I know, it’s awesome… but it’s not vintage. So what I want to do is share with you some of the charming treasures behind its inspiration, and the best part: many of which sell for a fraction of its (already low) price.
Take this gorgeous gold locket above from Etsy seller Purpledaisyjewelry which is only $14.00… !
Heart-shaped are, of course, classic, but lockets come in all sorts of intriguing shapes and sizes. One of my favorite finds is this “perfume locket” below from Etsy seller Jillienesvintageshop that will only cost you $18.00. [Oh, and lest us forget Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.]
Wear them with everything from a t-shirt (v-neck!) and jeans to your favorite strapless LBD.
Lockets are truly timeless and compliment a variety of looks.
Now the only thing you have to consider is who to put inside your heart. ♥
by cheapchica11 on January 3, 2010
A couple of years ago, I started making calendars out of catalogs I received in the mail…Anthropologie, J.Crew, Free People, Urban Outfitters…it’s an endless list. I would take the photos that inspired me and make collages to create a lovely calendar that I would not mind looking at 365 days a year! Once my friends and family started seeing them, they were asking me to make them one, too!
Catalogs are a great source of inspiration for me. First of all they are FREE and you can sign up for as many as you would like. Second it is a great way to see how the clothes you may purchase are styled and worn on an actual human being, rather than a mannequin. It gives me so many ideas on outfits, how to style particular items and new trends that have just come to the surface.
Once I start making calendars out of my used catalogs, I continued on to note cards, gift cards and even gift-wrapping. I get so many compliments on this extra little step I take. I love people’s reaction because it looks like you spent so much time and money, yet in reality it takes no longer than 10 minutes. So if you are of the creative nature and looking for a new project…dig out those catalogs from the trash and put them to good use!
Creating your own calendar:
- Collect all the old and new catalogs you have lying around
- Print out a 12-month calendar on your computer (I have used both excel or my email account). You can use either white or colored paper, whatever you prefer.
- Pick your calendar background. I have used two different backgrounds, either an actual catalog and pasting the calendar and collages right on the back of the pages so it flips down. Or I have gone to a craft store and picked up backing that you use in scrap booking and connected each front and back with string or ribbon.
- Start to create your collages…I usually theme mine around the month!
- Put it all together and voila you have your very own inspired calendar!
by cheapchica11 on August 31, 2009
Help! I’m getting married next year, and I’m racking my brains trying to find (relatively) inexpensive, cute bridesmaid dresses. I want my bridesmaids to look beach-y, but dressy, obviously. Think Free People or Tracy Feith….can you recommend any stores or designers that might have nice dresses? I’m also trying to keep the cost down to $200 or less per dress.
Thanks!
Dearest Blushing Bride,
Fear not, your bridesmaids will not have to strut down the sandy aisle in the buff. I was looking at J.Crew and they have a lot of simple, yet chic dresses for bridesmaids BELOW your price range…$99.99 and under to be exact!
The great thing is, J.Crew leaves a lot of room for styling, which is important so that as a bride, you can achieve that special look to perfectly compliment your wedding theme/feel. They also have various cuts of dresses to compliment different body types so that all of your ladies will look fab!
To give your girls that “Free People” feel, you’ll need to work with accessories, make-up and hair styles. I personally love these large shimmer flower stretch headbands for $24 from Free People to help dress up the hair and you can even think about styling each girl’s dress differently by playing with belts and/or adding pins to give them a truly unique look.
I would also look at the Free People models to help get inspired for your girl’s hair and make up. They all have that perfect beach-y vibe you’re describing that would be amazing for your wedding. By doing all of this, you will have fabulous looking maids, (but not as fabulous as the blushing bride of course)! Congrats and best of luck!!
by cheapchica11 on March 11, 2009
I want to introduce the newest contributor to the site, Lauren Orloff! She’ll be posting once a week on the trends, styles and looks she can’t live without so be sure to check out everything Lauren Loves…
YAY!!! I’m so excited that the ruff, rugged and shredded trend is back in style when it comes to jeans this spring!!! It’s always has been one of my favorite looks!
We’ve seen this style on countless celebrities and I’ve noticed the trend is starting to make it’s way into many stores, but hold onto your wallets when passing those fabulous jeans in the mall! I’ve seen them retailing anywhere from $150-$250 for brands like Seven, Paige and Jet Jeans.
So how do you get the look, if you don’t want to spend the money? It’s easy…take a pair of jeans from your own closet, a good pair of scissors and some sandpaper. Next, cut slits in the areas you want to look shredded and sand paper your jeans in any other areas to make them look worn-in. After that, throw those old jeans into the washer and pull out your new and improved ones from the dryer! Wow… I must say they look fabulous!!!
