I think marketing counts when it comes to online fashion stores, and Shopbop-- with their Lookbooks, their blog posts, and the way they stylishly present their clothes-- is a pleasure to navigate, even if the credit card stays resolutely in the wallet.
One of the best things about browsing Shopbop is getting style inspiration. A few of my favorite past lookbooks are the "ballet-inspired lookbook" (taking the graceful style of a ballerina and making it so chic and comfortable looking!), "pretty tough" (leather and pretty making the perfect pair :), and this season's summer lookbook.
"On Pointe" lookbook (had me wanting Elizabeth and James' Harlem pants for awhile!)
"Pretty Tough"
Shopbop's Summer 2009 lookbook
But even better than browsing (and coveting) these looks is using the power of inspiration to create the same look for substantially less money! Which I found myself doing eventually. I have a couple case studies to illustrate my point.
Let's take a look at these two styles:
This is the "Pretty Pearl Tee" by Alice and Olivia. I was in New York for the first time at a Nordstrom with my friend Wei and I saw this and wanted it pretty much immediately. I probably wouldn't style it the same way, but it really didn't matter how I would or could style it once I saw the price tag: $195.00.No matter how rich I ever eventually get, I'm not sure if I'm willing to dish out that much money for such a simple concept - the classic elegance that pearls are automatically associated with contrasted with the simple casualness of the t-shirt.
Walking out of the store though, the idea of long strings of pearls stuck with me, evoking images of a young girl playfully experimenting with her mother's old castoffs in the attic in front of a full-length mirror.
The black dresses below are another couple of gems that I became drawn to the more times I found myself navigating to their links throughout the day. However, it wasn't so much the brands or even the craftsmanship I was impressed with-- it was the idea of mixing that casual tee or top with that funky skirt!
The prices on these two dresses are gawk-worthy as well. The one on the right is the hooded ruffle dress by Young Fabulous and Broke at $176.00. The one on the left is the Haute Hippie Tutu dress at a whopping $495.00! (It's on sale now for $247.50. I adore Haute Hippie's style, but really. Really?)
I was going through my wardrobe and I noticed that on some level, sub-consciously, these ideas were swirling around in my head when I was shopping. I found myself not only finding pieces that recreate these looks, but in a way, my versions were more.. me. Which made them better, more original, and most importantly, a heck of a lot less expensive. I also stopped coveting these things that I couldn't afford.
The black dresses below are another couple of gems that I became drawn to the more times I found myself navigating to their links throughout the day. However, it wasn't so much the brands or even the craftsmanship I was impressed with-- it was the idea of mixing that casual tee or top with that funky skirt!
The prices on these two dresses are gawk-worthy as well. The one on the right is the hooded ruffle dress by Young Fabulous and Broke at $176.00. The one on the left is the Haute Hippie Tutu dress at a whopping $495.00! (It's on sale now for $247.50. I adore Haute Hippie's style, but really. Really?)
I was going through my wardrobe and I noticed that on some level, sub-consciously, these ideas were swirling around in my head when I was shopping. I found myself not only finding pieces that recreate these looks, but in a way, my versions were more.. me. Which made them better, more original, and most importantly, a heck of a lot less expensive. I also stopped coveting these things that I couldn't afford.
Starting from the pink tee with the ruffle skirt, there's a punk-y pretty influenceI bought the t-shirt at a Buffalo Exchange in Berkeley, CA for about $4.00 (I swear), and the CHIFFON ruffle skirt comes from www.jstyleshopper.com for about $20 (this will work for you if you are a size 2-4/xs-s). I LOVE the feel of this skirt - it seems solidly made.
A side note about www.jstyleshopper.com: No tax and free shipping if you spend over $100, but I find their clothes hit or miss and the quality of *most*, not all, but *most* of their stuff is lacking. I think they source from Asia. I had to return a bunch of things I ordered from their website. Also, warning: there is only one size for most of their things.
This skirt is an exception though - it's very solid.
Anyway, I personally like the idea of having the ruffles be a skirt as opposed to a dress because you can pair it with whatever you want! Instead of being stuck with the same top because it's attached. Also, I think just pairing it with a black top is boring! There, I said it. :)If you really want to recreate the look from Shopbop, you can pair the ruffle skirt with a black tee or tank and voila-- you have yourself a $200-$400 look for less than $30. I've personally preferred to pair the skirt with a white tee with a simple design, or a loose tank top, or one of those vintage soft "broken in" feeling t-shirts. Such a great casual-but-different look!
As for Alice and Olivia's Pretty Pearl tee, what I did with that concept was find a "boyfriend tee" in that beige color (about $15 at Nordstrom Rack, by Trouve), and I bought two strings of pearls (fake) from Nordstrom Rack. I believe they were $14 each. I also made sure the pearls were of two different pearl sizes.I like the bigger tee better than A&O's shorter tee because I can pair this with long ankle-length leggings and high heels. So much more the "playing with mom's clothes" look that I was going for as opposed to the slightly short length of the more expensive version!
I also found my new wardrobe staple: this beige tank dress (sorry for the foot haha)! I bought it at a boutique in SoHo, New York City, called Amersterdam (which I am in love with!) for I think $27. Pairing it with the pearls, or even knotting one of the strings of pearls (as shown), gives me a variation on this same look.
The great thing about this dress is shorter girls can wear it as a dress, or you can also pair it with leggings for a different look. The leggings do a great job transitioning this piece into fall. Also, belting this dress creates the very forgiving babydoll shape. But again, I'm digressing.
If you take anything away from this article it's this: I'm all for looking to the haute brands and expensive lines and drooling over the models that work those cameras and make it look sooo good - BUT! in my opinion, fashion is as individual a journey as religion is, and everyone is going to have their own ideas about the rules. Go ahead and splurge every now and then on something you love, but in my opinion, the concept of your look is worth much more than the pieces that make it happen.
Next up: Two leather jackets, stockings and a belt make me look forward to the fall...
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