I finally did it!!! I invested in my first pair of designer jeans… but, this is “The Looks For Less” after all, so you know I didn’t pay full price. If you missed my post last week about the “invite only” shopping sites, then you should definitely check it out. These sites offer a few designers a day, for only a day, at deeply discounted prices. As if the discount wasn’t already a great deal, for each friend you get to sign up, you receive a credit ($10 to $25, depending on the site) when those friends make their first purchase.

And then, there was the kick-off of the Rock & Republic boutique on sale now at HauteLook! Oh, I thought I was going to go crazy because these sites sell out so quickly and I just couldn’t decide what pair I wanted. They have such an amazing selection to choose from and I couldn’t add a pair to my cart quickly enough. They offer current jeans that you would find at Neiman Marcus, not an outlet mall. Also, I’ve had 10 friends make a purchase at HauteLook, at $10 per each bud, leaving me with a $100 credit! The Rock & Republic jeans are already 1/2 off at $119, so after cashing in my credit, I got them for only $19! I just can’t believe it! Today is a very exciting day for my closet!

More Invite Only Shopping

I check them all daily. Most open around 11am or noon and sell out quickly.

• Gilt Groupe – $25 credit after your friend’s first purchase has shipped.
• HauteLook – $10 credit after your friends make their first purchase.
• Rue La La – $10 credit after your friends make their first purchase.
• Ideeli – $25 credit after your friends make their first purchase.
• Billion Dollar Babes – $10 credit after your friends make their first purchase.

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Thanks so much to everyone that commented on my LuLus.com “You Be The Blogger” contest. Because I was the blog with the most comments, I won a $100 shopping spree, yay!!! Also, Lulus chose one random commenter to my winning post, Kathy, to win a $50 gift card… so it paid to help me win this contest :) Thanks again to everyone that participated.

Apparently, I’m not done with fall just yet as you can tell by my shopping spree board above – lots of black, white, and gold. Never thought I’d mention fall and white in the same sentence, but it is all the rage this season and fashion rules (no white after Labor Day) were meant to be broken. I am ADDICTED to jackets, so both above were a must have for me. Some girls are hooked on purses and shoes… I am hooked on jackets. They transform any outfit! Also, I love the 80s revival trend going on right now, but I think I am only interested in participating to the extent of an off the shoulder tee. I couldn’t decide between #3 and #4, so I threw them both in my cart :) The lengths are different so I think I’ll get a lot of use out of both. I’ll wear the short one with different colored tanks and the long one with leggings or skinnies and a jacket as seen in look #2. I had to have the lace top, because, as Rachel Zoe mentioned in her “No So Basic Guide” to 20 wardrobe essentials, a feminine blouse is a must have. I can’t wait to wear this on my next date night.

So, I may have doubled my $100 gift card budget (oops); but then… I did get 15% off with my “the looks for less” promo code and free shipping for spending over $75. Savings ($100 gift card), savings (15% off), and more savings (free shipping)!!! That justifies it, right???

1. Nekhbet & Black Gem Chain Necklace in Gold – $12.00
2. Bardo Navy & Cream Waist Jacket – $41.50
3. Off-Shoulder White Cropped Crew Sweater – $49.50
4. Oversized White Off-Shoulder Ragland Tee – $27.00
5. Black Lace Ruffle & Button High-Neck Top – $40.00
6. Black Crop Faux Fur Lined Jacket – $77.00

♥  EXCLUSIVE Promo Code: Enter “the looks for less” at checkout for 15% off site-wide. Plus, get free shipping on orders of $75 or more.

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About My Look

I am so in love with the black, blue, and ivory floral Wildflower Dress from Free People. The sweetheart neckline and empire waist are so fun and the teal fringe under-layer is my fav! At $138, it’s a little on the pricey side for my “looks for less” budget; however, I do plan on getting more than a few uses out of it. I bought it for my sister’s baby shower coming up in March and I’ll dress it up with tights and a cardigan for a little more coverage. In the summer, I’ll probably pair it with leggings and ballet flats and loads of sparkly accessories. If you missed our ‘1 Dress, 4 Ways’ contest a couple of months ago, you should check it out for endless inspiration on getting your money’s worth out of your favorite dress!

I purchased the gold cuff from Forever21.com a couple of weeks ago, and have worn it every day since. I love chunky bling on my wrists, but hate the noise of bracelets or bangles – therefore, my new addiction is cuffs. Just one big silent cuff, haha. I picked up the leggings (last seen here) from Bevello.com and they are so super soft!!! The nail polish is my latest addiction from OPI called “You Don’t Know Jacques!” (last seen here).

