wednesday: shop under twenty

I chanced upon Jem Apparel via Madeline's blog Uber Chic for Cheap (check it out, it's cute!). There are not actually that many products under twenty there, but the clean look and tasteful style caught my eye. It has a little bit of a toned-down Modcloth feel in its dresses and a Loft vibe in its tops. The feel is more timeless than trendy, although it definitely has a slightly retro twist that, funnily enough, is very now. I really like the website, although I think it could be kicked up a 100% with a front-and-center and elaborated "about us" or "our story" page. I'm such a sucker for those, and I can't help but think there must be some kind of story here. I'd love to know where the clothes are manufactured, who her inspirations are, and some outfit ideas. Big props for the "hidden jems" page.

I think I picked through all the below $20 stuff and found these "jems". If you're willing to go to a slightly higher price point, there are absolutely gorgeous dresses and a few classic coats.

I rarely see this beautiful smoky blue-gray in affordable jewelry.
$15

To prettify a plain winter coat in nothing flat.
$14.99

This is the year that I meant to buy an infinity scarf, except I live in a place where "winter" is two weeks of rain, so maybe you should buy this instead of me.
$15

Ruffles without being ruffle-y, you know? I would layer with buttoned cardigan so just a few petals show!
$18

Looking forward to seeing more come out of Jem Apparel, especially if it's below that magic twenty-dollar mark.

friday: shop under twenty

Have you heard of Nasty Gal? I feel about 95yo, because the name makes me go, is this what kids are naming their stores these days? But the selection is beautiful! Their collection has a vintage-y, street vibe. It's one of those shops where I take one look at the home page, and I want to click off, because I'm sure t-shirts cost $89 bucks. But there's a bunch of stuff that's adorable and surprisingly affordable. You can choose to shop "new" or "vintage", but (fair warning) the vintage looks more expensive! They also have a cute blog. In the under-20 range, they have a few tops, but a ton of gorgeous accessories, especially socks/tights-related stuff.

The thin stripes and navy/white mix brings elegance to this pretty casual tee.

$19 (originally $38)

Delicate, yet bold, necklace!

$20

Um, love these! I've wanted to jump on the knee-high trend for a while, but I'm not totally sure how to do it without being inappropriate (schoolgirl, anyone?). I like that these are toned down in black, but also have a little bit of pretty detail. Gonna be honest, I don't like those shoes, but I could see it working with a skimmer or maybe even a wedge bootie.

$18