I love the holidays.  With a career that dictates business holiday engagements and my social butterfly friends,  it all adds up to one very busy holiday season.   Needless to say, this requires a bit of planning on the fashion front.   And I’m always up for fashion planning – I know that comes as a surprise to those of you who know me…Me, planning and fashion.

Holiday fashion planning includes perusing my favorite stores and catalogs for my latest and greatest Holiday Season acquisition.  Because like no other time of year, the Holiday Season screams for the sumptuous, the statement-worthy, bling, velvet, lace and all of those fabulous outfits that most of us who don’t walk the red carpet on a regular basis seldom get to wear January through November.

Even if I’m not buying, I love to walk the stores during the holidays for inspiration.  The clothes…and the jewelry..and the shoes!  I better lock away my credit cards because I’m beginning to have shopping drool drip on my laptop-NO BUENO!

Well, I wanted to share some of my fashion obsessions for the 2009 Holiday Season to give you some inspiration:

Cocktail Rings: I love bling and I’m obsessed with Tony Duquette’s aquamarine and amethyst creations.  Bulgari as always has rings that I drool over and Chanel has bling to sing for.  Not your price point?  Hit up Swarovski for the priced-within-reach variety and those of you readers who are my clients, call me and I’ll help you find the most divine cocktail rings.

Liz Palacios at Nordstrom

Necklaces:  As you know, I’m obsessed with pearls.  My Achilles heel being May Yeung Jewelry and Claudia Endler Designs (don’t think that Claudia Endler Designs pearl necklace from earlier this month isn’t on my Christmas list).  Some of other favorites, Nordstrom’s has a Liz Palacios floral filigree statement necklace that’s to die for.  Worn with a cocktail ring and a black velvet shift you’ll channel so much Chanel that you may start speaking French.  And of course I’m drooling over Chopard’s 255-ruby and 57-carat diamond necklace.  Unless my husband and I become Bonnie and Clyde it’s so not going to take up residence in my jewelry wardrobe, but I can dream and I can be inspired to find something similar at Banana Republic – I am a woman on a mission!

Chopard Ruby & Diamond Necklace

Shoes: Loving the funky, sexy and over-the-top shoes these days.  Favorites include Guess by Marciano’s cage sandal, Stella McCartney’s disco-inspired gold sandals and Louis Vuitton’s Coquette and Cancan styles.

Louis Vuitton Coquette Pump

Cost-effective alternatives: Use high fashion designers for inspiration and hit up H&M, Forever 21, Banana Republic, Bebe, The Limited and Loehmann’s.  They may not have everything you want, but if you are willing to think outside of the box you’ll find interesting pieces to make your 2009 Holiday Season outfits truly festive.

Happy Holidays All!

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The goal of this blog is to dispel that twisted feeling of dread in your stomach that you get when you realize that you have a business holiday party to attend after work and then yet another holiday party with your friends after that.  Now why would someone experience dread at the thought of having fun with colleagues and friends over the holidays?  Well, if you live in L.A. there’s no godly way that you’re going to be able to drive home from work to change for a party, drive to your work-related party and then do the same thing over again for the party with your friends.  Actually, this is virtually impossible in any city!

So, I’m here to help dispel that feeling of dread.  In three easy steps I can help you change your outfit from work, to business holiday party, to personal holiday party.

1.  The Work Look:  Wear a shift.  Look for something simple and classic and if you want to make it super easy, black.  Think little black dress with an appropriate hemline for work – This isn’t the time to show off your gams starting at mid-thigh if you know what I mean.  Throw on a chic jacket, sweater or whatever will cover your shoulders that is appropriate for your work environment.  Personally I’m a big fan of the statement fitted jacket in a color that contrasts nicely with the little black dress.  Wear day appropriate makeup – aka put together but not screaming “look at me”.  Depending on your work environment, throw on some layered chains or a subtle pearl necklace.   Complete your look with a statement bag and nicely-turned out heels.

Piazza Sempione Dress

2.  The Work Holiday Party:  Retouch your makeup.  You can get away with a more pronounced look but don’t go for the “I’m hitting the club after this party” look.  Change your jewelry to a statement piece.  Think long Coco Chanel pearls looped around three times.  Personally I’m a huge favorite of these stunners by Claudia Endler Designs - gorgeous modern and contemporary interpretation of the classic. 

