Can we just discuss the fact that Michelle just gave birth 6 months ago? Yep, she’s one of those mamas who remained perfectly intact during and after her pregnancy. If you recall, Michelle is one of the founders of The Broke Girls Guide and came by the PC HQ last week to style a couple of looks for our guest blogger series. This is her second outfit, which is a complete departure from the casual California look in her first outfit. The great thing about this top is that it can be worn both to work and at night if you pair it with dark skinny jeans and high heels. I’m a big fan of tops that can easily transition from day to night and this is definitely one of them. What kind of things do you usually wear to work?
Don’t forget to enter to win the JMS giveaway from yesterday’s post!
At this point in the game, I think it’s fair to call myself a Walmart expert, wouldn’t you agree? Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with my research report (for now), but I will tell you about a Walmart line that’s truly making a difference in women’s lives. Just My Size is a plus-size label that provides curvier women with fashion options that are comfortable, well-fitting, and affordable. There is nothing worse than going shopping and feeling like nothing fits right on your body. The mission behind JMS is for that never to happen to a woman just because she has a larger frame. Amen!
Instead of just posting images of the giveaway items, I wanted to really show you how these summer essential pieces can be worn and brought to life. Kate is no stranger to Penny Chic and was excited to model the outfit loud and proud, as she should be. Originally I had a couple of options to style with, but I went with the two brightest JMS items and paired them together. Color blocking is still in and hopefully it will be here to stay for a long time! Kate was excited to find that everything fit like a glove and was super comfortable and easy to wear. She was even more excited when I handed her a two pack of hip shorts that JMS had sent me. The underwear looks like it came from Victoria’s Secret, except it costs $9.99 and you don’t have to be Heidi Klum to wear it!
I’m sure you’re anxious to hear about the giveaway, so here are the details: 3 winners will each receive a tank, capri shorts, and a pair of undies in any size between 1x-4x. We can’t guarantee that you’ll get the items in the same color/style combo as the photo, but we’ll try our best!
What you have to do to qualify*:
1. Become a Facebook fan of Penny Chic and Just My Size
2. Tell us in the comment box what makes you most proud about being a curvy woman
Kristen is another stylish LA blogger and friend (originally from Texas) who runs the fab Do-It-Yourself blog Glitter ‘N Glue. Each week, she comes out with a new budget proof fashion project that makes you question whether you ever really need to buy anything you see without trying to make it first!
In this case, Kristen came to the Penny Chic HQ with her outfit ready to go. She already owned this Prada lookalike JCPenney dress, which if you recall, we made a fuss over in a post called “Prada Schmada Chic”. This one DEFinitely wins the cake for best runway look for less!
The coolest part of the ensemble is that Kristen made the fun sequin pumps and elegant tassel earrings herself. This chick really is the queen of DIY. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her NOT wear something that she made. I know the plain black pumps can be purchased from Target, but you have to visit her site to learn exactly how she did everything.
Overall, Kristen came with a plan and she conquered! She knew what worked for her body, how to style it, and how to MAKE it. We could all learn a thing or two from her!
Why the title you ask? Let me “break” it down for you… We were scouting locations to take photos of this lovely outfit, when Beau, our gorgeous model (also seen here and here), pointed to the little picket fence gate at my neighbors house. What you don’t see is that in front of the picket fence is also a metal chain fence that’s been tied a thousand different ways to a metal pole. Beau, in her little striped dress, jumped the fence and gracefully posed for the camera. Don’t worry, I’m not so innocent either. I untied the ropes so I could open the gate and take photos. Pretty badass. Hope my neighbors aren’t reading this…
Trespassing or not, the look radiates Summer from every inch of the outfit. You can never have enough color when it comes to Summer!
Shop it Online: Xhilaration Striped Skater Dress $19.99 (Target)
Melrose Avenue Denim Wedge Sandals $19.99 (Sears)
Kardashian Kollection Metal Textured Bangle $19.50 (Sears)
Old Navy Mixed Bangle Set (similar) $10.94
Studio S Turquoise Necklace $20 (Sears)
Straw Tote $5 (Walmart)
Happy Mother’s Day to all my fabulous, supportive, opinionated, beautiful, and stylish mommy readers out there, which includes of course my own mom! I hope you are having a wonderful day with your families. You all deserve it!
This photo was taken exactly four years ago when my sister and I planned a whole day of mother’s day festivities in NYC for my mom. It was such a special day. Hope your day today is just as special!
This outfit makes me pumped for the weekend! Doesn’t Erin from BGG look fab!?
I love the idea of a printed skirt with just a plain white tee. Busy bottoms, from floral pants to tribal printed skirts, have been in style for quite some time now and as far as I’m concerned, the best thing to pair them with is a simple white tee. I’m all about mixing and matching prints on top and bottom, but there’s also something really nice about having the top be really simple when the bottom is a fiesta.
Have a great weekend Pennies! Check back on Sunday for our lookbook of the week. It’s a fun one!
Shop it Online: Mossimo White Tee $8 (Target)
Dream Out Loud Print Skirt $14 (Kmart)
Xhilaration Espadrille Sandals $29.99 (Target)
Target Bangles $9.99 each
Those who follow me on Twitter and Facebook know that I had two awesome interviews published this week on two of my favorite fashion websites, Buyosphere and Pose! These startups are all about making style accessible to everyone, which is something I’m very passionate about and wanted to share with you.
