It’s that time of year when women across America start thinking about their back to school fall wardrobe. What is wonderful about transitioning from summer to autumn is that we can still wear some of those summer favorites into the fall months. All we have to do is add a layer or two, a fall color and we’re good to go.
Consider adding an autumnal color to a bright yellow jumpsuit. Add a sweater or sweatshirt to a light flowing skirt. Throw on a moto jacket over a maxi dress or throw a pair of cropped or leather pants underneath.
Here are my picks for items under $50 from the site boohoo.com. They have such cute stuff. I was completely surprised by how cheap everything was. My friend has a rule: Everything she buys must be $25 or under. This site passed her test in so many ways.
Make sure to check out their shoes while you are there (especially the sneakers). You can find cheaper versions of Miu Miu and Gucci classic sneakers for next to nothing!
I receive commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.
Have you shopped the big ShopBop sale yet? You have only a few hours left to save an extra 25% off select items (including sale). Use code SOLUXE at checkout. Want to save even more? Get 2% cash back when you shop through Ebates.
My favorite is this J.O.A. top on sale for $49. The most unique find though is the raincoat for your handbag. Why didn’t I think of something like that? It’s not a bad price. Only $11.
If you shop wisely, you may be able to put together an entire head to toe look for under $100. Now, that is a challenge that would make shopping this sale fun.
Here are my favorite picks for under $50. Happy shopping. Sale ends at 11:59PM (PT).
[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive compensation.]
I am stepping out of my comfort zone a lot lately, daring to wear red. In the past few months, I donned a red dress here and there and received many compliments.
These dresses are not necessarily dresses that show off my assets. They are just showstoppers because of the color. It literally stops people in their tracks, just like a stop light does. People take notice when they see red.
I wore this Kate Spade ensemble to the office this week. A lot of the ladies stopped to remark at how cool it looked. It was light and airy. The matching bag though is my favorite.
Before you think you cannot afford to spend $726 on an outfit like this, get it for $139 like I did through Rent the Runway Unlimited. You choose any three items out at any time for $139/month. It is perfect for those who love expensive clothing, have a constant rotating closet, or just want to be a minimalist. Or you can just buy it because you have to own it.
Personally, I own way too much clothing as is, but every now and again, I like the thought of having something new to wear. I usually wear an item once every season (because I have that many clothes). It’s nice that RTRU is around so I can minimize my closet and still have something fun to wear to work and out for the evening without adding to my closet.
Don’t be scared to wear red. Sometimes just trying it out will amaze you. If you’re afraid to make that bold of a statement, start small with a red accessory. Even a red jacket is a step in the right direction. Red has a misnomer of being a sexy color. It can also be a color of energy, strength, power, passion, love and desire. It can be all of those things or one of those things…it just depends on how you wear it.
Here are all of my favorite red fashion items. What is your favorite?
French women always appear so put together, classy and stylish. From the front rows of fashion week to grandmothers smoking a cigarette with their coffee and pastry outside of a French cafe, these ladies have a sense of style. While French women have that je ne sais quoi about them, there really isn’t any trick to looking classy and put together at all times. It’s all about being a smart woman. Here’s how they do it…
1. A Quality, Well Fit Blazer.
2. The Trench.
3. The Navy Sweater (in cashmere).
4. The Tank.
5. The LBD (little black dress).
6. The Perfect Jeans.
7. The Leather Jacket.
The thing about this list is that you’re not going to go out to just any retailer to purchase these items. French women buy qualitative items, which means it may cost a little bit more.
Start off with a black blazer. Over time, add a navy and white one. Save for the splurge which is the timeless classic Chanel tweed blazer. This blazer will last the rest of your lifetime. It’s a piece you can even pass on to your children or your grandchildren. That is what we mean by quality. It’s built to last.
When you shop for a trench, you should always go to the best in the business. The best just happens to be Burberry. Their coats are meant to last you an entire lifetime.
There are so many different grades of cashmere out there, it is hard to figure out which is the best quality. Real Simple put together a checklist to consider when you shop for cashmere sweaters. Simply put: look for the sweaters that say 100% cashmere.
