Dear Mr. Marcus,

Oh you know how to play with a girls heart, don’t you?!?!  This week I blogged about loving sequins and last month about how sequins are BIG for fall.  Then I see this lovely model decked out in a trench, sequins, platforms and a MARC by Marc Jacobs bag!  Were you thinking of me with this look?  I like to think you were.

In any case, as much as I love the outfit…I simply cannot afford all of it.  So let’s see how Frugal Friday treats us today!

Love always,
Fashion Chronicles

Let’s go bottom up today and start with the shoes!  Oh the shoes.  One of my BFF’s was rocking these shoes at dinner a few weeks ago and she was so ashamed to admit that she got a good deal on them.  I assured her that good deals are AWESOME and that it’s my duty to share this with the world.

Behold, the trendy ULIANO shoe for $45 from SPRING!  That’s a price I like compared to Mr. Marcus’s shoes above which are probably 10x that price!

The dress!  Now I love sequins, which I have already mentioned about 100 times in the past month.  But I know not everyone loves a full-on sequined dress as much as me, or my buddy Neiman.  Check out these two options…one full on sequined and the other with a classy accent.

The left dress is the Rolando Santana ‘Katie’ sheath dress and sells for $182.  The ‘Katie’ is a great little party dress, but if you’re feeling a bit more conservative, I love the Eliza J Sequined Ponte Knit Shift Dress on the right. And for $138 at Nordstrom, the price is right.

The wool/cotton blend Marc Jacobs trench on the model really is super cute, but $758 is a bit dear for me.  Finding a military-style trench is easy this season as everyone continues to be mad for military.

The below Burberry inspired trench for $198 at Express would be great to carry you through a mild winter season and it comes in camel, navy and black.

Finally, the MARC by Marc Jacobs hobo style bag.  I am sorry to disappoint Frugal Friday fans but I am a sucker for quality handbags and would actually recommend you get this MARC by Marc Jacobs bag or invest in a similarly styled bag.

Sorry, I truly am a sucker for handbags–in fact, my hall closet fell on me last week (long story) and all that fell out were handbags.  Too funny.  Have a fabulously fashionable weekend!

When heading to Seattle to shop there are bargains galore for Canadian shoppers.  If you stay for 48 hours, your limit is $400 — So start your engines and get shopping…

1. Chelsea Premium Outlets

With stores like Coach, Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole, Cole Haan and Kate Spade…how can you resist!  Join the free VIP club to have access to discounts and special offers available at customer service in the food court.

2. Target

Always a hit for decorating your condo or dressing yourself!  Isaac Mizrahi and Rodarte have designed discount lines for saavy Target shoppers.  Next designer up to the plate is William Rast (Justin Timberlake’s line) but not until December 2010.  Sorry!  You’ll pass many Targets en route to Seattle along the I5, notably in Bellingham (Bellis Fair Mall) and Burlington.

3. Nordstrom Rack

Not to be confused with fab department store, Nordstrom.  This is where clothes not sold at Nordstrom go for another chance at life.  $100 Rock and Republic jeans, $90 Nanette Lapore and DVF dresses, $70 Coach shoes and $40 Bestey Johnson watches—its like Christmas in September!  You can even find housewares on the main floor.  Go downstairs for clothing, stay on the main floor for purses, sunglasses and watches (and even Spanx for uber cheap), and head upstairs for all those shoes.  Top floor is for men, but who cares.

4. Macy’s

While Macy’s is not quite as high-end as Nordstrom, it’s still pretty fabulous.  Make sure to ask your hotel or the customer service desk at Macy’s for your 11% discount card for being an out-of-state shopper.  It even works on sale items.

5. Trader Joe’s

Yes, you can spend all of your money on clothes but with 2 bottles per person as the alcohol limit stock up at Trader Joe’s.  You can get bottles that sell for $30 in Canada (7 Seven Deadly Zins) for literally half price.  There are locations in Seattle and Bellingham that will serve you well.  Target also has some pretty good wines at cheap, cheap, cheap.  They sometimes even sell a crate that if you buy 3 wines, you get the 4^th for free!  Ah-mazing.

There are few things in life that I love more than my dog, Scout.  My find last month in Chicago definitely made me forget about my dog for an entire afternoon: DVF, Bloomingdales, and a massive end-of summer sale!

I couldn’t believe my dumbluck when I beheld a black silk, DVF dress in my size, for $90 reduced from $365 at Bloomingdales.  I was nervous the shopgirl was going to tell me it was a mistake when I went to pay.

Diane von Furstenberg without a doubt designs the most flattering dresses for women.  Oh and she’s also a Princess, but hey who isn’t?

When DVF married Prince Egon of Fürstenberg in 1969, she decided to make a name for herself by developing her career as a designer.  In the early 70′s, she designed the iconic knitted wrap dress which has been a staple in women’s closets ever since.  Based on her success in the 70′s, DVF moved into all facets of fashion designing everything from sunglasses to handbags to couture ball gowns.

As you can probably tell, finding a DVF dress for under $100 in your size at Bloomingdales is like when Planet Earth captured the elusive snow leopard in Pakistan on film…you can spend 6 weeks looking, but sometimes dumbluck is all you need!

DVF at home in Conneticut

Images Courtesy of Bloomingdales and Town and Country

What better represents summer than a white, eyelet dress and silver, espadrille wedges?

Going to the Saks Fifth Avenue website was my first mistake in the search for the perfect match to my dream summer ensemble.  While I found exactly what I was looking for, Shoshanna Sand Dollar Eyelet Dress ($319) and Jimmy Choo Phyllis Suede Espadrille Wedge Slides ($375), the total price of $694 wasn’t part of that dream.

Fashion Chronicles to the Rescue!!

To my surprise, I found an equally sweet eyelet dress at Forever 21 for $29.80 and fabulous, silver, Michael Kors wedge espadrilles at Nordstrom for $98.  At a total cost of $128, this makes my bank account much happier!

This summer outfit from Neiman Marcus has it all: bright cardigan, funky tank top, versatile skirt and, best of all, it’s totally work appropriate. The only thing this outfit doesn’t offer is affordability: $1585 for the entire outfit, not including shoes.  Surely we can do much better!

With a total cost of $127.48 compared to $1585.00, Fashion Chronicles has done much better than Neiman Marcus at saving you money. How do you like these similar pieces?

The above grey, linen tie-waist skirt from Banana Republic is fabulous and the price cannot be beat for $69.50. Also, if you add yourself to the Banana Republic email list, you’ll never have to pay full price again!

This Lucky Brand tank top is an insane bargain at $19.99 (on sale from $29.50). You can rock it with this look or wear it with boyfriend jeans and heels. While this tank top isn’t silk like the Neiman Marcus version, it is a close match. If you want a silk version, check out this silk, Joie tank at Barney’s for $118.

I‘ll be the first to admit that Talbot’s is not a store I frequent. It’s definitely geared towards an older demographic, however, stores like these are great places to find quality, classic pieces like this yellow cardigan. Like the Neiman Marcus version, the Talbot’s chiffon-trimmed long sleeve cardigan is a silk blend, but is far cheaper at $37.99 reduced from $79.50.

I am sure by now you know how much I adore a good pair of shoes. This look wouldn’t be complete without a fab pair of $80 work appropriate wedges from Frugal Friday fave Aldo. This now brings the total cost of our Frugal Friday look to $207.48, but these shoes are totally irresistible and would look oh so cute with is outfit!

Always remember ladies, just because it’s in style doesn’t mean that it’s your style.  Choose the style that works for your classic, chic, contemporary style.

I love receiving emails from Neiman Marcus and, if you also subscribe, this dress is probably familiar (it arrived at 5:30am this morning!).

I took a closer look at the Carmen Marc Valvo collection and fell in love.  All the pieces in this collection are breathtaking, especially the dresses.

The three things I love most about this One-Shoulder Print Dress: the flattering ruching; the waist defining belt; and the gorgeous one-shoulder strap.  What I don’t like is the $595 price tag.

ASOS Ruched Paneled One Shoulder Dress, $76

Online fashion store, ASOS, offers a similar styled one-shoulder dress in 4 colours, including the option of a short or long version (great for ladies with long legs!).

This dress reeks fabulous with similar styling to the Carmen Marc Valvo dress but at much lower price point.  For $76, this is a dress I am willing to buy, wear a couple of times and feel I truly got my money’s worth.

In addition, if you really like the belted waist on the Carmen Marc Valvo version, pick up a skinny belt and throw it on just below your bust line.  Don’t be scared to accessorize and define your waist!

ASOS Stardust Floral Print One Shoulder Silk Dress, $37

My Inner 80′s child also really like this ASOS dress.  I am not sure it’s my personal style, but for $37, the ASOS Stardust Floral Print One Shoulder Silk dress is well worth a mention.

What makes this style similar to the Carmen Marc Valvo dress is the unique pattern, silk fabric and defined waist (skinny belt not required).  1986 called and they love this dress!

I discovered a new lip gloss last weekend that I love, love and love some more. Burt’s Bees products are all natural and simply the best.  From chapped lips to dry feet, Burt’s Bees has got you covered from head to toe!