Buyosphere is an amazing resource when you need help shopping for something in particular or if you’re great at finding deals and just want to share your knowledge!!
Pose is a mobile app community for those that want to see what others are wearing and also show off their own style. I mean, what good is a great outfit if you can’t share it with the world?!
I definitely recommend checking them out if you haven’t already! Oh and if nothing else, read my spotlight on Buyosphere and interview on Pose and tell me what you think
Blogger Sydne Summer graces the site again with her big smile and sharp style. I love the color palette…a mix of beige, black + white, and bright orange. The $20 satchel bag makes the outfit and certainly beats spending $150 on one that looks almost exactly the same.
Nude heels, like the ones in this outfit, are the best thing since sliced bread. They match with pretty much everything and they really elongate and flatter the legs. I don’t believe in telling people to buy certain staples for their closet, because everyone is different, but I may make an exception with nude shoes. Buy them.
Shop it Online:
Xhilaration Ponte Skirt $10.48 (Target)
Miss Tina Button Up Blouse $16 (Walmart)
Mossimo Patent Heeled Sandals $29.99 (Target)
Xhilaration Top Handle Bag $19.99 (Target)
Beaded Bangles $5.88 (Walmart)
Photo Credit: Shideh H. Miller
Model: Sydne Summer
All the flowers in these photos, from the real ones in the background to the print on my dress, make me giddy for the Summer. As much as I’m all about floral dresses in the Summertime, I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone with the length of this dress. My legs are not my favorite asset, but I’m learning to accept my body for what it is. Sometimes you have to push yourself to get over it and make the best of it…and once you do, it’s quite liberating!
Shop it Online: 1. No Boundaries Floral Dress $12.88 (Walmart)
2. Mossimo Pumps $29.99 (Target)
3. Assorted Bracelets $4-$9 (Target)
Photo Credit: Shideh H. Miller
Model: Shauna Miller (Me!)
Meet my two fabulous friends, Michelle and Erin, the founders of an amazing newsletter and website called The Broke Girls Guide. It’s not a surprise that I hit it off with these two ladies immediately upon meeting them over lunch last year. We were supposed to talk “business”, but ended up chatting it up the whole time about shopping, dating, travel, and food, four of the many things they tackle in their guide that shows urbanites how to live LARGE and spend SMALL. The idea is that no one should have to sacrifice living a fabulous lifestyle just because she’s on a budget. Check out the site and become a subscriber if you share their sentiment!
Not only are Michelle and Erin two powerful entrepreneurs, but they know a thing or two about style as you can see by the hip outfits they assembled when they came to the Penny Chic HQ. They loved their final looks so much that Michelle ended up taking home the neon pink shirt and Erin left with the maxi dress. It’s always nice when the models fall in love with what they’re wearing. Can’t you just tell by their energy in the photos?
Here’s the Broke Girls Guide Philosophy on style:
“Style is an artform, and you don’t need expensive materials to create something that looks and feels like a million bucks.”
What’s yours?
Shop Michelle’s Look Mossimo Nude Pumps $29.99 (Target)
Mossimo Burnout Top $9.08 (Target)
Old Navy Denim Shorts $6.81
Multi Bead Necklace $10.88 (Walmart)
Congratulations to all our WINNERS!! We died laughing with all your stories!!
Crystal
Gloria
Kimberly
Elizabeth
Christy
Hollywood Fashion Secrets is giving away 5 giftbags with 4 emergency fashion items to 5 lucky readers!
Here’s what you have to do to win:
1. Follow Penny Chic and Hollywood Fashion Secrets on Facebook.
2. Leave a comment below of your most embarrassing story when you could have used one of these products.
Check out the post below to learn how to use fashion tape!!
Many of you have asked me for tips on how to convert a work outfit into an after-work outfit. The most obvious answer is to pack a change of clothes, but the easiest way to do it without changing your outfit is to use fashion tape. Stylists have it on hand at all times! For those of you who have never heard of this phenomenon, fashion tape is essentially adhesive double stick tape that’s very thin yet strong enough to hold garments in place. In today’s outfit, we used it to hem up the dress and cover up the neckline.
It use to be hard to find fashion tape at the stores most women actually shop at, but this company called Hollywood Fashion Secrets is selling their fashion emergency products (which include fashion tape, deodorant removing sponges, bra converting clips, and garment shields) to stores like Walmart for $4.97! It’s the stuff celebrity stylists have been using for years! Remember Jlo’s plunging green dress at the 2000 Grammy’s? We all wondered how it stayed in place…
Here’s a little video tutorial that shows you how I went from Conference to Cocktail in one outfit:
Shop it at Walmart: Hollywood Fashion Tape $4.97
George Print Buckle Dress $18 (Walmart)
Silver Necklace $2 (Walmart)
No Boundaries Black Pumps $19.87 (Walmart)
PennyChic: RT @Oprah_World: Every right decision I’ve ever made has come from my gut, & every wrong decision I've ever made was a result of me not listening. -Oprah 2 months ago from web
