Amidst a room of designer ensembles, there I was in my Zara dress draped with Walmart faux pearl necklaces! I’m proud to say that my 200-and something dollar outfit received numerous compliments, proving once again that you can look just as chic as the rest of em’ and spend 1/10th of the price! As you know, I’ve never used Zara on Penny Chic, because I feel strongly about staying true to the Penny price point and making sure I only use stores that everyone in the country has access to. However, in my real life, I own things from more places than I feature on the blog, for ex. Zara or local vintage shops. I’m of the “mixing and matching” school of thought! Hope you like my outfit

My Outfit:
Zara Lace Tulip Dress $99
Steve Madden Babylonn High Heels $99
Walmart Pearl Necklace $5.88 each

As I drank champagne glass after champagne glass, my hands got more and more swollen and the ring got TIGHTER AND TIGHTER!

Wearing multiples of the same necklace is my #1 budget accessorizing trick! Check out last year’s Oscars post for more ideas on how to achieve the look!

Yum!

My favorite DIY blogger, Kristen Turner, was my date for the evening and believe it or not she MADE her dress. Check out her blog GlitterNGlue to learn how she did it!

For the record, I found 3 other blogs that tried to recreate this outfit for less but no one could pull off the look for $70 like I did! My mission, as always, is to get you guys high fashion looks at real women prices. Hope you enjoy!

Shop the Look:
1. Owl Raglan Top – $11.99 (Forever21)
2. Bow Belt – $17.84 (Sears)
3. Black Handbag – $19.98 (Macy’s)
4. Pencil Skirt (Similar item) – $12 (JCPenney)
5. Lace up Bootie (Similar item) – $8 (JCPenney)

Thanks to everyone who wrote in and told us their favorite dresses! Sounds like there’s a RED trend happening with your favorite red carpet looks. I’m going to try and recreate one of these red numbers for under $100. Wish me luck!

Hey Pennies!

Hope you’re enjoying your Sunday. I’m trying something a little different this year for the Oscars. I’m going to recreate one fabulous Oscar dress for less than $100!! Help me decide which dress to choose by writing who wore your favorite dress in the comments. I’m a little scared that I won’t be able to pull this off but I’m going to damn well try! You know how much I LOVE a good style challenge. Do you think I can pull this off?

Happy Oscars!

XOXO
Shauna

Back by popular demand, here is the lovely Roberta modeling for Penny Chic again! This woman can basically pull off anything! I saw her yesterday and she was wearing a white cashmere sweater with a fabulous tasseled orange belt cinched at the waist. Looking back on this outfit now, I wish I paired the orange top with a different color besides black, because it reminds me too much of Halloween! At any rate, the Miss Tina top is a great piece for those who have a tough time accessorizing. The necklace IS ATTACHED to the blouse! And the flyaway cardigan is a must have piece for every woman looking for a little coverage. It’s only 12 bucks!

Hope you all have a great weekend! I can’t believe it’s already Friday. What do you Pennies have planned?

Shop it Online
Miss Tina Orange Tunic with Necklace$17 (Walmart)
No Boundaries Flyaway Cardigan, $11.88 (Walmart)
Faded Glory Jeggings, $12.88 (Walmart)
George Clog Boots, $17 (Walmart)

Photo Credit: Shideh H. Miller
Model: Roberta Clinton

Mother of two, Maggie, models for Penny Chic again, but this time in a fun and trendy sleeveless dress! Like Maggie in the photo, I think we’re all patiently waiting inside for Spring to officially begin! If you’re a mom, this doesn’t mean you have to resort to the leggings and t-shirt everyday. Try a dress like this that’s comfortable and easy to wear. Bonus: you may not even need to wear a bra since the bust of the dress almost acts as a built in sports bra.

What are you looking forward to wearing the most this Spring when the weather gets nicer”

Shop it Online:
Xhilaration Sleeveless Dress $17.48 (Target)

Photo Credit: Shideh H. Miller
Model: Maggie Pulley

What I did, Who I saw, and What I wore during NY Fashion Week!

1. Attended a fascinating conference about Style an hour after I landed in the morning! Panelists included Rebecca Minkoff, Stacy London, and Lauren Bush.
2. Met my new idol. (Stacy London)
3. What I wore to the conference.
4. Next day, I attended the Independent Fashion Bloggers conference at Milk Studios. My third time going!
5. Sitting at the Design Within Reach pop up photobooth at the conference.
6. How cool are my shoes!
7. Panelists included amazing bloggerssuch as: BryanBoy, Cupcakes and Cashmere, P.S. I Made This, Nicolette Mason, Wendy’s Lookbook, and Fashionista.com.
8. Met a Penny Chic fan and fellow blogger Bon Vivant + a Budget. First time I’ve ever been recognized!
9. Gift bag included a cool ASOS laptop case/clutch. A nice end to my conference marathon!

