Tag Archives: budget work looks

double take (purple plaid party)

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So there I was the other night, enjoying my dinner, when I came across a strange thing.  I was paging through a J Crew catalog and saw…my outfit. …that I didn’t get at J Crew…puzzling. Purple pants, purple plaid top and metallic shoes…hmm… The only reasonable conclusion is that someone from J Crew was following me when I shopped and decided to showcase my purple ensemble in their catalog. Yes. That must be it. It’s the only logical explanation.

Exhibit A (I took photos of the catalog, so forgive the image quality):

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Exhibit B:
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Can I have a moment with this uncanny matching outfit situation? Okay, thanks.

Their lovely outfit can be bought for $515. My outfit would have been $205…had I paid full price. But, this is a budget fashion blog, so you can reasonably assume I didn’t pay full price for anything. I ended up huntressing my whole outfit for, yep, $39. As my mom would say, “Hot dog.” As a result of this odd coincidence, I call this outfit my double take purple plaid party ensemble. (Side note: I was inexplicably watching a Full House  rerun and eating Jimmy Johns during this moment, so it was a party on a lot of levels) (should I not have admitted that?) (thanks for not judging).

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Top: Gap ($16 marked down from $45)

Pants: Gap ($11 marked down from $50)

Shoes: Banana Republic ($12 marked down from $110)

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Fashion Huntress tips:

1) I cannot stress enough (maybe I can) that I feel very strongly that good prices do not have to mean sacrificing any quality! These days, there are sales just about everywhere. There are even sales at high end shops such as Burberry (though the prices aren’t quite as low as featured on my blog). Most items do eventually go on sale, so keep a lookout for pieces that you’ve admired at full price.  I also recently created an email address just to give out to all the places (in stores and online) that ask for an email address. As a result, all of the store coupons go to one place so that I can easily retrieve them.  I get nearly weekly emailed coupons from some stores including Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy.  Some of the coupons can even be used on sale items. The separate email address is an easy way to organize coupons and not clutter your personal inbox.

2) The other day in one of my posts I mentioned wearing cropped pants in fall and winter. At this point, I’m fully embracing cropped pants for fall! By wearing plaid/flannel on top, these pants look completely fall (and work) appropriate. I added a shirt underneath the plaid top for extra warmth, and you really could not see it at all. However, the extra layer kept me warm given that my ankles and feet were bare. My official stance on cropped pants in fall and winter is: it’s a go.

Anyone else embracing cropped pants in cooler weather? Have you too found your own outfit in a catalog while watching Full House?

Thanks for stopping by, readers! I appreciate it so much!

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super studded and shiny

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When I see pieces like a tartan, studded, poofy shouldered flannel in the clearance section, I just can’t imagine why anyone would pass it up. I also marvel at my luck while huntressing.

Wearing studded pieces at work was a definite goal of mine, though many of the studded pieces I’ve seen aren’t really conservative work appropriate. Enter: tartan, studded, poofy shouldered flannel. Oh yes, readers, I was able to check this goal off my list. …and yes, I sure do have fashion goals! Fashion metaphor for the week: dream big and set big goals. It is possible to be super studded and shiny at work and still manage to look completely appropriate. Dreams do come true.

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Top: Marshall’s ($12 marked down from approx $50)

Pants: Banana Republic ($90, the full price pants that everyone comments on!)

Shoes: Vince Camuto via Marshall’s ($25 marked down from $100)

Scarf: Gap ($15 marked down from approx $25)

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Fashion Huntress tips:

1) Per usual, I was searching through all of the clearance racks at Marshall’s and found the gold kitten heels in the wrong size section. They seemed a bit holiday to me due to the gold, but no one else seemed to think that! Thus, I’ll be wearing them year round but especially November-January! Some shoes are definitely seasonal (sandals, for those of us who live in climates that get quite cold). However, many shoes can be transitioned through the seasons. Who can forget the gorgeous open heels and socks look from Burberry? If you’re trying to transition your heels or peep toe shoes, check out Pinterest for great inspiration. 

2) It was not easy to find something studded that was work appropriate, but I definitely managed to find something after looking around for a few weeks.  If you like a trend, but are unsure whether it works for a conservative work space, think about incorporating it in a small way. The studs on this shirt are a small detail, and the rest of the shirt is definitely conservative. The key to incorporating “edgy” trends at work is moderation!

Back at home now, readers! I will try and get my San Diego hat store post up by tomorrow. Thank you so much for stopping by!

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spotted at work

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I took note of my spotted nails this week and wore my favorite spotted pants.

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I kept the look casual by adding a denim shirt and yellow head scarf.

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Top: Forever 21 ($20)

Pants: Gap ($21 marked down from $55)

Shoes: Gap ($21 marked down from $50)

Head scarf: gift

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Fashion Huntress tips:

1) I’ve worn and blogged before about everything posted here, aside from the head scarf. Interestingly, my head scarf was my inspiration to pair the pieces together in a new way. I really wanted to pin my hair up, and the yellow scarf matched the yellow in the pants. To keep the look from getting too busy, I kept my shirt basic by wearing unembellished denim.

If you want to see how I wore these pants last time, you can click here .

2) Printed pants are all about the size of the print and proportion. I chose a fairly small patterned print for these pants, which seems to fit my frame best. Print sizes are a bit confusing to me, so I often look up articles for reference. Nothing beats trying the pants on, though, and seeing how they look on you.

Below is a good article about picking the right patterned pant for your body type:

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/02/28/spring-style-find-the-right-patterned-pant-for-your-body-type