Shopping on a Budget by Carrie

As expected of a recent college graduate, money is an issue. I love fashion and being current on trends is a must for me. Sometimes it can be hard to stay trendy without spending your rent money. My favorite stores that help to keep my wallet full are Zara in Georgetown, H&M in Georgetown and Forever 21 in Fair Oaks Mall.

Zara has great trendy clothing for women, men and kids. The European inspired clothing has something for the whole family for great prices. You can check out the trends offered at the store before you go at www.zara.com

H&M is also a European company that sells clothing for women, men, kids and babies. H&M can be a little cheaper than Zara and have more locations in the US. H&M have famous designers and celebrities help design a line for the company, which has also been a huge success. At www.hm.com you can look at the style guide before you shop.

Forever 21 has a younger target market and a cheaper price point. You can find some great items if you take some time to look. The Fair Oaks store is 2 levels with a men's section also. At www.forever21.com you can buy online and shop buy outfits. If you spend over $75 you get free shipping.

All three of these stores offer a lot of variety and styles sure to please anyone on a budget.

Happy Shopping!

Meet Carrie!

Summer Scarf

At the last seminar I gave, one of the most discussed topics was how do you wear a scarf in the summer? A silk or very light weight scarf is perfect. This spread from Lucky magazine showcases one of my favorite ways to wear a scarf this season. This look works best with a medium or large square scarf - fold it in half into a triangle and tie the ends up behind your neck.


Here's my take on it:

-James Perse tee
-Scarf from Camelosity
-Club Monaco pants
-Jessica Simpson sandals

Meet My New Intern

Hi! I'm Carrie, Cathy's new intern. I am a recent graduate of Marymount University in Arlington, VA. I have a bachelor's in Fashion Merchandising. I am 24 years old and a virgo. I love summertime and all the outdoor activities that come with it, like laying on the beach, swimming and boating. I would describe my style as ultra-girly-ecletic.

My top 10 must have fashion items are:
10) a great pair of fitting jeans in a dark wash
9) a strapless bra for camis and dresses
8) scarves attached to your purse or used as a headband
7) oversized sunglasses--the bigger the better
6) fun and funky jewelry to add a pop of color
5) cardigans
4) belts for over tunics and dresses
3) leggins in every color
2) dresses in all lengths and patterns
1) Oversized purses--the bigger the better

I will be writting about trendy places to shop on a budget, putting together outfits under $200 and answering any question you may have about fashion trends.

My outfit today, from head to toe, is:
Pink ruffle cami from Forever21
Pearl neklace, vintage from my Grandmother
Gold charm necklace from Forever21
Jeans from Wetseal
Black flip flops from J. Crew

I am excited to contribute to the blog and can't wait to hear from all of you!! =)

Stylish Pregnancy

Recently, I've encountered several pregnant women lamenting their style situation. The truth is, it's not easy. It's going to take a little bit of effort to stay stylish during and after your pregnancy but with a little creativity, you can do it. The difficulty is that you are a different size every few weeks for about a year and you already don't feel like yourself because your body is changing so much. If you can find a few stylish pieces to get you through it though, you will feel so much better about yourself. During your pregnancy, you are just going to have to accept that, unless you want to spend a maximum amount of time, energy, and money, your maternity wardrobe is going to be more limited than your regular wardrobe, and that's OK. While, you're pregnant, it's OK to rewear things more often than you normally would. It's also fine if you're not quite as fashionable as you normally are. For example, a great solution to maintain your style is to buy basics (tees, tanks, cardys, jeans, jersey dresses) in solid colors and jazz them up with accessories like scarves and chunky jewelry. Dresses are a great option because they are easier to fit than pants and can grow with you longer. The other lament of the pregnant women is that you don't want to spend a ton of money on something that you're not going to be able to fit into in a few weeks. So, we did a little research and found some websites that carry a lot of pieces under $30.

The first great website we came across is called Sexy Belly Maternity. This dress is perfect for work and is only $39.99!














This top is a fun print for only $29.99. You can layer an unbuttoned non-maternity cardigan over it if you want to cover your shoulders.

Another website with fun, inexpensive pieces is called Kiki's Fashions Maternity. This printed maxi dress is right on trend for only $29.99.








More prints in a tank top for $22.99.













And you can't go wrong with an ombre tank this spring for $21.99






Other great options are the maternity sections of Gap, Target and JC Penney.

