Gucci for less

If you love Gucci but can't afford the haute looks, maybe this re-creation will satisfy your designer appetite, compliments of DesertRose:

Gucci Style Budget by DesertRose on Polyvore.com

Loves it! Not sure if the dress is still available, but horizontal stripes are big this season -- in fact, I saw a dress very similar to this one recently at H&M for about $35. The yellow jacket, pumps and belt round out this outfit nicely at about $50 total, which isn't bad for accessories that can be paired with many other ensembles!

Fashionable Fridays: Casual in the city

Today was like any other day: I woke up, decided to run with the smokey-eye look, threw an outfit together and spritzed myself with perfume on my way out the door. I guess I looked cuter than usual (is that even possible?) because my garb caught the attention of many passerbys (don't even pretend like you weren't checking me out, you trio of men in suits -- I saw you out of the corner of my dark sunglasses). And of course I also got compliments from friends throughout the day. It's funny, at least in my case: When I don't try that hard with my outfits, they always come out being the best. Anyway, here's a sample of what I wore:

Friday in DC by BrunetteOnABudget featuring GUESS? sandals

Nothing amazing, but it looked very polished and put together. What's pictured isn't exactly what I wore, as my tank was a darker gray and pleated all around the neckline, plus my shoes were slightly different (and much cheaper than these), but you get the point. All in all, my outfit cost about $30 total (yes, $30), minus the gold necklace, which was given to me as an early bday present from a friend at lunch today. My point? You can look fashionable and modern without spending tons of money.

A tip to remember is to not talk yourself into the wrong clothing just because it is cheap or is on sale -- buy it because it looks fabulous on you and will be able to be mixed and matched. Also be on the lookout of ways to accessorize the "blah" you already own. A drab gray tank will always be a drab gray tank unless you get creative (like above). Cinch it with a big belt in white or brown and play it up with the right jewelry, statement handbag and killer heels. All of a sudden your drab gray tank will become the base palette for your divine outfit, and not the focal point of an otherwise boring ensemble. But you already knew that, right? ;)

Surprise! PMS linked to shopping

Not like we don't already know that a little retail therapy is, well, therapeutic when Aunt Flo comes to town, for any still in doubt a new study out by a British professor suggests that there is, in fact, a correlation between menstrual cycles and that urgent need to spend money at Banana Republic.

According to the study, which surveyed 443 women aged 18 to 50, in the 10 days before their periods begin, respondents were more likely to go on a spending spree than at any other time.

Psychologists believe shopping could be a way for premenstrual women to deal with the negative emotions created by their hormonal changes.

"Spending was less controlled, more impulsive and more excessive ..." Professor Karen Pine told the BBC News."The spending behavior tends to be a reaction to intense emotions. They are feeling stressed or depressed and are more likely to go shopping to cheer themselves up and using it to regulate their emotions."

Not surprisingly, most of the purchases made by the women around their cycles were for adornment, including jewelery, make-up and high heels (i.e., items that make you feel pretty but don't have to be bought in a specific "size", as bloating can make you go up a full clothing size).

Just something to keep in mind the next you have that hankering for a pint of Ben and Jerry's ... and 28 pairs of shoes from DSW. [BBC]

Recession not an excuse to go crazy with glue gun

I'm a devout believer that being fashionable is something anyone can do on any budget. While I drool over Burberry trench coats and the current object of my obsession, the Chloe Kerala bag, I also kneel at the altar of Target and have been known to "make it work" at Forever 21.

But there is a difference between being practical and being a zipper- and double-stick-tape-wielding crazy person, fresh off the Home Ec. boat. Behold yesterday's Today Show segment about "DIY solutions" to looking fashionable on a budget this spring, spearheaded by one Bobbie Thomas, an alleged "style editor":

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I think this delectable morsel of a clip can teach all of us on a budget a few lessons about looking fashionable and not foolish:

Do:

• Shop online before you hit stores to find the best deals on that cute A-line skirt or little black dress you've had your eye on. Doing your homework before you leave the house will save you time, and inevitably, money. You can take solace in knowing you really did find the best deal possible on your chic new heels, because Google told you so, after all.
• Play up the season's trends through accessories (such as scarves, necklaces, chunky rings and/or a new clutch), and not pricey, trendy pieces that will look so last season in about, oh, 3 months. Please, just put down the leather fringe. This isn't "Can't Buy Me Love" and no one looks good in a fringe-trimmed jacket, no matter how much you love young Patrick Dempsey.
• Take the time to browse the sales racks, but if you really want to invest money in your wardrobe, always spend more on your classic items, such as a khaki trench coat, slacks, pencil skirt, et. al. These are timeless staples in your wardrobe that will stand as the foundation to all your cheaper, "throw away" clothing.

Don't:

• Throw zippers all over your clothing and call it art. You are not Andy Warhol, nor are you Philip Lam. And no one wants to be the one to have to tell you that your exposed zipper fell off, um, about a block ago.
• Hot glue leather fringe on anything, Pocahontas. This includes purses, shoes, or frumpy black cardigans.
• Roll up one of your dress sleeves and think someone will believe your dress is Missoni and not Marshall's. A kind friend will probably begin tugging at your sleeve, much like they would help you if your tag was unwittingly sticking out.
• Listen to Bobbie Thomas.

You say "cheap shoes," I say lead the way

When I heard Christian Siriano was going to be designing a line for Payless (to debut in September), it gave me reason for pause. On the one hand, it's not like Christian Siriano is Roberto Cavalli or anything, so if anyone is going to design a Payless ShoeSource line, why not him of fierceness fame? On the other hand, though, when has Payless ever been synonymous with anything hip? In college I would peruse the aisles if I came across an errant location, and once in a while I would find tres chic shoes that garnered many compliments but that I would lie about through my teeth. "These?" I'd ask, posing with one ankle cocked inward as if I DIDN'T know they were totally hot. "I, um....can't remember where I bought them..."

Well you know what? I'm ok with my past Payless purchases now and I will lie about it no more. Maybe it's the fact that I have such a limited shopping budget currently (and college is a distant memory), maybe it's the hideous economy, or maybe it's because owning luxury goods these days is so gauche. Whatever the case, I pledge to trek guilt-free to Payless the next time I go shopping. If Target can be hip with their diffusion lines, than why can't Payless, with its Christian Siriano, Abaete, Alice + Olivia, and Lela Rose diffusion lines? Let's break the stigma here, people.

And with that, here are some super cute shoes that Payless currently has to offer:





Not bad, my friends. Not bad. (Especially that last Lela Rose pair.)

And if you're curious as to how Christian's line looks, here's a peek: