This is my little 'How I Dress' tutorial. I don't expect that everyone wants to dress like me or even likes my style, but hopefully you can glean a few frugal tips about how to throw a seemingly expensive outfit together for mere pennies (okay, realistically - just at $100).
From Head to Toe:
Earrings - Gold tone hoops ... $6
from TJ Maxx (discount store)
Necklace - Vintage costume ... $4
from a yard sale
Shirt - Elie Tahari top ... $12
from Ross (discount store)
Vest - Vintage YSL navy pinstripe ... $5
from St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store
Bracelet - Banana Republic ... $3.27
from the sale bin
Watch - Michael Kors ... $75
This is more than I usually spend for an accessory, but I literally wear this every day (and therefore don't count it in the total price - like my underwear)
Gray Jeans - Hudson ... $25
from the sale rack at a boutique in Houston, TX
Leather Boots - Frye...YIKES!
I scrimped & saved for these, but for the sake of my point, I have come across several quality vintage look-alikes on Ebay for Under $50
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Total $105 (excluding the watch)
Retail cost for the pants & shirt alone is over $320. A retail guesstimate for everything else is over $300 making the total cost I should have paid more than $600. Granted, it takes the patience of Job to be on the lookout for great deals, but the wonderful thing about well-made classic pieces is that they have endless style options making the *cost-per-wear literally pennies.
*Definition of Cost-Per-Wear: Justification of how much an item actually costs based on how frequently you wear it.
For example, a $10 top worn only once is actually $10 or $100 top worn 10 times is $10 making it the same price. If you wear the $100 top more than 10 times, it's actually a better deal than the $10 top in the long run. True story. :-)
