SHE SO CHIC HITS THE NET!!!

"A Girl Should be 2 Things: Classy and Fabulous"
- Coco Chanel

SHE SO CHIC is for that self- professed Fashion Whore. That girl who dreams up outfits to go to the grocery store! Visions of  Barneys Warehouse Sales, the latest Alexander Wang, and the perfect vintage Halston dancing in our sleeping heads.

You can call me SheChic. Think of me as the Coco to your Chanel. Chicness is not just about the label or the price tag. It's the excitement of  finding Donna Karen Couture studded peep toe cha- cha heels for $50 in the most unlikely of places.  Slipping them on with your comfiest beat up jeans and a wife beater...I'm getting all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it! I know all you like- minded fashionistas are thinking you've hit the Motherload. This is a two- way street. I want to know what does and doesn't work for you. Have an incredible find that no one else could possibly appreciate? I wanna know about it! Here's one for you.

Recently I had an interview at a very well known fashion house. It's always hard to know what to wear for an interview but this was particularly tough. I scoured all of my usual haunts with no luck. I was looking to channel a little 80's Ralph Lauren in the Hamptons look. A light weight summer pant suit. Seems simple enough. Not so much. Everywhere I looked there was a sea of black. It seems as though designers think black is always best in these matters. Not so. Throw on some white or cream . Make a statement! I digress, 1 day before the interview I found myself standing in front of NY&Co. Typically known as a "mall store" along the lines of the Limited. When I entered, there was a wealth of non- black suiting available. After finding a "perfect" cement colored silk combo with a longer 3 button jacket I thought I had struck gold. Unfortunately, the pant pulled across the front doing no justice to the carefully constructed pleating. Never one to be discouraged when it comes to shopping, I soldiered on. The sales associate then pointed out a rack of 50% off  pieces. There I discovered a poplin 2 button blazer with a blue and white seersucker lining and matching pant. Score! Needless to say it was perfect and at half off I payed $35 for both. See you just never know. Paired with a $12 navy ,cotton/ silk tank from Banana Republic and brown wooden Kenneth Cole heels it all came together seamlessly (pun intended). Sadly I didn't get the job but Damn I looked good!

WHAT'S AN UNEMPLOYED FASHIONISTA TO DO???

When all was right with the world and I had a fabulous job, I shopped daily. But now, in these somewhat bleak times that seems ostentatious and well a little bit ridiculous. What's a girl to do when she's more fabulous than the contents of her wallet?

First you have to get your mind right. It's hard when you come to the realization that $200 leather leggings are not an option if you also want to have roof over your head! Even the wealthy consider it tacky to spend $1650 on the latest Balenciaga bag in this economic climate. The point being that everyone is downsizing and it happens in our closets as well. I decided to embrace it.

I find solace and inspiration in my favorite free activity, window shopping. What can I say it gives me a natural high. Combing the racks looking at all the pretty things. But I'm not just looking. I'm making a mental note of items I know I can probably find cheaper elsewhere or that I can revisit come sale time. There is nothing better than buying something that I waited for months to go on sale. I feel like I appreciate it more. I feel victorious.

Another underrated resource is the thrift store. I grew up going to places like Opportunity Village and Goodwill with my mom and aunts. Here one person's trash is definitely another's treasure. It requires that you roll up your sleeves and dig but the rewards are endless. You're even doing a good deed because most of these places are charitable organizations.  I own a seriously fierce checkered tweed trench coat that I bought at Savers for $7 dollars. You can't beat that with a bat!

Most of us shop because we're in search of something. Be it the perfect handbag or the elusive skinny jean that actually makes you feel skinny. But the magic really happens when you find that it's also not going to break the bank.