While in Amsterdam we spent a lot of time walking around, taking in the sights and visiting the museums. We also did a little bit of drinking and partying but this is not that type of blog so we will leave those stories for later. One of our favorites stops was the Heineken Museum. I really thought it was going to be cheesy and boring but I actually had a good time. (Maybe the beer that we were drinking had something to do with that).  

I know it is freezing cold here in NYC and the northeast however I cannot avoid wanting to look forward to spring and summer. Now with the winter sales in full swing it is a great time to score some goodies that can be worn when the temperatures start to warm up. My biggest summer go to is the little white dress. This year I am actually looking for a white maxi dress  (does that count?). Here are some dresses I found that are on sale now but would be great for the spring/summer. Best thing is they are all under $50. 

I have been fighting the monochromatic trend for a while. It just seems like something that I am going to regret in the future. I ended up succumbing to the trend by accident. It was a very early and dark morning and I could not find my trusty black work blazer for the life of me so I grabbed the first thing I could find and this is what I ended up with. Guess what? I kinda like it. Let's talk about the pieces. The sweater is actually from Forever 21. I used to hate Forever 21 and swore against it. It is still not my fave store to shop but sometimes I am surprised by what they have to offer so it has made it to my approved list. The pants are Theory and can I tell you how I got these pants for $20 bucks. Yup.. They were on clearance for $39 at Lord & Taylor plus an extra 50% off.  You will be surprised what you can find in the clearance rack with a bit of patience. I am pretty sure this outfit cost me about $50 head to toe not including the jewelry. You know I love me a deal. 

Shop the Look:
Sweater: Forever 21. Similar here or here
Top: No Brand. Sorta Kinda Similar here or here
Pants: Theory. Similar here or here
Shoes: Guess. Similar here or here

Today i am linking up with Style Elixir. 

Recently I had an opportunity to visit Amsterdam for the very first time.  When I was packing for my trip I had a hard time trying to figure out what to wear. I have never been to Amsterdam and wanted to be comfy and stylish but not over the top. I decided to keep things casual with a pair of flat Prada boots (that I bought for about $200 at the Saks semi-annual sale this past summer) and my Yankee fitted.  This was my uniform for pretty much my entire trip through Europe. 

Even though I didn't go into it too much one of my New Year's goals is to simplify my life and that includes my wardrobe.  I have way too much crap and instead of making my life easier it is making things harder. I find myself spending hours staring at my closet only to reach for the same black skinnies and knee high boots that I wear everyday. Now I am wondering why do I have all this stuff if I am not even wearing it.  Because of this I am now following a 1 in 2 out rule. For every item of clothing I buy I must donate at least 2 items. So far it has been a challenge but I am going to keep at it for as long as I can.  Not only will it help to me simplify and refine my wardrobe but hopefully someone can benefit from all the barely worn stuff that is just sitting in my closet collecting dust. How are your New Year's goals coming along? What actions are you taking to stick to your goals? 

Shop the Look
Jacket Uniqlo available here. Similar here or here
Scarf No Brand. Similar here or here
Jeans Levis available here. Similar here or here
Boots Prada. Similar here or here. 

We are almost half way through January and I am already getting further and further away from my new years' resolution of buying less shoes. (I have already purchases three pairs.. eekk). For almost a year now I have been looking for a pair of silver pumps and although I had my eye on the ones above from Jimmy Choo I could not reach deep enough in my pocket to spend $600  on a pair of shoes that in my opinion are a bit trendy. I finally found them at the Jimmy Choo outlet in Woodbury and even at half price after trying them on I still could not bring myself to buy them. I decided to try to find an option under $50 that were still a decent quality but were not going to break my budget. Here are a few options that I found. Which ones are your favorite? 

Its award season which is always an exciting time of year for me. I love to see what everyone is wearing on the red carpet so then I can come up with the challenge of trying to find a similar look on a "Poor in a Private Plane" budget. Also with two weddings this year I am hoping for some inspiration to put together some great looks. Last year I posted about a dress that I found  on Asos and was very similar to a dress thatI Amanda Seyfried wore at the Golden Globes. Although I have not documented it I have worn this dress so much over the course of the last year and cannot wait to pull it out again. I even got a version in pink. In celebration of award season I had to share this again. Over the course of the next few weeks I will be sharing more looks and shopping posts inspired by red carpet looks. Stay tuned. 

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Shop the Look:
Dress: Asos. Similar here 
Shoes: Christian Louboutin Similar here or here

Today I am linking up with: Fashion Informant and Style Elixir

I really wanted to post some outfit pics this week but the combination of cold and lack of camera left me with less than desirable shots. I decided to post them anyway. We have been experiencing single digit temps for the last few days and that coupled with a fair amount of snow makes it really hard to want to leave the house let alone get dressed. I get so frustrated when every outfit I want to wear is not weather appropriate. Thankfully over the course of the last few years I have invested in cords in all colors. They are warm and definitely give me that pop of color when I am in a bit of a winter style rut. BTW I paid about 15 bucks for these cords from lacoste about two years ago. Definitely a great deal in my book. 

Get the look: 
Pants Lacoste. Similar here or here.
Sweater Necessary Clothing. Similar here or here.
Shoes Christian Louboutin. Similar here or here. 

It's one of my favorite times of year. It is sale time. I love after holiday sales. It is a great time to stock up on all the stuff that you have been lusting after but didn't get over the holidays. I posted this about a year ago and because I really love the winter after holiday sales and can lose my mind buying stuff I felt it was appropriate to re-post especially since I could use the reminders. 

