KMart Lookbok Fall 2011--Too Expensive?

Because of Hurricane Irene, I was unable to update this weekend.  Thanks to the local Starbucks (that's conviently located inside the local A&P), I have electricity and free Wi-Fi.

Anyway, as I was stranded inside my home, I decided to finally look through my September issue of Elle where I saw K Mart advertising their new lookbook.

I got kind of excited when I noticed that K Mart was stepping up their apparel aparntment.  I bet they're trying to compete with Target, Walmart and Kohls, and maybe we have some designer collaberations to look forward too.  However, I'm not so happy with the prices.  I always thought that K mart was cheaper than Target, so I was little shocked to see that some of their fall jackets are going for $99.99.  I mean, for $99.99, I could get a better quality jacket at Macy's.  Or I could spend $20 more and go to to Guess.

I don't think K Mart is paying attention to who their consumer is and instead, they are getting wrapped up  in their competition with Walmart and Target.  When I go to K Mart, I'm looking for deals, not to shell out $80 on a faux fur vest.  Walmart understood this when they revamped their apparel section and offered us t-shirts and work pants at under $10.
While Target, which is slightly more pricier than Walmart, sell shirts that at average goes for $20 because that fits the demographic of their consumers.  Target also makes collaborations with higher brand designers such as Missoni, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen.  These collaborations make the clothing more desirable and therefore, makes the higher prices acceptable.  I'm perfectly okay at spending $50 on Missoni shoes from Target, but I just can't bring myself to do the same at K Mart.

Further, I think K Mart needs to earn it's stripes first.  I'll admit, I'm sursprised how good their lookbook is, but I still can't see many people running to K Mart for clothes as they do for Target or Walmart.  They still need to tweek a few things, such as those flares (above left) and the taupe colored leggings.  I mean, the flares don't even fit the model properly; look at the saggy-ness in the crotch and I bet the butt doesn't look to appealing either.  And honestly, I'm not too sure what's up with the leggings, but they just don't look right.

You know, it looks like i'm nitpicking at K Mart too much, but if they're going to be competing with the big dogs, they're going to need to step it up a notch.  Still, there are some pieces from the collection that intrigue me, such as the clogs (worn on the model above, to the left)  And the Maxi Sweater dress.

Anyway, I'm not at home now and I gotta cut this blog post short.  My electricity might be out for a few days, so I guess I'll be making daily trips to A&P for the rest of the week.  Keep a lookout for a future blog post where I'll be making a purchase from K Mart's fall collection and I will be evaluating the products.

Stay safe everyone on the East Coast and Happy Blogging!

I Need Help with My Style: Richie

 Richie in Spain last summer.  Yep, I stole this from his facebook like a total creep.

Hello everyone, meet Richie.  Richie and I are good college buds and he also plays a role of my unwilling shopping buddy.  Yes, unfortunately this poor guy has been subject to tortures such as Lord & Taylor shoe sales and Nordstrom Half-Yearly's.  Well now, he's asking for my help.  He's been wanting to change his style since the beginning of summer and now that fall is almost here, he finds himself struggling.

I love love love menswear so I jumped at the chance to style Rich.  So below are three looks that I came up from him, using only clothing from stores that he shops at.

Richie tends to do a lot of internships, all of which are in a business casual-ish environment. I wanted to stay away from the typical black slacks and blazer because Richie already owns a good suit.  Instead, I chose tan chinos and a grey blazer that would definitely get him noticed in the office.  I then added a punch of color with the cyan v-necked sweater to show his youth.  Lastly, the distressed shoe is my favorite part because it's unexpected, yet subtle.

I think this happened to all of us at least once: You woke up late for that one important morning class.  What do you grab?  I started off with an H&M v-neck, mainly because Richie told me that he owns almost every color (Hey, at under $6, I would haved stocked up too!).  I also picked out a no nonsense, relaxed fitting jean.  If you're in a rush, the best way to dress up an outfit is my throwing over some nice outerwear., so I picked out this plaid cardigan (plaid is hot this season in menswear!), to add some oomph. Lasty, I finished it off with the faux leather sneaker.  Easy-Peasy 5 minute outfit.

And then there's the days when you wake up bright and early and feel as if you have all the time in the world.  You know, those days when you put on your "good jeans".  And these denim resin coated Chino's from Zara count as your "good jeans".    Again, the Top Man Pink Chunky Boot Socks make a comeback with this outfit. 


