The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Cheap Thrills and Big Ticket Darlings: Penny Chic


Cheap Thrills and Big Ticket Darlings: Penny Chic

Each week, we're turning to some of our favorite fashion bloggers for tips on when to splurge and when to save. In this week's installment, we're chatting with the stunning Shauna of Penny Chic!
Fashion blogger Shauna of Penny Chic

WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL SHOPPING PHILOSOPHY?
I've always leaned towards cheap, "fast fashion" for clothes and jewelry, mid-range for footwear, and luxury for handbags. I'm not a classic-type girl so investing in expensive plain basics for me is a waste. I’m always going to want to experiment with new trends and funky combinations so for me, stores like Forever 21, Target, and Kmart are perfect!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE TO INVEST IN A SPLURGE? WHERE WOULD YOU RATHER SAVE?
Like I said, I tend to invest in my handbags. To me, it’s the last stamp of chicness to your outfit and I can usually notice when one is cheaply made. But I’ll only "splurge" on it if it excites me. The luxury handbags I buy are always versatile and timeless, but still have an element of fun. With everything else (especially clothes), I try to go as affordable as possible. Footwear is a tough one for me too, but I can usually manage to find the pricey ones for cheaper later on in the season if I wait. It’s all about being strategic!

Shauna / Penny Chic

Shauna from Penny Chic in Valentino

MOST-BELOVED SPLURGE.
I was my dad's date to the TONY awards this year because my mom couldn't go with him. He's not in the entertainment biz or anything but he’s always supported the arts and bought two tickets to go! When I told him I had nothing to wear (only partially true), he said I could pick out a nice dress for myself. This was musical theater to my ears! I headed straight to Saks because they were having a sale and out of the corner of my eyes, saw this amazing pink satin Valentino dress. I got the whole floor's opinion and everyone agreed…THIS WAS THE DRESS! I only had 24 hours left and it still needed to be fitted. They brought up their seamstress and she tailored it right to my body and turned it around in just 3 hours. I wore it the very next day to the Tony’s and got a ton of compliments. I’ve never felt so glamorous in my life! That’s when a splurge is worthwhile…when it can have such a big effect on your confidence. How's that for a story?

FAVORITE STEAL.
A pair of blue Nine West sequin heels that I bought last year from TJMaxx for $10 (similar here). I just wore them last night for the 100th time and it still never gets old. Everyone dies for them and they’re so comfortable! The sequin has a little bit of a matte finish so it looks expensive and it’s a pointed heel which is my favorite style.

Aeropostale booties

Shauna from Penny Chic

MOST REGRETTABLE BUY
When I went to Turkey a couple summers ago with my sister, I fell in love with all their artisan crafts and handmade jewelry. It took about a day until I was totally sucked in and couldn’t even see clearly. I found this sweet Turkish man in a thrift store who made these antique sea glass beaded necklaces with gold plated spike charms for like $10 which is a ridiculous price! I got so carried away that I convinced myself that I should buy a bunch and sell them to LA boutiques for triple the price. So what did I do? I bough 100 of them! The poor man was up all night for days trying to finish all 100 necklaces. It ended up being a BIG mistake. When I came home and got back to work, I never found time to start selling the necklaces. I mean what was I thinking? I don’t have time to see my family as it is! Nice in theory but not realistic. They were pretty necklaces and I’ve given them away as gifts to people but it was an investment I did not have the money for, nor needed to make, and have since regretted it!

WHAT DOES YOUR FALL WISHLIST LOOK LIKE?
VERY excited for Philip Lim’s collab with Target in September and Isabel Marant’s line for H&M in November. Two of my favorite luxury designers for less…in the same season. Pretty much the best news ever!

Shauna from Penny Chic talks with The Budget Babe about when to save, splurge and her fall must-haves.

P.S. … BEST TREASURE-FINDING STORY
When I lived in NY, I was a frequenter of the Barney’s Warehouse Sale. If you don’t know about the warehouse sale, it’s when Barneys heavily discounts all their merchandise from the past season and dumps it in warehouse in Chelsea. It’s unbelievable and happens twice a year for about 10 days long. After each day ends, there’s an additional percentage given off. By the end, you’re buying Prada for basically NOTHING. I was a shady shopper when it came down to this sale and I’ll share my secret: My best friend and I would go the first day, find our favorite pieces and hide them under tables. 7 days later we’d come back when the warehouse was 80% off to pull out our treasures and buy them. I’ve gotten a pair of Manolos for $50 and a pair of Bottega Veneta snakeskin heels for $100. Shhh don’t tell! ♦
Comments
Lovely column. I spend the money on shoes, cheap shoes tend to hurt my feet, and carry classic purse.

Just asking, the pic with leggings and clutch, you're wearing most gorgeous nail polish, can you share brand and color?
#1 Diane on 2013-09-30 13:31 (Reply)
Hi Diane! I can't remember because that was so long ago but I think it was an OPI color. Hope that helps! xo
#1.1 Shauna Miller (Homepage) on 2013-10-01 20:44 (Reply)
I love the blogger features - so insightful and fun to read!!

Tracy
www.TracysNotebookofStyle.com
#2 Tracy (Homepage) on 2013-09-30 15:32 (Reply)
Aw thank you, Tracy! So happy you're enjoying them :-)

xoxo, Molly
#2.1 Molly (Homepage) on 2013-10-01 09:58 (Reply)
This is so amazing!!! Thank you for featuring me! xoxo
#3 Shauna Miller (Homepage) on 2013-09-30 19:40 (Reply)
Leave a comment
E-Mail addresses will not be displayed.
Enclosing asterisks marks text as bold (*word*), underscore are made via _word_.
Standard emoticons like :-) and ;-) are converted to images.
E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications.