The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Lanvin for H&M Lookbook




The full was released with much fanfare last week, and reactions around the blogosphere have ranged from sheer elation to near repulsion (read the comments; I think people are sore over the prices). Of course I think it's Fabulous with a capital F but I'm not sure whether I'll drop between $149 and $249 for a dress; $99 for a pair of women's shoes; or $149 to $349 for a coat. A consolation prize lipstick for $9.95 or earrings for $19.99, however, is totally in the cards. Be prepared to drive to the nearest metropolitan area if you want to shop the Lanvin Hearts H&M collection when it hits select stores November 20.

Click through to see the complete lookbook!

Off the Rack: November Offerings at H&M




Earlier this week I popped into an H&M store to check out the latest fall/winter offerings, where I was greeted by lots of cozy sweaters, cardigans, coats, jackets and all the accessories you could ever want to stay warm and stylish. While I love H&M, sometimes it's hit or miss - but this visit was all hits. Lots of the sweaters were buy one get one half off and the styles felt soft and warm, not scratchy and flimsy. There were tons of on-trend coats, too, from military-inspired, to animal prints to the all-important shearling aviator, a fall must-have for 2010. Oversized camp shirts, lace embellished cocktail dresses, lace-up ankle boots and messenger bags made me wish I could scoop up one of each. I left empty handed because I had a train to catch but I'm going to head back for a Burberry-inspired scarf, some suede gloves and a couple cocktail rings that are still on my mind.

Click through for more photos. Have you bought anything at H&M recently?

Old Navy's Skinny "Citizen Surplus" Cargos: A Review




Old Navy sent me two complimentary pairs of their new Skinny "Citizen Surplus" Cargos ($34.50) to test and as much as I love the look, they don't fit me right. Epic fail. The crotch is way too low while the calves are really tight. I'm 5'8" and they are about 4 inches too short (I'd have to tuck them inside boots to disguise this flaw). Also, after wearing them for a few hours, they started to sag dramatically. I hoisted them up with a belt but it was a constant struggle to keep those puppies up! Who knows, might just be my body type doesn't work with this cut, but I've noticed similar comments in customer reviews on oldnavy.com despite the positive 4 star rating. This was a big letdown considering how hard it is to find this look without spending a small fortune on the designer brands (, , etc.)

Has anyone else had better luck with Old Navy's slim cargos?

Shown above: Plaid peacoat, turtleneck and skinny cargos, all Old Navy!