Update Your Winter Wardrobe (AKA – Look Christy, You’re Internet Famous!)

I have awesome friends.  I’m not sure why, but they keep coming back for more.  They put up with my fickle phone skills and know-it-all personality for reasons I have yet to determine.  Of course, this makes them all the more awesome.  When my longtime friend Christy told me at brunch the other day that she was going shopping to update her wardrobe for the cool winter season, my ears perked up.  Ok, it was more like OMG CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE PICTURES FOR ME SO THAT I CAN WRITE ABOUT THAT?!  Because honestly, who doesn’t want to update their wardrobe for each season?  I know I do.  Also on the honest front?  Who is really prepared to drop thousands of dollars to do it each time?  Right.

Christy (who is a Junior Mass Comm major at Louisiana State University) updated her current look with just a few additional pieces that she found at Forever 21 and Target.  She did the entire thing for under $300.  Check out her new looks.

Black long sleeve shirt with ruffles–Forever 21–$19.80
Red skirt with Black belt–Forever 21–$10.50

Tights–Target–$5.00
I think Christy hit it out of the park with this look.  She paired the shirt, skirt, and tights with a pair of Chinese Laundry Black Boots that she already owned.  The boots cost her $110 when they were new, but she has now worn them two winter seasons in a row.  That, my friends, is called an investment.

My friend the little lumberjack.  Isn’t she adorable?  In all seriousness, plaid is back.  I’m not sure how I feel about it, but it’s back, it’s a fact, so Christy is keeping it real and fashionable with this look.

Flannel shirt–Forever 21–$19.80
Blue Skinny Jeans–Urban Outfitters–$35 on sale
Tan Boots–Charlotte Russe–$41

Rawr! Again, Christy is rocking the skirt with tights and her Chinese Laundry boots, but this is a totally different look (great for nights when she has a lot of partying studying to do!).

Plain black long sleeve shirt–Target–$9.00
Zebra skirt–Target–$16.99
Tights–Target–$5.00
Headband–Target–$9.99
Bangles–Forever 21–$4.99 for a 3-pk

This is one of my favorite looks on Christy – love the green sweater with her complexion, and I love that she went with brown boots instead of black.

Green and Grey sweater–Forever 21–$13.50
Grey Cami underneath–Target–$8.99
Blue Skinny Jeans–same as above from Urban Outfitters
Tan Boots–same as above from Charlotte Russe

Her last look is all about the coat, which I think is great since so many people will see your coat long before they see anything underneath it.  She let her coat do the talking, and paired it with all-black underneath.  My only suggestion for this outfit would be to consider cinching the waistline with a skinny belt to pull it all together.  Since the coat isn’t uber-fitted, it would help to give her more shape.  She paired this coat with the same black long sleeve shirt from Target, and Chinese Laundry Boots.

A-line Black and White Coat–Forever 21–$44.50

Black skinny jeans/feel like tights–Forever 21–$24.80

* * *

There ya have it – some really inexpensive ways to put together a few new looks, with a huge thank you to my friend Christy, who never ceases to provide me with entertainment (and friendship, I might add).

Want to be featured on Chic Shopper Chick?  Send me some pictures of your favorite looks and I will do my best to post them!

Pretty in Pink! (Steal the Style for Less!)

Check out Blake Lively from Gossip Girl sporting a hot pink Michael Kors dress CFDA Awards in New York  The dress is from the designers Fall Ready-to-Wear line and isn’t yet available in stores.  This dress has got my name all over it, though I imagine it will be quite costly.  A similar dress from MK’s fall line runs around $1600, so this would definitely be a splurge.

Want to steal Blake’s style for much, much less?  Check out this pink strapless sheath dress from Forever 21 in a similar hue with a sweetheart neckline.  Want to jazz it up for fall?  Grab a black studded belt and punk it up a bit with some gladiator heels.  Choose a few understated accessories to complete the look, and voila!  Summer style maven!

Do you love Blake’s look?  Have you ever splurged on a dress that you couldn’t live without?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Forever 21 … at 26

One of my favorite stores to shop at is Forever 21 (or XXI) because of their uber-reasonable prices and cute, trendy clothing.  In all honesty, I have to be very careful with the way I take care of my clothing from this store, and I have brought home items on more than one occasion that had a hole in them or that didn’t last – so we’re not talking the highest-end clothing here.  However, for a fashionista on a budget, like me, it’s a great place to shop, because when my white cami bites the dust, I can easily afford to buy a new one at $2.50 a pop!  Anyway, I spent a good 2 hours in the store today, sifting through the racks as usual to find gold.  Yes, it’s a total treasure hunt, but worth it in the end.  Check out some my purchases!

A total Francophile and former French teacher, I couldn’t pass up this adorable but simple Paris tee.

I’m always on the lookout for new cocktail dresses or summer dresses, and when I put this Satin Swept Pleat dress on, well, I just couldn’t bear to pass it up.  It looked so sophisticated and dressy on, plus, at $19.50, it was a downright steal!  And yes, I bought it in pink.

I couldn’t resist grabbing one of these classic white button-up shirts with a skinny belt to cinch the waist.  A modern spin on a classic look, perfect to pair with my black skirt and heels for a meeting.

I also grabbed one of these gathered knit tunics – it will go great with a pair of jeans but I can also slip it on with a pair of dress pants for a meeting!

I also

Saturday Street Style – NYC Fashionistas

I couldn’t help myself from snapping a picture of these 2 fashionistas who had forgone eating lunch in order to spend their time shopping.  I loved their office-chic looks — they were very fashionable but still work-appropriate.  I felt the hemline for the chick in blue was a bit long, and actually made her look shorter than she was, but overall I was impressed.  What do you think?  I know the iPhone pic is not the best, but you can get the gist, right?  Share you opinions in the comments!