I’m a lover of Gap tank tops. For many years, Gap put out the most qualitative tank tops on the market. These are tanks that 10 years later, I’m still wearing. You can get them on sale for $2.99 at their end of summer sale. I always stocked up on them (especially the white ones) because I layer my clothes, and I love sleeping in these tanks. Gap did have a quality setback a few years ago (which is why I don’t shop with them anymore). But after much complaint from their consumers, they brought the quality back. Places like Gap and J. Crew are excellent places to stock up on basic tanks, tees and sweaters.
The little black dress is probably the most difficult dress to find. It’s more than just owning a LBD. It’s about the fit and how it makes you feel. The perfect LBD makes you look incredible…and you know it. It makes you feel confident and sexy, yet comfortable. It can take years to find the perfect LBD. Once you find it, you will cry the day you have to retire it. This is your go to dress from the office to the Kentucky Derby to that client dinner. It’s that date night dress that makes your guy think he’s the luckiest guy in the world the second he lays eyes on you. It’s not the dress. It’s how the dress makes you feel when you wear it. You’ll know the dress when you find it.
Every woman is in search for the perfect pair of jeans. I know, I’ve bought 10 different pairs from a variety of vendors in the last couple of years. There’s that sexy jean you need. There’s that pair of boyfriend jeans you wear when you just want to chill out. There’s the every day jeans. There’s the trendy jeans. There’s even the nicer pair of jeans you wear out for date night. In all of these years of searching for that right pair of jeans, I’ve only found 2 or 3 that were the perfect fit and made me look great every single time I wore them. Don’t ask how many pairs of jeans I went through just to find them.
The leather jacket is one of the most important pieces in your wardrobe. It can go with anything, including that gown you wear to the opera. What’s great about leather jackets is that if you’re not so keen on wearing real leather, the faux leather jackets are just as nice and come in a variety of colors. Two colors you definitely need are black and white.
2. What Not to Wear
Who What Wear put out a post on the 7 Style Mistakes French Women Never Make. It’s definitely worth the read because it’s not just the basics that matter. There are do’s and don’ts to creating your own style. Basically, the first rule is not to try so hard.
My favorite of the bunch is that French women do not wear sky high heels. That’s funny because Christian Louboutin is French.
No. 7 made me think of finding a signature shoe. There are so many brands out there, so many different types of shoes. Simply put, go with what you love and what you can live in.
The most important point was Coco Chanel’s take on what to do before leaving the house. Stop and look in the mirror. Remove one piece before leaving the house.
If you want your wardrobe to be versatile: stick to neutral colors.
5. How Do They Afford It?
One of the great lessons in understanding the way French women dress is understanding the dynamic on how they can afford to wear Hermés scarves and carry around Hermés Birkin bags.
Simply put, they don’t have huge closets. They don’t amass a lot of clothes (like Americans do). They buy qualitative basics and add accessories that can be mixed in to create different looks. They save for the one handbag that will last them an entire lifetime. They buy qualitative scarves that are going to look chic with their wardrobe, and last forever.
They’re not going to buy a cheap scarf that will unravel in a year or two. They’ll pay $300-$1000 for a cashmere or wool scarf that they know will last them their entire lifetime. In other words, by the time the piece of clothing is ready to be retired, they would have gotten a penny out of each wear (cost/per wear).
The French woman’s way of fashion isn’t just classy, it’s smart and economical. You may be shocked at the sticker price of what they decide to buy, but to them it is an investment piece that is meant to last the rest of their lifetime. They choose a piece of clothing that they can wear today and still wear when they are 80 years old, and know that it’s not going to fall apart (and will still be in style). They also know it won’t make them look like they are from a different age.
They’ll choose classic styles that have withstood and will continue to withstand the test of time like a DVF wrap dress, a Chanel tweed jacket, an Hermés Birkin bag, an Hermés scarf, or that little black dress. They’ll buy the Louis Vuitton luggage because LV has been around for over a hundred years and still command a high price for luggage pieces that are over a century years old.
The Hermés Birkin bag goes up in value. It’s the only handbag that goes up in value.
