UPDATE: And the winner of our Shabby Apple Dress contest is.......Haze'!! Haze' wrote: "My style icon is Agathe from that stylebytes blog. She does so much by thrift shopping <3"

Congratulations to our winner and a great big thank you to all 218 people who participated.




PLEASE NOTE: This contest has ended.

Every woman looks and feels fabulous in the perfect dress, which makes this week's Budget Babe giveaway something not to be missed!

Tell us who your style icon is in the comment section below and one lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive this classic little black dress - aptly named the Jackie O (shown above) - from the chic dress boutique, Shabby Apple!

Shabby Apple is an online women's dress company that has designed moderately priced dresses for every occasion. You'll find unique, flirty and feminine frocks for day and night - all at prices you can afford.

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 12 noon ET on April 1 to be eligible to win. The winner will be announced on April 2.

P.S. Don't wait for Lady Luck - shop Shabby Apple right now and save! Enter SAMarketingBudgetBabe15off at checkout for 15% off your order. The offer is good until June 2008.

Good luck!

>> Visit Shabby Apple.

Dear Budget Babe,
I had a question for you about wearing HIGH WAISTED WIDE LEG JEANS! I thought there was no way I could pull them off, but i tried them on and i LOVED them. Now I'm wondering how to wear them (what shirts, shoes etc) to make them look casual or for going out. I don't want them to turn out as a disaster!! Thank youuuu!! —RD

Hi RD,
Thanks for the great question! High-waist wide leg jeans have an old-school, feminine flavor that I just love. Just keep your top simple - wear a solid color, nothing too full or voluminous, and be sure to tuck it in. This spring, a button-down blouse with a simple ruffle detail would be very on-trend with these pants.

For evening, pair your wide legs with a body-conscious yet sophisticated tank top. Something with a sweatheart neckline would be especially glam, in a throwback kinda way.

Pull the look together with a dark-colored medium wide belt, or a metallic or bright skinny belt. And make sure the top of your pants stop at the narrowest part of your waist to create a slimming, hourglass silhouette.

Finally, be sure to wear these pants with heels as they can otherwise have a "widening" effect on even the slimmest gals.

Good luck rockin' those wide-leg jeans out!

—BB

Got more styling tips for wearing high-waist wide leg trousers? Share them in the comments.

Dry cleaning is bad for the environment and your wallet. Here are four dry cleaning alternatives that will help you spend less while being kinder to Mother Earth at the same time:

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  Hand-wash delicates, including silk and cashmere, with a gentle eco-friendly detergent or soap. Air-dry flat on a collapsible mesh drying rack. We recommend the Container store's Pop-Open Sweater Dryer.


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  Purchase an at-home professional clothes steamer. They get rid of wrinkles and help keep clothes fresher, longer.


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  Use Dryel or Dry Cleaner's Secret (these products let you quickly and easily "dry-clean" in your dryer, without the toxic chemicals). You can get a free sample of Dry Cleaner's Secret here.


• 
  Take your dry-clean only laundry to an organic dry cleaner. The prices are a tad higher, but the cleaning process is gentler on your clothes, your health and the environment.

Dear Readers: Got a great dry cleaning alternative? Share it in the comments.

Attention budget babes: There's a new (FREE!) online service called SavvyCircle.com that will ensure you never miss another online sale!

Basically, you add the Savvy Circle button to your browser and start online shopping at one of their 100+ supported sites (if nothing else, you will want to bookmark that page - they've got all your favorite stores from Asos to Zappos!).

When you see an item you like - but don't want to pay full price for it (who does??) - you click the button and it'll save the item in your shopping list on SavvyCircle.com. When the item goes on sale, they'll send you an email notification with a link back to the site. You will never miss another online sale!

>> Check it out: www.savvycircle.com. If you like the service, let other readers know in the comments.

Looking for a cheap way to get a great tan? Now's your chance because Ulta.com has an incredible sale going on right now for Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gloves by L'Oreal.

Each pack comes with 4 gloves which contain the sunless tanning formula. Just smooth on for a "perfect, streak-free sunless tan" that lasts 7 days. The unbelievable price: $1.99! (They're selling for $17.99 at Amazon.com!)

We bought a couple packs to review, but heck, at this price you can afford to experiment along with us. But you better act quick - at this price, they won't last long!

>> Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gloves by L'Oreal at Ulta.com