UPDATE: Richie was very happy with my picks, and we would be going shopping soon to buy everything on the list, but at one condition: I'm not allowed to look at shoes.  

American Apparel Wish List

I love American Apparel, despite their raunchy advertisements and their NSFW online store.  Though their prices are a tad high, the quality of their clothing is desirable.

 

I had a hard time choosing between this one and the wool cape.  In the end, I realized that my severe allergy to wool cannot be ignored any longer.

I've been wanting these since last winter.  But I couldn't bring myself to shell out $18 for a pair of socks...until now.

 Neon nail polish is a necessity.  End of story.

AA makes the best leggings.  I can't wait to add these to my closet!

California Fleece Cape, Cotton Solid Thigh-High Sock, Neon Nail Polish, Nylon Tricot Micro-Mesh Two-Sided Legging

Sunshine Award!

So last Thursday, my wonderful fellow fashion blogger Nicole (Owner of the blog Simple But Fabulous) awarded me with the Sunshine Award! I was super excited about it and I was even more excited to pass the award off to 10 deserving bloggers.

Answer to the Sunshine Award Questions:

1. Favorite color: pink
2. Favorite animal: Bengal Tigers
3. Favorite number: 9
4. Favorite drink (alcohol free): Mango-strawberry smoothie
5. Facebook or Twitter: Facebook
6. Your passion: Fashion journalism.  I want to be an editor for Elle!
7. Giving or getting presents?: Giving is just more fun.  And I know this sounds bad, but I rarely like gifts.
8. Favorite pattern: Honeysuckle and Houndstooth
9. Favorite day: Friday
10. Favorite flower: Orange roses

I may give the award to 10 blogs and here are my winners:
-The Bear Necessities
-Chocolatelaced
-Mariel's Secret Life
-Sara Tee
-Sugarcoated
-The Style Inquisitor
- Fashion Daydreams
-The Pink Monocle
-Fashionably Geeked
-Omen Eye

The rules:
- Thank the person who gave you this award.
- Write a post about it.
- Answer to the questions.
- Pass it on to 10 bloggers who you think really deserve it and send them a message to let them know

Thanks again Nicole!!!

Really off topic, but isn't this an awesome car?  I had to get a photo next to it!

My Lady GaGa-Micky Mouse-Paparazzi-Sunglasses & Birthday Gift

So today when I came home from work, I found this on my kitchen table, along with my mail:

My Lady Gaga glasses had finally came, all the way from China!  I quickly ran the package to my bedroom and spent 5 minutes hacking away at the layers of bubblewrap and plastic (because you know, when you ship something all the way across the world, you're gonna need pounds of bubblewrap).  And finally, I unveiled my prize!

I only wish that the mail came sooner so that I could wear them to work and show them off to my coworkers!  But all well, there's always tomorrow.

Rockin' my new shades and B-day Gift

On another note, yesterday was my B-day and though my parents had already bought me a Barnes & Noble Nook,  they also surprised me with the necklace (pictured above).  My parents sell jewelry on Etsy, and I've been eyeing this piece since they picked it up back in September.  And now, I got it:)

Chanel Fall 2011 Nail Polish in Peridot

I didn't need this nailpolish.  But then again, when do you really need nail polish? I've been eyeing the peridot color from Chanel's Fall 2011 line for a while now but I just didn't have the heart to shove out $25 for a nail polish.

But then, like the crazy shopper I am, I found a reason to buy this polish.  Peridot is my birthstone and my birthday is tomorrow.   It only makes sense to wear my birthstone color on my birthday, right?

This was my first Chanel nail polish, so as I applied it to my nails, I paid extra attention to how it applied, its thickness, dry time, ect.  First off, what really impressed me was the consistency.  It was thicker than my cheaper polishes, but not too thick.  Because of this, one coat of polish would have sufficed, but I'm a nail polish perfectionist so I used two coats.  This nail polish also dried much faster than I thought it would.  Whenever I use better polishes such as OPI, Essie and Sephora, they take longer to dry so when the Chanel Peridot dried completely in only 2 minutes (on the first coat), I was sold.

I wasn't too impressed with how it applied.  I understand that it's a metallic shade, so it would pick up all of the imperfections that's on my nail, but for a Chanel polish, I was hoping for a smoother look.  A top coat is definitely needed with this color.  Because the metallic color picked every ridge in my nail, the topcoat would create a smooth surface so that when the light reflects off it it, it would look flawless.  Unfortunately, this makes the topcoat necessary.