The Breakdown

• Wildflower Sweetheart Empire Floral Dress – Free People $138.00
• Black Rayon / Spandex Leggings – Bevello.com $20.00
• Gold Polished & Textured Cuff – Forever 21 $6.80
• Gold Hoops & Flower Earring Trio – Charlotte Russe $4.00
• Black Patent Double Strap Mary Jane Peep Toe Heels – Target.com $18.88
• OPI “You Don’t Know Jacques!” (NLF15) Nail Polish – Amazon.com $5.45

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I have to admit, I was never a big fan of scarves, until now!!! I just hadn’t found a scarf that I was wow’ed by for myself, but always LOVED the look on everyone else. My sister is the queen mixing an adorable scarf with a tee, a super cute fitted jacket, and jeans and I’ve always thought her style was so fun.

AffordableScarves.com offered to send me the scarf of my choice and I couldn’t resist the Megan Sparkle Scarf. I got it in the mail yesterday, wore it with my new Christmas jacket, and received soooo many compliments! The color is beautiful and I love that it translates well for any season. It has a hint of a gold sheen and luckily, it wasn’t made with that cheap glittery thread that tends to be itchy. Beyond the beautiful color and comfy fabric, the infinity style is so on trend and the pattern is very Missoni. Five stars for this scarf, and the best part, it is only $14.95!!!

♥♥♥ 15% Off Sitewide Sale at Affordable Scarves

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For those of you that may have missed it, I did a series a little while back called The Zoe Effect. I dressed up in my 7 favorite Zoe Reports (the daily style newsletter from Rachel Zoe) and posted a pic a day to this blog. In three of the looks, I featured an amazing silver snakeskin patterned cuff from one of my favorite Etsy designers, DirtyStory. The designer realized I had featured her by the amount of traffic the posts were sending her way. As a thank you, as if that was necessary, she allowed me to select the cuff of my choice. How cool is that? Of course I couldn’t pass up her offer because her cuffs are so beautiful. They range from soft pastel and monochromatic colors to very vibrant and bold peacock and damask patterned cuffs.

I chose the black, gold, and turquoise damask cuff because I love black and gold for the fall and the royal turquoise was a nice unexpected pop of color. I’d love to pair it with some black, gold, and turquoise beaded earrings. I’m not much of a necklace fan – my daily jewelry usually consists of bold earrings and bracelets. With that said, I hate to wear noisy bracelets and bangles, especially to work. A cuff is the perfect way to embellish your wrist without the distracting sound effects!

black menswear blazer, a long white tank (it’s Florida, I can get away with it), dark skinny jeans, and my black ALDO ballet flats. LOVE!!!

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Update: Hey everyone, thanks so much for helping me decide on a Thanksgiving dinner party dress. I hoped this poll would help me control myself, but I ended up going with your top two picks, hahah! I’m going to wear your first choice, The Concord Drape Dress, to Thanksgiving dinner and the Fashion Fricasseee Dress on a date with my man or out with my girlfriends! I just got the dresses in the mail and they are amazing! Thank you all for helping me decide! So happy to take this post from “My Wish List” to “In My Closet” – I ♥ ModCloth.com!

Previous Post – 11.09.09 – Oh, ModCloth, why must you tempt me with all of your beautiful dresses. Thanksgiving is coming up and I need a dress for our family dinner gathering. My family is southern and conservative (no short dresses), but oh so fun, and of course, I always want to look stylish. I’ve painfully narrowed my choices down to 3 from many.

The red dress is so unique and I love the beautiful fold-over collar; however, I may pick this one up for a Christmas get-together. I thought I was sold on the black and white dress because it is so my style, pretty and a little bit edgy, but then ModCloth introduced the purple skirt dress – I believe it has my name all over it. I love the purple high-waisted pleated bow skirt with a hint of a sheen and the bell sleeves on the deep blue ruffle top are so pretty. It looks like jewel-tone separates that I so intelligently put together, hehe. Hope you’ll help me decide – please vote below.

PS – all dresses are under $53!!! How’s that for a look for less?

♥♥♥ 10% Off Vintage Fashion. Enter “ModAffiliate10″ for 10% off order at ModCloth.com!

