The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

The Look for Less: Lutz & Patmos Infinity Scarf



Lutz & Patmos at ShopStyle


Scarves are one of fall's essential accessories, and this season I'm seeing a lot of infinity or circle scarves. These tubular scarves, which can be looped around the neck once or twice, take the guesswork out of knotting and tying scarves. They're pretty much foolproof! And of course, they're nice and warm. This one by Lutz & Patmos is made from luxurious wool-cashmere blend, but unfortunately costs $350 at La Garconne.



Echo at ShopStyle


Here's a lovely infinity scarf in a similarly chunky knit. The rich purple hue will complement most complexions and brighten up a dark coat. This one's $48 at Bloomingdales.


While not as thick and cozy as the pricier scarves, this infinity tubular scarf by Mossimo will definitely do the trick for fall. I saw these in the store and they were soft, stylish and super cheap! Snag one for $5.94 at Target.com.

Off the Rack: Anna Sui for Target




I had a ball trying on the latest designer collection for Target by the great Anna Sui, which launched in stores and online yesterday, perfectly timed with tonight's season premiere of Gossip Girl. The color palette reminded me of Halloween: Pumpkin orange, yellow ochre, lots of cat black, dark purple and splashes of blood red.




Fabrics ranged from flowy, chiffon-like polyester blends, some jacquard, some silk, even mohair for the wrap sweaters, cotton tees, to stiffer tweed and brocade-like fabrics with metallic threads running through two of the dresses. Lace trim, velvet ribbon, tassles, and beads added fun and unique embellishments. The theme running throughout the collection was inspired by the main characters in the popular teen drama Gossip Girl: Vanessa, Blair, Serena and Jenny. (But you don't have to be a fan of the show to fall in love with this collection!)




Styles ranged from a Downtown-cool puffer vest to a prim-and-proper Uptown dress with a high-collar, long cuffed sleeves and bow detail (my favorite piece in the collection!). I also loved this herringbone dress for its versatility, and this seersucker dress, an utterly unboring LBD that could pass for designer.




However, I was sorely disappointed by the price tags! There is no reason why the dresses in this collection should cost more than a typical GO collection, since by all measures, the quality was the same. As you've probably seen online, dresses range from approx. $44.99 to $69.99. Gulp! Despite my enthusiasm, I decided to wait a while before making any purchases.

Which pieces do you love? What did you buy?

A Connecticut Yankee in Anna Wintour's Court: BB Goes to Fashion Week





some of my fave looks (Photo credit: Marcio Madeira via Style.com)


This past Saturday night, I caught Vivienne Tam's show during New York's Spring 2010 Fashion Week. This was my first runway show ever and it was so freaking cool! Before the show, I bumped into my blogger buddies Nichelle, who writes 55 Secret Style, and Dina (eye4style.com). Inside the tent (I was DYING to be in the tents at Bryant Park!), I sat next to Tabitha, who just started covering style for ImNotObsessed.com. You'll appreciate this: Tabitha was rocking the Avon bag I featured in this post. My kind of girl.

Once I found my seat (yes, I had an actual seat assignment! woohoo) I just breathed deep and took in the pre-show sights. I watched as my dear friend Sarah Conley (styleitonline.com) assisted Yuli Ziv (myitthings.com) as she interviewed various other bloggers (I recognized Aly Walansky of Shopaholics Daily) and possibly other famous people who I could not identify. Very cool to see bloggers representing at Fashion Week. Heck yeah. As for celebrities, I spotted singer Estelle, sitting front row and center. Heard she's teaming up with Rachel Roy for an accessories collection, which I'm sure would be hot.





Once the show began, I frantically tried to take some photos/video, but I just didn't have the right gear for the lighting situation. Oh well, it's not like I can't find all the images at Style.com! So I just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the show. It was surreal. Vivienne Tam's inspiration was the butterfly, a subject which can seem cliche but I felt that with Tam's delicate, feminine touch it was simply beautiful clothing that any girl would love to wear. The vibe was bohemian, from breezy chiffon tops to fringe-embellished suede bags and strappy flat sandals. Abstract, silk-screened butterfly prints gave the collection a modern touch, while lush colors plucked from nature and the occasional sequin detail made each look glow. Another impossible-to-miss accessory: The new limited edition Vivienne Tam HP mini laptops, adorned by (what else?) a butterfly. The perfect marriage of fashion and technology. Oh, how I want!

It was an absolute thrill and dream-come-true to see those models gliding down the runway, their natural habitat. It was over all-too-quickly. More, I wanted more! But the magic didn't quite end there. As I left the show in a fashion-show-stupor, I spotted none other than Isaac Mizrahi, the King of Budget Fashion himself (even though he left Target for Liz), surrounded by what appeared to be members of the press and friends. He looked so smiley and delightful, so like, Isaac Mizrahi! I wanted to pinch his cheeks. But I was too far, and besides, don't think security would go for that.





And that my friends was my first runway show. An experience I won't soon forget and, fingers crossed, there will be (many!) more to come.

You can see the whole Vivienne Tam Spring 2010 collection here. Are you following spring fashion week coverage or does it all seem wildly irrelevant?