Fabulous Summer Finds for $100 or Less

I'm a big believer that things don't have to be expensive in order to be cute.   Even though I was born with disproportionately expensive tastes, I love finding adorable designer look-a-likes almost as much as I love the real thing.  

I regularly wear my favorite designers right next to things like a  $4.99 ring that I bought at H&M.   I guess in my head, the inexpensive item balances out the other when it comes to the overall budget of the whole outfit!   It sounds funny, but if you think about it, mixing the "cheap" with the "chic" does make sense.   Saving money by carefully integrating some more affordable pieces into your wardrobe gives you more money to spend on the rest of your look!  

$100 should be MORE than enough when it comes to a single piece of fashion--- although judging by a lot of high-end price tags, I don't think designers got the memo.   You should be able to strike a balance between style, fashion trends, and quality in the >$100 price range.   Sometimes you have to search beyond Forever21 and H&M, but if you look hard enough, you can find stylish additions for your wardrobe for less than $100.  

Here are some of my favorites for Summer:

Bracelets

1. Black & White Harlequin Bangle, $15 (available at amazon.com)
2. Gold Stud Stretch Bracelet, $59 (available at stelladot.com)
3. Yellow Leather Wrap Bracelet, $59 (available at styleserver.de)
4. Navy and White Enamel Stripe Bangle, $30 (available at jcrew.com)
5. Faux Tortoise-Shell Stretch Bracelet, $4.88 (available at debenhams.com)
6. Anabel's Chunky Pink Acrylic Cuff, $23 (available at fantasyjewelrybox.com)
7. Horseshoe Clap Woven Leather Bracelet, $32 (available at susanb.com)

Dresses

1. Pleated Ivory Strap Dress, $56 (available at romwe.com)
2. Floral Belted Dress, $90 (available at oasis-stores.com)
3. Taupe Ruffle Strap Sun Dress, $56 (available at misselfridge.com)
4. Strapless Blue & White Floral Dress, $40 (available at hm.com)
5. Coral Bandeau Dippy Hem Maxi, $65 (available at misselfridge.com)
6. Bohemian Floral Chiffon Maxi, $43 (available at sheinside.com)
7. Pale Yellow Tuxedo Ruffle Sun Dress, $20 (available at allyfashion.com)
8. Monrow Maxi Tank Dress, $74 (available at farfetch.com)
9. 2 in 1 White & Coral Criss Cross Dress, $35 (available at allyfashion.com)
10. Striped Corset Top Clover Dress, $63 (available at bankfashion.co.uk)

Earrings

1. Khloe's Crystal Blue Pear Earrings, $23 (available at fantasyjewelrybox.com)
2. Alvina Abramova Blue Opal Earrings, $50 (available at maxandchloe.com)
3. Crystal Beaded Gold Hoop Earrings, $38 (available at fantasyjewelrybox.com)
4. Peach Caviar Stud Earrings, $12 (available at modcloth.com)
5. Pink Seedbead Knot Earrings, $9.09 (available at asos.com)
6. Vanessa Mooney Bright Multi Wafer Disc Hoops, $42 (available at stefanibags.com)
7. Moschitto Filigree Resin Earrings
8. Friis & Co Gold Fly Earrings, $23 (available at welikefashion.com)

Tops

1. White Bow-Front Blouse, $24 (available at janenorman.co.uk)
2. Aqua V-back Sun Tank, $46 (available at topshop.com)
3. French Connection Matelot Tank Top, $52 (available at welikefashion.com)
4. Element Kaleidescope Tank, $24 (available at tillys.com)
5. Mustard Yellow Bow-tie Open Back Tank, $44 (available at misselfridge.com)
6. Navy Cotton Button Camisole with Bow, $50 (available at hollisterco.com)
7. Teal Tanager Tank, $49 (available at patagonia.com)
8. Cotton Colorblock Tee, $45 (available at oasis-stores.com)
9. Polka Dot Chiffon Bow-neck Blouse, $21 (available at hm.com)

Necklaces

1. Stella & Dot Turquoise Rope Necklace, $59 (available at stelladot.com)
2. Sakdidet Road Feather Necklace, $49 (available at harveynichols.com)
3. Haberdash House Resin Chain Necklace, $40 (available at hannahzakari.co.uk)
4. Chunky Stone Necklace, $40 (available at talbots.com)
5. Pow Pendant Necklace, $11 (available at asos.com)
6. Miso Nude Acrylic Bead Necklace, $19 (available at republic.co.uk)
7. Green Tessellate Necklace, $85 (available at jcrew.com)
8. Kenneth Jay Lane Red Spike Necklace, $80 (available at charmandchain.com)
9. Brass Little Bird Necklace, $24 (available at peopletree.co.uk)

