Fashion Food for Thought

Today I was in the dressing room at a random store and overheard a group of high school girls discussing their purchases. It was a pretty standard "that looks cute!" convo but what caught my attention was the repeated use of the phrase "life purchase." One girl was trying to convince her friend that a pair of leggings were "life purchases" while another girl whined about how jewelry is always a "life purchase" but that she never bought anything she really liked. At first I was annoyed by the girls and the idea that anything you buy in high school, especially at the mall, could be a "life purchase."

But then I realized that I still have things that I bought in high school. Most are things that don't expire, like tank tops and sweat pants, but one special thing I still have is this striped grey-ish wool jacket from Urban Outfitters. There was no price tag on it so the hurried sales person just rang it up as $10, even though it wasn't on sale or anything. It has lasted me thru wide flare jeans, corduroys, leggings and skinny jeans and will now join me in my pursuit of a grown-up woman's wardrobe. Definitely a worthwhile life purchase.

Everyone Should Have...

A navy blazer. And I mean boys and girls alike. You don't have to invest in a really expensive one, just one with a good fit. It is important to check the tag and find a jacket that isn't 100% cotton. Instead, look for a cotton blend with rayon or polyester. Cotton can get wrinkled and pull after too many washes. 

A navy blazer can be the perfect piece to help you make the transition from hoodies to two piece suits. For girls, throw a navy blazer over a tee + jeans, day and night dresses, patterned blouses, tanks + shorts, etc. For guys, make your gfs proud with a navy blazer over button-downs, tees, hoodies, etc. 

            

                                               

(Girls Blazer, Guys Blazer) 

Tracy Feith at Target!

Another First-Lady-favorite made famous, Tracy Feith, now has a cheaper line available through Target's Go International line. In case you didn't already know, for the past couple years Target has been working with high-end designers to bring lines with lower-end costs to their stores. Tracy Feith became a household name after Michelle Obama wore his black and purple patterned creation to the National Prayer Service in January. Here are some of my favorites from the line.

see the rest here.

Make the most of your...

Facewash! Use the following steps to get the most out of any facewash, no matter the price. 

1) Open up your pores. Run a washcloth under warm water and place over your face for a minute. The hot water will open up your pores so you can really get in there and clean 'em out.

2) Squeeze a nickel sized amount of wash onto your fingers. Rub into skin in small circle motions, working your way up from the bottom of your face to the top. Take your time and really get into each pore. 

3) Rinse off really well. Gunky residue that stays on your face can trap more oil and dirt. 

4) When you are almost done rinsing off your face, turn the faucet to cool water. Your warm, squeaky clean pores need to closed back up again and the cold water pulls them tight. 

I'm not a dermatologist, but I love the following face washes:

                                          

Olay Complete Lathering Cleanser                         Clean & Clear Daily Pore Cleanser

Don't forget to write your thank you cards!

My parents were never big on rules, but one thing they always enforced was the writing of thank you cards after every Christmas and birthday. My mom would go out of her way to purchase thank you cards and drop them with satisfaction into the surprised laps of her TV-watching daughters. And alas, its just more evidence that the things our mothers nag us about are actually worthwhile. Writing thank you cards is polite and sophisticated. Here are some inexpensive options.

  etsy.com

                       target.com

  kate's paperie 

Decorating Ideas

When we were little, birthday parties were all about extravaganza. There could never be too many balloons, streamers, confetti, clowns or pony rides. To keep birthday party decorating stylish and affordable, here are some ideas for throwing a fun party for any working girl.

Set the mood : Clean up the space (whether an apartment or home) really well. A super neat living room or dining room can feel special when de-cluttered. Place fat basic white candles on cute dessert plates or little white tea lights inside tall glasses for lighting. 

Pictures of the birthday girl or boy : Borrow digital cameras or go on facebook and put together a bunch of candid shots of the person being celebrated. Don't put up anything mean or super embarrassing (ie something taken while simultaneously holding back hair over a toilet would not be nice). Have them sent to be printed online through Walmart or CVS and place photos around the party space. Paste onto half sheets of colored paper if there is a specific color scheme for the party. 

