Bargain Outfit (guest post)

Welcome Divas!

Today we have a guest post from Lori at Fashion On a Dime.

I enjoy a bargain. Let me rephrase – I obsess about a bargain. Shopping, for me, has become a quest to find fantastic clothing at the lowest possible price. You don’t have to pay a lot to look like you have a lot.

Let’s do a little experiment. Let’s take an outfit from a high-end retailer and see how we can replicate it for a lot less. I’ve found one here. The Escada ensemble isn’t cheap; the jacket is priced at $1,490, the jeans at $790 and the turtleneck at $890. Jacket and jeans are cotton/spandex blend. The turtleneck? Not sure, but let’s assume cashmere. The total - $3,170. And that’s without shoes, which we can safely assume cost well over $100.

Now to build our replica outfit. The jacket is a much more difficult find than anything else on the outfit. However, we can modify to find one that has unique features just like the one on our high-end model. I opted for this one from Forever 21, which costs $24.80.

Next we have a purple turtleneck. Only now, our sleeves on our jacket are shorter. No problem. We’ll find a sleeveless turtleneck. Here I opted away from the deep purple, which I think is flattering on only a few people, for a more modern teal. Good old JCPenney, which has surprised me a lot with some great finds, has this one for $19.99.

On to the pants. Here’s where it can get tricky. Let’s be honest – not all jeans fit all women in the same way. For this experiment, I’ll show you what I’ve found, but in reality, you gotta try them on. I chose “The Flirt” jeans from Old Navy in Blue Black. They come in at $34.50.

That leaves shoes. Here you go – a black round-toe wedge from eBay (my favorite shoe source).

We’ll assume you chose the “Buy it now” feature and you’re paying $14.99 plus the $9.99 shipping.

To be honest, I think black pumps with this look is playing it safe. I’d much rather kick it up a bit with the shoes. I’d prefer something like this.

On sale at DSW for $14.94.

So what’s the total? The replica outfit, complete with black wedge eBay shoes (and shipping), cost $104.27. If we opt for the red shoes, the total comes in at $100.18 (including $5.95 shipping).

Do you look good? Of course. And you’ve saved $3,065.73. Your outfit is close to the original, but has enough of your own personal twist to make it much more interesting. Wear it in style, girl!

If you liked this post please visit Fashion On a Dime and show Lori some love!!!!!