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First and foremost, I am not one to be a regular fashion blogger. Its not my thing. If anything, I don't really fit into any category. I like to jump around from bargain deals and vintage to high-end fashion. It really just depends on my mood. So, I was sitting here trying to think what I really wanted for Christmas and I thumbed through some of my favorite sites for clothes, shoes, and accessories. Then I thought about it... Since I haven't gone shopping in months and my budget is strictly tailored around paying my bills, why don't I put my readers on to some sites they can use. And some of you can use it mainly for Christmas presents this year. Now, when I shop, I mainly shop online because I DO NOT have the patience to stand in line, look around, and all that. The only time I really do that is when I have an event to go to and I have no idea what I want to look like. Because when I want to dress up, I imitate a vision NOT a person. For example, if I feel like being in my punk-rocker mode, I am going all out.... That's just what I do... I treat every outfit like an opportunity to exhibit another part of my personality... Back to the topic, I'm about to put you on to a couple websites that originate from my favorite sites in USA, Japan, Italy, France, and the Philippines... I'm only giving you a taste... Can't let ya'll imitate the whole swag!!! lol (NOTE: Make sure you right-click the links to "Open them in a new tab or window").
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I am not a fan of really spending $500 on every outfit just to impress someone or to say "You ain't up on this". Because honestly, no one REALLY cares. Yea you get that first 5 seconds of "wow, she got that (insert brand here)" but at the end of the day that reaction fades and you are left with looking stupid because you attempted to ruin your credit yet again on another outfit WHILE poppin bottles in VIP. Meanwhile, you barely have groceries in your house (Oh yea, SHOTS FIRED AK-47 style). Ask yourself, is that REALLY necessary? So I'm going to give you websites that run the gamut from low-high priced. You gauge how you want to spend your money.
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I am a proud fan of H&M and Nordstrom Rack http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/nordstrom-rack . The reason for this is that they really have items that you can utilize to imitate high fashion for a reasonable price. PLEASE don't sleep on Nordstrom rack because they really have some good stuff but people fail to realize its not as much as you think. And catch them especially on Cyber Monday (Monday after Thanksgiving), Christmas, and New Years'.... It... Gets... Poppin...
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The next one is for my ladies: corsets. You may be feeling a little Rihanna-ish in the "whips and chains" mode (rolls eyes to her even mentioning that after the Chris Brown incident). But, here you can add a cute leather corset to your outfit to make it a little edgy from Zahira's Boudoir http://www.zahirasboudoir.com/
*My personal favorite in fashion is the Harajuku-style from Japan. For those of you that may not be familiar with Harajuku, it is a style of dress that involves a lot of bright colors, dramatic outfits, out of the norm hairstyles, punk, couture, and mixing and matching different fashions. Its a constantly changing street style. That's one of the reasons why some of the people who know me call me Harajuku **wink** But if you want to try it out, you can start with these Sassy 'N' Punk handbags http://www.sassynpunkboutique.com/products/bags or these amazing never duplicated rings from SouZou Creations http://www.etsy.com/shop/SouZouCreations ... Try and find someone who has THESE in their jewelry box.
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I love this site because they carry amazing must-have vintage accessories for less whether it be Jane Austin Cuff bracelets to veils that you can put on top of your head to add a little drama and couture to your outfit... Go to Etsy.Com http://www.etsy.com/
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This is something you can get your brother, guy friends, or boyfriend. Straight from Tokyo, you can get an exclusive watch for less from Tokyo Flash. They take Binary watches and digital time to a COMPLETELY new level. And the best part is they have some that are less than $100. Help him stunt on them in 2011 with one of these. http://www.tokyoflash.com/
*For those of you men and women that have that paycheck saved up from the whole year and are craving for that high-end fashion I have a couple of sites just for you. From the UK, we have the Doll Boutique http://www.dollboutique.co.uk/ which features some of my favorite brands like "American Retro" and "Stolen Girlfriends Club". If you want to go more local (as in boutiques in the US check these out: "I Don't Like Mondays" http://www.idontlikemondays.us/ or "Pixie Market" http://www.pixiemarket.com/
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If you want to get the inside deal on what cologne every man NEEDS to have, my pick of the season is Yves St. Laurent La Nuit De L'Homme. Now this cologne is to die for!!! Intense, bold, and sensual, this cologne is constructed with bergamot, cardamom, and cedar counteracted by notes of lavender and vetiver. As the perfect evening cologne, this is GARUNTEED to keep the girls off him. I mean, it comes in a black box.... That itself, already speaks volumes....
*For those of you interested in a taste of Philippine female fashion you can take a quick look at one of my favorite stores when I'm back home: Ukay Manila http://ukaymanila.com/ . It gives you all the clothing pieces she needs to pull off that girly-girl look
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For those of you visiting the Couples' Capital of Paris, France anytime soon here is a place you and your significant other can for deals on designers like Bottega Venetta and Balenciaga. I suggest you visit Reciproque http://www.reciproque.fr/en/ and Catherine Max http://www.espacemax.com/showroom.php This is where sites like Ebay are manifested into an actual store... You can find yourself that extra Hermes scarf or that pair of Jimmy Choos that you thought was sold out... Oh yes, vintage and bargain shopping are universal across cultures.... Don't get it twisted... Sadly, these 2 are only limited to in-store shopping but if you want to get an idea of what these stores look like click away!!!!
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THE LAST BUT NOT LEAST is an upcoming designer specializing in women's fashion. Her name is Tiffany Renee. She does it all: dresses, gowns, shirts, etc. She tailors to YOUR measurements. She can style you and make you look like the next celebrity. Her name grazes fashion circles and her expertise is transferred by word-of-mouth. But now, you get an online inside look on her latest and what could be the next addition to your (or your female friends') closet. For pricing and any inquiries contact her directly at DesignerTiffanyRenee@yahoo.com Check her (yes, she is modeling her OWN designs) out below:
