Archive for the ‘Friends of the NP’ Category
Fashionspiration
Since NP girls need to keep up with their fashion inspiration - what better way then to visit the place where many of today’s designers got their start - FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). The Museum at FIT presents several amazing fashion exhibitions per year and admission is FREE!!! You can join their mailing list to keep up with their schedule. Visit their website.
The next exhibition will be - Isabel Toledo: Fashion from the Inside Out - June 17 through September 26, 2009. If you don’t recognize the name you will certainly remember the chic pale green suit that Michelle Obama wore when her husband was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.
-Marianna
So Rich, So Pretty
“Money is related to class only in the minds of people who have too much of the former, too little of the latter, or none of either.”
-Doug Robarchek
-Devon C.
Walking a Mile in Your Own Shoes
The price is low, but what is the REAL cost of wearing inexpensive shoes?
I can be the first to tell you that I’m always tempted by low-priced shoes. During one particular discount shopping spree, Samantha and I each fell in love with the same style of pumps. Mine were red patent leather and hers were in a suede leopard print. They were so cute and cost only $20. In retrospect, this should have been a sign, but I was being a budget fashionista and I let it slide. I was obsessed with these shoes. I even picked up bright red jewelry to coordinate a full look. It all went to waste. The shoes killed us, and we never managed to leave the apartment in them. We even tried to pawn them off on other friends. That failed. There wasn’t a girl we knew who could take the pain.
If you want to know the serious damage bad shoes can do to your podiatric health, just ask Samantha’s left middle toe. Yes, that toe feels nothing, all because of one fateful decision to wear discount costume shoes for Halloween. After an evening of running up and down on the street in giant crowds of drunken, barely costumed revelers while wearing said stilettos, Samantha’s feet got angry, and for payback, her toe decided it longer felt like feeling the pain. Flash forward four years and that toe is still sad and numb, as a constant reminder not to skimp on shoe purchases.
They say beauty is pain but that can’t be true if you can’t properly strut down the street because of it. After buying several pairs of way-too-discounted shoes, I have come to realize that I almost always find myself going out to find similar styles that are of better quality, so I wasted the original low-cost purchase and still had to spend more later. For the record, better quality doesn’t mean you have spend a fortune. I have always managed to find great shoes for around $100. Check out Piperlime’s sales, Gilt Groupe, or browse your local DSW (but buyer beware, all that glitters is not comfortable!)
You can also save by planning ahead- try to buy two pairs of shoes per season instead of four, and if you buy quality, the reward will be that it lasts longer, and doesn’t send you running (or hobbling) to the doctor.
The (very reasonable) Price I Paid For Fashion
Forever 21- Not just for middle school anymore
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I remember Forever 21 as the place to shop when I was in middle school. It was where you would go to get the trashiest of trashy clothes to wear to the ironically under 21 clubs. It was definitely a store I had not walked into for eight years so I was shocked when, on a recent trip to NYC, Samantha told me about her shopping trip there, and all the amazing styles she had found at great prices.
My response? Shock, disbelief, and a bit of concern. Would I need to take Sammi to get her head checked? After surreptitiously scanning her for any visible signs of injury- and seeing some of these great finds firsthand- I decided to tag along on her next F21 adventure. Believe you me, it was an adventure indeed.
There were racks upon racks of clothes, all of which were nicely priced under $30. After some time scouring the racks and pulling out everything and anything I thought had potential, we made our way to the fitting rooms. I tried on several outfits, and I was pleasantly surprised that I had found some solid items that were in style and very affordable. Surprise! Forever 21 is no longer the trashy store we all remembered it to be. It has updated its look, and carries many of the of-the-moment looks we’re all craving, for a very NP price.
One of the dresses I chose that day has an almost identical cut and style to a Marc Jacobs dress that I already owned, and in a pattern that looks like it walked off of his runway. Trust me, when I’m being complimented on my miriad new looks, no one knows that I’ve cheated a little bit in the designer department. My Forever 21 dress only cost me $30, but I get the impact of one that was priced at ten times that, especially when I pair it with an Alice & Olivia belt (which came with a pencil skirt that I already owned- a very NP move, might I add), a Theory blazer, and Tory Burch flats.
-Kristie
I Don’t Believe in the Recession
Puja D
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Kristie Huang is a recent college grad, attempting to find a solid career in the recession, while remaining as put-together and on top of trends as always.
www.facebook.com/kristiehuang
