Posts Tagged ‘Style Tips’

50% OFF! Christian Siriano for Payless

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

christian siriano payless

Important EDIT: Christian Siriano just announced on Oprah that everything he has done for Payless is 50% off. Go to Oprah.com to find the Payless store nearest you and to get the coupon. There ARE a few things that might be nice but a smart shopper knows that even though something is suddenly only $15.00 doesn’t make it a good purchase if you still don’t love it. I suspect this coupon rouse might be because his items aren’t selling.

Christian Siriano is doing shoes for Payless, which is instantly a mood-lifter. (He was the winner of Project Runway, remember?) Except…well, until you SEE the shoes. I’m torn. First off, the shoes and boots Siriano has done look very much like the ones designer Rodarte did a while ago. But my biggest problem is that I’m not sure if many of these shoe designs are wearable for the every day woman. One might argue that the reason they’re so affordable (all of these shoes are under $50) but still funky is that you’ll buy them just for special occasions. And if you’re a younger gal in her 20’s then it makes sense to buy them. But otherwise, I’m just not so sure.

Siriano has also done handbags but I’m less impressed by them – I think they should be MORE out there, more SPECIAL! The purses for payless look like almost anyone could have designed them. And we want to buy them for Siriano’s MARK on them!

You can view all of the Christian Siriano handbags and shoes on Payless.com. There is definitely a tonal difference between what Siriano had previewed on the runways and what has made its way into the store.

(First shoe shown: Christian Siriano for Payless Carolina Pump $34.99. This is the one shoe I really do like by him here, I do think this one is wearable.)

Christian Siriano for Payless Patent Zipper Boot

Christian Siriano for Payless Patent Zipper Boot $49.99: Payless.com says, “Designer Christiano Siriano fuses some of fall’s hottest trends into one totally wearable boot.” The boot is CUTE but uh, NOT wearable in the snow and slush. Even in the fall it’ll make your toes cold. One of our She’s Smart Style Tips: Pass on something cute that isn’t really wearable. You’ll thank me later.

christian siriano project runwayPayless Zippered Flat $29.99 – From the side these look ugly until I realize that flat gold thing is a ZIPPER. Well, I can dig that. And these ones are also wearable.

payless christian sirianoStrappy Sandals $29.99 – The way the top band is cut (and the thickness) is going to actually make your ankles look fatter than they are and give you cankles, rather than slimming them. BAD! Such a  rookie design move. If you’re a model who is size 0, it’d look okay. But uh, who is really a size 0?

Bottom line: These are mostly unrealistic shoes for women in the real world.


“What Kind of Jacket Should I Wear for Fall?”

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Photo by ldhren on Flickr

Photo by ldhren on Flickr

Fall is a wonderful time, especially (in my opinion) if you live in an area where the leaves turn gorgeous colors of red and purple, you can visit apple orchards, pick your own pumpkin from a patch if you’re so inclined, and wear some cozy cardigans. The one thing that sometimes baffles me about Fall is what kind of jacket to wear. It’s waaaay too early for heavy winter jackets.

My answer to the question is the same answer to “What kind of jacket do I wear for Spring?” and that answer is: trench coats! I especially like the longer, belted trench coats. There are a surprising amount of variations, though. Even more surprising? There are plenty trench coats under $50.00, yay. (more…)

Get the Fall 09 Trend of Ruffled Sweaters for Less

Sunday, October 4th, 2009
Ruffle Neck Bandage Sweater Top : Under $20.00

Ruffle Neck Bandage Sweater Top : Under $20.00

I’ve been noticing a lot of ruffled sweaters, ruffled cardigans, ruffled shirts… ruffles are really taking over! And it’s not that ruffles are bad, not at all. I think they’re very cute, often romantic (cue a dreamy sigh here), and a nice way to make an otherwise boring shirt have some added flair. And really, who doesn’t like some more flair? (Occasionally some celebrities go too far with the flair… see: Bai Ling in most anything she’s ever worn.)

Ruffly inspiration! Photo by audreyjm529 on Flickr

Ruffly inspiration! Photo by audreyjm529 on Flickr

Here at She’s Smart we focus on deals under $100.00. So while a really nice ruffled top from J-Crew can be very pretty, we’d rather not spend $88.00 on it. J-Crew actually has a LOT of new ruffled tops right now, but most are a tiny bit overpriced. This is where you sigh dejectedly, knowing you really would like a cute ruffly blouse, but don’t want to spend THAT much on it. Well, this is luckily also where I come in to tell you I’ve looked around to see where you can find this look for less. It’s what I do. :) The best way to get this ruffled trend is to buy a sleeveless version of the ruffled top.

(more…)

Indulge your Shoe Habit with Affordable Ruffled Flats

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
Wanted Frills Flat - Round-toe ballet flat

Wanted Frills Flat - Round-toe ballet flat

frills flatballet shoes

Okay, so ruffles are a major trend for Fall 09. I hadn’t realized it extended even to shoes, but apparently it does.  If I’ve learned anything from my sister, it’s that a serious shoe habit is hard to kick. So if you know that you’ll absolutely NEED to buy a new pair of shoes this fall, I think I’ve found the pair for you. These Ruffled Flats from PiperLime are versatile-but-special enough to fit all sorts of needs.

(more…)

Great Deals on Rings

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Because I also write for a Ring Blog I know a lot about rings. This means I can lend you my expertise about what some really great deals on rings are. All three rings I’m featuring here are under $20.00. Not too shabby, not too shabby.

On Sale for $12.95 via thehungersite

On Sale for $16.95 via thehungersite

Sterling Silver Rings on Sale : Read about the Love Ring on RingOBlog

(more…)