JC Penney may not be the same maven of style that is, say, Fifth Avenue, but they have recently rolled out with a few things that are definitely worth a second look. And a purchase. And some instant gratification from wearing it all right outta the store.

Their newest lines come from tons of fabulous, fashionable designers like, Nicole Miller and Ralph Lauren. They are trendy, good quality and easy on the wallet. I don’t know about you, but I’d take a $15 top over an $80 one any day. With prices like these, I can get triple the wardrobe!

Here are a few highlights from JCPenney’s newest collections. Click on the look to get the deets…and buy the item. Read More »

A new school season is here, which means more than new books, new cute boys in class and new dorms. Back to school clothes are one of the most essential things on your list of “To-Do’s” before you pack off for another year of learning and debauchery.

So, where to look for the best finds, as well as the best prices? Check out these stores and, if they’re not near you, pop on their websites!

Target - This is the mini-mall of a college girl’s dream. Here you’ll not only find the best bedspreads and towels, snacks and sodas, but you can now also peruse the clothing section, which seems to be coming out with new high-end-like lines every other day. With prices ranging from $9.99 and up, you’re sure to find some cute basics and exotic prints at this fine, serious leap from Wal-Mart.

Marshalls/TJ Maxx - Get ready to dig, dig, dig, but dig with the best of them because if you do, ladies, you can find the best Seven Jeans, Joe’s Jeans and Theory shirts all for a quarter of the price than on the racks at Nordstroms and Bloomies. Who said we can’t have designer trends in college, despite our almost empty pockets? (Why, I was just in Marshalls today on my lunch break – productive, I know – and I snagged a pair of Joe’s Jeans for just $69.99, a quarter the price than the $200 plus pairs at Bloomies!) Read More »

If I had to choose what I love most about this season’s fashions (and choosing one is no easy feat) it’s that purple is THE color to wear. From shoes to bags to dresses and jackets - shades of purple are popping up EVERYWHERE.

You can’t go wrong: neon, plum, eggplant. Deep shades of purple are h.o.t.

“But I will look more like a vegetable and less like a cute trendy person,” you say aloud as you hold up an amazing purple frock. To which I say: NOT SO! Add some black patent accessories, or a fun accent color and you are good to go!

Here are three chicks rockin the neon purple ensemble, but, as usual, the prices of these fabu garments are well out of our reach.

That’s where I come in! Your fashion researcher. Your best friend, the coolest person you “know” to bring you celebrity chic on the cheap: Purple Paradise. Read More »

If there is one thing I have learned how to do well since leaving college it is shopping cheap. It used to be that I would pass my time between classes stocking up on designer jeans and over-priced coffee concoctions. That, of course, was when my parents were footing the bill and I could tell my mom I bought 2 pairs of jeans, 3 shirts and an oh-so-necessary text book for the price I really spend on some new oh-so-sexy boots.

Those days are long gone.

Now the only person reviewing (with a mixture of shock and horror) and paying my credit card bills is me, so I had no choice but to do a little switcheroo on my spending habits. That doesn’t mean, however, that my love for fashion has changed. At first that made things difficult; it isn’t easy having an obsession with the latest runway styles on a post-graduation limited budget. But I soon found it was possible to be tre fabulous on a tight budget.

And here are the stores to visit:

Kohls: This store didn’t need the new Simply Vera by Vera Wang to be a go-to for women on a budget. Even before the uber fabulous line made its way into stores across the country (and my closet, obvi), Kohls had beautiful and stylish clothes at super affordable prices. Mix and match this stuff and it won’t be hard to make people think it’s from Neiman’s.

Target: Obviously. Take your pick of awesome clothes from their GO designers to their staples like Mossimo and Isaac Mizrahi; this store really does have it all. And taking weekly shopping trips will not kill the budget (or force you to choose between eating and dressing). Read More »