Budget Fashion

Designers are breathing new life into old-school fabrics, textures and trims, including lace, eyelet, embroidery, fringe, crochet, and one of my favorites, dotted swiss. One variation of dotted swiss - which is typically a sheer, lightweight fabric with a dotted motif - is flocked fabric, or flocked dots, which means the tiny little dots are raised. Leave it to Marc Jacobs, who's always reinventing retro with beautiful results, to utilize flocked chiffon in a fresh, new way.

Sadly, the pricetag on the Marc by Marc Jacob's creation has also kept up with the times, and costs a hefty $235 on sale. But thanks to, ahem, modern technology, stores like Forever 21 carry similar styles at a fraction of the price. For a summery little black dress, scoop up Forever 21's dotted swiss wrap on the right. It's got all of the flock, none of the fat.

Left: Marc by Marc Jacobs Flocked Silk Chiffon Dress at eLuxury.com, Was $388.00 Now $235.00
Right: Forever 21 Dotted Swiss Wrap Dress, $37.80

Lauren Conrad looked radiant at the MTV Movie Awards in a dress of her own creation - the "Christina" one-shoulder dress from her Fall 08 collection. You can pre-order it from Singer22.com for $210, but what's the fun of that? Where's the "budget friendliness" in that price tag? Fear not, my friends, because it looks like Lauren's hot dress is part of a growing trend. From Target to Forever 21, we found affordable one-shouldered blue frocks that look just as sexy, comfy and stylish. The royal blue hue will also make your bronzed summer skin glow. We're sold, how bout you?

I. Go International One-Shoulder Blue Dress at Target.com, $24.49
II. Lauren Conrad Christina Dress in Blue Moon at Singer22.com, $210
III. Single Shoulder Blue Minidress at Forever21.com, $24.80

Above: Looks from the Retro Swim shop at UrbanOutfitters.com

Debbie Matenopoulos, Brittany Snow and Kristen Bell don ikat-inspired dresses.
Ethnic-inspired ikat is the "it" print of the season, so it seems, and I'm in love. This style of cloth that uses a resist dyeing technique similar to tie-dye has been used for centuries by cultures all over the world, from South-East Asia to South America (thank you, Wikipedia!).

You may not have known the word "ikat" until recently, but I'm sure you'd recognize this design when you see it. I feel like I've seen ikats used in home decor for a while, and I've definitely seen ikats at The Art Institute of Chicago (my fave art museum) - some of the handwoven ikats from back in the day (I'm so technical) are truly works of art. This is probably why this fabric reminds me of, well, art, culture, travel, exotic locales, and faraway places - all that good stuff that fills our daydreams. The word "escapism" comes to mind...

But never mind me: Ikat is a gorgeous way to get some printed pieces into your wardrobe, and it can be done on a budget thanks to the trickle down from the runway to the high street. This summery ikat tank ($49) by INC International Concepts at Macy's is a sweet and simple way to wear this trend. Another effortless way to incorporate some ikat into your wardrobe would be with a scarf, like this woven number ($9.80) from Forever 21.

And naturally, Topshop has an assortment of stylish ikat options, including this long red and white cami ($49), a folksy blue ikat skirt ($62), or a breezy ikat sun dress ($62). Leave it to ASOS to bring us some of the most high-fashion ikats without the high pricetag - we're loving this ikat shift dress ($60.56) for warm weather partying, or this Ikat mini puffball skirt ($60.56) that looks plucked straight from the Etro SS08 catwalk.

Something we budget babes know well is that you shouldn't pay a fortune for fashion fads. Case in point: The ombre tank. Sure, it's hot this season, but what about 3 months from now? What if we're all dip-dyed-out and on to bigger, better things? If we buy into this trend with the chic tank on the right from New York & Co., for just $32.95, we will have zero regrets. If, on the other hand, we splurge on Theory's ombre tank on the left for $180.00, we will be ashamed of ourselves. Be savvy and don't say we didn't warn you.

Luxe on left: Theory Mahira Ombre Top at Shopbop.com, $180
Less on right: City Style Ombre Tank (also available in white/gray fade) at NYandCompany.com, $32.95

The challenge of shopping for stylish duds at Marshall's might just get a whole lot easier: Introducing THE CUBE, a brand new department at Marshall's that puts all of your favorite apparel, shoes, bags, sunglasses and accessories taken from different parts of the store, in one convenient location.

Like the recently launched Marshall's Shoe MegaShop, this easy-to-shop "boutique" is carved out of the store with its own updated look and feel, and features "younger, more contemporary fashion," according to the Marshall's press release.

Seriously, I can't wait to check it out. It's like they've done the dirty work for us, which should make our shopping experience much more pleasant. And hopefully all these niceties won't mean higher prices.

>> Find out if there's a CUBE near you.

Above: Two looks from Zara's Spring/Summer 08 collection
Thanks to a shopping tip from long-time reader Peaches, I learned that Spain-based apparel retailer Zara will open its newest store in Chicago, located in the Old Orchard Mall during fall 2008! The 27,200-sq.-ft. store will be the first location for the company in the Chicago area, and the fast-fashion giant (think H&M on steroids) also plans to open a 30,000-sq.-ft. second store at Chicago Place, located at 700 N. Michigan Ave. Zara operates more than 1,000 stores in 69 countries.


Forget about Gaudi: Here's a photo I snapped of the Zara on Passeig Gràcia in Barcelona, Spain.
I gotta tell ya, I'm having one of those full-circle moments because Zara was my first budget fashion love. I discovered this amazing store when I studied abroad in Spain during my college years, then literally cried when I had to come back home and realized I wouldn't be able to score fabulous Zara bargains on my way to class anymore. They have a couple stores in New York City (and elsewhere in the U.S.) but it's not like I can just hop on a train and shop there whenever I feel like it. Ok, maybe I could but I'm lazy. Anyways, here we are in 2008, and Zara is finally opening up a big ol' storefront in my beloved hometown, Chicago. Dreams do come true.