Showing posts with label Fall Fashion. Show all posts
Now that we are (hopefully for good) out of this polar vortex mess, it's time to start thinking about footwear aside from that which is required to cover 4 pairs of wool socks. Enter: The Neutral Flat. Look, I could spend a lot of money on some nice, neutral flats but honestly no matter how much money I spend on flats, I guarantee they will not live to see more than one year of DC sidewalks/cobblestone/rain/mud/seasons/excessively-salted-everything. So here's my list of my favorite affordable neutral flats (with some spice of course).









$24.99 for Steve Madden is NOT a typo. <3 DSW for real







Classic.





















Bonus: the above loafers' more fun/prettier/wilder cousin (we all have that cousin):


(Affordable) Neutral Flats

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Look I hate to brag but since power shopping isn't a nationally recognized competition yet, I have to give myself my own kudos in this area. Can we just talk about how I have managed to never pay more than $20 (except on shoes- hey, YOLO) on anything I wear? Also I follow a lot of those blogs that are just people showing what they wear to work every day and am almost always like OH I HAVE ALL THOSE PIECES! So a little broke and bougie inspiration for the week:

Monday


Tuesday
Wednesday (it was a desk day)

Thursday
  • Shoes: $25 at DSW (7 years ago)
  • Pants: $19.99 Julie Straight Leg at Loft (I'm on their e-mail list and got an alert that these pants were 50% off the sale price and knew I had to track some down in my size)
  • Blouse: $17.50 at Forever 21 (2 years ago, see similar ones here)
  • Watch: $20 at Hallmark. Yep, Hallmark. Sidenote on Hallmark: they have a lot of random cool stuff. My mom did a part time gig there and I discovered that besides extremely over-priced cards, they also have reasonably priced chatchkis (see- unbreakable wine glasses, wine glass tumblers with LIDS, the list goes on).

Broke Girl's Work Wardrobe Pieces Under $20

Sunday, October 27, 2013


As soon as cooler weather sets in my wardrobe turns grey and black. This year's fall resolution: try to look alive- cut back on the black and grey! Cue the patterned blazer. These are some great options to spice up the work wardrobe but still keep it professional.
  1. LC Lauren Conrad Floral Tux Blazer $21.00 @ Kohls: My girl makes great work clothes for really affordable prices. Love love love this, especially how the black collar and zipper pockets that tone it down a bit.
  2. Sofia by Sofia Vergara Women's Open Front Blazer- Leopard Print $29 @ K-Mart: So yeah, I guess K-Mart's still here thanks to Sofia Vergara. I actually read somewhere that she is making mad bank off her K-Mart clothing line, surprising since I didn't know K-Mart was making bank off anything right now. But hey, this is a classy looking leopard blazer and I like the look of this with bright pants and a neutral blouse.
  3. Jersey Blazer Dark Blue/Pattern $17 @ H&M : I know, it's jersey. But it actually looks professional and is super comfortable and not too bunchy (you know how blazers can be that way?). I like how this incorporates comfort, professionalism and the geo-tribal-pattern or whatever we're calling it this season. 
  4. Mossimo Women's Printed Sateen Blazer Jacket $17 @ Target: I've really been dating myself lately by saying "I miss when I used to go to Target with $20 and come out with at least 2 pieces of good clothing", but they're back at it with affordable clothes. The light sateen fabric is great for sweaty people like me (hello I just walked 5 blocks from a crowded bus can we please turn the heat in this office down). It's a pretty busy pattern, I would pair it with a black or white shirt and black pants, or put it over a black or white dress.

Fall Workwear: The Pattern Blazer {under $30}

Wednesday, October 2, 2013


I have listened to a lot of panels comprised of very important people (CEOs, female leaders in male dominated industries, etc etc), and for some reason one VP's quote has stood out in my head for years: "You have to dress the part of the job you want, no matter what job you are currently working". Maybe this has always stood out to me because I have never made enough money to dress the way I want to dress, add to that being a woman in the workplace presenting millions of questions like what is too racy? what is too conservative? do I look stuffy? do I look like I'm trying to dress like my male counterparts?

Anyway, this season you can't go wrong with the Ponte blazer. Everyone from CEOs to VPs to non-profit workers to artists are wearing these. I like the versatility- I pair mine with jeans if I have somewhere "nice but not too nice" to go; my black blazer goes with colored dress pants; and I have an orange one that I wear to spice up black pants. The fabric and the make of the ponte make it light and somewhat form-fitting which makes me feel like I look skinnier than when I wear my old blazers that are a bit less flattering. Here's where I've found the best steals on the Ponte:

