Monday, October 27, 2008

Fall fashion on a budget

Hello my pretties! We're in the thick of fall (spring '08, we hardly knew ye), and it's getting cold. Not a charming cold either, like West Coast fog-rolling-off-the-Pacific-Ocean-in-Santa-Cruz-at-night cold, where the chilliest it ever gets in my hometown is light-sweater weather. (Sniff, sniff.) No, this is biting, frigid temperatures-make-me-balk-at-wearing-skirts-to-work cold, which can ruin a girl's daily wardrobe choices. Sigh.

But I refuse to give up my skirts and dresses just yet. That's what winter is for anyway, right? And sadly the winters are long and hard here in Washington DC -- okay, maybe not that bad, but for a beachbum born and raised, I may as well be living in Siberia. So I've put a few key pieces together that are fabulous for indoor, non-Eastern Block temps, yet can all be covered and belted with the perfect trench for cooler outdoor weather.



I bought tickets for Love and I to see a ballet at the Kennedy Center in late November, and I think this outfit I put together (above) would be perfect. Ballet or not, it would also "razzle dazzle them" when worn out for a nice dinner, drinks with friends or just to kick your night up a notch.
  • Purple Crystal Rose ring, Butler & Wilson, $35
  • Satin Bow A-Line skirt, Forever 21, $19.80
  • Dressy halter, Forever 21, $17.80
  • Multi-chain necklace, Forever 21, $6.80
  • Santi Blaire fabric clutch, Amazon.com, $95 (pricey, but very easy to make from scratch. Already bought the fabric, which only cost about $4!)
  • Wing Tip pumps, Charlotte Russe, $24.99

Trekking out to Old Navy anytime soon? Then be sure to try all these tres chic finds (above) on when you're ready to hit the fitting rooms! All together they cost a grand total of $104 -- a perfect price for four different, polished looks. Hurry though, sizes (as always at Old Navy) are running out fast!:

Ah to feel Parisian all year-round! The above outfit I conjured up is fun, flirty and feminine. Stand out in bold colors when everyone else around you is bundled up in grays and blacks!

Everyone needs a good pair of boots, either high heeled or otherwise. I had all high heeled boots until recently when I became obsessed with finding perfect riding boots and found a pair of Nine Wests on sale. I don't know why I'm on such a riding-boot kick lately ... maybe it's all the horse-back riding Betty Draper's been doing in her fabulous black boots on Mad Men. Regardless, above are three adorable boot ideas that I would buy if I didn't already own so much footwear. Oh who am I kidding, I just ordered those Charlotte Russe wing tip pumps. While I work on my willpower, here are the prices:

And lastly, to keep you toasty and fashionable this fall say hello two of the cheapest yet quality trenches on the Web (above), both on sale right now at the Gap. I want both!! Must....not.....succumb.......
Iope that offered some help with your up-and-coming shopping trip. Whenever you feel down and out about the financial crisis, the economy, your future and ... well ... your bank account, remember that it doesn't take a million bucks to look like a million bucks.

In fact, I don't think being on a budget ever looked this fashionable! ;)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you mean Siberia, by any chance? Serbia is probably a bit warmer than DC, not by much, but seeing as it's partly under the influence of Adriatic climate, it makes sense. Also, it's not a part of the Eastern Block because Yugoslavia never signed the Warsaw pact. Tito wasn't a fan of Stalin.

On another note, I just discovered your blog and I really like your sense of style! :)

Anonymous said...

I just discovered the polyvore website last week and what a great place to mix and match! Thanks for sharing, you have some wonderful ideas.

Crystal said...

aerothoughts: My bad, yes I meant Siberia. That's what I get for typing a post at 1 in the morning.

thanks guys!

Anonymous said...

It has taken me about three years to get excited about the cold weather here in the UK (coming from Sydney where it rarely gets below 22 degrees celcius all year round), but now I think autumn is the best season for fashion. Skirts, tights, boots, fabulous coats and faux fur!!! Gorgeous. :)

Revanche said...

Aw geez. First those boots, and now the cozy looking dress, and the lovely purse, and and and ... You're wreaking havoc on my decluttering mantra! :)

I love the sweater dress, and am awfully tempted to pick one up to replace my black sweater dress that's starting to fray. I wonder if the fabric and cut are flattering and durable? I always have my doubts about the quality of Old Navy clothing.

Cali Bar Girl said...

I have that wrap-front dress from Old Navy in grey and absolutely love it! Your fashion posts are so fantastic.

I was actually wondering if I might be able to request another post from you after you did such a fabulous job of dishing out student loan advice for me last time. I am recently engaged and was wondering if you have any wedding budget advice? The thought of spending anywhere near the current average cost of weddings is frightening and I feel that my fiance and I can make much better use of our income...say to pay off loans, save up for a house, or save for retirement...than pay for one night. Any advice?

Crystal said...

Revanche: I love the sweater dress too! I'm hesitant about buying things online at OldNavy.com, just because you never know if it's going to at least look quality, or whether it will just fall apart. I'll head over there this weekend and check out the goods in person. ;)

Cali Bar Girl: Congratulations!! That's such great news about your engagement! I totally understand that you'd rather put all that wedding money into something that lasts longer than a day. I'll start working on a wedding budget post. Congrats again. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the mention of my Bonjour Eiffel Tower Brooch. I love how you paired it with the sweater. It looks fabulous!

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