online fashion – Ensemble of Elan

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I know what you’re thinking after reading that, but hear me out.

For my entire life, I’ve been a fashionista on a budget. That means that after I browse Pinterest and stumble upon the dress or purse of my dreams, I usually scour the internet to find an acceptable substitute to save money.

Yet, nearly every time, I’ve found that the substitute doesn’t quite curb my craving for that piece. Then, I either throw my hands in the air and splurge on the item I originally wanted, or I toss the substitute into the back of my closet, never to be worn again.

I recently—finally–came to the conclusion that it would be better for my happiness (and my wallet) if I just bought the item I really wanted in the first place.

Otherwise, I will have completely wasted my money on something that I don’t even like, or I will have spent my money on the cheap substitutes PLUS whatever the original piece costs.

For example, I’ve been coveting these vintage, high-rise Levi’s for months now, and I’ve done my best to find a pair of jeans that fill the “vintage jeans void” in my wardrobe. I never really found an affordable substitute that had all the features I wanted, so I ended up paying $98 for this pair from Revolve.

To many of you, that may not sound like a lot of money to spend on a pair of jeans, but for me, it is. I typically find my jeans at TJ Maxx or thrift stores, so I had a difficult time hitting “complete order” on this one.

Yet, I’ve never been so glad that I did. These are absolutely everything I ever wanted out of a pair of jeans, and I know I will no longer need to shop for substitutes because I am finally satisfied.

Because I’m starting to splurge on the clothing and accessory items I really want, I’m not able to buy quite as many clothes, but that’s alright. I’m much happier with my fewer, better pieces than I ever was with my cheap substitutes.

So, even if you have to wait a couple months to save up the money to buy that Prada bag or that Beach Riot swimsuit, do it. Don’t buy the cheap knockoff.

I promise it will be worth it, and once you have that piece in your arms, it will leave you wanting for nothing.

-S

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Photos by: Durrell Green and H+L Creations

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If you know anything about anything in fashion, you know who Chiara Ferragni is.

But, if you are a fashion novice, it’s essentially our civic duty to fill you in. Chiara Ferragni started the world’s most popular fashion blog, The Blonde Salad, and over the past eight years, turned it into a fashion empire (Harvard Business Review even did a case study on her success story!). She also started her own Chiara Ferragni collection and boasts over ten million followers on Instagram.

Sheer Pearl Top, Denim Skirt, and Velvet Sneakers

Basically, she is blogging badass #1. As such, her eccentric sense of style can feel a little out of reach for us normies. But as your resident fashion gurus, we are here to help you appreciate her sense of style and even make it your own.

Let me start by saying that until about six months ago, I did not really care for Chiara Ferragni’s sense of style. I thought her looks were strange, and I did not understand how she gained millions of dedicated followers. But then we started this blog, and everything changed. Having to put together intriguing outfits on a daily basis has pushed my creativity beyond my wildest dreams, and it was then, and only then, that I could truly begin to appreciate Chiara’s sense of style. (And now she is my fashion muse.)

I love Chiara because she puts pieces together that should not work, but she makes them work. She is willing to take some daring fashion risks, and honestly, they don’t always pay off! But that makes me love her even more because she is willing to go that far outside the box and put in the effort to constantly evolve her style. And when her outfits do work (which is like 98% of the time), they absolutely blow me away.

When I’m looking for fresh outfit inspiration, I usually go to her Instagram feed instead of browsing Pinterest. When I’m out shopping for new clothes or putting together outfits in front of my mirror, I ask myself, “Would Chiara buy this?” or “How would Chiara style this?”. The key to putting yourself in this mindset to not try to copy her looks exactly. Just look for specific elements that she frequently wears, like I did with these platform sneakers, a sheer top, and a mini skirt. Chiara is all about getting creative, so it would be a disservice to everything she stands for if you simply recreated one of her looks. Choose an element (or two or three), put your own spin on it, and run with it!

-S

I have a confession. I am currently obsessed with turning shirts and dress backwards. Weird, right? Well, that’s exactly what I did to this dress. I found this velvet, vintage dress at Goodwill and loved the beautiful colors, but I hated the neckline. As I was trying on this dress at home, inspiration suddenly struck, so I turned the dress around and unzipped the zipper a bit to make it a bit more sexy like Chiara’s style, and viola! It was like an entirely new dress with a different neckline!

I’ve always loved thinking outside of the box when it comes to fashion, which is why I’m so inspired by Chiara Ferragni’s style! Her eccentric, weird outfits get my creative juices flowing because she puts so many odd elements together that normally wouldn’t go together, but they always somehow complement each other.

Being daring in your style takes bravery, and Chiara Ferragni is the epitome of that. She is never afraid to wear outrageous, crazy pieces, but she ties it all together through her styling. I chose to be a little more weird with my styling by doing space buns and going for a pair of mule loafers instead of heels (which is hard for me because I love heels with dresses!). What I’ve learned from Chiara Ferragni’s style is that it’s okay to dress sexy and wear whatever the hell you want.

Sometimes we forget that everyday you get to choose how you present yourself to the world, so rock those silver metallic loafers or that completely see-through dress. When it comes to style, just be yourself.

-H