Monthly Archives: December 2011

Luxury Look-Alikes For Less: Nude Booties As Seen On Katherine Heigl, Featuring Ann Taylor Vs. Nine West!

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Recently, I saw this image of Katherine Heigl in her California-cool fall look, wearing a nude turtleneck sweater, skinny jeans, & a knit red scarf.  She finished off with ‘Petra’ buckle booties ($248.00) in fawn from Ann Taylor.  I instantly had to find them online, but was dismayed by the expensive price.  Of course, I do know that Ann Taylor frequently has storewide 40-50% off sales on all merchandise.

Then I remembered seeing a similarly styled bootie, the ‘Fessup’ from Nine West, which I posted about during the website’s Black Friday special. The ‘Fessup’ ($54.50) has been reduced even more from $109.00 & has the same chic feel in a neutral hue with a side zipper.

Of course, both are equally as fashionable & the buckle detail is especially nice, however when there’s a chance for a bargain, the luxury look-alike items always win!

For more Luxury Look-Alikes, check out posts featuring belts by Oscar de la Renta & from Charlotte Russe, chandelier earrings, & lace Louboutins! Happy Styling!

Silver Screen Style: ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ Style Comes to H&M!

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I haven’t read the popular book series by Steig Larsson, by the trailer for the new movie adaptation, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, starring Rooney Mara & Daniel Craig looks pretty awesome!  Fans are gearing up for the movie which premieres December 21st, but before that, you can get your stylish hands on a new line @H&M, inspired by Mara’s character, Lisbeth Salander.  The news comes courtesy of In Style, but I wanted to share these pieces which will be available in H&M stores on December 14th.

Talk about distressed, androgynous, & edgy!  If you’re a leggings lover, then get a load of these leather pieces, along with the destroyed tees which can also be mixed & match with boyfriend blazers & cardigans.  Try the gray jeans with menswear pieces or oversized sequined tops. The items, which also includes accessories like bags, sneakers, cold weather knitwear, & jewelry, range in price from $4 – $199.

For more in-depth details about this line, check out my latst article for my column A Dash of Fashion on Culture Mob here! Would you wear any of the items from this line? Do you think it’s overkill to create a collection inspired by the movie or do you think that’s where fashion is headed?  Happy Styling!

Quickie Darling Deal & Steal: How I Saved Over $27 On This Sweater From Kohl’s!

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Shame on me for going to Kohl’s this weekend when I’m on a crazy tight budget since I’m going away next month- however, I couldn’t resist a deal this good on something so cute that could last me all winter long! Of course when people travel during the winter, they’re going to warmer climates, but not this Style Darling.  I’m headed to Florence, Italy & there, I’ll be packing on the sweaters while I swig back il vino! With the goal of only packing two pairs of jeans for the 10-day excursion, I was going to rely on leggings & sweater looks, which will surely take up most of the room in my carry-on luggage.

When I was passing by the Juniors’ department (somewhere that I haven’t traveled for quite some time now), I found this Mudd marled tunic sweater ($19.99) in deep teal.  There were also variations on gray, black, red, purple, & navy, but I’ve been gravitating to the jewel tone a lot lately.  Don’t brunettes always look good in teal?  Anyway, knowing that juniors’ sizes run a little small, I grabbed one size up & focused on the sale price, which had been reduced from $40.00.  That’s 50% savings right there & I had a 20% off coupon for being a Kohl’s card holder.

I circled rack like a vulture of bargains & style, which is when I noticed that the sign for the price on the other side of the rack read $14.99. Having come from a retail background, I knew that the store has to honor the error in pricing for the merchandise, so I went up to the register, ready to make my purchase, which rang up for $19.99.  When I very politely made my point that there was a sign which read $14.99, without hesitation, the careful cashier gave me another $5.00 off the price & didn’t even check to see if my allegations were correct.  The sweater came to just over $12.00 & I walked out of there one happy Style Darling!

Lesson learned: It never hurts to pay attention & speak up, especially when there are savings to be had.  If it came to speaking to a supervisor about the error, I would have been very happy to reason with him/her & not be a crazy customer, especially this time of year.  I even had my bestie with me as a witness that the sign had been incorrectly priced for the item advertised. Power in number! Happy Styling!

Quickie Darling Deal & Steal: Fun & Flowery Holiday Shoes from Payless!

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I am on a crazy budget right now since I’m headed to Italy in January, but my jaw dropped in awe over these flower-accented gorgeous peep toes, the ‘Isle’ flower platform pump in black & coral ($34.99) from Payless.

If you’re scouting out dresses to wear to celebrate the holidays with your friends, family, or significant others, then here are some fabulous shoe suggestions.  If you’re going for something edgy & colorful, play it down with the black pair, or if something metallic & flirty is waiting in your closet, then why not add a pop of color like coral?

Since the holiday shopping season is in full force, maybe ordering online would be your best option.  TIP: If you order from Payless & have it shipped to the store, it’s FREE!!! Happy Styling!

Watch This Style: Gwen Stefani’s Top 5 Most Stylish Music Videos!

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I realize I haven’t posted in a week, but this little Style Darling was mentally fried from the big holiday last week- not to mention parking myself in front of my laptop to do a whole lot of Black Friday postings!  However, I was driving home from work today, listening to the vocal stylings of the one & only Gwen Stefani & fell in love with her voice & music all over again.  Thus, reminding me of some of her most stylish music videos, of course in no particular order.  I choose to feature “Cool,” “4 In The Morning,” & “What You Waiting For?”

While I love what Gwen’s done as a solo artist, she really made her mark on the scene as frontwoman of No Doubt.  This includes the smash hit video “Don’t Speak,” which mixed Gwen’s punk glam with that vintage old Hollywood charm that she’s best known for.  However, I love the look of “Bathwater,” a lesser known single from the band, but Gwen still looks gorgeous!

There were a few videos that just barely missed the cut, including No Doubt’s “Underneath It All,” but there was too much sentiment & nostalgia there that I didn’t want to rekindle.   Also, “Just A Girl” really introduced the world to Gwen’s tomboy / girl-next-door vibe.  If you’re a Gwen Stefani fan (& why wouldn’t you be??), which are your favorite videos?  Do you think “Sweet Escape,” “Rich Girl,” or “Luxurious” should be posted too?  Happy Styling!