Claudia Endler Designs Pearl Necklace

Emitations Ring

Take off the work jacket and go for a hot, fitted leather jacket that ends at your waist.  Not your look?  Wear a wrap to keep the cold away, you’ll be taking it off at the party anyhow.  Shoes, here’s another shot to go sexy.  Go strappy or go stacked heels – just go with statement. 

Christian Louboutin Ernesta Sandal

All three looks can be prepared the night before, just drop the component into your stylish tote or leather overnighter (I do hope you have one, yes?) and you are ready to rock-n-roll.

Happy Holidays Chicas! Party Safely and With Style!

I decide to walk down to Wokano with my husband for some of downtown’s yummiest sushi (ah…but SO not healthy, try the Late Night Party Roll), and little did I suspect that I’d be subjected to an impromptu fashion display from the pages of “that’s gorgeous” and “that’s so NO BUENO”.

Dior Karenina Handbag

Let’s start with the “that’s gorgeous” crowd.  As we passed Bottega Louie a woman in her forties sauntered by with her boy toy.   Really, I’m not usually the type to use this label but if you know me – I call it how see it.  The woman was dressed to the nines utilizing a fabulous blend of Fashion Mixology and mixing sleek red-heeled Louboutin heels with a Club Monaco shift (that I had just purchased a few weeks ago for a StepUp fashion event – LOL).  She topped it off with what appeared to be a Dior Karenina that she swung proudly as she sashayed into the restaurant with her hottie arm candy.  By the hottie arm candy I mean her date.  He was wearing a fabulous sleek suit, super Euro, super tight (hi, you’ve a great body and I see you are proud of it) and topped it all off with a newsboy cap.  Needless to say I stared, then again I may have stared even without the outfits as they were both very attractive.  Still, they were so fashionable that I started bubbling to my husband about how fashion had hit the streets of L.A. and as we rounded the corner….I hit a fashion disaster.  Quite literally.

My unfortunate fashion fender bender was with a girl who was stuffed into a dress.  After extricating myself from the poor girl, who was in a massive hurry to get to her dinner reservation, I had the misfortune of glancing behind me as she flounced away.  I was assaulted with a full on view of her thong underwear (clearly seen through the dress) and a view of her linebacker-size back overflowing from a low square-cut back.

Okay.  Here’s the thing.  I tell my clients this time and time again….Dress for your body and for your age and then there’s just dressing that should never happen.  This fashion disaster was all of these.  You see, this young miss had spectacular legs.  Had she chosen a dress that highlighted her legs and complimented the rest of her body, then I wouldn’t have stopped to rudely stare (no really, it was rude, my husband had to pull me away from taking a photo with my blackberry – NO bueno).  And please…please for the sake of your dignity; look at your bum when you try anything on AND again before you leave the house.  Even if you have the perfect bum there’s no reason to flaunt it at Bottega Louie because there are other more appropriate places to flaunt that particular asset.

And that’s my Tale of Two Blocks of L.A. Fashion.  Wear your fashion with care ladies.

Gossip Girls Are Definite Bagistas

Are you a bagista – aka a Fashionista who adores handbags? If you are, then the odds are high that you have many handbags and the odds are even higher that you are storing your handbags by stuffing them into a closet and they probably aren’t even covered with a dustbag. Am I right? Fess up girls.

Okay, so here’s the thing. You just dropped a good amount of money on your handbag – Treat her with respect and maximize your investment in her by storing her appropriately and in an organized fashion so that you use her more often thereby maximizing your cost per wear (aka the number of times you use a fashion object divided by the investment and ongoing care of it). And even if you didn’t drop a bundle on your handbag, if you love it, don’t you want it to last?

So, here are 5 tips on how to store a handbag:

1. Do not shove your handbags willy-nilly into the closet. How would you like it if we shoved you in the closet? I’m just saying…

2. When not in use, stuff your bags with acid-free tissue paper or bubble wrap – It will help maintain the structure of your bag.

3. Arrange your handbags by size and/or function and then by color.

4. Use dustbags! Your girl didn’t come with one? Get ye to the closest discount bedding store and buy a bunch of 100% cotton (they are breathable and leather must breathe) pillow cases. Turn over the top, insert a string, sew shut, voila! You have a drawstring dustbag. Even I can do that and you don’t want to know about my sewing skills! Or check out these at Linea Pelle and Bed Bath and Beyond.

5. When possible, add a tag describing the bag (handbag dog tags so to speak) or a Polaroid photo to the outside of the bag or attach to the drawstring so that you can tell which bag is which; otherwise, you’ll find that you keep using the same bags over and over and forget the others and that’s no bueno.

6. I lied, there’s a bonus tip: If you own patent leather handbags do NOT store them next to one another, especially if they are different colors and unless you want your shiny red patent leather handbag to look like a bad 1980’s tie-die-inspired creation, keep your black patent leather away from it….

7. Okay so another tip – Tupperware or Sterilite type of boxes are great for organizing small clutches, wallets and such. Stack them according to size and color but make sure that the box has slits or some way for the purses to breathe – Leather must breathe.

The Lipstick Index

During economic downturns, retail sales suffer and consumers opt for less expensive lifestyles.  But the truly fashionable always have a way to cope with a downturn and we all want to be beautiful.   So, what is the easiest and most cost-effective way to look hot?  Lipstick, darling.  That’s right ladies– go out on a shopping impulse and find the perfect shade for your pout, and the existence of financial troubles would be invisible.  It’s the new way for women to cope with the recession.  (Hmm… is THAT right?)

According to Estee Lauder’s Chairman, Leonard Lauder, lipstick sales increase during hard economic times.  He termed this phenomenon as the Lipstick Index, the economic indicator of a depression.  Lauder affirms that “In stressful times, many consumers are reaching out for those small indulgences that provide momentary pleasure.”  Basically, the premise behind this concept is that when lipstick sales sprout we are suffering from financial despair and we purchase lipstick to mask the melancholy that overwhelms us; we want to plaster the underlying need to feel beautiful by applying lipstick. Let’s call it a financial/beauty pick-me-up if you will. 

To be honest, I’ve never been much of a makeup girl – That is…I don’t get the same adrenaline rush/impulse that I get when I crave a handbag!   My exception to this is my lipstick and my mascara, especially when the lipstick is a Liptini stain (which I was introduced to by the makeup goddess and celebrity makeup and hair artist Terri Apanasewicz) or a luscious Christian Dior.

The beauty of beauty products other than the obvious is that they are some of the most accessible fashion items in a recession.  A tad more affordable than indulging in a Fendi Spy Bag, wouldn’t you say?  Ah, and strategic substitution can also be a girl’s best friend in these trying economic times.  Normally use Lancôme mascara?  Maybe opt for Maybelline mascara instead.  Normally use Smashbox lipstick? Check out your lipstick options at your local RiteAid.  They are almost always aggressively priced and these days they run more sales than your local used-car dealership. Everyone has a take on the lipstick Index. 

Jessica Bennett states in her article, What Does the Lipstick Index Really Say?, “ This recession around, it’s flawless skin—not rosy lips—that has become the female pick-me-up.”  Each to their own…but I must say that a skincare routine is a much pricier investment than 1 lipstick- I’m going on record by saying that taking care of your skin is not only a fashion must, it’s also healthy…Are you wearing SPF by the way?

Glossy, glossy, glossy!

And don’t forget the sage advice of Jerry Seinfeld, “Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept God’s final word on where your lips end.”

Marc Jacobs Fall 2009

God bless the person who invented tights.  They’ve a way of adding a svelte twist to our dressing while also keeping us warm (although that’s rarely if ever needed in L.A).  But like so many other fashion wonders (take leggings and booties for instance) tights can go so wrong, so fast.

So ladies, some tips.  Firstly, do invest in high quality tights.  Cheap ones look, well, cheap.  This doesn’t mean that you need to spend $50 on tights but do take care to notice the quality of the tights and how they look on your legs.

Look for tights that have a good amount of lycra in them so that they hug and support, if you will, your legs.  Unless you’ve legs like Kate Moss, I’d suggest you steer clear of major patterns and light hues, they’ve a tendency to add weight to your legs.  That said, I’ve seen incredibly fashionable women with major curves look rock star in textured tights – Steer toward textures that are vertical versus horizontal, checkered or argyle.  Match your tights to your shoes or boots for a seamless and lengthening effect.  One of the things that I love about tights is that not only do they have a slimming visual effect (if they are the right type of tights) but the ones with control top can work wonders for slinky dresses that need the perfect silhouette or slacks without lining.

Some things to keep you from being a tights fashion disaster –  Wearing tights is not an excuse to wear “Hellloo my bootie’s name is” minis or dresses.  Yesterday I was enjoying my Pho dinner and almost fell out of my chair to watch a girl prance across Main Street, bootie flying around for the entire world to see.  Lucky for her, she had a great bootie, the bad and the ugly for her is that she looked like she’d forgotten to wear her skirt.  As my father used to say “that girl is wearing a belt for a skirt.”  Don’t be that girl. 

