Splurge v. Save: Stuart Weitzman Nudist

The Stuart Weitzman "Nudist" was seen on countless celebs in the last year...even J. Law loves them. 

They come in 15 colors (like these beauties in jade suede) and range in price from $398 - $475, which isn't exactly cost effective...unless you've got a box office hit coming out this summer. 

So here are a few budget-friendly options. 

Sam Edelman "Eleanor" Sandal - $129.95

Steve Madden "Stecy" Sandal - $79.95

Enzo Angiolini "Manna" Sandal - $59.90

See, you and J. Law are mor

Splurge vs. Save

Today's "Splurge vs. Save" isn't a traditional post in that I'm not going to compare to different items. Instead, I am going to show you how you can get the same item at nearly half the retail price. 

How could you not like that kind of proposition?

We all love Hunter boots. The Mini Fashionista has a pair, but I actually don't. That might change soon. The Original Tall Hunter Boot sells for $140…kind of a lot for a rubber boot! 

Here's where the big SAVE comes in…if you are a Costco member, you can get the same boots for only $79.99 on Costco.com! 

All you need to do is go online, register with your Costco member number and a pair of Hunter boots can be yours for a fraction of the retail price.

Not a bad deal!

Splurge vs. Save

I love the big watch trend. I've definitely taken some liberties with my husband's watches and incorporated them into my accessory rotation. Of course a Rolex Submariner would be nice to wear every day...but at several thousand dollars, and that's just a starter, unless it was left to you by your grandfather it's not likely in the cards.  

Enter Michael Kors. The guy made a timely entry into the market. When's the last time you walked down the street and didn't see a girl sporting an oversized MK, complete with arm party. Exactly. So if your pocketbook isn't up for the splurge of the Rolex, these might be just the thing to keep you looking on trend and on time. 

Blake

Large Lexington

Blake

Splurge vs. Save

Back in April you may remember how I won a set of dining room chairs from Industry West (post here). I had thought I would paint them to add a bit of color to the room, but instead I think I am going to have cushions made...I'll be sure to share once I do.

Back to the point of this post. These chairs, as well as others in this style, from Industry West sell for around $150 each! So four of the Marais Arm chairs would cost you $600!

Enter this week's save! You can get the same style chairs at Target, and you get two chairs for only $99! The Carlisle Dining Chair comes in Red, Copper and distressed metal!

They also have bar stools that come in a variety of colors and are also two for $99! 

Carlisle Metal Bar Stool

So, if you are looking to update your chairs or bar stools, these are a really fun and affordable option!

What I Wore

This past weekend I had the opportunity to wear some of my recent purchases! First, on Friday night we dined at our favorite Portland restaurant, Caffe Mingo. The weather was amazing, so we enjoyed dinner al fresco! The Mini and I especially liked the apple crisp dessert.

Back to the outfits. I wore my Joe Fresh lace shorts from JCP (seen previously here), Ralph Lauren sweater from Consign Design and my Target glitter sandals (seen here and here). 

The light is terrible, but you get the idea. I think next time I will go for a lighter color top.

Then on Saturday I again wore the Target Sandals. This time paired with the Levi's Denim Jacket from Costco (blogged about here), an old J Crew cotton blouse, my LV Speedy30 and Keepall strap (the cost effective solution) and white Gap 1969 Skimmer Jeans. I blogged about this same style in camouflage a while back (here). I ended up returning those and getting the white instead. The fit of these pants is perfect! I want to get them in every color!

Our outing included a trip to Ikea...a perfect place to snap a full-length photo!

The Portland weather has been amazing, so maybe I will be dressing myself a bit more in the coming weeks. 

Splurge vs. Save

The true test of Splurge vs. Save success is if you can tell the which product is the more expensive of the two. So let me put you to the test. These sandals look pretty much the same. The only difference is one costs $50 and the other less than $20? 

So, which is which? 

The first pair is made by Report and costs $50. The second pair is from Target and costs only $16. 99. I blogged about them a few weeks ago (here) and they are all over the "blogosphere". They arrived last week, and I can't wait to wear them! I will be sure to share photos when I do!

Splurge vs. Save

The other night my BFF was over for dinner with her husband. Both of us have the LV Speedy 30, and a few years ago she got a thin strap for hers so she can wear it across her body.

My +1 and I are taking a trip to San Francisco in June (without the Mini Fashionista), and I really would like to carry my LV bag since it's not practical for everyday wear with the Mini. That said, I get tired of carrying it on my forearm, especially now since I've developed "tennis elbow" from carrying my 28lb child!

I suggested to my +1 that a strap would make a wonderful Mother's Day Gift. I figured it wouldn't be that costly, but I was wrong. They are over $200 for the thin, simple strap! No surprise...LV isn't exactly budget friendly. After my +1 gasped in horror, and kindly reminded me that I am not actually his mother and that I have plenty of luxury vinyl, my friend suggested I use the strap from my LV Keepall instead.

I quickly ran to my closet, grabbed the strap, and presto chango, for no additional cost (notice I didn't say "no cost"), I have a strap for my speedy 30! Both my friend and I agreed that it looks pretty great!

Clearly the strap hasn't been used much as it looks brand new. I better get working on that.

So, moral of the story... I could have splurged and bought a very expensive strap, but instead I shopped in my closet and found an even better solution! Thanks SKC for the idea! You are the best, and not just because you came up with this great idea!