3 reasons why you’ll love Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Lip Gloss too:

3. Moisturizes like a balm but wears like a gloss

2. All natural ingredients

1. At $9.99, it’s a fab find!

These Valentino Sculpture Lace Pumps are to die for.  I certainly appreciate couture clothing for being works of art, but these shoes could be showcased at the Musee D’Orsay tomorrow!  Can you guess how much they cost?  As I said to a friend yesterday…if you have to ask, you can’t afford them.  At $4700, these won’t be in my closet anytime soon.

Today’s Frugal Friday offers up sexy lace stilettos.  While none compare to the Valentino Sculpture Lace Pumps, the below, affordable pumps are still cute in their own right.

At $885, the Valentino Lace d’Orsay pump isn’t exactly a bargain, but it is cheaper than its $4700 sister.

I love these Pour La Victoire Elena Peep Toe Shoeties. Like the Valentino Sculpture Lace Pumps, they have both a leather sole and upper beneath the lace.  The gorgeous 4″ heel takes you the same heights as the Valentino, and at $249, they’re still pricey, but more affordable than both Valentinos above.

These $137 Menbur Monaco Peep Toe Pumps are cute.  The rosette on the peep toe is very Valentino, if you look at the bags and shoes in the Valentino Spring Summer 2010 collection.  Upon closer look, these pumps aren’t as well made as the Brazilian Pour La Victoire brand, but on a budget, they give you the Valentino look without the Valentino price tag.

Which lace shoe is your favourite?

Since it’s Friday and many offices (except for mine it seems) have casual Friday.  This particular outfit may be more appropriate for weekend rather than Casual Friday, but some workplaces are pretty relaxed.  Always check with your colleagues or supervisor to determine how casual is too casual.

This cute outfit, of course, isn’t cheap.  The sweater is $168, jeans $235 and the shoes are likely in the $300 range.  As usual, surely we can do better!

Cropped Skinny Jeans The GAP is currently selling cute ankle skinny jeans for a fraction of the cost of the designer jeans pictured above.  $69.50 vs $325.00…you decide!  Online there aren’t many colours to choose from, but in store, the GAP has the same light wash pictured above–the perfect colour for spring skinnies.

Striped Sweater with Batwing Sleeves With this sweater, you can decide if you want to focus on the stripes, the sleeves, or the looseness factor.  Finding a top which encompasses all three characteristics is challenging but I found this Splendid Lurex Rugby Loose Knit Tie Cardigan at Zappos.com.  It emulates the casual look of the above top but adds a bit of structure with the tie at the hips for $88.

Alternatively, if you are looking more for a preppy boatneck, this J-Crew Striped Boatneck top for $36 would look really great.

Black ballet flats Ballet flats are the most versatile shoes you can invest in.  Make sure to buy quality ones because the soles are thin and wear very quickly.  The ‘Sloop’ from French Sole is incredibly popular, with good reason: it’s stylish, versatile, comfortable and classic.  And at $100, they are a great investment.

Ladies, it’s my favourite day of the week – Frugal Friday.  As mentioned earlier this week, I went shopping last week and can home with dresses, dresses and more dresses.  So it’s fitting to write about designer dresses on the cheap.  The above Donna Karan outfit is pretty pricey–the dress alone is $995.  Let’s see if we can do better.

Grey Dress

Where I work, grey is the new black.  I was pretty impressed when I found the below $175 DKNY version from Net-a-Porter.  If you didn’t know, DKNY is the lower end version of Donna Karan…like Marc by Marc Jacobs or Michael by Michael Kors except Donna Karan was slightly more creative with her name.  This dress follows the same principals of its pricier counterpart with the grey, jersey fabric and accentuated waist.  A super flattering cut.

Nude Platforms

The original outift is all about the dress and necklace, so the shoes are nude.  I really love a nude shoe because they seriously lengthen the leg since they create an “invisible” shoe.

Whatever you think of Jessica Simpson, I’ll admit I love her shoes.  What really annoys me, they are so much cheaper in the States than in Canada!  So if you can, head down to Nordstrom to buy them.  Check out these sassy, on-sale, $61 J-Simp’s from Nordstrom.  Gorg, right?

Statement Necklace

The piece-de-resistance for this outfit is the statement necklace.  You want to find a necklace that works for you that is either delicate or chunky…keeping in mind it must be FAB.  This $70 Centurion necklace from Banana Republic is an acquired taste, but would provide the desired statement effect paired with the DKNY dress and nude shoes.

Jersey fabric is clingy and sticks to every lump and bump you have. Last weekend, I bought a pair of $10 Spanx at Nordstrom Rack and tried them under a recent jersey dress purchase from Mango and literally thought: OMG, no more lumps! Spanx are awesome and a definite accessory to this outfit.

Go on ladies, rock your weekend in this outfit!