I’m just not feeling it with the stirrup tight thing either.  It has a little too much “hootchie” in it for it to be truly fashionable.  There are the few, the bold, the incredibly artistic and young that could carry this.  All’s the rest of ya’ll…beware this fashion trend.

Trendy Tights

Okay, so it’s almost Fall, the days are getting shorter and I’ve noticed an unusual amount of women wearing leggings and boots – Which I have so say “You’re kidding right?  It’s like 90 degrees still!”  Which brings me to my point-It may be almost Fall and you’ll have received VOGUE’s September Issue heralding the advent of Fall, but sistahs it’s seriously still summer hot!

So let me dive into a summer wardrobe discussion.  Every woman’s summer wardrobe should consist of tanks, shells, tees, shorts (these really depend on your lifestyle and age, as not everyone can really wear shorts and not get a fashion disaster ticket), skirts, rompers (again, caution on the age and occasion appropriate), and various styles of dresses including maxi dresses.  And I’m indulging in a Summer wardrobe discussion for two other reasons, I’m heading off to the uber hot heat of the beach for my honeymoon so I want to think about what to pack and with Summer coming to an end, this is the time to shop at serious discounts….Get ye shopping!

When selecting summer outfits, choose breathable and light materials.  For instance, fabrics such as cotton, jersey or silk organza give you the impression of barely being there, which in this heat, is a sensation I long for. 

Summer also calls for a declaration of color.  Trendy colors come and go every season, so when investing in summer basics spend more money on true and tried basic colors and stick to less pricey options in the trendy colors.  As with any wardrobe investment, choose items that are age, occasion and lifestyle appropriate.  Consider light and soft hues-White is a prominent color during summer seasons; it’s a particularly chic and regal color (I’m all for looking like a Princess). 

Chic White Pants

Maxi dresses, rompers, and one-pieces are another fabulous way to remain cool and comfortable. These ultra chic options can be worn day or night.  Accessorize with provocative statement pieces and you’ve an outfit that looks like it’s stepped out of the pages of Harper’s.

For a casual weekend look, tees and tanks are the easiest to pair with skirts and pants.  Now, just because it’s hot doesn’t mean I’m promoting that you look like you just rolled out of bed so when you wear tanks and tees, dress them up by layering several gold chains or silver chains (layering is so chic), throw on a cocktail ring, grab your favorite statement handbag and some leather sandals and you’ve a causal, cool yet put together outfit.   After all, we always want to seem as if our fashion perfection is effortless, just like a MOD (Model Off Duty). 

Since I can remember, it’s been a ritual before going to sleep to ask myself the question, “What am I going to wear?” And if I didn’t plan it out the night before then it was the same question in the morning, which brings me to not only what we wear but “who” we wear.  By “who” I mean the designer of course.   For instance, let’s take the red carpet.  Envision a plush red carpet ignited with paparazzi flashes and celebrities sauntering down with an air of exalted confidence only to be asked the brilliant and buzzing question, “Who are you wearing?”  We are now not only wearing animals, but people. Well, the names of people but people nonetheless or more accurately, their brand.  It’s all about who you wear these days, so much so that the basic rules of dressing seem to have been left behind.

Do we care more about what we are wearing or who we are wearing? If you subscribe to the latter, and you’re a “Labelista”, think outside the box when dressing and accessorizing.   The “leave some things to the imagination” motto of our mothers’ day holds true.  When it comes to designer clothing and accessories you don’t need to be so obvious and flashy.  Unless you are getting paid to wear these labels, there is no use in being a walking advertisement.  So how do you keep your designer labels and leave things to the imagination? If you’re shelling out cash for some designer shoes, skip Gucci’s monogram pumps and peep the red sole of some Christian Louboutins. These baby’s are gorgeous, classic pumps and unmistakably designer.  The red sole says it all without saying anything.

Another option, mix high- and low-end designers-This fall, ditch the Burberry trench for an H&M coat. Pair it with Louboutin pumps complete with a-not-so-obvious designer bag like the Marc Jacobs “Stam” and Voila! You stay loyal to your designers without yelling “LABELS!”

Most of us don’t walk the red carpet and Melissa Rivers isn’t asking us who you’re wearing. Like mama said “Leave things to the imagination”.

