Cheap, Not Slutty

Miss Cheapist wears shirt (14.99 from Strawberry Jam), shorts ($14.99 from H&M), & metallic sandals (39.99 sale Ken Cole Reaction).

Once in a while, a woman must contemplate what is appropriate to wear out on a hot, summer day. Miss Cheapist believes that the less you wear, the less you should pay. However, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the meaning of "cheap" as inexpensive and its more "street" defintion: "vulgar & worthy of no respect." In this day when women's style seems to straddle the aesthetics of socialite and porn star almost simultaneously, many people will pay top dollar for clothes that may enhance ones physical assets, but remain within confines of good taste. This entry is intended to shatter the myth that cheap means poor quality, or that price is can ever be discerned by those on the outside. With the assistance of photographer Cristie P., Miss Cheapist inventoried the clothing of her colleagues at the annual staff summer party, not surprised to find that many of the women had pulled together terrific outfits between $25-75; a cost that often included their accessories. It has become a common exchange at work to compliment an outfit, only to then learn its unbelieveable price. So, how does one buy cheap without looking cheap?
Cristie (above) always finds dresses and separates at discount stores and vintage shops, and manages to pull everything together into unique ensembles. The dress above was purchased at Rainbow on DeLancey Street for $16.99. In total, her wood accessories cost $10.00, from the same store.
Rule #1 : It's important to wear something that fits. Pay particular attention to proportions, and invest in alterations if neccessary. Rule #2: Hair, makeup and overall fitness help enhance cheap outfits, rather than degrade them.
Erika (above) is also quite talented. Her approach is to regularly scour sale racks at middle-range stores for good finds. At the time of this photo shoot she admitted to paying more than usual for the blue tunic ($49.99), but found the metallic bag for only $10.99 at H&M. Her experience highlights Rule #3: To find these types of bargains one must shop constantly. In shopping constantly, one must be discriminating, as several cheap outfits could amount to one quality piece that you actually invest more in. The money adds up!
In order to maintain this lifestyle, one must have tremendous patience. One must endure large, warehouse-style chain stores that pay little attention to interior design or dusting, and where the clientele is large in number, diverse in background, and extremely agressive about finding what they want. Rule#4: When looking for a bargain, one must give up the fantasy of strolling casually into a boutique, looking at a few pieces and receiving large amounts of attention from staff. Never ask dressing room attendants to find it for you in another size.
Christina (above) is wearing a $24.99 jersey empire waist dress from H&M, and a gorgeous necklace ($9.99) from Forever 21. When asked how she was able to make the necklace look so classy, she replied that it was probably the choice of navy blue for the dress that made it look more appropriate. She was being modest, as it was not the color of her outfit, but the content of her character that made everything look more refined. Rule #5: Even if one shops among the Forever 21 set (literally, those age 21 and below), one should always carry herself with maturity and self-awareness. Even someone wearing couture can suddenly look vulgar if behaving badly.
Nikki (above) has recently indulged in a spree of consumerism, and spent a cool May evening trawling Broadway shops with Miss Cheapist. After months of depriving herself and not shopping for several months, Nikki reveled in buying everything she saw. Unlike others, she was able to engage in carefree spending because it happened so rarely. Her dress cost $14.99 from Rainbow, and flipflops were 2 for $5.00 at Old Navy. Leggings were $9.99 from Rainbow as well. Rule #6: It's fun to shop for bargains with a partner in crime. That person can be a sounding board for whether or not you are pulling off the "cheap, not slutty" look effectively. While Nikki does not always indulge in discount shopping, when she does, her finds are often quite remarkable, and her excitement impressive.
With this said, Miss Cheapist wishes you all some fine summer partying with your new point of view. Send pictures, prices and brands of your cheap, not slutty, outfits and stay posted for more insights on backtomotherland.blogspot.com, barring technology problems in China. Leaving you with this thought...
Final Rule: It's important to mix high-end and low-end pieces to keep people wondering.