Life & Style Exclusive: Designer or Deal?

Pictured: One Tree Hill Star Jana Hills chic n’ cheap look in this week’s Life & Style Magazine

These photos are from the Jan. 25th issue of Life & Style Magazine. TV star Jana Hill is the model, and guess what….I am the fabuless style commentator. I’m sharing not to brag (well maybe just a little) but to let you in on a good deal. Jana was outfitted in two similar outfits featuring a faux fur leopard jacket, a stylish T-shirt, black tuxedo pants and super cool gold pumps. One look is completely made up of high-end designer looks and costs over $1,500 US.
The second look is from discount stores and costs only $133.00 US for all the pieces. Can you guess which photo is which? Let me give you a little clue. The first photo is the chic n’ cheap look.

Pictured: One Tree Hill Star Jana Hills chic n’ steep look in this week’s Life & Style Magazine

Photo number two, pictured above is the more expensive look featuring these pieces: Alice + Olivia jacket, $386, shopbop.com;Moschino Cheap and Chic T-shirt, $265, moschino.com; Jean Paul Gaultier pants, $695, bergdorfgoodman.com; and Georgina Goodman pumps,$266, endless.com. The pieces are beautiful (except maybe the T-shirt, which is just trendy.) I’m sure the fit of the designer items is amazing and the fabrics are top notch. But, as cute as this look is, it’s not made up of pieces that everyone can afford. The first photo, is of course The Recessionista’s top pick. Photo number one is the one The Recessionista is standing behind 🙂 That’s the cheap and chic look. It is made up of : a Forever 21 Leopard jacket, $35, T-shirt, $11, and pants, $18, forever21.com plus Jessica Simpson pumps, $69, from endless.com. The price differential is a mere $1,479.00. Ka’ching savvy shoppers!

With winter here, I am loving a little faux fur as a topper. It adds a touch of luxury for less. Based on price, as well as my love for cruelty free fashion, I choose faux fur over the real thing. Here are a few tips about buying faux fur. You must choose carefully to avoid something that looks cheap. Here’s my take on the fake:

• The best faux furs closely resemble the natural animal furs they are supposed to be based on like mink, chinchilla, leopard, or lynx. I also like faux furs that most closely resemble natural colors. Pay attention to the dye of the faux fur and the feel of the faux fur.
• The better pieces are not in flashy colors with dye that is already staining the lining of the coat. They are also soft to the touch, and if they have a collar, it is able to maintain its shape.
• If your faux fur has a crazy zig zag print or is mauve, it screams cheap fake. Take a look at the real thing (a picture) and then buy a close replica.
• Also, try not to mix faux fur types. I don’t think the mix of say a faux fox collar with a faux lynx or chinchilla coat or vest works very well.
• If it looks like “big foot” or something that was taken from a wooly mammoth, run from it!

Here are some more faux fur looks I like that are well priced and luxurious looking.

Pictured: Nordstrom’s Du Monde Faux Mink Jacket is top rated by customers and is on sale for $59.00

Pictured: Newport News Leopard-print cropped jacket for approx. $45.00 on Amazon.com

Pictured: An oldie but a goodie, Behnaz Sarafpour’s Target Ebony Persian Lamb Jacket. I’ve had this since 2007 and I love it.

Faux Persian Lamb is one my favorites. H&M, Macy’s and others have carried Faux Persian Lamb styles. Also, check vintage stores, Goodwill and eBay for something like Behnaz’s Target jacket. It’s a classic. Norm Thompson is carrying a similar style now for only $67.00 that is top rated by customers. This style is available in Misses and Petites.

Picture: Norm Thompson’s Persian Lamb Jacket

Also check out cashmere or even faux cashmere sweaters with faux fur collars and trim on sleeves. The faux fur trim on a sweater or cardigan can add a luxury touch for even less than a jacket. The Jaclyn Smith collection from Kmart has some stylish ones for very low prices.

Check out this week’s Life & Style (Kourtney Kardashian is on the cover) for more cheap and chic looks. The four page photo spread with actress Jana Hill shows styles from Zara, TopShop, American Eagle Outfitters, Gap, Express and Lord & Taylor. It’s an excellent tip sheet for when to splurge and when to save. Take the magazine with you to the store to find the items. I can never find anything at Forever21 without showing the picture to the sales clerk. I swear, I need a GPS device or a guided tour from fellow blogger The Budget Babe to shop at Forever21! I have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs in the store just so I can find my way back out.