As you well know, I am all about fashion on a limited budget, and making the most out of all the money saving resources I have. Before making any purchases online, I always visit RetailMeNot.com, the very best site for coupon codes. I've saved so much money over the years by making sure I never missed out on free shipping or an extra discount with the help of RetailMeNot.
So of course I was very excited when RetailMeNot invited me to take part in their Fall Fashion Challenge! Several other bloggers and I were given $150 to shop a fall trend and put together three looks, incorporating it into work, evening and casual wear. You can see how everyone styled their trends at RetailMeNot's blog The Real Deal, How to Wear: Best of Fall Fashion.
The Fall trend I'm styling is a classic that is always huge - denim.
A well fitting, versatile pair of jeans is worth spending a little bit of money on, and since purchasing denim can be a challenge when you can try on a whole stores worth, I was feeling even more intimidated by the idea of buying online. I decided to check out Lucky Brand, since it was Labor Day weekend when I did the bulk of my shopping and RetailMeNot had them listed as having an extra 40% off sale items.
Lucky Brand lets you choose jeans by body type, and once I determined I was slightly curvy, I selected this pair of dark skinnies and crossed my fingers. Thankfully, aside from obvious length issues, they fit perfectly! I ended up getting the jeans for half off the list price, and I'm hoping I'll be able to wear them until the cost per wear gets down to pennies.
For my causal look, I picked up this cute tee from Target's FEED collaboration. For some reason this line had not yet been put on clearance online, even though it had in the store, so it was still full price at $18. Fortunately I was able to take advantage of a 20% Labor Day off promotion and get it for $14.40.
My other purchase for this look was the leopard fold over clutch from the Gap. This clutch sold out ridiculously fast. I actually missed out getting it during the Labor Day promotion, and then obsessively checked their site all day the following Tuesday until the blessed thing came back in stock. There was a new promotion going on for 30%, so I was able to get it for $35, which worked out to only be a few dollars more than it would have been over the weekend.
Chambray, or as it should be know, the jeans of tops, is my office wear star. I'd had my eye on this Target chambray blazer for a while, and since I was able to get it for $17, nearly half off the list price, I decided it would be a good choice. I love the idea of a casual fabric in a structured pice. It's a really great way to incorporate the denim trend into work wear, especially if you work somewhere that has a more strict dress code.
Finally, in my going out look, I've taken the same jeans and added sequins, glitter, and leather. The nights start to get freezing in the Fall, and I'm more likely to trade in my dresses for denim. The jeans, un-cuffed and with heels take on a whole new look, and of course the leather moto jacket pulls it all together.
Lucky Brand Lola Skinny Jeans Originally $120 on sale for $100 plus an extra 40% off clearance = $60
Target Chambray Blazer Originally $35 on sale for $21 plus an extra 20% off = $16.80
Target FEED Tee Originally $18 with an extra 20% off = $14.40
Gap Leopard Foldover Clutch Originally $49.95 with 30% off using code GAPSAVE = $34.97
(sold out, but this one at The Limited looks just as nice!)
(sold out, but this one at The Limited looks just as nice!)
Total before tax and shipping = $126.17
Final total with tax and shipping = $148.62
This post is sponsored by RetailMeNot who provided me with $150 to shop for the items featured here. My views, opinions and sartorial choices are my own.