There’s a reason why these luxury stores are still going strong in places like Europe. It’s not because the rich are buying it up. Smart women that want a qualitative product are buying from them. They saved up the money in order to purchase that one piece. These are investment pieces that they plan on using for the rest of their lives.
No, this isn’t one of those posts on how to get a fake Fendi. This is PW pointing you in a new direction…how to buy Fendi below the retail price.
Being a Fendi addict, I’ve found numerous ways to get the Fendi I want. Whether it’s having patience and waiting for the season to end, or waiting a couple of years for the Fendi I want to come up on a resale site, an outlet site, or a wholesale site.
This backpack retails at $1500. You can get the same bag at Overstock.com for $999.99. Plus, if you’re a Club O member, you’ll earn $50 in Club O Rewards to go towards the purchase of some other fabulous item.
The interesting part about this bag is that it’s currently on pre-order for $1,800. It’s expected to ship no later than April 1, 2015. But Overstock has it already in stock for $1,299.99. [O Club Rewards of $65.]
How about my favorite Fendi ombre zucca bag from Neiman Marcus?
Neiman Marcus is selling it for $1,100. While Overstock is selling theirs for ($799.99). [O Club rewards of $40].
This one will cost you $2,350 at Nordstrom. Overstock has it for $1,499.99. [O Club reward is $75.] That’s almost 1/2 off the regular price.
So just why are you buying these items at the MSRP price when you can get the Overstock price, plus receive O Club rewards to use towards purchasing some other designer item (like a matching pair of Fendi sunglasses)?
Over these past few months I’ve been shifting my financial house in a new direction. I’ve paid off 60% of my debt, maximized savings, maximized my 401k and started budgeting (living by the envelope method). But even though I’m doing what’s best to push my financial dream in a new direction, I’m constantly revising what I’m doing to see if there are better ways of doing things.
So why talk about this on “Diary of a Perfectionist Wannabe?” Well, it has more to do with becoming a little bit better at making financial dreams come true. Here are a few things I’ve come across recently that has saved me time, money, and hassles. It’s made my life more convenient and helped me to reach my goals. It’s also helped me to find new places to get a better deal for the things I love most.
BUDGETING
After all the bills are paid, I set aside a certain amount to spend on food, laundry, dry cleaning, eating out and other miscellaneous expenses. It’s from this budget, I have to figure out the best way to get more bang for my buck.
I joined Amazon Prime this year. I am actually grateful that I did because I’m seeing that there are a lot of benefits to this membership. First, I don’t shop in stores often. I shop online. What’s great about Amazon Prime is that I can order the monthly items (like cat food, treats and litter) for a much lower price than I would find at Target. I don’t even have to pay for shipping, because technically, I already did. It cost me $105.93 for a year long membership, but if you divide it up by 12, that’s $8.83/month. If you think about how much it would cost to ship a 20 pound bag of litter plus 2-3 cases of of cat food every month…you’re actually getting a severe bout of savings.
Normally, I’d have to take a cab or an Uber car to/from Target. That’s $30-$40 round trip. If I have it delivered by a grocery delivery service, that’s a $20 delivery fee, plus another $4.95 service charge. If I pick it up at KMart by Madison Square Garden, I’d have to do all the schlepping plus the cost of using public transit to go from Point A to Point B and go up and down a lot of stairs. Amazon has saved me a lot of money, time and hassle just to get these items to my home.
For those who drive, factor in your car payment, insurance and cost for gas for the entire month. Divide the total to how many times you use your car during that month to get a better idea of how much each trip costs you (not to mention the amount of time you spend in the store and traveling to these places).
Prime customers also get access to Prime Pantry where you can fill up a box of groceries for a flat rate of $5.99. I’ve used Prime Pantry for the 20 lb bags of litter and then added in some additional items on the side (they separate the stuff up into 2 internal boxes inside of 1 big box). I also plan on using this to order and ship boxes out to my brother’s platoon. It saves so much time at all of the stores, going to the post office, etc. and it saves me $10 in shipping costs to ship to an APO. Once again, another cost savings.
Another amazing benefit to Prime is that members get access to Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos and 1 Kindle Book a month.
