[It doesn’t matter what school you go to, what state it is in, how big it is, whether it is public or private, all girls or coed…there are experiences that all college students share. No matter how crazy you think your personal situation is, it is not just you.So, let’s bring it all out in the open. Right here. Because you are not alone - we’ve all been there before.]

You walk into the fancy department store at the mall, and, like a moth to a flame, you are immediately attracted to the jeans section. So many designers. So many colors. So many choices. Yaaaay!

You move around the section with a goal in mind: going-out jeans. “You came for one pair,” you think to yourself. “ONE PAIR.”

But that doesn’t mean you can’t take 27 pairs into the dressing room. Come on! They all fit differently and you don’t know exactly what look you want to take home. Skinnies? Wide leg? Black? Super dark? To wear with flats, or to sport with heels?

By the time you make it to your dressing room (which seems extremely small when filled with 40 pairs of jeans…and a few shirts you found along the way) you are sweating. You begin to strip off that baggy mess of a pair you reserve for Saturdays and start attacking the pile o’ denim in the corner.

The first few pairs are “Eh,” but you keep trucking. You were saving your favorites for later anyway. You finally get to that oh-so-hot pair of super tight and super sexy dark skinnies. You know these would turn heads and you have been eyeing them for months. You want em, you want em, you want em!!

You put one leg in. Then the other. You pull them up. They stop. Read More »

With the dawn of Fall semester approaching, and the recession in full swing, many of us are facing a dilemma–quality or quantity. And when it comes to fashion, I’m a faithful believer in both. The only way to create a truly personal, awesome and –let’s face it– realistic wardrobe is to incorporate incredible steals with the occasional investment piece.

Yes, it may seem frivolous to blow a month’s rent (and then some) on a single item to add to your closet, but trust me, buying a ton of shoddy, albeit adorable, stuff from Forever 21 will hurt your wallet more in the long run.

When it comes to clothing, I like to use the simple formula Cost/ Number of Uses = True Value. Is it a way to justify my splurges? Yes. But it also proves that sometimes a higher price tag means a longer life span, therefore making that splurge totally worth it.

Consider saving up for these items–and trust me, when you walk out of that designer boutique with a sweet purchase you made completely on your own, you will not regret it.

1. A Classic Handbag.
I’ll admit it, I am a complete label whore. And many a designer house capitalize on this weakness by jacking up price tags just so I can have someone else’s name plastered all over my purse. But the intricate design, meticulous attention to detail (much of the time hand-crafted) and use of higher quality materials also contribute to the higher price tag. Splurge on a bag made of a quality material (like soft, buttery leather) as opposed to a generic cloth or plastic. Yes, they’re hot, and some of my favorite purses rhyme with “Trada” and “Moius Luitton”, but those are status bags and are expensive for the sake of being expensive.

A note of caution: if you’re looking for a deal and the price seems too good to be true, it probably is! Check here for specific ways to spot a fake. Premeditating buying a fake? Don’t waste the money. Any decent copies (in addition to being ILLEGAL) will most likely be pretty pricey ($100 and up)– so you’re better off just saving up for the real thing and enjoying your new bag for years to come. Read More »