Classic Ballon and Streamers : Ok, a few balloons and streamers can be super fun and festive. Pick good color combinations, like white balloons with teal streamers. Hang balloons from light fixtures or corners of the rooms and connect with streamers. Don't go crazy! Or for a balloon/streamer alternative, I really love these tissue paper pom-poms from Martha Stewart. 

Sweet but Cheap Birthday Gifts

As any good stylish working girl, I am a magazine junkie. And something that has always irked me about magazines are the super expensive gift suggestions, which are especially popular around the holiday season. Birthday gifts do not have to be a cardboard box but they shouldn't have to cost hundreds of dollars either. Of course I would love to dish out Fendi baguettes and Cartier watches to my friends to celebrate their twenty-somethings. They deserve only the best. But until I become a millionaire, here are some thoughtful yet inexpensive gift ideas.

Silk house slippers from Pearl River

Subscription to Netflix (starts at $8.99/month)

Cute handmade jewelry from Etsy.com

Magazine subscription for a year

Color Play Palette (eyes, lips and face) from Sephora

                         

Birthdays = Free Stuff

Your friends and family aren't the only people who want to celebrate your b-day. Many stores and businesses offer free stuff or discounts simply because it is the anniversary of your birth. Often you have to be on the mailing list or have a club card with the business, so check out what birthday deals come with all those annoying plastic things in your wallet and on your keys and you could end up with some fun free stuff. 

Here are some good birthday deals (plus where you can sign up):

Victoria's Secret will send you a coupon for a pair of free undies during your birthday month. 

Krispy Kreme will give you a free box of half of dozen donuts & a cup of joe. 

Aveda will send you a perfume or body care product blended with the scent of your choice.

You can rent a movie for free at Hollywood Video.

Sephora will send you trio of lip gloss samples. 

Weekly List

It's my birthday tomorrow (Working Girl shout-out to who can guess how old I am) and so I have decided to have a theme week all about birthdays. In the individual-centered American culture, birthdays can involve a lot of planning, emotions and, of course, money. But they are also celebrations of people we love and that's what's important, right?

And because its my birthday, here's my wish list if money was just frosting on cake.

Phillip Lam mini dress

Stella McCartney navy blazer

(to go with dress)

Swedish Hasbeens

Cashmere sweater

Nars Body Glow

bootcut AG Jeans

a white leather suitcase

new running shoes

I'm Crazy For....

Amazon.com! It is probably the most misused and most underrated website out there. While most folks may think Amazon just sells books, they also offer a HUGE selection of discounted clothes, bags and shoes. Amazon.com is kind of like Filene's Basement: you have to wade through a lot of uglyyy stuff but in the end, you always find unexpected treasures at great prices. Here are some fun finds.

(from top to bottom: $13.40, $32.95, $20.70)

Celeb Style for Under $60!

Using super-cute LA summer style queen Rachel Bilson as inspiration, here are some dress & bag combos for summer, all under $60.

 

- simple black tee shirt dress + bright blue canvas tote

- safari-inspired khaki shirt dress + bright multicolored hobo

- ruffled cotton red dress + ethnic-inspired colorful canvas tote 

Cheap Alternative

American Apparel makes some of the best tees in the business. They are super soft, perfectly cut and go with EVERYTHING. But not every working girl can afford to spend $25+ on a tee shirt, as pricelessly perfect as it may seem. Thank god Forever 21 offers a similar version at the reasonable price of $5.50. Now you can literally buy one in every color.

I'm Crazy For....

My yellow slip-on sneakers from Kmart! I bought them on a whim but I have ended wearing up them all the time because they are super comfy and perfectly adorable. And they were only $4.99. They go with anything, skinny jeans, casual dresses, leggings, etc etc. 

Fashion Food for Thought

As a baby of the eighties, I'm finding myself regressing back to the laid-back feminine style of that decade. Thanks to drunken dances and lazy Halloween costumes, the eighties have gained an undeserving bad fashion rep and I think the style of our mothers as 20-somethings should get a second look.