For those who like streaming movies and TV shows at home or on your devices, you’ll have access to hundreds of thousands of movies and programs. It’s unlimited. Netflix and Hulu Plus both start at $7.99/month…and you don’t get access to free shipping on stuff you’re probably ordering from Amazon already.
I also added Kindle Unlimited and Audible memberships to my entertainment budget. I am addicted to the Books with Narration from Kindle Unlimited. You can read the book, but when you have to stop and bookmark it because you have to walk from one place to the next, just switch it to the narration and you can listen to the book while you’re moving. For those who commute, this is an incredible feature. I was able to get through a 246 page book in 2 days. I usually do 1/2 of that just sitting down to read because I have to keep putting the book down. Being able to switch to narration while I’m walking around keeps the book going.
My goal of getting through 52 books this year is more feasible now.
I added Audible as well because it gives me access to more audio books that Kindle Unlimited doesn’t offer. For me, this is mainly for those Book Club books that haven’t become available on Kindle Unlimited yet (or when I want a book that just came out).
I took the suggestion from a fireman friend who suggested I start listening to audio books, especially since I’m having problems getting back into reading. Audio books have been a godsend because I can actually listen to “War and Peace” instead of forcing myself to sit down to read a chapter. Now, I can just listen to it while I’m walking around.
Another great feature from Kindle Unlimited are the reference and self-help books available to customers. While I’m at the office and have some down time, I’ll read books that help with my job. Like this week, I read “Math Made Easy” (which is basically a cheat sheet on how to do math in your head very quickly), and I read a book on Passive Income. Today, I plan on reading a book on organization. Truthfully, these aren’t books I’d spend money on or take time to take out of the library, but make them available to read online and I’m more apt to read them to better myself.
All in all, by using these new services from Amazon, I’m saving a lot of money and time by simplifying my life in many aspects. Sure, I can get library books and DVDs from the library for free, but the convenience of downloading the book I need where I can both read and listen to it? I’ll stick to these two services. [Note: Audible is only for Audio Books. Kindle Unlimited offers the book/narration option, but not all books offer narration.]
For Movie Going Lovers
Another part of my entertainment budget I keep in is Going to the Movies. These days, it’s about $15 a pop. Even more if you want to go to IMAX. There is a solution to this. MoviePass offers a membership for movie going lovers. It’s $34.99/month. You can see 1 movie per day.
Before signing up, I strongly urge you to see if the movie theater you go to takes this membership. For me, I can use it at every movie theater I go to, including the artsy community one across the street from me. These days, it pays for itself in 2 movies a month. I recommend waiting until the summer months to really take advantage (technically May starts the hot Hollywood films of the summer).
In order to get more bang for your buck, sign up for the movie theater’s membership club as well. Those tickets you’re purchasing through Movie Pass can be turned into points which can be turned into money you can use at the movie theater for concessions and even movie tickets (like if you want to see an IMAX film or use the extra ticket for a friend who isn’t a Movie Pass member).
The downside? You can see 1 movie every 24 hours. They are strict on the 24 hours. It used to be that it just reset itself every night (which was perfect)…and then it went strictly 24 hours down to the very last second. Another downside for some is that you can only watch the movie once. You can’t go see the same movie more than once while it is still in the movie theater and use the Movie Pass card.
How does it work? First, you need a smartphone in order to download the app. They’ll send you a Movie Pass credit card that is activated only after you check in to the movie through the app. You can only use it to purchase that 1 movie ticket.
If you go to movies frequently, I highly recommend this. It seriously cuts down the cost for movie lovers who love to go to the movies but don’t go because it’s just ridiculously too expensive these days. If you go to just three movies a month…the membership is more than paid for. If you went to one movie every day, each movie would cost a little over $1 each. It’s $34.99 for me because I’m in NYC. It will be less for people not living in major metropolitan areas.
FOR THE DESIGNER ADDICTS
I have a confession. I’m a bit of an addict when it comes to buying designer accessories. I have a rather large designer handbag collection. A couple of years ago, I decluttered the handbags down to only major designers, getting rid of all of the lesser names. Now, I just buy what I like to add to the handbag collection.