  1. Mossimo Women's Collarless Ponte Blazer from Target- Assorted Colors: $30.00. This comes in black, cinnamon cake (great fall color), officer blue, and railroad gray. So basically black, orange, blue and gray. You can only get them online and my experience with Mossimo sizing is that it's pretty much on par with other brands. One of the reviews claims this blazer is friendly for the large chested (not an issue for me, unfortunately).
  2. Solid Open Blazer from Forever 21: $27.80. Comes in black only, and sorry about the model who looks like pre-rehab Lindsay Lohan. The sizes generally run a little small at Forever, but I like the look of the sleeves. It is also somewhat slimming as it doesn't have the extra fabric for closing the front.
  3. Methaphor Ruched Ponte Blazer from Sears: $18.00. Comes in 8 (yes EIGHT!) different colors- my favorites are raspberry and mustard. Comes in petite which is nice for those of us who were "blessed" with wide hips and narrow shoulders. On that note I think I like these blazers so much because none of them come over the hip, and my big hips/butt make my whole body look much bigger in jackets that cover the bum.
  4. Attention Women's Ponte Blazer- Faux Trim from K-Mart: $20.99. Before Sofia Vergara came into the picture I thought K-Mart was extinct, but they've been reincarnated. I like the "leather" trim on this blazer, gives it kind of an edge. You can order it and pay shipping or get free store pick-up, which confirms they are in fact still a physical store.

Workwear: The Ponte Blazer for Under $30

Thursday, September 26, 2013


I may have spent half my salary on wedding gifts this year, leaving me with approximately $25 to buy dresses to wear to said weddings- my budget is especially low because we all know we can't be wearing the same dress in every Facebook/Instagram photo op. These are my favorite options I found (I wore #1 to a wedding last weekend!)

1. H&M Petrol Jersey Dress $24.99. I love this color- bright but not too bright. I wore it with a Forever21 bib necklace, a gold belt from Ross, and Nine West nude pumps I found at Goodwill for $10 (is that gross?).  I appreciate this dress's flair at the waist because it prevented people from saying "whoa look at her ass- she really let herself go this summer". Second favorite thing: it runs in Small/Medium/Large so you can avoid the H&M terror of buying a dress that is 10 sizes bigger than you would buy anywhere else.
2. H&M Sleeveless Dress in Burgundy $30: Glad I didn't wear this one this weekend because two people at the wedding were wearing this exact dress. Guess they were scoutin out the H&M sale rack at the last minute too. Anyway, this color is everything this fall, can't wait to get me some burgundy pants.
3. Merona Women's Ponte Crossover Neckline Dress from Target $27.99: Hey Target, welcome back to my price range! I have been so tired of only being able to find dresses over $40 there lately, but they did me right by this dress. It's flattering on the big booties too (a major plus in my book).
4. Glam Dot A-Line Dress from Forever 21 $29.80: I feel a certain way about polka dots, but this is an exception. I like the pleats and the zipper/collar in the back and the length. Sidenote: has Forever 21 always been this skanky or am I growing up? My word, I hate being this old sometimes

2013 Fall Wedding [guest] Fashion under $30

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Caramel Leopard Moon Walk Flats from Zulily for $14 + $5 shipping
I may or may not have an online shopping problem. But whatever, if I was shopping in real life around DC I'd spend 10 times as much money, and I can justify this purchase as a "work wardrobe expense". I found these today on Zulily  for $14 plus $5 shipping and handling. I really like the dress loafer style and in my online research have had a hard time finding this style for under $40. I love the coloring of these, and I like the lack of studs or other odd bling I've been finding on other options. Here are a few other leopard print flat options:



JC Penny Leopard Print Studded Flat for $24 (but they have studs...):








Kenneth Cole Reaction Slipified Flat at DSW for $39.94
 







Unleashed by Rocket Dog Conner Flats at Kohl's for $34.99




$15 Leopard Flats from Zulily

Monday, September 9, 2013

Orange Infinity Knit Scarf from Zulily- order here



So I'm about to be the most typical white girl and talk about how much I just looove fall, but I really do. This summer has been so hot and rainy and honestly I just can't drink anymore summer sangria and frozen margaritas, plus I have essentially sweated out all my summer clothes. Enter: Fall. Football season means all we drink is beer and bourbon, and cooler weather means we get to switch up the wardrobe a bit with BOOTS AND SCARVES. I ordered my first scarf of the season on Zulily today for $13.99 (shipping is usually $5.00 but my bargain shopping and couponing has earned me free shipping for an order). I also scoped out a few other good scarf deals:




Elegant Solid Color Infinity Loop Circle Scarf: $9.99 + $4.99 shipping on Amazon:









Women's Teal Paisley Viscose Wrap: $17.49 + $2.95 shipping (or free shipping on orders of $50+) on Overstock
Look how happy that white girl is for fall and to be wearing scarves







ASOS Cable Scarf: $20.25 + FREE Shipping 







Lovestory Waffle Scarf: $29.00 at Urban Outfitters



Scarf Season is Upon Us!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

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