Inspiration :

Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally

Think :

- blazers in muted colors like navy, grey and tan
- faded skinny jeans
- simple flats
- tapered trousers
- knee-length strappy cotton dresses
- relaxed, boyish tops

Weekly List

Here's some fun and free info available on my favorites sites:

1) A Warm-Weather Checklist : realsimple.com

2) 2009 Accessory Report : style.com

3) Five-Minute Makeovers : goop.com

4) The Ultimate Fish Tacos : foodnetwork.com

5) Star Trek Movie Review : nytimes.com

Best Drugstore Beauty Buys

When it comes to beauty products for a twenty-something girl, I don't really buy that whole worth the investment thing. We are young and have beautiful, healthy skin and there is nothing we need that we can't find at our local drugstore or Target, etc.

Here are my essential drugstore beauty buys - all for under $10:

1) Sunscreen is an absolute must. It moisturizes and protects at the same time so there is no reason anyone should skip it. Try Aveeno Active Naturals Continuous Protection




2) I love Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara. Love. It seems to only get better with time as I am left with perfectly fluffy and luscious lashes at the end of everyday. When I was in Mexico for a few months, my mother sent me this in a care package and I was the happiest person on the planet. And its only $8.50!3) A good lip balm is 50% quality and 50% packaging. Constant reapplying means constant exposure and a chic lip balm looks good and feels good. My personal favorite is Nivea Lip Care, which recently went from being available anywhere-but-the-states and was re-released with new packaging for American consumers. And thank god! The blue and white packaging is the perfect blend of American classic and Parisian glamour.

Even Working Girls Travel!

Last week I went down to Miami with a group of friends. It was awesome; the food was great, the sun was warm, the beach was heavenly and most importantly, it was inexpensive! We all split the cost of renting a house (with a pool) and drove down together.

Here are some easy ways to save money before and during your next trip:

1) Purchase all your toiletries beforehand. A big money-waster can be that first trip to the store once you reach your destination. You're tired and excited to be on vacation and it becomes super easy to justify filling your basket full of snacks, magazines, new make-up, lotions, perfume, new sunglasses, etc etc. This can be avoided so easily with a thought-out trip to your local drugstore or Target before the vacation. Then when you reach your destination, the first thing you will have to do is simply relax!

2) Borrow magazines from a friend. Any working girl is bound to fly through a pile of magazines on the beach. And a pile of magazines can easily add up to $25+. Simply asking around from friends for magazines is easy, cheap and good old-fashioned green fun. And ending up with six back issues of Cosmo will be pretty nice considering you haven't had the time to read them in the first place.

3) Use a library! This is a serious classic. Borrowing books from your library is essential for cheap traveling. Do not waste money on books you will never read again. Beach reads are not investment pieces that you put on display in your living room for people to think you are really smart. They are quick, sexy reads for time in the sun. Some beach recommendations are anything by Candance Bushnell, David Sedaris and Anita Shreve.

4) Utilize all your non-season specific basics. Don't automatically assume that you need to run out and buy a completely new wardrobe if you are going on vacation. Take a second look at stuff that you already have and you will realize that half your travel clothes are already there. Basics can include: leggings, soft tees, ballet flats, lightweight jackets, cotton or silk blouses, bright-colored dresses, long-strand necklaces, stacks of lightweight bangles, etc etc etc. Just because it is winter where you are doesn't mean all your clothes are made of wool. Picture them in a different climate and ta-dah! - your sexy vacation wardrobe is already taken care of.

5) Make a basic budget. I know this may seem annoying and anti-vacation, but making a simple outline of what you plan on spending can make in-the-moment decisions easier to maneuver. Start with a money limit for the whole trip, say $300. Then jot down things you will probably spend money on: food, alcohol, shopping, etc etc. and write down how much you would like to allot to each area. Then you will have an idea of what you should be spending during your trip.

And have fun! Every working girl deserves a break and vacations do not have to be a big money headache. Planning ahead and sharing with friends can create guiltless and stress-free traveling.