1. Envelope from Glamour, officially recognizing me as one of their Young and Posh Bloggers
2. Visited the Nicole by Nicole Miller showroom and studio (sold at JCPenney). Lots of amazing prints and colors for Spring!
3. Visited the Kmart design offices in NYC. Nicole is the head designer for LYS, Kmart’s plus-size line. She is incredibly passionate about producing high design for plus-size women and was a total inspiration!
4. Tori is the head designer for Attention at Kmart. She had the coolest style! LOVED what they came up with for Spring.
5. Every shoe has a blueprint like this. Never knew shoe designers are basically engineers and architects!
6. Pops of color everywhere at the Target showroom. I basically wanted everything!
7. My first runway look for less for Glamour!
8. Checking out the photos in the freezing cold with my photographer, Javier Gomez
9. My second runway look for less for Glamour.

1. Finally made it to my first show at New York Fashion Week….the amazing Rebecca Taylor!
2. One of the chic looks coming down the runway.
3. What I wore.
4. Ran into another Penny Chic fan at the tents!
5. Lincoln Center where most shows at New York Fashion Week take place.
6. Cool graffiti I spotted on the street in the West Village. La Street C’est Chic!
7. Last night made it to the Fashiolista.com party and ran into my friend Beryl from high school
8. What I wore.
9. Couldn’t find a cab one Saturday night so me and my NYC besties hailed a vintage white limo!

I love the energy in these photos! Something about it feels very celebratory! What’s not to celebrate about the fact that this whole outfit is $45?!

I have to give a special shout out to the Kmart/Sears footwear design team! I took a 3 hour long tour through the Kmart and Sears design offices in NYC (stay tuned for the photos) and had the opportunity to meet the crew that designs all the shoes. See the adorable booties in the photo? Yep, that’s one of their babies. I was stunned to learn how much goes into the design and manufacturing of just a single shoe. The process is extremely intricate. Steve and Celeste, just two of the designers I met, said how easy it would be to create a great shoe if they could price it at whatever they wanted to. They have to be that much more resourceful, determined, and creative to bring customers great design, comfort and quality at an affordable price. Bravo to them for all their hard work!

Shop the Look:
Jaclyn Smith Camel Bow Heel Bootie $14.99 (Kmart)
Xhilaration Racerback Floral Dress $24.99 (Target)

Photo Credit: Shideh H. Miller
Model: Alexandra Youdeem

You might say today we are taking a more risque approach to fashion and we’re OK with it since it’s Valentine’s Day.

I wanted to dedicate a post to beautiful affordable lingerie because I’m sick of seeing handmade bustiers for over $100! These two nightgowns modeled by the beautiful Amy are both just under $15. That’s how much a pretty nightgown should cost!

Hope all of you feel sexy, beautiful, and loved today. Repeat it to yourselves a couple of times if you forget.

Shop it Online:
Smart and Sexy Mesh Chemise $14.96 (Walmart)
Smart and Sexy Lace Push-Up Chemise $14 (Walmart)
Heart Key Necklace Set $8 (Walmart)
Rhinestone Necklace Set $10 (Walmart)
Beaded Headband $4.88 (Walmart)

And the winner is….

Two, joined forever
Deeply, madly, you and I
Beloved
–Mo Weare

This haiku literally brought tears to my eyes. Congratulations Mo! You are a true poet and deserve this chic Miss Tina dress for Valentine’s Day!
________________________________________________________________________________

In celebration of our love, we’re giving away this chic Miss Tina belted dress from Walmart to one very lucky reader who can do the following:

1. Write a haiku (poem made up of three short lines where the first line usually contains five 5 syllables, the second line seven 7 syllables, and the third line five syllables) about love! Be creative and have fun with it!

2. Follow Miss Tina and Penny Chic on Facebook

Look forward to hearing what you lovely Pennies come up with. Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

How long before you can wear a radiant outfit like this where you live?

Shop the Look:
Xhilaration Striped Pointe Skirt $14.99 (Target)
Xhilaration Turquoise Top $11.88 (Target)
Mossimo Combat Boot $34.99 online and $17.48 in store! (Target)
Ana Beaded Necklace $16 (JC Penney)

Photo Credit: Shideh H. Miller
Model: Sabrina