Hey all. I've recently become obsessed with following fashion bloggers. Silly me buying into their every whim and affiliated product post. Not that all of those things are bad. I understand that they generate revenue for all the hard work that goes into producing a quality blog! But over the weekend I saw something that just made my stomach turn. As a stay at home mom and full time college student, every penny counts. So, when I see the vast majority of fashion bloggers posting links to their outfit breakdown why do I get excited when I see "UNDER $100"?! At that rate purchasing two shirts a month is pretty close to reality. So when I see bloggers not paying the proper respect to certain items from their closet (that a lot of us can never dream of being able to afford) I get a little bit miffed.
In terms of handbags my budget is Target and my taste is Chloe, so my splurge is the likes of Kate Spade or Rebecca Minkoff. I saw a notable fashion blogger over the weekend post a picture of a certain designer's $2,000 handbag on a dirty street in a pile of dirty leaves next to her $1,000 Valentino flats. My eyes seriously rolled out of my head. If that handbag were mine I'd probably put it in bubble wrap to carry it; therefore, no one would ever see the designer label!
Then I started to think a little harder. There are a lot of fashion bloggers (or really the entire fashion industry) that have lost touch with what the middle class can afford. We all like to look nice don't we? So I've decided that since I spend enough time seeking these things out and trying to relieve my blood pressure over price tags, that maybe I can help a few out that face the same dilemma. And so the Un-Designer Girl series is born.
This week's picks begins with the few that I uncovered this past weekend. The first is a tote bag. Totes are almost a must with four kids. I like to keep a smaller bag for the times I leave the house without children, but for all other times I need something that can hold a few diapers, wipes, snacks, a medicine cabinet, etc. And I despise diaper bags. I really don't know why there is still a market for those?! Let's face it, I
It gives a little bit of an edge to a casual outfit but isn't overly structured to where it'll look ridiculous with the daily standard of athletic wear. Here are two more affordable options. One here at a mid-range price point, is still made with real leather, but isn't an exact dupe. And one here at a much more affordable option (and on sale!), closer to the same design, but is made from polyurethane...but that can also be great for our vegan sisters. I'm thinking about grabbing it in the red option although it's not on as deep of a discount.
I hope you liked this post and want to continue seeing more like it. Affordable options with the ability to also look on trend for the season is something I haven't seen. Reality check, advertising a pair of jeans under $100 as an affordable option isn't reality. Yes, I can understand the buying quality is always the better option argument, but when trend is the reason for a purchase sometimes those big splurges are the poor choice. I look forward to posting more affordable options through the Un-Designer Girl series!
