Thursday, May 28, 2009

Let's play get the look for (a LOT) less again--this time, the preppy look

Let's play around again with InStyle magazine's Shop It! feature for summer, this time taking a look at their weekend-out lineup for a preppy look.

The pieces are all fun, casual and feature soft peach and aqua colors. But the price tag for everything on the page? Hope you're sitting down: it'll cost you $2,337.

Can we do better than that? Without bringing back too many election flashbacks--Yes, we can!

First stop, Target. Let's replace the $475 gold designer tote with another gold designer tote--try this one from Felix Rey for Target, on sale for $31.48. You'll find an almost identical coral-colored polo by Mossimo, on sale for $6.99 (it'll go back to $9.99 when the sale ends). The v-neck sweater? Mossimo/Black has one for $17.99 in more than 10 colors (including pink, like the one in the magazine feature).

Target recently began carrying an expanded selection of scarves, which are a super-hot accessory right now--try this floral scarf for $13.49, or find another one you like better, all within a $12-15 range.

So what about that sweet white eyelet dress? Strapless, with an oh-so-flattering empire waist--think that's a one-of-a-kind that you'll never find for less? Oh, ye of little faith. Alloy has one that's almost identical--white eyelet, strapless, empire waist--for $42.50.

In place of the pricy designer jean, Newport News has a colored jean in a range of colors, in a very slimming classic cut and just a touch of Lycra, for $19.00. They also have a shirred bikini similar to the InStyle choice; it's from their figure-flattering ShapeFX line, and on sale for $49.00. If you want to cut down even more on that price and go with a slightly different style, both Newport News and Target have their mix-and-match swim separates on sale right now, so you can build your own bikini for even less than the budget choice I've linked to.

And finally, the jewelry. Let's head back to my new favorite source for accessories, Sam Moon. You'll find a very similar gold chain and beaded necklace there for $9.95--oh, and it comes with matching earrings, too, included in the price. They also have a sculpted gold bangle that's almost indistinguishable from the designer offering, just $3.50 each.

That covers everything, so let's add it all up. If you were to buy the budget versions of everything in the preppy lineup, including three each of the sculpted gold bangles, the total comes to $200.90--and just like our last time around, that comes in at less than 10 percent of what the designer pieces would cost.

1 comment:

  1. I'm tired just thinking of all that shopping. Can I pay you to go for me? Great post, as usual.
    I can't believe it- over 2 grand for an outfit.
    No entrepreneur worth their salts would be up in the bottom line like that.

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