Look for Less: Miu Miu Suede Peep-Toe Pumps

I've been obsessed with these black pumps by Miu Miu for a while. Lately I've really been into thick heels and platforms. The combination of the heel height and thickness makes these pumps super sexy and eye-catching!

So I nearly died when I saw a pair of shoes on DSW.com that was the spitting image of the Miu Miu pumps I've admired for so long. Unfortunately, they were sold out in my size, but luckily, they had a pair in stock at a store near my house....in California. So I called my very nice mother and asked her to drive 40 minutes to the DSW store to get my shoes and then mail them to me in Princeton. Now is that love or what? And I'm so glad I went through all that effort, because it was worth it! Normally, people don't comment on someone's shoes if they're just wearing a plain pair of black pumps, but when I wear these, I get so many compliments!

So what do you think? Pretty similar, right? Either way, both shoes are absolutely gorgeous.

Miu Miu Suede Peep-toe Platform Pumps, $575

Zigi Soho Kelis Pump from DSW, $59.95

 
Images courtesy of Mycolorfashion.com, DSW.com

Look for Less: Jason Wu SS10 Little Red Dress

A few months ago I wrote that I bought a new red dress that I was in love with and couldn't wait to think up occasions where I could wear it out.  (For those of you interested, I ended up wearing it to my birthday dinner in January and to a formal banquet at school in April.) Well much to my surprise, I randomly ran across a photo of what seemed to be the same dress on none other than Ms. Alexa Chung. My first thought was "I can't believe Alexa Chung and I wore something in common!" My next thought was "I can't believe I unknowingly bought a knockoff Jason Wu dress! I knew I liked the dress before, but now I love it so much more!!"

The dress that I found is by Taylor Dress, and I bought it from Macys. The dress is originally $188. I found it on sale for $118. And now the same dress in white is on sale again for $89.99 at Macys. Now is your chance! Get it before it's gone!

Hmm, Jason Wu for less than $100? Now that's a steal if I ever saw one!

Alexa Chung in Jason Wu at the 2009 CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund Awards

Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2010

Taylor Dress Sleeveless Applique Neckline Cocktail Dress from Macys, $89.99

Images courtesy of Harper's Bazaar, Style.com, Nordstrom

Jeffrey Campbell Cut Out Platform Shoe

These shoes are pretty awesome. That Jeffrey Campbell is just so dang inventive! I'm sure that I would never actually convince myself to buy these platform oxford heels, but I have this huge desire to try them on...if only to see what it feels like to have the middle of your foot just hanging in midair.

Jeffrey Campbell Benched Cut Out Platform, $187

Look for Less: Valentino Studded Flats

Should we play the game which shoe costs $895 and which is only $135? Seriously though, the Jeffrey Campbell flats pictured below are almost an exact replica of the Valentino flats. Perhaps not so good for Valentino, but excellent for savvy shoppers like me who love a steal! If the black strap on the Jeffrey Campbell flats were the same color as the rest of the shoe, no one would ever tell the difference between the real and the deal. Although, the black contrast does add a lot more edge to the shoe, if the studs weren't enough for you.

Valentino, $895

Jeffrey Campbell Bad Alice flat, $135

Images courtesy of Coolspotters, Need Supply Co.

Long time no blog

I know it seems like I haven't written in forever, but really I HAVE been writing! Only, it hasn't been on this blog... Instead I've been spending all of my time writing articles for two online publications that I am really excited about (that is not to say that I'm not excited about my blog!).  I mentioned before that I am now a staff blogger for Stripe Magazine, Princeton's fashion publication, but now I would like to announce that the website is up and running, so go check it out!  Right now I am one of two bloggers who writes for Stripe. (The awesome DIY posts are not by me, although I wish I was that creative.)  So far, I've written articles about the obsession over Hunter boots on Princeton's campus, my love of the color blocking trend this season, the exciting news that orange is in style, and, finally, the amazing time I had meeting Hilary Kerr and Katherine Power of WhoWhatWear.com at their book signing.  