Currently on my radar is the Fendi fur bag bugs (aka Monster) collection. In my search, I came across a site called Tradesy. I took a look around and let’s just say I went on a bit of a spending spree.
I netted a Chanel, Hermes and Dior bag and purchased a pair of Louboutin and Fendi shoes. My friend did a delayed double take when I said, “So I bought an Hermes bag.” She couldn’t believe it, so I showed her my cart and lo and behold, my closet said I purchased an Hermes bag. No, I didn’t spend $20,000 on a birkin. I found a Herbag for $500. That’s half off what you’ll find at other consignment places.
Luckily, they were having a friends and family event, so I was able to take additional money off. You can get $25 off your purchase of $100 or more by using my special link: TRADESY.
P.S. As of right now, The Outnet is having their semi-annual clearance sale. This is a great time for fashionistas to stock up on all their favorite designers for up to 80% off the retail price. [My major score were a pair of Adidas by Stella McCartney ballet flats for $18. After all was said and done, I’d saved $2,286.75 on my entire order. That’s some serious savings.]
Also, for designer addicts that frequent Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom…trust me when I say you can get your coveted designer accessory for less. For instance, the Fendi monster tote bag is $1500 at Saks. That same bag is $999 at Overstock.com. The exact same bag. {Also, if you’re a Club O member, you can earn rewards from your purchases. I’ve been able to score free Fendi sunglasses thanks to all of the reward dollars I earned from shopping at Overstock.com.}
Other places you should look: Century 21 shops (they have an online store), TJMaxx (yes, they are finally online), Loehmann’s (they may have closed all of their stores, but that’s because they went e-commerce) and Modnique. I’ve found that a lot of these shops have the same merchandise, but you never know if they’ll have a special sale on top of their already discounted prices.
The book is a quick read, so I highly recommend taking a look at it just to get your brain moving in a direction of earning passive income (I don’t recommend doing what he suggests, but it’s worth a read to understand what you can do to grow passive income) [it’s a free read with Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited].
I want to touch on the Education part. This is why I recommend Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited…he suggests putting away 10% of your income to the education fund. I never put 10% away to an education fund mainly because I already had my schooling and frankly don’t have time to do continuing education courses. I also don’t have kids, so really, this was an account I could do without.
I started to think about it and then realized just how much money I’m saving by using the Kindle Unlimited membership, especially if I take the membership fee from the Education account. During the day, I’m pulling up books that will better myself. I even have books written by scientists discussing their various theories. There are even books on Photoshop, photography, etc. that I can read during the day. In other words, Kindle Unlimited has opened the door to a world filled with resources where I can better educate myself.
I spent a lot of time on Wednesday doing math problems just to jog my memory of how to do math in my head. I’m glad I did, because it forced me to re-memorize addition and multiplication tables (something that I had forgotten post-op). By really diving into complex math equations I started looking at the equations and answering them in my head in half the ‘short steps’ the author was suggesting. To me, this meant that math was back in my head again.
In other words, sometimes you just have to challenge yourself, especially when it comes to forgetting how to do things that are as important as math.
There are so many things out there to learn. That was the point of the Education account. You have to constantly challenge and better yourself. If you don’t, you won’t be able to command good salaries or keep working. After all, I’ve seen what happens to people that didn’t learn how to use a computer. They’re barely making it. You never want to be left behind, so continuously better yourself through education. It doesn’t have to cost you a fortune.
Who knows? By all the money I save in the Education account, maybe I can just use it towards an educational trip or an archaeological dig somewhere.
Just something to think about…but I highly recommend reading the Passive Income book. It will give you a new idea on how to budget yourself in order to earn income, and take a hard look at how you’re living. Re-doing the way you do your budget is interesting. It’s the 50-30-20 lifestyle, but that 30-20 is changed to 30% savings and 20% doing whatever you want with the money. Previously, it was vice versa. You’d save 20% and use 30% to do whatever. Personally, I like this new take on budgeting. What he shows you is how to use 10% of that 30% towards increasing your passive income…that’s what makes it worth the read.
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” by Raiden Steven that everyone should have five accounts. 1. Financial Dream; 2. Basic Savings; 3. Education; 4. Basic Necessities; and 5. Other.