P.S. A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Mini Fashionista who is 2 years old today! And she's already accessorizing. This girl is like her mom and her aunt and LOVES Angela Caputi!

Splurge vs. Save - Blingy Baubles

I love colorful jewelry. It's the perfect way to take a basic outfit from drab to fab. And the best part is that you can get it at any price, from Bauble Bar to DANNIJO.

Here are three statement necklaces I love.

Bauble Bar Fuchsia Snow Bib - $42

Loren Hope Clara Necklace in Lilac - $265

DANNIJO Hixson - $522

And, because I'm a bracelet lover. I'd be remiss if I didn't give you a few arm party options. 

Bauble Bar Ivory Amazon Cuff - $34

Loren Hope Petra Cuff - $68

DANNIJO Tali - $242

Now the question remains, will you splurge or save?

Splurge vs. Save

D'orsay flats are definitely one of the top shoes of the season. They are chic, versatile and functional, but not all are very affordable. This pair from Vince is $295, which is a bit much for my pocketbook. 

Here at C&C we love to offer affordable alternatives to the expensive things you covet, so here they are! These Chinese Laundry d'orsay flats are only $59.95!

They also come in Yellow! 

Which would be a great alternative to these from Jennie Kayne which are $450!

Will you be wearing d'orsay flats this season?

Splurge vs. Save

Last week I saw a woman wearing these adorable Hunter flats! They are super cute, but unless you live in Portland like I do, you might not wear them enough to justify the $115.

LL Bean offers an affordable alternative for only $70!

So, what do you think, splurge or save?

Splurge v. Save + What I Wore

Silk blouses are a great staple in any wardrobe. They can be dressed up or down and have a clean and polished look. When it comes to finding the right one the J. Crew Blythe blouse is definitely a winner.

It comes in an array of colors and is moderately priced at $110. Right now you can get select colors on sale for $59.99. 

The Equipment Signature Blouse is another great option, but is on the high-end at $208. Equipment really knows how to use great textiles...so one could be worth the splurge for just the right piece.

But, if you're looking to try out the style and don't want to commit, the Old Navy Roll-Cuff blouse is a great alternative. And as low as $22.50, you really can't go wrong, even if you only wear it for one season. I recently used a 20% coupon to buy two - one in bright nite and the other in minty fresh. Here's how I wore them to work.

Do you have a favorite silk blouse?

P.S. Don't forget you have until the end of the month to save 10% at Serena Italian Imports using the code "fallcardicouture"! 

What I Wore - Napa Wedding Weekend

Nearly two weeks ago, my +1 and I took our first vacation together without the Mini Fashionista. We spent four fabulous days in Napa, Ca wining, dining and celebrating the wedding of our friends. I spent a lot of time planning my weekend wedding wear, so I thought I would share a few of my outfits.

1) Travel clothes: Zara blazer, Old Navy striped blouse (which I blogged about here), Zara jeans and Cole Haan Wedges.

2) Wine tasting: Tory Burch blouse and shorts (Consign design) and Target wedges. 

3) Sunday Brunch- Polka dot J Crew dress (borrowed from my dear friend SW), NY&Co wedges (from Seams to Fit) and Kate Spade Franca cat's eye sunglasses. 

For the wedding I was so close to getting a dress from Rent the Runway, but I decided to shop in my own closet and save the money. Instead I wore this Trina Turk that I've only worn once (nearly four years ago). I paired it with my gold Ferragamo Sandals (also from Consign Design) and an Angela Caputi chain link bracelet. It's not my favorite dress, but no one was looking at me anyway.  The bride was stunning in Monique Lhuillier, so I guarantee no one cared about my 4-year old dress!

Splurge vs. Save

Pink and navy is one of my favorite color combinations, so when I saw this Lilly Pulitzer Elsa blouse I knew I had to have it. Then, unfortunately, I saw the price tag, $158. At that point I knew I had to find something like it.

While this Old Navy striped blouse isn't exactly the same, it's close enough, and certainly the right price, only $25. I will be sure to post a "What I Wore" when I wear it! It's actually much cuter than it looks in this photo.

Splurge vs. Save

Copying ("they say"...whoever "they" are) is the finest form of flattery, but then again sometime it's simply copying. In fashion it's commonplace for expensive designer dresses to be replicated for a fraction of the price making the design available to all consumers. Hence one of my favorite blog topics, "Splurge vs. Save"! 

I've been eyeing this Milly Blue Diamond Maxi dress on Rent the Runway, and am considering it for an upcoming wedding. The retail price of the dress was $495 and the rental price is $100, which is not an insignificant amount...

When I saw this dress on Sosie, I immediately knew this was, shall we say, a "compliment" of the Milly dress! For only $81 you could add a fantastic belt and be ready to go!

So what do you think? Splurge or Save?

Anna Wintour Wears...

Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue magazine is a fashion institution. If you follow her style, you'll regularly see her wearing some variation of these gemstone necklaces. Perhaps her signature piece (not the Hermes scarf like in "The Devil Wears Prada")?

For $68, you can be just like Anna Wintour. C. Wonder's Glam Bling Choker Necklace comes in six colors and has a similar look to her neck party. If we knew where hers came from, I'm guessing we could consider this a Splurge vs. Save post!