Holiday Gift Style: Sparkly Envelope Clutches for Under $8!


The party invitations must be rolling in for the most festive time of the year! Aside from landing on a comfortable & glittery outfit to celebrate the holidays, the right accessories at the right price are key! Finding an all-purpose evening clutch isn’t always easy, especially a neutral option that would work for another special occasion, like a wedding, & for any ensemble. However, you don’t have to pick just one when a bargain comes along. For example:

SHOP: faux suede envelope clutch in black / silver & beige / gold @Ardene (on sale: $7.47).

I love the neutral color + metal + sparkle combination, perfect for a velvet wrap dress & satin heels, a sequin sheath dress & patent stilettos, or an embellish sweater dress & patterned tights for a holiday party or gift exchange with friends. At 70% off, investing in both is a great idea to be prepared for a more dramatic, darker look or something softer in pastels for another season.

How would you style this bag? Which color do you like best? Where do you shop for special occasion accessories? For more stylish posts, check out: the most festive party shoes of the season, J. Crew Factory’s “Cheers!” Sweater in XXS-3X, & Jennifer Aniston on the last print edition of Allure! Happy styling!

3/22/2013 Darling Of The Day: Nikki Reed’s Embellished Blouse Look For Less!


This week, actress Nikki Reed, of The Twilight Saga fame, hit up Justin Timberlake‘s Target-sponsored release party for his latest album, The 20 / 20 Experience, in a long-sleeved white blouse with stud embellishments on the collar, curve-hugging black skinny pants, towering platforms, & added a bright pop of color with a turquoise clutch. Her look is hitting all the right notes here & I love the simplicity in her menswear-inspired outfit with some trendy touches that any Style Darling can pull off. The prove my point, I went seraching for similar items to complete an affordable outfit that a woman of any size can sport.

This includes the pyramid stud collar blouse ($22.80) from Forever 21, as well as their plus size studded collar Georgette top ($24.80), which is available in sizes XL – 2XL. Both of these tops can work perfectly with a textured pencil skirt at the office, under a blazer with leather leggings for a girl’s night out, or with dark denim jeans & ballet flats for a chic day out on the town. I turned to Old Navy for the bottoms & happily found the Diva skinny jeans ($29.50) in Black Jack, which are sold in sizes 0-20, with short, regular, & tall inseams, & in different washes including dawn, authentic, & rinse. Of course we know that the darker the wash, the better the look, but I’m always excited to share Old Navy’s selection in sizes when it comes to staples like skinny jeans!

As for shoes, I included two options: the nubuck platforms ($24.70) in black from GOjane, as well as PaylessBrash Kosmic platform pumps ($24.99) in black, which is a wide width option for those who have difficulty fitting in narrower shoes. I also added two clutch bags since I wasn’t able to find a studded match for the one that Nikki carries, but I loved the contrasting textures & color combination found in  Duro Olowu‘s snakeskin foldover clutch ($30.00) @JC Penney, as well as the simplicity of a patent exterior with Charlotte Russe‘s textured patent envelope wristlet ($12.99) in teal.

Lastly, the final touch to this look is Nikki’s rings which are always a fun way to accessorize any outfit, especially when there are so many subtle details like the collar & on the bag, which is why I thought the Jennifer Lopez silver tone simulated crystal stack ring set ($16.80) from Kohl’s was a good investment if you like to mix up your digit decorations.

While the combination of pieces comes to just over $100, this is still an affordable look inspired by a celebrity on the red carpet. For more red carpet fashion ideas, check out previous posts including the latest Top 10 Celeb Sightings gallery featuring Stacy Keibler & Jessica Alba, neon looks as seen on Beyoncé & Kristen Stewart, the ladies of Oz the Great and Powerful on their stylish press tour, & a complete look at this year’s Oscars red carpet! Happy Styling!