The Budget Babe

Earlier this week, I attended the Marshalls Fall Fashion Red Carpet Event at their Secaucus, New Jersey, store location (about 7 miles outside NYC), where style expert Alison Deyette (The View, AliOnTheGo.com) was on hand to talk about the top five trends you will LOVE this fall—and how to get them for less. Alison is, not surprisingly, beautiful and really down-to-earth in person, and she takes the guesswork out of fall shopping! Watch this short-and-sweet video and you will be all set to shop for fall, trust me. Thank you Alison!!

Boots are probably my favorite type of footwear so I was really excited to receive a new pair of leather "Keliane" motorcycle inspired boots, part of the new Nine West Vintage America collection, courtesy of Nine West.


The boots feature an antiqued grommet front, self stitch, rubber sole and low flat heel. Available in either brown or black (which to me is more of a brown-black), these versatile shoes sell for $178 at NineWest.com. Definitely out of my price range for a style that I wouldn't necessarily call my own (to me, they look more Western-inspired than moto), but I'm glad I got to see them up close and I'm ready to put them to the test.


My first impression is that the shaft is kinda flimsy, but I think that was an intentional decision by the designers. The faux copper studs with faux copper-oxide (green paint) is kinda hokey up close, but from a distance, the look is kinda growing on me. At least it's something different from my usual solid black riding boots (also from Nine West, which I love). I'll keep you posted on how these babies hold up!

UPDATE 4/5/2010: Been wearing these for nicer occasions all winter (I don't take them out in the snow/slush, don't want to ruin them) and they have been holding up really well. They didn't even require a breaking in period. Very comfy, good for walking, and I feel like they match everything in my closet surprisingly well!

Has anyone seen the Vintage America collection by Nine West in stores? What did you think?

Reality TV star Olivia Palermo elevates a simple white button-down shirt and black shorts with amazing accessories, including a huge statement necklace (although it looks kinda sharp, doesn't it?), oversized shades and a jet-setter handbag. This girl definitely has an enviable closet—and she knows it!

[1] Shirt [2] Shorts [3] Necklace [4] Bag [5] Shoes