A few posts ago, I did a Splurge vs. Save that featured bomber jackets; in particular a Gucci Embroidered Duchesse Bomber which retailed for $3,500.As a diva on a dime budget, I ran across a jacket inspired by the Gucci bomber on one of my go-to sites, Choies.com. The visual similarities of the two garments were incredible, when you consider the price difference. Based on what I saw online, I was sold.Choies offered their inspired version for $49.90, but I am a smart shopper and still did not want to pay that much. I checked to see what online coupons they had available and got and additional $15 off! The online retailer is based out of China, so shipping is the only deterrent. Being that I just saved $15 off the original price, I opted for express shipping. I got my this lovely bomber in about a week. I have become an avid online shopper, and have had a few experiences with pieces not looking as the picture described. This was not the case. It was perfection; stitching was great, colors vibrant, and most importantly( an issue with ordering from China) the jacket fit perfectly-- it's clear it was made to fit someone who is not a fifth grader.Now let's get the deets on the rest of my look. Running with my red and green Gucci inspired theme, I paired my bomber with my origami bustier top from Gojane.com ($12-sold out).I wanted to make the look really street style worthy so instead of going with a dressier bottom, I grabbed my revamped Levis (which were thrifted and converted to Step mom jeans).For an extra added 'cool' I stepped into my clear Perspex ankle boots courtesy of Ego.co.uk (Ego Official).Kanye West introduced the totally transparent stunners on February 10, 2016 at his Yeezy season 3 show. I have scoured the net and have not been able price them yet. My Yeezy 'dupes' from Ego.co.uk retail for $57.91.As soon as they dropped, they happen to have a 20% sale so I saved $11.50!! In addition to having the clear they have pink, black, open toe, lace-up and colored mesh Perspex boots as well. Be sure to check them out!! They are UK based , but I have ordered from them twice (both standard and express shipping) and received my boots in a very timely manner. Just a heads up on these boots-- if wearing sans sock, remember not to lotion feet as it will cloud the clear boots. They run true to size ( I wear a 7 1/2 US and got the US or 6 UK).Your feet will get sweaty, but not enough to be noticeable. Remember, they also have the open toe option as well! As my for accessories, I kept them nice and simple for the most part. My tassel earrings matched so well with the jacket and the signature Gucci color palette ;adding such a fun flair. Surprisingly I got these tasseled cuties for $1 at my local beauty supply. Wrist candy was kept minimal with a quartz bead bracelet (Jewelry Designs by Tim Ellis) and cubic zirconia tennis bracelet. At first glance of my eyewear, you may think my mirrored sunnies are Dior's 'So Real' stunners, but I am wearing the so fake, so affordable version. I got these designer 'duds' for $4 on aliexpress.com, which is another online Chinese retailer I frequent for accessories. It literally took a month to get them when I ordered last year, but I remembered the saying patience is a virtue and diligently checked my mail for weeks on end. My purse is a vintage structured granny bag that was a thrift find for $3.By adding fuzzy pom poms (Aliexpress.com $1 each), in theme of course, I took this bag from drab to fab! You don't have to drip in designer labels to turn heads and make a statement. I hope this post serves as an inspiration to that! There is no shame in inspired looks, but I would be careful not to cross that tacky-gauche line. I always have people asking me where I find such bargains so as an added bonus , I am listing my go-to sites as well on online shopping tips below Where I online shop:
*Chinese online retailers-These are my most trustworthy sources for street style inspired items. Expect to wait upwards of 2-4(4-weeks Aliexpress.com) weeks for items. Online shopping 101: -Know your measurements-go to your local dollar store and get a measuring tape. Measure your bust , waist, and hips. -When determining your size, refer to the site's measurement guideline. One website's size small may fit different than another's (especially Chinese brands-clothes and shoes).If the size measurements are shown in metric units just Google a conversion chart and size accordingly. -When possible read other buyer's reviews of the items. This can definitely help not only with sizing, but product quality. -Stock photo Alert-Small online boutiques and Chinese retailers are big on selling copied designs for a fraction of the original's price. So much so, they even have stock photo's from the original designer's site or even pictures from Pinterest Tumblr, or Instagram. In many cases of stock photo misuse, the picture is cropped at the mouth (the full face is missing).This can be a red flag the item you are ordering will most likely not look like the picture. In this case, maybe wait a week or two to see if you see some reviews pop up and go from there. -Coupon Codes-even if it's on sale, get as much off as you can! One of the reasons I shop at Shein, Choies, and Romwe is the incredible deals on top of deals. Many times I just Google "Romwe coupon codes 2016' and see what pulls up. Shein and Choies have a rewards point system also which means saving more on future purchases! -Free shipping- I am an avid believer in free shipping. Signing up for the newsletter can give you alerts when free shipping is available.Shein.com always has free shipping-no minimum. -Customer Service-I'm huge on customer service and I like to know that my purchases are appreciated. As much as I used to love Forever21, their customer service is shotty. Not the people in particular, the policies and procedures .One time they sent me the wrong shoes I had to pay return shipping wait to be reimbursed and was never told my original shoes were sold out. I just happen to call and check my order status. I was so disgusted. On the other hand, with Shein.com., I have been sent the wrong clearance item instead of making me pay to ship it back I was able to keep the item and was given a refund or choice of discount towards my next purchase. Response time was always with 24 hrs as well. I know this post is long, but I wanted to share some my tips for being street style fierce on a shoestring budget.Stay fabulous!!
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