UPDATE: And the winner of our "I Love Blocks Contest" is......MARIKO!! Congratulations Mariko, and thanks to everyone who participated. Check back daily cuz we have more cool contests coming soon!




PLEASE NOTE: This contest has ended.

Drum roll please...

We're proud to announce our very first Budget Babe giveaway! Tell us your favorite accessory in the comment section below and one, lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive a free handmade Power Bracelet (shown above) from I Love Blocks!

I Love Blocks is a quirky-cool collection of unique jewelry with a modern, indie edge created by the talented designer Irina Blok. The Power Bracelet, one of her best-selling items, is made from shrink plastic (yup, shrinky dinks!), coated with polish for durability, and connected with sterling silver rings and toggle clasp. Retail value: $35

Be sure to use a valid email address and include info(at)thebudgetbabe.com in your address book so we can contact you if you're the winner. Comments must be posted by 11:59 a.m. on December 4 to be eligible to win. The winner will be announced on December 5.

P.S. Special thanks to jewelry maker Irina Blok for making this contest possible!

We have a REAL treat for readers today - Dina Selkoe, the chief women's buyer at Karmaloop, generously donated her time and expertise to answer a few of our most burning questions about STREETWEAR, arguably one of the leading forces in fashion and culture today. Be prepared to be enlightened. —TBB

The Budget Babe: Can you explain what "streetwear" is for readers who might not be familiar with the term?
Dina Selkoe: Streetwear is a fashion and culture genre that captures a lifestyle, attitude and mentality – city, technology, music, design and art oriented and reflective of evolving cultural cross-pollenization made possible by the internet. Streetwear is not only 'Hip-Hop', 'Urban', 'Punk' or 'Skate' clothing, although all of these represent influential elements in Streetwear culture and style. Streetwear is not mass appeal fashion - it’s far more niche and advanced with greater elements of high-fashion and frequently represents the vanguard of where fashion and culture are going.

TBB: How can someone who might not normally rock streetwear incorporate some elements of streetwear into their wardrobe (without looking like a poser!)?
DS: The easiest way – both in terms of helping to pull together a look and ease of wear for basically anyone is wearing a cool hoody either over a simple t-shirt (hard to mess up) or over a more streetwear-y t-shirt (make sure the t-shirt and hoody look good together). Next would be a pair of kicks, which one should try to coordinate with the hoody or t-shirt. Also right now a pair of colored jeans- we have great ones from Tripp NYC which are super affordable!

TBB: Who is the hottest streetwear designer today?
DS: I love Leah McSweeney’s Married to the Mob. MOB stuff looks great - with awesome graphics and clever plays on words and popular culture, and fits super well. MOB has been involved in really cool collaboration projects with everyone from graffiti artists to high-fashion houses. I like that Leah is running a successful company at such a young age – she is a pioneer in women’s streetwear and her brand is definitely going places.

Also love Triumvir, which is a men’s brand, but getting into women’s product as well. Triumvir is Richard Vaughn and his sister Julia (who will be heading up the women’s project). They have super sharp graphics and a sort of flippant, thumb-in-your eye sensibility, which is a little dark and definitely focused on the unique and individual.

TBB: Who are some high-end designers we should know that are bringing streetwear to the runways?
DS: Jeremy Scott, Comme des Garçons, Heatherette, Yohji Yamamoto, some Gucci Men’s Footwear

TBB: What are the must-have hot items for the streetwear elite today?
DS: Attitude and confidence- all you ever really need is something that works for you and that you feel good wearing.

TBB: How often to trends change?
DS: Streetwear as a style has been present and evolving for some time, but trends within streetwear do change quickly and often with the allover print craze probably being the most obvious recent one. However, the popularity of classic pieces – whether skinny jeans, high tops or hoodies - has been quite constant for years. Right now Streetwear is moving in a cleaner, more refined direction, almost more mature direction.

TBB: How do you stay on top of the latest trends without spending a fortune?
DS: Well, the good news is that most streetwear isn’t extravagant, so people can really update and freshen up their wardrobe with just a few new pieces in new colors or patterns. City-dwellers should look out for in-store events around a particular brand/designer offering promotions on merchandise.




Dina Selkoe­ was born in Russia and moved to Brookline, Massachusetts when she was 4 years old. At 33 years old this beauty has a background in Law. After completing a degree in Law at Harvard and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Dina is now Creative Director and Women's Buyer at Karmaloop.

Shop all the looks you see above at Karmaloop.com >>

As if we needed another reason to shop at Forever 21: Our favorite purveyor of perfectly-priced fashion has a new section on their website called Brilliant Buys, which features over a dozen hot items under $20. Check back often, as this section is updated frequently with super deals.



While we're on the subject of Forever 21, here are some tips for the wear 'n' care of their apparel, which we think has an undeserved reputation for shoddy workmanship (you gotta shop smart, no matter what the price point!):

• 
  Pick items that look good on the rack. If it's wrinkled or covered with lint on the hanger, it ain't gonna get any better when you take it home.


• When shopping online, use the "Search" feature to find items made with higher-quality fibers. For example, a search for "cashmere AND cotton" returns 8 items, including a 92% cotton, 8% cashmere scarf and sweater. It's not a lot of cashmere, but it's just enough to make these items soft and warm, and c'mon, we're talkin' Forever 21 here, not Saks.


• 
  Go for dark and/or neutral shades. On the one hand, Forever 21's prices are so low that you can afford to take risks with bright colors and quirky styles which were hitherto impossible for frugal fashionistas. On the other hand, sticking to dark, neutral shades (including red) ensures minor flaws in the stitching or fabric go unnoticed.


• 
  Always layer a cotton tee beneath any blouse or sweater to prevent perspiration from touching the outer garment, thereby buying you additional time between washes.


• Drape garments over an armchair and let them air-out overnight. Don't stuff them back into your closet or into a dresser drawer as this can trap moisture and odors.


• Machine wash (or better yet, hand-wash) clothes inside-out in cold water using baby shampoo or a mild detergent like Woolite, or eco-friendly laundry soaps from Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day.


• 
  Lay garments flat to dry (or hang items such as jeans or cords to air-dry). This will not only increase their lifespan, it will also save energy and money.


• 
  Don't just dump your clothes when they no longer suit your fancy. Donate them to charity, sell 'em on Ebay, or recycle/repurpose them for crafts.

Dry cleaning is expensive, and let's face it, pretty inconvenient. Two good reasons why we, The Budget Babe, never utilized this service on more than one occasion (took a white dress to be cleaned, and it came back with yellow spots! Another reason why we were turned off to dry cleaning forever.)

Also, roughly a decade ago or so, we started hearing about how bad dry cleaning was for the environment. If you don't know how dry cleaning works, well, it's not dry and there's nothing clean about the process. Just watch the following video on How Dry Cleaning Works:


Phew, we thought. We're not just cheap and lazy for avoiding the dry cleaners. We're actually doing something good for Mother Nature!

As if the toxic chemical bath wasn't enough to dissuade people from getting their clothes dry cleaned, get this: On a recent episode of The Oprah Show, heart surgeon and health expert Dr. Mehmet Oz advised viewers to not only dispose of their dry cleaning bags before entering their home—he also recommended airing out the clothes for at least a day before wearing them again to ensure any remaining toxic residue could dissipate. Gross!

Now that's one angle we hadn't fully considered, but to think that there are toxins left on your clothes after they're dry cleaned is, in our opinion, yet another reason why washing your clothes at home is not only the BUDGET thing to do, it's the BEST thing to do.

Still can't live without dry cleaning? Why not? Got great tips and techniques for at-home cleaning? Share them in the comments!!