Tag Archives: shoes

Oh Jeffrey Campbell, how I love thee…

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Alright guys and dolls… if you’ve been following me, you know about Jeffrey Campbell shoes. I was late on the trend, but discovered JC at the beginning of this year and it really was love at first sight! What’s not to love about he variety of textures, fabrics and colors? What’s not to love about the the wedges, the heels or lack there of a heel?! Or what about all those intricate, rich looking embellishments?!

JC shoes are really like pieces of art you can wear. Normally I am not one to frivolously spend on shoes, however I don’t see it as buying up a bunch of shoes. Instead I see it as building up my art collection. Isn’t that a great justification?! Justified or not… I am addicted to JC shoes and may need a family and friends intervention at some point. ;)

I recently added these 3 pairs new pairs to my collection (all on sale of course!):

I definitely need to consider some sort of shelving system because my shoe collection… uhhh, I mean ART collection is out of control!

Do you like any of these and would you dare to wear any of these? The heel less platforms aren’t as difficult to walk in as you might think!

Buy Jeffrey Campbell shoes:

Nordstrom

Solestruck

Karmaloop

A Spot of Tea, Gov’na?

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And by tea… I mean pure, hard liquor. ;)

Let me start by saying this outfit was created around the shoes. My new Jeffrey Campbells. I’ve been creating a lot of outfits lately with gold accessories, and yet I didn’t have the shoes to match, so I’ve been on the hunt for some edgy Jeff Campbells with gold hardware instead of silver. As you may or may not know… JC shoes are rather expensive and these particular shoes I’ve had my eyes on for a while and were originally almost $300. Yikes!!! I checked online a few days ago and what do you know… they are on sale for $185. They were practically screaming at me to buy them. And I was going to buy them, oh yes…. I was going to buy them! Just before I clicked the “commit to buy” button, a thought popped into my head.

Check Craigslist.

First of all, I am a HUGE fan of Craigslist. Craigslist has brought me SO much good in my life and zero bad. Many people are hesitant to use the site because some idiot murderer had to go ruin it for all of us CL fans. I personally have used the site well over 100 times to buy, sell, meet and greet.

So on this merry day, I searched “Jeffrey Campbell shoes” on Craigslist in the Los Angeles area. What do you know… a girl is selling the EXACT shoes I want, in MY size…. AND!!!!!! She lives in Long Beach. It was truly meant to be. She sold me these babies BRAND NEW, still wrapped in the box for $120!!!!! Whaaaaaat?!?!?!? I KNOW! Thank YOU Craigslist!!! Here they are, in all their shiny, metallic, spiked glory:

You’re probably thinking either of two thoughts:

a) WOW! Those are crazy or b) Doesn’t she already have shoes like that?

Yes and yes. They are pretty wild… and sharp, and I do have similar style JC shoes… however the ultimate difference is the gold hardware. One of my fashion rules (and many other fashionistas) is that you simply cannot mix metals. You can’t have a bunch of silver jewelery on, with gold heels. Or vice versa. Pick a metal, and stick to it. Hence why I wanted to add some gold hardware shoes to my wardrobe. You get it.

The blazer is from Ross, $20. The bag is by Big Buddha which I scored for wholesale cost ($36) since I interned for the company. The Union Jack tank I’m wearing is by Forever 21, however I found it at a tiny little sample/factory sale store in downtown LA and paid $5 for it. The lovely little gold circle pins on my blazer are all vintage pieces that I picked up at a flea market in San Francisco.

Meeting with the Gov’na to grab a spot of “tea” at my local piano bar. ;)

I dedicate this post to Craig.

It’s all about the accessories.

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Another plain jane outfit spruced up with accessories! If you don’t already own a plain white, tailored button up shirt, I highly suggest you get one. They go with so many different outfits and looks, indeed a staple item in any fashionista’s closet.

I don’t invest a lot of money in any staple article that is white. With white articles of clothing you have to worry about the three D’s: dirty, dingy and damaged…. all too soon. This shirt I picked up from a local low end boutique for about $10, it’s not the greatest quality, but it fits great and will last me through the next couple seasons.