Today's Outfit

-Tunic top from Urban Outfitters

-Thrifted belt

-Citizens of Humanity Jeans

-BP shoes

Valentino: The Last Emperor

Last week, I saw Valentino: The Last Emperor, the Valentino documentary.  There wasn't quite as much depth as I was anticipating, but I enjoyed the movie nonetheless.  I think it's a movie most enjoyed by those not only interested in fashion, but interested in the business of fashion.  Valentino is a very interesting man.  He seems to most often be a little crabby, demanding and self-centered.  But then you catch brief moments when he melts into an excited child as one of his designs becomes a beautiful dress.  No matter what his attitude is, it is inspiring to see what this man has accomplished and at 80+ is still going strong.  My favorite lines uttered by Valentino in the documentary: "I love beauty, it's not my fault...I know what women want, they want to be beautiful."  Valentino has devoted his life to creating beauty at any cost: you will see the amount of people and seamstresses it takes to create a single dress.  He has also created a life in which he is constantly surrounded by beauty as you see him and his posse hop from gorgeous chateau to chateau on his chic private plane along with all his little doggies.

DC Scout Anniversary Party

Last night I went to DC Scout's Anniversary Party at Barney's Co-op in Georgetown.  Here's what I wore:

-BCBG dress

-Nameless scarf bought at Marshall's

-Old Navy bangles

-Thrifted belt

-BP shoes

If you don't know, DC Scout is a twice weekly email with local fashion related information including a monthly calendar of events.  It's now owned and run by the Washington Post but it began as a small start-up company.  I got a chance to sit and chat with Zoey Rawlins (pictured), the founder and creator of DC Scout.  She originally started the company (then called Shop DC) in 2005 when she saw a void in DC for any sort of fashion and shopping guide for the District's stylish crew.  DC Scout has since become an essential guide for fashionistas in the area.  You can visit their website to sign up for emails, see the monthly events calendar and check out their twitter, which features tons of deals and sales in the area.  I enjoyed talking to Zoey about her entrepreneurial beginnings as well as her maternity shopping dilemmas, she's five months pregnant.  She may have inspired a maternity blog post when I have time so let me know if anyone else has any specific questions!

Style: A to Zoe

I just read Rachel Zoe's Style: A to Zoe and really enjoyed it.  Her idea of living everyday with glamour is why I do what I do.  Wearing and surrounding yourself with beautiful things really does make you happier and wearing things that inspire you is a wonderful form of creative expression.  Zoe explains: "Sure, as with fashion and beauty or any other aesthetics, the pursuit of glamour is not going to save the world...[but] a life of glamour and style makes everything that much more electifying, that much more engaging."  Sometimes you just need something to inspire you, to energize you and wearing beautiful clothes is an easy way to achieve that everyday.  Zoe describes how she got into the business: "I was just out of college, where I majored in sociology and psychology.  Naturally, I went right into fashion."  That line made me smile as someone with degrees in finance and psychology, I often get a raised eyebrow when I say I work in fashion now.  I don't think it's a coincidence though, that Rachel and I both studied psychology.  There is actually a lot of psychology involved in dressing someone else.

The book goes on to cover not only fashion but how to be glamourous in your travels, in decorating your home and while entertaining.  There is quite a bit of name dropping of her famous clients and friends but it's somehow less pretentious than you would think.  You can tell Zoe has worked hard to get where she is and it's OK to be proud of that.  There are tons of tips and inspiring pictures but most of all, her point of view just inspires you to make your everyday life a little bit more glamourous, a little bit more stylish, a little bit better.  I checked the book out from the library but may have to purchase it as a reference when I need a little inspiration or to remind myself why I do what I do, even if it is somewhat superficial.

Saturday Night

Going out in Arlington tonight:

-Lily White top

-Necklace from H&M

-Random cuff

-Clutch from White House/Black Market

-Citizens of Humanity jeans

-Anne Klein New York shoes

What I wore in Key West

I returned earlier this week from a wonderful vacation in Key West.  I love being in Florida where color is mandatory and you wear white instead of black.  It's a nice change from DC.  It is always important to consider local style when traveling.  A woman I met down there was telling me of a time when she came to Washington, DC and wore a lime green suit, which is totally normal in Florida but she felt completely out of place in DC.  And, likewise, you would feel silly walking down the streets of Key West in a black dress and pumps.  Whether you're traveling in the states or another country, always do a little research on the local style if it's a place you've never been.  Here is what I wore while in the Keys, nothing too glamourous.  

-Rubbish tank

-BP sunnies

-Melissa Odabash pants

-Radio Fiji swimsuit

-BP sunnies

-Erin Fetherston for Target dress

-Random belt

-Bag bought from BP Nordstrom

-Random silver cuff

-I usually don't admit this, but that top is actually a child's dress from Mexico

-Mimi Chica shorts

-Havaina flops

-BP Sunnies

-Radio Fiji swimsuit

-Lush dress

-Steve Madden sandals