Which Dress Should I Get For Thanksgiving Dinner Party

• 1. Concord Drape Dress - $52.99 (52% - 64 votes)
• 2. Fashion Fricassee Dress - $44.99 (30% - 37 votes)
• 3. Plaid Judgment Dress in Keen - $49.99 (18% - 23 votes)

 

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I recently discovered the website of designer Erika Hendrix and fell in love. I ended up spending nearly an hour browsing her lookbook because I knew I had to have one of her fabulous designs, but had the hardest time deciding on a fav.

In 2005, Erika created her own independent fashion label called Erika Hendrix, and boutiques all around Germany began carrying her line of apparel. Her most recent foray into the fashion world was during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010.

All of the items on Erika’s website are personally designed and handmade by the designer herself, using 90% natural fabrics and materials, such as cotton, linen etc. I picked up the “big tube scarf” and I can’t wait to wear it with my brown tweed cropped jacket. I’m filing this find under “In My Closet” and “My Wish List” because although I have the beige scarf, I still want one of everything from her amazing lookbook.

I tweeted Erika to let her know how much I like her shop and she offered my readers a promo code. Enter CELEBRITY at checkout to save 15% on all orders over 50 Euro from now until December 15th. Follow her on twitter at @ErikaHendrix.

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I’m such a lucky girl. Handbag Heaven contacted me about hosting a giveaway on my site (coming soon) and also offered to send me the handbag of my choice. How cool is that???

Lately, I’ve been turning down the color in my closet for fall, but felt the need to lighten things up a bit (a la Erika Hendrix – right pic). Sometimes, I like to dress up in head-to-toe neutrals, and thought the Tara Accordian Pleat Satchel would be perfect for my pretty in pastel days.

I love the pleats that make up this handbag. I love pleated anything and everything right now. This bag is made of a faux leather material that is far more durable than the real deal. The interior is lined with the Ebisu signature floral printed fabric and the knotted twists on the oversized strap really add a unique touch. The tote contains exactly the compartments I need – a zippered pocket on one side opposite two small open pockets for my lipgloss and cell phone. The handbag is finished with a magnetic snap closure. Handbag Heaven was nice enough to take this pleated tote from my wish list to in my closet! So fun! Love it!

Find Handbag Heaven at:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/handbagheaven
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HandbagHeaven

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A couple of months ago I won $20 Bevello Bucks in a contest hosted at the Bevello.com blog. I knew exactly what I was going to cash them in on… everyday leggings! I have liquid leggings and sequin leggings, and now that I am hooked on this trend, I knew I had to have some super comfy everyday basic leggings.

The Midnight Black Lounge Leggings from Bevello are so freakin soft. They are 96% rayon 4% spandex, so they have the silky feel of pantyhose, but without the cling and super thin material. It’s rare to find anything that is comfy AND stylish, and these are both to the extreme. I love to be a bit stylish when I go to the hairdresser – I guess I wanna match the cut I’ll be walking out with. I wore these leggings with my shredded tee and ALDO black ballet flats and loved the look. It was super stylish, yet felt as though I was wearing pajamas. This was the best $20 purchase I’ve made (won) in a long time!!! LOVE!

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I had so many readers ask me to continue my Zoe Effect series, and I would love to bring it back someday, but for now, I thought it would be fun to dress up for my “In My Closet” posts. I also promised you all a pic of my new red hair… hope you like :)

My latest addiction – ModCloth.com! Well, “latest” may be a bit of a stretch as I’ve been hooked on ModCloth for a while now (ModCloth flashback). I find myself stalking their new arrivals daily… literally, I keep their page open all day, hit refresh, and have caught myself saying out loud, “you’ve got to be kidding me” to the new items that grace their web page. Their collection of vintage, meets mod and indie, never ceases to amaze me. It’s the expected unexpected. My latest find was the Swiss Miss dress and I am so in love! The ruffle neckline makes me so happy. It’s so different, and I really do feel international in this dress – there is something about it that feels very “travel abroad” to me.

The name of this dress, Swiss Miss, was enough for me to take this dress from must have, to in my closet. I went for a monochromatic head-to-toe chocolate lovers delight with the brown dress and brown mary jane heels, broken up with my contrasting brown on nude lace pattern tights! Now I’m in need of a Thanksgiving family get-together dress and it will surely come from ModCloth! Let the stalking continue!

♥♥♥ 10% Off Vintage Fashion. Enter “ModAffiliate10″ for 10% off order at ModCloth.com!

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