fashion blogging craze

Maybe I’m late to the game, but it seems like ever since I’ve joined pinterest (Caution:joining will severely limit your productivity and you will be inundated with tons of DIY ideas you most likely will never get done) there seem to be many fashion bloggers with rapidly growing groups of followers. I admit, I’m one who has stubbornly clung to a few favorite sites (shout outs and links to follow). What I’ve found in my fashion blogging search is that MANY of the blogs are a) sponsored by luxury and up and coming designers and/or b) written by young women with either access to endless amounts of cash or mounting credit card bills.

Since I prefer to be stylish without taking out major loans or pay 24.99% APR, I’ve assembled a cheat sheet of sorts and my shopping go-to guide for fashion trends you’ll find on these incredible (yet costly) blogs. Stay tuned for more trends, but lets start with the easiest and most fun- Jewelry!

The Pink Peonies-costly, but great inspiration

Trend #1
Stackable Jewelry- bracelets, rings, even necklaces are all incredibly popular. If you’re trying to master the above look, I recommend the following:

1. Bauble Bar
This newly launched website offers the latest fashions for every style, current popular items are neon chains, monogrammed pendants and wrap bracelets.
For the best deal(s) on Bauble Bar: Create an account. You automatically get $10 for your first purchase you make within a week. You will also receive email updates on new designer collections and bauble updates including when items come back in-stock. But the best part is the buried bauble feature. Every Friday (another reason to say “TGIF!”) you will get the hint to a $10 hidden bauble. Find it on the site, and its yours for $10, with free shipping and returns on all baubles, you can’t go wrong. If that wasn’t enough, don’t worry about splurging on a few other pieces because you get $1 in bauble credits for every $10 you spend!!

Just in bracelet sets $28 each!

2. J.Crew Factory
I already know what you’re thinking “Brandi, I thought you said this would be affordable” and I promise, this is. J. Crew FACTORY stores have tons of incredible options for jewelry that can transition between work and date night and I’ll show you how to make it affordable.
For the best J.Crew Factory Deals: Create an account. (sensing a theme here- tons of emails lead to tons of spending, er… saving!) The tricky part here is learning to wait. Every few weeks the Factory store will have a clearance event where you can get 30-50% off tons of items. Now is your time to buy. If you can’t wait, never fear. Ebay! I have bought several J. Crew. items seen below for a fraction of the cost, but beware of fakes from international sellers. If you don’t want to wait for shipping, look up the nearest J. Crew Factory store (located at outlet centers across the US) and look for in-store promos. Super secret hints: Get the coupon book from the outlet center (J. Crew usually has deals like 10% off $100 purchase) or use your college ID for an automatic 15% off. Yep, I use and abuse this privilege all the time.

J Crew Price: $175 My Price: $19.99 (plus S&H)

3. Marshalls/TJMaxx/Ross
Okay, I have to admit I have never bought a single piece of jewelry from any of these stores yet, but seriously shame on me. Last weekend I was browsing my nearest TJMaxx and low and behold the most amazing Michael Kors bracelets you could find. While I peeled myself away from the urge to add yet another MK piece to my collection I noticed other stunning bangles and charm bracelets from Juicy Couture and Jessica Simpson, who has an incredible line of fashion jewelry. So just a warning that I’ll soon be taking my own virginity and diving in to the off-price retailer’s jewelry phenom.

waiting for this $95 MK Tortoise Link baby to go on sale

Here are some of my fav blogs and a shout-out to a fellow Kappa and Ohio-Native turned Pittsburgh-Resident Christina Phillis for some real girl (at real prices) fashion!

Kendi Everyday

Extra Petite

The Pink Peonies (As Seen Above)

Lastly, I promised a shout out to a very special friend and recent blog follower, Grady Wirth. While he may appreciate this particular post less than others, I appreciate his constant support and attitude to live life to the fullest.

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