Shorts

1. 3" Pink Chino Cotton Short, $45 (available at jcrew.com)
2. DVF 1974 Miggy Shorts, $57 (available at boutique1.com)
3. Lipsy Lace Shorts, $57 (available at bankfashion.co.uk)
4. Yellow Chino Cotton Short, $45 (available at jcrew.com)
5. Paul & Joe High Waist Yellow Shorts, $60 (available at boutique1.com)
6. Mini Delicious Apple Shorts, $55 (available at jcrew.com)
7. White Cotton Sateen Bermuda Shorts, $29 (available at mango.com)
8. Green Bungalow Stripe Shorts, $60 (available at jcrew.com)
9. Purple Stretch Twill Short, $50 (available at jcrew.com)

Shoes

1. DVF Lush Rubber Flip Flops, $50 (available at theoutnet.com)
2. DV by Dolce Vita Archer, $69 (available at zappos.com)
3. Nine West "Laffnplay" Wedge Sandals, $89 (available at macys.com)
4. France Leather Link Flat Sandal, $64 (available at asos.com)
5. Nine West Nancita Flip Flop, $45 (available at endless.com)
6. Steve Madden Tampaa Wedge, $90 (available at stevemadden.com)
7. Metallic Trimmed Thong Sandal, $15 (available at forever21.com)
8. Harley Plaited Gold Sandals, $44 (available at topshop.com)
9. Tassle T-Strap Thong Sandal, $13 (available at myhotshoes.com)
10. Seychelles Midas Touch, $95 (available at zappos.com)

Bags

1. Urban Expressions Wood-handled Cloth Bag, $45 (available at dsw.com)
2. Warehouse Straw Shopper, $51 (available at asos.com)
3. Yellow Stripe Beach Shopper, $39 (available at wallisfashion.com)
4. Kelly & Kate Two-Toned Straw Tote, $40 (available at dsw.com)
5. Coral Double-Pocket Clutch, $50 (available at oasis-stores.com)
6. Bird Print Chain Clutch, $23 (available at asos.com)
7. Color Block Cross Body Bag, $25 (available at wallisfashion.com)
8. G. Corazon6 Patent Top Handle Bag, $80 (available at mango.com)
9. Sailor Tote, $20 (available at forever21.com)
10. Hard-Framed Straw Satchel, $40 (available at dsw.com)


The time to get the best selection for Summer is NOW---- so get shopping!

LBD -- Part II

Okay, part 2 of the Little Black Dress series.   This dress is a modern take on a classic, and has a cute little peplum detail.   This particular dress isn't a great fit for all body types, but it's super cute nonetheless.   Here are 5 more ways to wear one LBD!

The Dress Profile:

Casual Lunch Date

A Little bit Punk

Girls Night Out

Weekend Casual

Hard at Work

Til next time!

Arm Candy

From shefinds.com

Coco Chanel was famous for saying that every woman should take off one accessory before she leaves the house each day.   When most people are faced with removing an accessory, they rarely choose to cast aside their earrings or necklaces....bracelets are often the first to go by the wayside.   I happen to think differently, and it seems as the current trends are very pro-bracelets:)

Banana Republic



Coach

From cheapchicas.com

I never used to wear bracelets.... I have fairly small wrists, so it was really hard to find bracelets that would actually stay on instead of falling off every 5 minutes.   Lately though, I've seen more and more adjustable cuffs and eliptical bangles (small wrist friendly).  

I'm a big fan of the multi-strand wrap bracelets, especially the braided cord, leather, or rhinestone embedded ones.   I think all things nautical are classic and preppy, so I'm starting to develop a small collection of the chain-link styles as well.

Enchantingjewels.com

If you like the charm bracelets that you had when you were little, you'll love the grown up versions that designers like Betsey Johnson, Juicy Couture, Ann Taylor, JCrew, and Pandora are coming up with.

Juicy Couture

I'm not in the habit of spending +$100 on trendy bracelets that I'm going to wear every once in a while.   So if you're a savvy shopper, there are tons of places where you can find cute (albeit cheap) options for less than $30.   Admittedly, Forever 21 gives me anxiety and I get midly claustrophobic when I go in there.   But as much as I hate to admit it, it's a pretty decent place to hunt for jewelry.   I've found several cute bracelets (and rings too!) in their over-crowded excuses for a jewelry section.   FYI-- they now have a website so you can shop online instead.  Francesca's, H&M, Lulu's, and Vestique are my other fav options.   If you have any other good shopping secrets, please share!!!

Olivia Carter



thisnext.com





Tiffany & Co

LBD: How to get more life out of your Little Black Dress

The Little Black Dress.  For me, it's synonomous with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's---sophisticated, alluring, and timeless.  And every woman wants to find the perfect one.  So how do we end up with over a dozen different kinds in our closets?  Most of the time it's because we need a black dress to fit a particular function or purpose.

But what if you could take the same black dress, and use it in 5 different ways?  This isn't a ground-breaking concept, but I'll show you how to get five different looks out of an example of one of my favorite classic black dresses.

The Dress Profile:

Sunday Brunch

Dinner and Drinks

Wear to Work

Fall Outing

Shopping Day

This is Part I of a five part LBD post series..... so stay tuned.  Over the next few weeks I'll be posting 4 more dresses, showing 5 different ways to wear each dress.  The idea is that by the end of the series, you'll have 20 different looks!