The BEST topcoat on the planet and it's only a $1 (P.S. check out my knitting project to the left)

Unlike my cheaper polishes, the Chanel polish didn't have that shiny, built in topcoat.  I understand that a lot of people don't like shiny topcoats, but I hated the chalky feeling of the polish.  So I finished off with my dollar store NK Blue Diamond topcoat.  (Seriously people, this is the best topcoat that I have ever bought.  If you want an instant gel manicure look, put two coats of this over your manicure and you're good to go!  And you won't get a single chip for at least 5 days!)

Overall, I really loved this nail polish.  The color is unique and changes from gold to green in the light.  I think this would be my fall go-to nail color mainly because it dries fast and the second coat is optional so I could see myself doing 10 minute manicures with this easy.

$25 well spent!

What's On TV: Project Runway

Okay I'll admit, Project Runway is one of the few shows that I actually watch and it's the only show that I tune in every week religiously.  And I'm so excited about this season because I actually love all of the contestants.  I think they're all great, even the ones that were in the bottom for a few times.

Anyway, here's a recap of Project Runway Episode 3

So on this episode, the designers were put into pairs and were assigned to design a HUGE garment for their larger than life stilt walker models.   The teams were Bert and Victor, Anthony and Laura, Joshua and Julie, Danielle and Cecilia, Anya and Oliver, Kimberly and Becky, and Bryce with Fallene.

Bert and Victor's Curtain Dress

Team Bert and Victor hated each others guts during the challenge and ended up in the bottom three with a garment that looked like it was made out of curtains.  Guest judge Kim Kardashian tried to make a snarky remark by claiming their dress looked like a scene from the Sound of Music when a dress was made from curtains.  Sorry Kim, but don't you mean Gone with the Wind when Scarlett made a fabulous dress out of her curtains?  Did anyone else catch that blunder?

Bryce and Fallene's Creation--Eh, at least the headpiece was cool.

Anywho, team Bryce and Fallene was suffering as well.  Fallene actually went through a mental breakdown which was well documented by the Lifetime Camera crew (Can't wait to see her explanation on the reunion show!).  She didn't sew one stitch of the dress that was seen on the runway, however, she did make a headpiece that the judges liked.  (In face it was the only part of the look they liked)

Joshua and Julie's Love Child--Ole?

Team Joshua and Julie decided to step out of the box and create a tacky bull fighting inspired costume for their model.  Unfortunately, they were in the bottom three.  When the judges asked who would be sent home, Julie said she wouldn't throw Joshua under the bus and blamed herself for the look, while Joshua agreed that yeah, it was Julie's fault.  So much for standing up for your teammate.

Laura and Anthony's Winning Look

In the end, the winner was the challenge was Laura who took all the credit for the beautiful red dress that her and Anthony created.  I honestly see more of Anthony in the look than Laura, but whatever.  The losers of this competition were Bryce and Fallene and in the end, Fallene was sent home.

Overall this episode was very entertaining.  It was kinda fun watching them get on each other's nerves.  And I can't wait till next week when the designers create a look for judge Nina Garcia.

Elf Cosmetics Haul Beauty Review

Earlier in the week, I bought a lot of Elf (eyelipsface) products from Target. Did I need half of these products?  No, but hey, now you have another haul video to watch.

On another note, I've also bought these babies off of Ebay last night for $11:

They're a replica of the ones Lady GaGa wears in her "Paparazzi" music video, and I've been eyeing them ever since the video premiered online 2009.   I nearly forgot all about them until they were featured on Style Influx's homepage.  I instantly fell in love with them again and quickly hurried on to Ebay to get  it at a better deal (and color).  These are actually selling pretty fast, so if you're interested in buying them, I would ASAP.

All I need now is that Mickey Mouse jumpsuit and black lipstick...

Walmart Pickin' Part II (And a bonus outfit!)

Heavy duty glue, aquatic fish tank tube thing and metallic spray paint.  I wonder what the cashier thought of me.

So yesterday, I spent the afternoon working on my first Walmart DIY.  I wanted to create a cool, airbrushed, tye-dyed, kinda weird jean using the metallic gold spray paint.  Best $3.45 spent.  There's so much I could do with that spray paint, oh the jeans were just the beginning!

