Better than Pinterest- Fashion Edition 2 (GUILTY PLEASURE)

So of course after I write a post last week about how fashion can easily be done on a small budget... I bite my words and have to share a post about my GUILTY PLEASURE...

MY guilty pleasure is looking like a lady. I just love it and I really miss that this is not something that is popular in our culture. In addition to looking like a lady, I especially like to look like a lady in Free People clothing.

There I said it... two guilty pleasures (you know I am hiding a trunk full!)


With this quasi-disclaimer being stated I just wanted to get back to the list we initially talked about last week with the initial fall fashion blog post (Better than Pinterest- Fashion Edition). Here are some trends that I broke down as easy to find for the everyday fashionista that would transition well into Fall/Winter.

Stripes (even the faux pas horizontal)
Tartan plaid
Bold patterns, mixed
Color, not just fall colors, beautiful colors all types ♥
Outer wear... (Capes are in, although I am not sure I am exactly the right person to pull that off, I will see what I can do)
Knits, oversized or belted
Lace (can we ever go wrong with lace... ok, that is my own opinion) 10/15
Leather (boots/jackets, belts) 10/15
Scarves (who am I kidding, these never go out of style)
Hats (knits, scarves, head dressings) 



Since last week we really didn't explore any of these... we will take two on in this post...

Lace and Leather. In a BOLD WAY.

 As much as I complain that fashion doesn't push the boundaries much and that fashion repeats itself...over...and over... and over again.... One thing that I really love is the feminine look of beautiful lace paired with the harshness of leather... There I said it... another guilty pleasure (MAN I am just coming CLEAN today).


Now I would never be able to purchase Free People on my budget, it just does not make sense for me to spend the money on high end clothes. So as you may have guessed I scour my favorite second hand shops for some unique pieces. This dress on the other hand was an guilt pleasure (I bought it NEW). It was originally $150 and I got it for $35 at Marshall's. A normal splurge I wouldn't take but at the time we were in need of some dresses for me for an event so I took the plunge, and I am so grateful that my husband talked me into it ♥

Initially I would have really liked to pair THESE boots with my dress... I saw them in Nashville a few months back and well... who wouldn't want little skulls on their boots (ok forget I asked, lol)

Instead I settled for a pair of Steven Madden Boots that I have had for years, a good pair of boots will last you and are well worth the investment. These were one of those. (It also saved me $600 that the skull boots would have cost me!)

So together, I fulfilled many of my Guilty Pleasures in the one outfit. I felt like a lady, I matched my lace and leather, and I love love LOVE Free People clothing. All of this wrapped into one gorgeous outfit makes me happy, even if I only wore it to parent teach conference, it doesn't matter. I wore it for me and didn't notice anyone looking at me or asking me about it... which is fine by me. The goal of dressing up has to be for your own good, for only you. Any compliments are just that nice things that people say but ultimately YOU need to be the happy one and the compliments are just icing if they come. I may not have any compliments on this outfit, but it did its duty... making me happy and fulfilling my day by allowing me to feel like a lady.

If you like this post and want more inspiration on this project and my Fall/Winter Pinterest Board make sure to subscribe, either via email or google and check out my pinterest boards.


I hope you are having fun on my fashion on the cheap adventure... I am loving it. This is my favorite time of year and it truly only takes a few items to make a fashionista out of someone ♥

~Liz Hicks