For anyone not around in the 1960’s, the term “Mod” doesn’t necessarily mean anything.  When I grew up it was often used to refer to avant-garde fashionable types.  We used the term when describing the appearance of cool or chic people who usually dressed all in black, with crisp and structured lines, sleek haircuts and black sunglasses.  Very London.  So it’s not a surprise that the term came about in the 1960’s in London amongst cliques of London youngsters who had inclinations toward new fashions, slim-cut Italian fashions and modern jazz.  But now there’s a new meaning to Mod and it’s actually an acronym for “Model off Duty”.  What does this mean?  It means that when you walk out the door you look so chic it’s break taking but the look is so unassuming it’s as if you didn’t even bother to look in the mirror.  And why on earth would you look in the mirror after all?  You’re paid the big bucks because you’re gorgeous.  Think Kate Moss, Bianca Brandolini d’Adda, Lily Donaldson, Agyness Deyn,  and Caroline Trentini.   

Model Lily Donaldson

Now for the rest of us earthly creatures, we must rely on subterfuge, stylist tips and tricks, and down-right scrappy ingenuity to achieve the MOD look.   But chickies you can, if you want to.  It’s not necessarily about being a stunning beauty, although having 180 cm of almost all leg really doesn’t hurt.  As I’ve said before, it’s how you carry yourself, your confidence in being a woman, and a dedication to understanding silhouettes and design.  With these things you can achieve a MOD look.  Some of my favorite suggestions for Spring 2009 follow.  And by the way, a lot of these looks don’t need to be uber high fashion, head down to Santee Alley, The FIDIM store in downtown L.A., rifle the sale jewelry box at Banana Republic, shop the discount stores online – Looking MOD is much easier when you’ve a huge checking account but by no means does it require you to be a millionaire.  Case in point, check out the youngsters that attend FIDIM in downtown L.A.  Trust me, these kids rarely have a couple of dimes to rub together and they can pull MOD off. 

Claudia Endler Wide Cuff www.claudiaendler.com

Chunky bangles.  Think African- or Asian-inspired.  And layer them.  I love thick wire bangles that you can stack.  Check out bangles at Tejani or Claudia Endler.  Tejani has super small sizes too for you tiny girls.

Looking to be brave?  If your physique can carry it off…mix patterns.  Some of the most chic outfits I’ve ever seen are mixed patterns. 

Block patterns – Look for color block prints that are layered in funky ways.  Where to find these?  Check out stores such as Zara, H&M and Forever 21.

Gucci Spring 2009

Crazy shoes – crazy heels!  Okay this is the time to indulge in off-the-hook high heels and funky shoes.   Work it while it’s hot.  One of these days we’ll go back to boring and boring (hopefully not).  And for the sake of your ankles as well as for making the MOD look appear credible, learn to walk in massive heels, or you’ll ruin the effect.

To look super chic and very  Balenciaga, flaunt clothing with zipper accents.  Very 1980’s punk and new wave.  Oh Hello WHAM!

www.bananarepublic.com

Big necklaces.  Make a statement!  Layer multiple long strands or short strands for a Coco Chanel feel.  But don’t forget to do what she used to do before going out – Remove one piece of jewelry.   For layering options check out the May Yeung Spring 2009 Collection, classic and timeless, you can mix and match these babies for multipe ROI.

How do you look gorgeous and chic in this economy? I was thinking about that as I read a VOGUE article. It featured a group of Manhattan “It” girls and their “swap party”. Which by the way, this is one awesome way to save money for Girl’s Night Out – Grab 10-15 friends, set a theme for the food (like Italian or Tapas), and ask the girls to bring food and wine for a potluck dinner. Then ask each friend to bring a seriously viable fashion piece that they are willing to swap out. Ladies, this excludes the platform shoes that you wore in high school and you want to ditch after you did your closet Spring cleaning this year. I’m talking truly fashionable and viable. Consider setting a price point as well. This is best to do with friends with wardrobes that are fairly well-stocked and who happen to have similar lifestyles, otherwise you run the risk of no one swapping anything out!

Anyhow, after reading this article, I was struck by the incredible difference in how people view saving money, or cutting back in this economy.   For instance it seemed like such a “wow” factor to the “It” girls that they were swapping out a Balenciaga for a Maison Martin Margiela versus most women cutting back on a weekly man-pedi.  It all comes down to your individual hedonistic barometer I guess!