My jeans are skinny cut Levi’s and they are from Kohls at $40.

How about that belt?! That is one solid chunk of leather and metal. The belt is by Brave. Brave is a leather company that makes women’s and men’s belts and other small leather goods. This belt retails for $120 in stores and online. Of course, I didn’t pay that much! I found this belt at downtown LA’s Friday Sample Sale. Usually at sample sales, the showrooms sell everything at cost (wholesale) price… this belt being $60 wholesale…. but the guy sold it to me for $15!!! Wooo! Major score! I love how chunky and industrial it is.

The ring I’m wearing is a fancy shmancy armor ring that I found at Wet Seal (of all places!) It’s a great statement piece of jewelry.

No purse today, just a little wallet clutch that my girlfriend gifted to me. It’s sparkly black patent leather and the handle is built in “brass knuckles.” Not only does this clutch carry all my cash and cards, but I could bust somebody in the temple if I had to. In self defense of course. ;)

One of the best ways to spruce up a some what dull outfit is to slide on some bold statement shoes! These shoes are by Jeffrey Campbell and are the most expensive part of the outfit (a little bit over $200). Don’t get me wrong… I don’t go spending that much EVER on anything… except the occasional pair of shoes. Shoes are worth it!

Accessories can make your entire outfit go from blah to WOW! In addition, you can take the same basic articles of clothing and create entirely different looks using accessories. Look for an upcoming entry, where I create a whole different style using the same jeans and white button up. Until then, cheers to my lovely readers! I appreciate your views more than you know!

How to shop thrift stores.

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Here’s the thing about me and shopping… I want cool stuff, I just don’t want to pay full price. Accomplishing this goal is a bit of an art, however thrift stores make it soooo easy! Some of my most precious, prized wardrobe pieces are from places like Goodwill or Salvation Army.

I find that a lot of people have two main issues with thrift stores:

  1. They are embarrassed. (Because they don’t want to seem “poor.”)
  2. They don’t know what to look for, and don’t want to rifle through every single thing in the store.

First and foremost, there should be absolutely NO SHAME in thrifting. You should be PROUD of thrifting! I often get compliments on items I’ve found at thrift stores, and I proudly let people know where I got them and for how much, and generally people are shocked. They never thought you could find such “cool” stuff at thrift stores.

For the second issue, I’ve compiled a few tips to help your thrifting endeavors.

1. You’ve got friends right?  (I hope so!) Sometimes it’s hard to figure out “something to do” to hang out with one of your gal pals other than typical dinner/drinks. Thrifting is the perfect hang out time. Make a day of it! Map out a little schedule of a few stores you’d like to go to, and maybe in between grab lunch. You’d be surprised how much of your day will be filled with treasure hunting and laughing with someone you love.

2. Unless you are specifically searching for a shirt or pants, do not bother wasting your time searching these endless racks. Instead look into the areas of higher priced items, such as dresses, coats, jacket or blazers. These sections usually aren’t huge and it’s very possible to find something amazing.

Searching through the dresses, I found this cute little number! It’s navy blue with red piping on the ruffles! I will add a red belt to this and some nude pumps for a great outfit. I got it for 3 dollars!

3. The shoe section is fun because it’s easy to scan. All the shoes are visible right off the bat, so you can quickly scan for anything that catches your eye. I’ve probably purchased over 20 pairs of shoes from thrift stores, and I would estimate that at least 12 of the pairs were brand new… and SUPER CUTE!

An amazing find for costuming. Think She-Ra or a super hero of some kind. I would have bought them, but they were much too small. Obviously not mainstream, but unique and affordable!

I found these bad girls at Salvation Army for 3 dollars. They are sooo cool and different! At first I didn’t like them, but once I tried them on, I knew they had to be mine. They look great with a pair of skinny jeans!

4. Think about other people in your life. We often times go out shopping and see something that is soooo (fill in the blank with your friend’s name), yet we don’t have that extra $$$ to spend. At a thrift store, chances are that item will be only a couple of bucks, and your friend/family will be totally surprised and appreciative.