The second publication that I now write for is the Princeton branch of Her Campus. (If you haven't heard of Her Campus by now, then shame on you.) Unsurprisingly, I write about style-related topics for HC Princeton.  This is my newest endeavor, so I only have one article out so far; however, I think that it is one that you will find of interest.  Visit HC Princeton to read Ten Must-Haves for Your Spring Wardrobe.

As much as I love awkwardly posing for the self-timer on my camera and posting pictures of myself in my favorite outfits, I think that my true calling is writing about fashion news...or just writing my opinion about what other people are wearing.  I know that all of those famous bloggers like Andy, Chiara, Emily, and Rumi all have personal style blogs made up entirely of photos of their glamorous lives and the expensive outfits they wear every day, but I decided that that is just not my thing.  In the short few months that I've been working for Stripe and Her Campus, I realized that I really love fashion journalism. So even if you don't see me around here very often, you will definitely be able to find me at www.stripemag.com or www.hercampus.com/princeton!

By the way, in my previous post I said that there was exciting news I wanted to share....well, this was it. :D

Emma Stone in Chanel

This was my favorite dress at the Academy Awards.

By the way, I started a brand new blog...hehe. I don't know why, I was just SUPER bored one night and really didn't want to do my econ homework, so I made a new blog on Wordpress.  (It's funny how there is a huge correlation between when I blog and when I have an assignment due...) The idea for the blog came from The Vogue Diaries, because I was thinking, it's such a popular blog, but all it is is papparazi photos of celebrities.  There's no writing involved, and the posts must be so quick and easy to do.  I thought, now this is the kind of blog that I can do and be able to update all the time.  So I did it.  It's not supposed to be serious, it's just kind of a fun project for me to put up pictures that I like.  Though I do have to give some credit to the blogger of The Vogue Diaries, because she does say in every post what the celeb is wearing, though usually it's just the shoes, which always seem to be Louboutin heels.  Anyways, I have some exciting news to share on my blog very soon, but I'm not ready to do it yet...so look forward to that.  In the meantime, check out my newest endeavor, Style When It Sizzles.

Want Right Now: Lanvin Wedge

After running into these beauties while window shopping on Friday night, I have come to a conclusion: nobody does the wedge better than Lanvin. Ever since I first laid eyes on these ankle wrap peep-toe snake print wedges, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them.  For a mere $1,120, these lovely show-stopping sandals can be yours...But let's be real, if you could afford these shoes, you probably wouldn't be reading this blog right now.  (You'd be out shopping, of course!) As an alternative, I would love to share with you a more affordable pair of shoes that you can purchase instead, but, unfortunately, I have never seen a more beautiful wedge sandal than the ones above.  Therefore, no budget-friendly shoe would do this pair justice.

But look on the bright side: these shoes would probably be really painful to wear and would make your feet hurt if you walked around in them all day! And who wants that?? (Hehe, are you convinced yet?)


Sources: Net-a-Porter and Zoe.

Kate Spade Sample Sale

Calling all fashionistas! Right at this very moment Kate Spade is having an online sample sale on their fall/winter merchandise to make room for spring! This is our opportunity to get splurge-worthy bags/clothes/jewelry for LESS.  Hurry up and get over to katespade.com to get your hands on something you've been lusting after.

Everything is up to 75% off, and on top of that shipping is only $5. The sale ends on Friday, February 18th.  

P.S. Some the items that I  featured in this post are on sale, so if you were turned off by the price before, now's your chance!

Photo courtesy of Deluxe Mall.

Reduce, reuse, RECYCLE: old school blazer and dad's briefcase

Skirt, Gap. Boots, Ciao Bella from DSW. Bag, dad's old briefcase. Blazer, old school uniform.

Last week while I was home in LA I went to Downtown Disney with my roommate who was also visiting LA during the break.  We ate lunch, painted our nails in Sephora, and took lots of pictures! I love being home because I can wear all of these different outfits that I can't wear at school right now because it's too cold.  I can't wait until the spring when I can walk out with bare legs again! 