Top- French Connection, Belt- a really really big dog collar, necklace- DIY, Jeans-DIY, Booties- Marshalls

To create the jeans, I just laid them out on the grass in the blistering hot sun and applied 3-4 layers of spray paint.  I tried to get some paint splatter on their too by shaking the can horizontally as I went along.  I also tried to do less on the knees, to give a worn look.

As for the fish tank air tube thing, I'm in the process on working on a cool belt which would probably show up in an outfit post later on in the week.  The jeans though are my pride and joy.

Dress- H&M, Belt- DIY, Necklace- Forever21, Boots-Vintaged (90's? 80's?), Headband- Banana Republic

Oh and totally off topic, but this is  a dress that I brought recently from H&M.  When I brought it home and tried it on for the first time (I rarely use dressing rooms), I hated it.  Discouraged I clipped the receipt to it and stuck it in my closet (BTW that's a great tip.  If you're not sure about a new purchase, paperclip the receipt to the price tag so it won't get lost.)  

But after seeing a few other bloggers rock it in different colors, I figured it wasn't too bad.  So I quickly whipped up a belt and tried it on again today with a few other accessories.  Now I love it and I can't wait to take the price tag off and wear it.

P.S. I made the belt out of an old broken handbag strap in case you're wondering.

Walmart Pickin'

So lately, blogging has been inspiring me to do a few DIYs.  And what better place to go DIY shopping than Walmart?

I had to wear my trashiest outfit for this special affair.

I also bought along Jen, my good friend and partner in crime  (Jen also hates couture)

Gotta love my serial killer smile here.

This is the reject isle of Walmart.  Everything that didn't sell ended up in this glorious, magical place!

Looking through Walmart was purely epic.  So many discounts, so many useless items and to make things better, this particular store closes at midnight EVERY night!

Top-DIY, Jeans-H&M, Flats-Dolce Vita, Necklace-DIY, Laptop Bag-Mashalls, Headband-Somewhere on the Jersey Shore Sunglasses- H&M (From my Hamburg Haul)

To see what I bought and what I'm going to make out of my Walmart Pickin's, stay tuned!

My Fall Lust List

The amount of money that I have been spending on clothes lately is ridiculous.   I've been shooting myself in the foot repeatedly every time the cashier asks me "Cash or credit?".   But you know what?  I don't care because when I end up in the streets pan handling for stiletto money,  I will look back at this moment and say, "Well, I had fun."  Any-who, here is my list of items that I wish that I blew my paycheck on, but didn't.

If only I had a Black Visa Card.  Oh, the Damage I would do....

Sometimes I wish I were Lady GaGa, just so I could wear body suits without pants in public and not get arrested.

These sparkly diapers bloomers are sold out in my size.  My credit card is relieved. 

My love for all things sparkles continues! 

I've yet to fall on my face in a pair of heels.  The day that I wear these may be my lucky day.

UNIF Jesus Saves Cutoff Tee Plato Body Suit by Aqua ASOS Sequin Knicker Short J.Crew Collection Sequin Long Skirt Magic Leopard Platform

Another Look: Christian Dior Fall 2011 Couture Collection

Christian Dior Fall 2011 Couture

After John Galliano was dismissed from Dior and Bill Gaytten took over as creative director, there was little bit of uproar from the fashion world.  After Bill Gaytten showed his Fall 2011 couture collection for Christian Dior, he actually received a lot of ridicule from the public.  I could understand why because he's the new kid on the block.  I mean, John Galliano has a huge following, so of course anyone who replaces him would probably get eggs thrown at them.

Christian Dior Fall 2011 Couture

I feel bad for Gaytten.  He's doing the best he can and I think it's working.  Sure there are quite a few differences in the "new" Christian Dior.  One thing that I noticed is that Gaytten's work is less sophisticated and refined.  And you know, this is not bad thing.

Christian Dior Fall 2011 Couture

I think Gaytten's new look for Dior is fitting into today's economy.  John Galliano always catered to the woman who wanted to look like she was aristocratic while Gaytten is now catering to a younger, freer cliental.

Christian Dior Fall 2011 Couture

I just hate seeing Gaytten get chewed up and spit out by his critics.  And most of the critics, who are bashing everything about the show, are just doing so because they have a loyalty to Galliano.  I think they need to quiet down a bit and give their honest opinion because no matter what is said, Galliano would not be working with Christian Dior anytime in the future.

To hear more of what I think about Bill Gaytten and Dior, please check out my video below!

What do you guys think about Bill Gaytten's work so far with Christian Dior?

Photos:Style.com