5. Don’t be fooled, thrift stores are not JUST junk. Sure, there is a lot of junk, but there’s a lot of junk wherever you go. If you take some time to go through you can find brand new, perfect condition items, including brand names. I just purchased a really cool, brand new H&M blazer from Salvation Army. I’ve also seen brands such as Express, Guess, Micheal Kors, TopShop, and Forever 21.

H & M blazer in great condition for 5 bucks!

6. Visit often! Thrift stores stock is always changing due to daily donations. Great stuff goes fast, so you gotta be there to get it! Also, places like Goodwill and my favorite, the Salvation Army have daily discounts. I just visited the Salvation Army and it was 40% off everything in the store.

These tips will help you to make thrifting more fun, and hopefully help you score some amazing finds!

Campbell is the new Louboutin.

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For the girls on a budget anyway…

Jeffrey Campbell shoes have been around since the early 2000′s, however it has been in the past couple of years that they’ve been making waves in the fashion industry. In 2010, Jeffrey Campbell introduced the Lita shoe, which took runways and fashionistas’ closets by storm. In every color, fabric and texture imaginable the Lita and Jeffrey Campbell’s popularity has remained steady.

Jeffrey Campbell “Lita” shoe.

Thanks to designers such as Alexander McQueen and fashion forward celebs such as Lady Gaga, and new shape of shoe has emerged… the heel-less shoe. Jeffrey Campbell has also produced his own signature heel-less platform.You may have seen Gaga sporting these heel-less platforms on the red carpet or even in an airport. They look extremely difficult to walk in, but in fact aren’t so bad.

Alexander McQueen heel less shoe.

As a woman who loves shoes I can only dream of ever owning a pair of Louboutin’s with the signature red bottomed soles. This is why I love Jeffrey Campbell shoes. JC shoes are instantly recognizable and known for their shapes. The best part is they are not out of reach for the girl on a budget. They certainly aren’t low cost… however they aren’t 700-1200 dollars either (like Louboutins.) A pair of JC shoes will run you from 170-300 dollars. Not too shabby. Whether you are investing in one quality pair of shoes up front or saving up for a few months, the JC shoe is totally within reach.

Being a fashion lover since the womb, and adoring shoes above all fashion elements, I finally had to treat myself to my first pair of designer shoes. The first, of hopefully many in the future. Of course they were an impulse buy, and as soon as I tried them on, I had to have them. I found them at a great price (they are sold out everywhere and going for higher than I paid for them on eBay) so I felt like it was meant to be.

These are my new head turners:

I expected people to look and to be in awe, but I did not expect the abundance of neck breaking and jaw dropping that I received when wearing them out. It was sooooo awesome. All the “likes” and “loves” that the shoes earned made them worth the cost. Not just anyone can pull of these particular shoes, however they definitely fit my personality. I can’t wait to wear them out again!

And as usual, yet another article of fashion that doubles as a weapon… my favorite.

And so it begins…

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Here it is! The blog so many people have encouraged me to start. Here it is. Right here. What you are reading. My blog.

Go me!

Apparently I have a knack for style. I’m pretty sure I was born this way. As far back as I can remember I have had a love for playing dress up. I had huge bags of evening gowns from thrift stores, Halloween costumes, and old dance costumes stuffed into my closet. Plus a plethora of sequined headbands, satin opera gloves and worn out high heels much too big for me. Any time I felt the need, I would bust it all out and begin practicing what would become my future artistic skill… styling.

I always thought everyone knew how to style themselves, or at least, that it wasn’t difficult. I never really thought of styling as an art or a skill. Frankly, there are lots of us who can put an outfit together and look fabulous… but there are ALSO a lot of us who can’t!

Take “that one guy” for example… and have you seen his girlfriend?! Ohhh man, they sure need some help in the style department.

Anyone can be “in fashion.” But not everyone has STYLE!

So here I am to unload my personal sense of style onto the internets and hope that someone high up in the fashion industry finds me and pays me lots of money to do what comes naturally.  I would ask for wishes of luck, however I am probably as lucky as I could ever be.