In this outfit, I recycled some old items and created a casual, preppy outfit.  I'm wearing a navy blazer that was part of my school uniform in high school; it even has my school crest sewn on the pocket.  I thought that after I graduated, I would never touch my uniform again, but now I actually really like this blazer.  It has kind of a boxy shape, so I like to wear it open, and I think it would look good with more feminine silhouettes like flowy skirts and dresses.  The second recycled item is an old briefcase that belonged to my dad.  I thought that this beautiful briefcase would make for an excellent book bag at school, or in this case, an appropriate purse to complete a preppy outfit.  You can't see this in the above pictures, but it has two vertical straps in the front that remind me of the Proenza Schouler ps1 bag and all the other bags that are out right now that look like it.

Some New Purchases

To celebrate the end of finals and the end of my first semester of college (thank goodness), I went to the mall and treated myself to some lovely new purchases. The first item I bought was a lovely red dress.  I fell in love with this dress the moment I laid eyes on it (as cliche as that sounds).  When I went to Macy's I really did not intend to buy anything because earlier in the day I stopped by Banana Republic and made an impulsive purchase on a black velvet blazer (that was on sale!).  So as I was wandering through the department store, past all the makeup and fragrance counters, I turned a corner and suddenly right in front of me was a gorgeous, bold red dress.  I have a huge inclination towards red dresses, so I immediately approached the dress to perform my usual routine for when I see an item of interest: feel the fabric, check the price tag, and then look the item over once more to decide if it's worth it. On sale for $118. Not bad for a dress of this quality, but there was one problem: I really wanted to get this dress but I had nowhere to wear it to.  My mind was telling me to keep walking and to leave the store without the beautiful dress, but my heart told me to try it on and then decide. I tried it on and decided that I needed a red dress in my life.  I ended up creating an occasion to wear this dress to by making my family dress up and go to a fancy restaurant for my birthday dinner this past weekend.  The above pictures don't really do the dress much justice, but you can also view this Taylor dress in white online at Macys. 

My second big purchase is a gold Michael Kors Chronograph watch that I have been lusting after for quite some time.  I feel like a chunky gold watch is the perfect accessory for any outfit. As I said in my previous post, I can't take off my new watch! Lastly, I found this pretty turquoise bracelet at Forever 21.  I don't have any turquoise jewelry, so I thought that this would be a good addition to my jewelry collection.

Floral Print in Winter

Shirt and Skirt, Forever 21; Belt and Watch, Michael Kors; Purse, JC Penny; Boots, Ciao Bella.

So I tried to take some pictures in my house to show you what I wore during the day...but as you can see, there are no good picture-taking locations in my house so I went with the plain white wall.  Also my photographer, my brother, was very unskilled with the camera and impatient with me, so this was the result. Haha!

Well anyways, I'm embracing the warm LA weather by wearing a flowy floral mini skirt and (gasp!) only one layer on top. I'm also sporting my new gold Michael Kors watch.  I just got it and I am obsessed with it! Like seriously, I can't take it off.  I feel like getting an expensive watch is a sign of maturity.  It's like when someone gets a Rolex, it serves as a status symbol.  Similarly, when a young person gets a nice watch, it's a sign of their new status as an adult person.  (Alright I know there are some spoiled little kids running around with Rolexes and Cartier watches, but those kids are exceptions to the rule, okay!?)

The bag that I'm wearing is one that I just recently bought over the holidays at JC Penny.  I don't normally shop at JC Penny, but I went with my mom to return some things, and I found this lovely little find on sale for $15. Of course I knew it had to be mine...and now it is!  I've actually been on the lookout for a bag with a long chain strap like this, and I finally found one.  I like it because it reminds me of those iconic Chanel handbags that all the LA fashionistas--like Lauren Conrad and Ashely Tisdale--run around the city with.  It's got the flap opening, the twist lock closure, and the gold hardware.  All it's missing are the Chanel symbol on the front and the classic quilted material.  However, I really like this brown leathery material with the colorful accents; it's so fun!

Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony

If you happen to be in New York City today (Saturday) you should stop by Opening Ceremony from 5-7pm to meet Chloe Sevigny, who will be in the city to debut her new collection for her line Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony.  Go meet the Big Love actress, splurge on a dress or perhaps a needed (or not needed) pair of shoes, and have fun!

The new collection is now available online at Opening Ceremony for viewing and, more importantly, purchasing.  The collection ranges from eccentric accessories, such as a paisley beret, leopard print tights, and round-rimmed sunglasses, to girly sweaters and dresses to some edgy footwear (hello platforms!).  Pictured below are my favorite picks from the Chloe Sevigny for OC collection:

1. Lesley Peter Pan collar flared dress in polka dot, $475.  I am very pleased that designers are embracing the Peter Pan collar this spring.  The collar adds such a girly touch that reminds us of the blissful days of our youth, running around in cute, tiny sweaters with even tinier Peter Pan collars.  This dress, featuring a tres feminin lace detail around the collar and front pockets, is very reminiscent of the 1950's, a style that is very in for this spring, according to the new feature on Asos called "All American Girl: Collegiate style meets flirty '50s shapes."

2. Cropped crew neck pullover, $205. What better way to show off your tres a la mode Peter Pan collar than by framing it with a petite sweater?  According to OC, this sweater is inspired by the 90's--so think denim, flannel, grunge, and more importantly, bare midriffs (as in Britney Spears circa "Hit Me Baby One More Time).  This sweater will add a cute, preppy feel to any outfit.

3. Boxy v-neck cardigan, $310. Another 90's-inspired piece of knitwear, this sweater would be a good addition to any wardrobe--especially my wardrobe.  I love the boxy structure of this cardigan, and I think it would look great over a feminine floral dress.

4. Sophie puff sleeve dress in paisley, $410.  I chose this dress because I really love the sleeves; lately, I've been searching for pieces with defined shoulders and shoulder pads. I'm not, however, normally a fan of paisley print, but I guess if you're going to wear any paisley at all, you might as well go all out and wear it everywhere--that is, everywhere on one piece of clothing per outfit.

5. Mary Jane, $395.  I love myself a good Mary Jane heel, but the thick platform on these make them all the more appealing.  The front bow on these shoes is detachable, so you can change up the look of the shoes whenever you feel like it!

6. Saigon reversible jacket, $785. Apparently Varsity letterman jackets are in right now, and, quite honestly, this is a trend that I would love to embrace--and no, not just because it reminds me of the good old days in high school.  What's even better about this jacket is that it's reversible!  When you flip it inside out, the jacket reveals a floral print. Two jackets in one--that explains the steep price tag!

7. Mapplethorpe cropped t-shirt, $185.  This cropped tee is so cute, and while I'm not sure yet what I would wear it with, I like the design on the front.  Enough said.

8. Barton Perreira Darling sunglasses in black, $325.  I have been on the hunt for a great, flattering pair of cat-eye glasses--albeit a reasonably priced pair--so I love the ones offered by Chloe Sevigny.  Out of all the glasses in the Chloe Sevigny for OC collection, this pair is definitely the least eccentric, but hey, classic is always a good thing.

When I first laid eyes on the collection, I wasn't thrilled. (Because, really, who actually needs an extremely over-priced t-shirt? The answer is no one needs an over-priced t-shirt...unless of course it says Chanel on it, then we'll reconsider.)  After spending some time looking at each individual piece, namely the ones above, I began to appreciate the eccentricity of the collection as a whole, as it complements Sevigny's personality--apparently, Chloe Sevigny is one sassy lady!  One major fault I found in the line, however is that it is so darn expensive!  So if you're like me and are a fashionista on a budget, then you will not be purchasing from this line, no matter how much you like those cat-eye sunglasses.  If you're not like me--lucky you!-- then I say go for it!  Splurge on something you never knew you needed until now.

Happy Weekend!

<3 Carly

Photos courtesy of FabSugar and Opening Ceremony.

Black Dresses by Asos