(1) Shop often but buy sparingly.I will go on shopping binges where I buy buy buy only to discover that I have (a) overpaid (b) already have the item or (c) don't even really like the item. By shopping often you become familiar with trends, how they work with your body, and what things are worth.  Just because something has a 50% off sign on it doesn't mean it is a good value. Also just because something is "trendy" doesn't mean it is going to work with your body type and/or lifestyle


(2) Shop your closet first. Trends are tricky. You see everyone wearing colored jeans and you run out and buy the first pair that fit. Meanwhile in the back of your closet are a pair of awesome purple jeans you bought on a whim a few years ago but  have only worn once (true story). This happened to me. Luckily because I did not obey my first rule I was able to uncover a lot of awesome gems in my closet. Purple jeans and yellow corduroys just to name a few. I was happy and so was my bank account. 

(3) Make a list and stick to it. During my shopping diet I kept a list of all the things I wanted. During the first week I spent most of my day adding items to the list. By the last week of lent I realized that half the items on the list were things I was no longer interested in or things I already owned (refer to rule 2). That being said armed with list in hand I have been able to focus my shopping on things that I REALLY REALLY want instead of just buying random things that spark my interest. Not only is my account looking good for it but it is helping me stay more organized which is in turn making it easier to put together new outfits. 

(4) Know how much to spend. We all want to be seen walking down the street in our red soles but it is really necessary to spend that much money on a pair of shoes?  (If you ask me I will say yes but I am a bit unrealistic at times). The key is to know an item's worth. A pair of black Louboutin pumps that you will wear every single day may be totally worth it. A pair of feather and studded  7 inch heels that you will NEVER wear probably not so much.Even if they were on clearance for 99% off they still would not be worth it.  Do the math. If you spend 600 bucks on a pair of shoes that you are going to wear at least 3 times a week for a year you just paid $3.85 a wear for those shoes. Even if you spend $10 on the aforementioned 7 inch heel and only wear them once you will have paid $10 a wear which is almost 250% more than the $600 pair. I say put the $10 towards something you will actually enjoy. 

(5) Shop alone. I kinda hate this rule but I do best when shopping alone. It is fun to have brunch with the girls (or guys) and then go shopping afterwards. It is fun to try on things that you will never wear and laugh until you are in tears because of how ridiculous you look or try on those extremely expensive shoes that you will never buy just cause. But what happens when your friends "ooohing" and "aaahing" result in you reaching into your purse to purchase those extremely expensive  (and unreasonably high) shoes that are (1) way over your budget and (b) unlikely to ever be worn comfortably in public. When you shop alone you tend to be more focused and realistic. There is no pressure to "impress". If you like something and it works and fulfills all of the above requirements then you buy it and move on. Yeah it doesn't sound like fun but neither does having your credit card denied. 

(6) Follow these rules within reason. If you really really want that $4,000 Chanel bag (and you can afford it) then get it. If you have a pair of red jeans but REALLY want another pair then get them. If you fall in love with a gorgeous ring that is not on your list but you know you can put to good use then buy it. Rules were made to be broken and these rules are meant to be a guide for making better shopping decisions.Using these rules as a guide I am  on my way to being able to afford that $4,000 Chanel bag. 

Having grown up in NYC and not to far from Chinatown I have witnessed the evolution of the counterfeit designer handbag market. When I was in high school me and my friends would head down to Chinatown with about $20 bucks and come back home with the latest Louis Vuitton that we would use to carry our school books on Monday morning. We thought we were sooo cool. Fast forward a few years later (wink) and boy do I know a lot better.  

Recently 20/20 featured a segment on what they called Super Fakes which are fake handbags that can go for upwards of $1200 and look so real that even the experts could be tricked. Now before you rush to Chinatown to score a super fake something everyone should know is that regardless of how good a fake is the purchase of counterfeit goods have been known to support organized crime and other illegal activity. This is the number 1 reason why you will not catch me purchasing a counterfeit handbag EVER. I may be poor in a private plane but I refuse to support illegal activity.   Outside of waiting for Saks semi-annual sale I have found a way to get that real designer bag at a not so designer price. 

Tip 1: Shop Consignment
Consignment stores are gaining more and more popularity and are a great place to find designer goods at not so designer prices.  Grant it you will still pay for the quality but not nearly as much as you would if you went to Saks.  Before buying at a consignment store do your research. Find out about the authentication process as well as any authenticity guarantees they may offer. You can usually find new or gently used pieces anywhere from 20-70% retail.  Some of my favorites in New York City are Second Time Around and Roundabout Resale .

Tip 2: Shop Online
But be very very careful. I am deathly afraid of shopping for designer goods on ebay however there are some reputable sellers out there. Just do your research so you don't end up paying good money for a fake.  My favorite online consignment shop is Yoogi's Closet. 

Tip 3: Shop your friend of a friend of a friend's closet. 
You will be surprise what you may find if you ask around. If you have your eye on a comment handbag such as a LV Speedy for example do not be afraid to ask around. You may find a friend of a friend that has one that she doesn't use anymore and can use the extra cash. 

Tip 4: Hit up Grandma's Closet
Grandma was once young and hip (or might very well still be) so you will be surprised what kind of gems are hidden in her closet. One of my friends came home with some vintage chanel last time she was home. SCORE. You never know. 

Here in NYC and the northeast we are headed into the most brutal months of the winter. The bitter cold combined with the snow, wind and rain makes for a very unpleasant time in NYC. Mind you this is coming from someone that loves the cold and a little bit of snow. This weather always puts me in a bit of a style rut so I decided to find some pieces under $50 that will help to keep me warm and stylish at the same time.