Balenciaga Jacket

In general I’m always so appreciative of the lengths that women will go to preserve their beauty and fashion regimens. Another funny result of the recession – Did you know that plastic surgery is down but dermatologist procedures such as Botox are up? Makes sense – It’s cheaper to get stabbed by botulism in a syringe than get a facelift. Hmmm…they are really roughing it. At the risk of continuing this thread and sounding judgmental (odd for this blog, right?), here are my top ten tips to save money a la Recessionista:

1. Facials: Rather than spending $150+ at the local beauty salon, buy a mud masque from your favorite brand. I love the Intelligence Exfoliating Masque from Arbonne, Borghese’s Fango Active Mud mask and The Body Shop’s Warming Mineral Mask. Or make one at home:

a. General Moisturizing: To moisturize, take half an avocado, half a carrot (cooked and shredded), three tablespoons of organic, unsweetened yogurt, and a teaspoon of finely chopped parsley. Mix all the ingrediants, let them sit for 5-10 minutes and then apply for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water, apply a toner and moisturizer.

b. Oily Skin: Mix ½ cup of crushed strawberries with ½ cup of organic, unsweetened yogurt. Let sit in the fridge for a ½ hour. Apply for 20 minutes and rinse.

c. Dry Skin: One banana, one tablespoon organic honey and a few drops of fresh lemon. Blend together and apply for 15 minutes, then rinse.

OPI Cuticle Oil

2.  Nails: Yep. It’s a no-brainer, and super easy. Do your own nails. Just fit it into your TV schedule – TIVO and nails baby! I recommend the cuticle oil from OPI and their Avoplex hand and foot cream.

3. Spa Experience: Rather than going to the spa, do your own body treatments. Grab some salt, mix with almond oil or your favorite lotion – Voila! You have a salt scrub. You can do the same by the way with sugar. I like to mix a little bit of sugar in my Philosophy liquid soap. Want something more relaxing? Soak in the tub. This seems to have become a lost art. Find some candles, put on some awesome music and soak until you prune sistah! I love to do this with an engaging book. Only problem is that my cat keeps interrupting me by falling into the tub…what is it that they say about curiosity killing the cat? Was curiosity’s name Viviana Rueda by any chance?

4.Facial Peels: I can’t go without my exfoliating peel. Not only is it insanely reasonably priced but it keeps any breakouts at bay and keeps my skin looking fresh. I also like Clinique’s Turn-Around Radiance peel.

Clinique Turnaround Radiance Peel

5. Hair Cuts and Color: If you’ve a $250/per month highlight habit, well this may be a tough one for you. The rest of you can consider color out of a bottle (oh my God! How 1960’s!). Seriously there are some great products out there and they are mostly under $15! Consider visiting your local Vidal Sassoon or Paul Mitchell school. Did you know you can get a haircut for under $25 from a stylist with YEARS of experience? I know who you can do this with….Just email me if you are interested because if I put his name on the world wide web he’ll probably kill me!  Contact me via our “About” page on our blog.  Needless to say, there are many talented individuals teaching at these salon schools and they can cut just as good as your $175 person.

6. Staying in Shape: Not everyone is a runner. If you are…well, it’s free, get out and hit the pavement, what do you need a $100+ gym membership for chickie? Not a fan of running? Hop onto Amazon.com and buy yourself some yoga, mat pilates or weight lifting videos. You really can workout at home, and you won’t need to “look good” while working out at home so don’t worry about blowing money on your workout clothes!

7. Shopping: Rule number one – never buy something that isn’t on sale. In this economy you have to be patient. Just sit back and wait. It’ll go on sale. And hop onto sites like Ideeli, and Gilt. If you are fashion obsessed and really insist on that level of shopping, why on earth would you pay full retail? You need to be invited to get into these online shopping communities.  So suck up to your favorite fashionista for an invite.  She’ll be a member, I promise you.

8. More on Shopping: Work it online girls! There are so many online sales going on right now! Make sure you check out coupon sites like Retail Me Not.

9. Shoes: Do you live in Los Angeles? Hit up Santee Alley for cool and trendy shoes. Don’t pay fashion designer prices for goodness sake, they are TRENDS, aka those shoes won’t stay in style for the long term so why invest in them? But please stay away from the fakes, buying fake brands is bad Karma girlfriends.

10. Dry Cleaning: If you are on a budget stop buying fabrics that are “Dry Clean Only”. There are billions of fabulous fabrics out there that you can hand wash or machine wash and they look chic too.

Have an awesome Recessionista tip or trick ?  Share your favorites in our comments box – Giving is getting – Pay it forward!