The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Love It or Leave It: Crocs

Ok, let's get this over with.

Crocs are the shoes that fashionistas everywhere love to hate. They're clunky, funky and all-around offensive to our sense of aesthetics...and yet, people seem to love 'em.

It was only after we actually held said Crocs in our own two hands that we understood their appeal: They are quite literally as light as a feather. We're talking marshmallow light, no joke. In case you've never picked one up, give it a try. You'll be shocked.

So this makes Crocs comfortable, and the same special substance that makes the shoes featherlight (it's not quite foam, not quite plastic) also wicks away sweat and resists odors.

Crocs are so popular that they've even inspired some to create accessories specifically designed for adorning your crocs, with a brand called Jibbitz taking the lead. They're basically small charms that fit into the holes on Crocs. Kudos to the mom who invented these things and then sold her company to Crocs, but these trinkets should really be reserved for kids.

Which brings us to our conclusion: Crocs are super cute on young children and toddlers, but ridiculous on grownups. We don't begrudge those who choose to wear them—on the contrary, we kind of admire their chutzpah.

But personally, we did enough damage when we bought Birks, and we're not about to make another fugly shoe mistake with Crocs.

What do you think about Crocs? Love 'em or leave 'em?


Five Fab Frocks Under $50

Try saying that five times fast.

It's Mango mania here at The Budget Babe—check out these five fine dresses we found for under $50 at mangoshop.com...



Dress 1: RCC Beach, Orig. $55 Sale $15.99


Dress 2: VCD Dianne, Orig. $89 Sale $43.99


Dress 3: FSD Ferry, Orig. $75 Sale $36.99


Dress 4: BCC Lorenza, Orig. 75.00 Sale $36.99


Dress 5: VSD Shiny, Orig. $99 Sale $48.99


Where Art and Fashion Intersect: Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2007 Campaign

Coco Chanel famously declared that "Fashion is not art," and though this proclamation may be true to some extent (our legal system has been in Coco's camp for some time) we think there's no denying the overwhelming artistic component to fashion.

Miu Miu's Fall/Winter 2007 Campaign featuring French beauty Laetitia Casta is a stunning example of fashion's artistic side. The photography, makeup, styling, and of course clothing come together in a gorgeous study of light and shadow, color, contrast and form.

Laetitia Casta for Miu Miu

The photo's dramatic Deco undertones are what caught our attention most, and remind us of one of our favorite painters, Tamara de Lempicka, who was one of the most famous painters of the Art Deco period. Both works of art, if we may, are highly stylized portraits with skin rendered luminous, limbs geometric, lips a luscious red, masterfully desaturated in places then pumped with precious color in other moments of the canvas or frame—similarly crisp, modern, sensual and seductive.

The Sleeper by Tamara de Lempicka
La Dormeuse (The Sleeper), 1931-1932 by Tamara de Lempicka

On a side note, if Tamara—who was said to have loved ''art and high society in equal measure"—were still alive, she would probably be painting today's stars and supermodels and socialites, just as she did during her own decadent lifetime. We would have liked to see her take a stab at designing clothes...and wouldn't you love to see Miuccia Prada paint?

See more of Miu Miu's Fall/Winter 2007 campaign here. >>
Then if you dare, tell us: Do you think fashion is art?

Deal du Jour: Bisou Bisou Patent Crinkle Shopper

Scoop up this Bisou Bisou­ patent crinkle shopper and inject some metallic mayhem into your wardrobe. Why mayhem? Because this flashy arm candy will make you amp up the rest of your look that much more. Your jeans will call to you from the bedroom floor, but you'll ignore their pleas and slip on a strappy minidress instead. Your ballet flats will implore you to listen and be practical, but you won't heed their sage advice—oh no, you're rocking those stiletto heels OUT.

See what a bad influence a purse can have on a girl?

Get yours in red, champagne (looks silver to us) or black for just $24.99 at JCPenney.com