Faking Well

1) heart earrings, $1, Claire's Boutique
2) anatomically correct heart necklace, gift from husband
3) pink paisley camisole, $0.50, Gap via eBay
4) pink bell sleeve 3/4 length sweater, $5, Ann Taylor via eBay
5) Jeans, previously shown,  Lucky via eBay
6) black velvet and ribbon flats, $15, Target

I'm sick as a dog.  I want to be asleep, but I'm at work, so I chose one of the most comfortable when sick outfits I thought I could get away with.  Wish me well, I'll see y'all Monday!

Body in Texas, Brain in Chcago

1) Antique looking amethyst earrings, $20, local Scottish- Irish Faire
2) Cameo style amethyst pendant, gift from husband, ren faire
3) White tank with gauzy layer over bust, $15, Express
4) White military look button up, $0.50, eBay (part of a lot)
5)  Jeans, $10, Old Navy
6)  white black polka dot  ballet flats, $7, Walmart

Yes, I look tired.  Yes, I'm even more tired than I look.  I rarely have a chance to wear this shirt, because my bust generally looks larger than usual, thanks to the pockets.  In this case, after a day of flying and a week of restaurants, I need the extra room.
Plain colored shirt, jeans, and interesting shoes are something of a trademark of mine.  I rarely want to think about how to mix and match prints, so I pick one item that does an awful lot of talking and let everything else sing back up.  Every once in a while, I'll try more than one item that talks more than most of my closet, and then I'll be less than comfortable all day long.  I'm just not an attentionmonger in that way.

A Day at the Airport

1) Anatomically correct heart necklace, gift from husband
2) Cashmere navy polo, $5, Old Navy via Goodwill
3) Jeans, $20, Old Navy
4) Knee high black high heel boots, $60, JCPenney's

So today was my last day in Chicago.  The Evil Rabbit and all my stuff has been packed into my luggage and are in airports or on planes for 10.5 hrs, much like myself.  I'm sitting on the floor in O'Hare airport, typing this up because time was short this morning.  I try to be comfortable when I fly, but I'll be fucked if I'm gonna wear sweats or yoga pants out in public unless I'm working out.  Hence the professional looking but beyond comfortable polo and jeans, with the easy on, easy off whore boots. (The boots are actually much more comfortable than they appear to be, thanks to a thin sole on the ball of the foot and really soft leather from years of wear.)  I'm almost as comfortable as I would be in my PJs, but look a cubic ton better than I would in PJs.
Speaking of looking good, I wanna see y'all.  I'm kicking around the idea of a Cheapass Twosday.  What it would entail would be one usual post of me (linked back to Shoeper Shoesday on Shoeperwoman) and one post about one of y'all's Cheapass outfits.  It would not need to meet my personal requirements for cheapassery.  It would only need to be an outfit you consider to be cheapass (looks like a million bucks, but sure didn't cost it) that you feel pretty damn good in.  Prices and where you got it would be a bonus, but not required.  E-mail me the photos and maybe commentary on the outfit or how it makes you feel (if you want) and I'll put it up on the blog starting next Tuesday.

Barefoot Freak

1) Anatomically correct heart necklace, gift from husband
2) Silver hoop earrings, $3, Claire's Boutique
3) Turquoise tank with eyelet neckline, $1.89, Goodwill
4) Blue 3/4 sleeve henley, $7, Old Navy
5) Jeans, $20, Old Navy
6) Vibram Five Fingers KSOs, $35, eBay

Every has that one style shirt that they absolutely love and hope never goes out of style.  Slim cut tee, menswear button up. one shoulder tank, what have you.  Mine is the 3/4 sleeve henley.  I love these things.  My shoulders don't get cold (a recurring issue), I can make them as modest or sexy as I need that day, pack like a dream (not that I travel very often), and they're cotton jersey (one of the best fabrics on the face of the planet for living in the desert.)
I'm also a huge fan of being barefoot or as close to it as possible.  A large chunk of that come from when I was a kid.  Mom and Dad generally didn't have us put shoes on unless we were going somewhere, so I spent a fair majority of my childhood barefoot, inside and out.  Stickers didn't matter (lift foot, yank to remove burr, keep running), and all 3 of us kids got poison ivy at least once.  I'm still barefoot as often as possible because it's more comfortable than shoes.  Enter the barefoot shoe, and I was in seventh heaven.  I'd spent years hunting for either shoes that would coddle my freakishly high arches or had as thin a sole as possible (meaning they were cheap and fell apart at the drop of a hat.)  Finally, a shoe for the barefoot freak!  I bought a pair and fell in love. I now have 3 pair and a pair of the Fila Skeletoes.  I love my freaky feetie shoes.

Chicago... Rabbits?!

1) white lacy camisole, $5, Charlotte Russe
2) circles and swirls top, $3.50, Harold's via Goodwill
3) jeans, Old Navy, $15,
4) knee high black leather boots, $60, JCPenney

As you may have noticed, I'm not in Texas anymore, because the bookshelf has gone AWOL.  I'm in Chicago for training on an awesome piece of equipment for my job.  I feel a bit more comfortable wearing slightly beat up jeans in an industrial training setting than in the front office.
Yes, that is a Rabbit with Nasty Sharp, Pointy Teeth sitting on my boot and menacing the camera. 20 goodygoody points to the person that can name that movie!

Jeans for Night, Done Right

1) Empire waist tank top,  $1.89, the Limited via Goodwill
2)Jeans, $20, Old Navy
3) black teardrop pendant necklace, Claire's boutique, $1
4) silver criss cross sandals, Payless, $15

I wore this out to dinner with my husband back on Sunday. I consider this proof positive that you can wear jeans (almost) anywhere, if you pair it right.  I could've made it more formal and worn it with a pencil skirt, or changed the shoes and made it less formal.
This is also indicative of what a good addition to your wardrobe can do for you.  If you can dress it up, dress it down, and take it to town, and it looks like a different outfit each time, it's a good addition.  If it'll only work with that one skirt that you only wear once a year to the company social, not so much.

Not So Casual Friday

1) Webbed earrings, $5, Claire's Boutique
2) Ombre scarf repurposed into a vest, $7, GAP,
3) Split satin sleeve tee, $12, Express
4) Black khakis, $3, Ann Taylor via eBay
5) teal "suede" booties, $10, Charlotte Russe

It's amazing what a scarf'll do. Especially a thin, wide one like this one.  It's seen many incarnations, from it's first time out as a belt, to acting as a vest, to being a wrap, to being a bathing suit cover up.  (I'm sure I've actually used it like a scarf too, a few times.)  A scarf like this is my best accessory friend.  I get cold really easily and generally want a closet with at least four times the amount of clothes in my current one. Scarves can take so many shapes, forms, and thicknesses that I can just grab one, throw it around my neck, and run out the door.  BAM! Wrap for if I get cold, belt if my pants start fitting a little too loose, hair tie if I forget one, and, oh yeah, accessory.  I have 5 million of the fuckers, and I still want more.  (What, you thought 5 million was enough?)
It's Friday.  You're thinking "Where's her casual Friday outfits?"  I actually tend to dress too formally for my office most days.  Slacks aren't usually worn by anyone but me, and I'm the only one that wears heels.  Most folks wear jeans, a semi casual top, and sneakers or casual shoes. BUT, until I can get more work friendly jeans (most of mine have worn areas on the knees), I'll probably continue being more formal than the rest of the office. I just don't have enough work appropriate, truly casual clothes.

Some Day My Prints Will Come

1) floral blazer, Petite Sophisticate via thrift store, $8
2) grey short sleeve keyhole sweater, Maurice's, $4
3) turquoise cami, Agaci Too, $2
4) navy wide leg slacks, $7, Ann Taylor Loft via Goodwill
5) Navy/ white polka dot slingbacks, $10, Baker's via eBay
6) Accessories: silver hoop earrings, $5, Claire's; Lapiz/ sodalite necklace, $20, local museum.

Today was one of those days that nothing fit right, nothing looked good, and the outfit I had planned just wasn't happening.  So, I chucked it all aside and pulled on one of my favorite outfits.
One thing some of y'all may have notice is how very little pattern there is in my day to day wardrobe.  Plenty of color, plenty of texture, but not much pattern.  There is a method to my madness there, although most of it is that most prints just don't look right on my petite but muscular frame.  The other reason is that solids just mix and play more easily in the closet.  It's a lot easier to pair a grey sweater (with texture), a navy trouser, and an accessory or 3, than it is to figure out how to wear those zigzag print capris with anything but that one blue shirt and god help me on accessories.  I'm lazy.  I also prefer simpler, more classic clothing; and the latest print du jour usually isn't simple or classic, let alone reminiscent of my fashion icons (more on them later, but I've already paid homage to one.)
I'm working to get more prints in my wardrobe and on my body, but I'm so damn picky (and cheap) that it's a very piecemeal process.  This jacket is an example of a print that belongs in my wardrobe.  Most print blazers aren't.

When's a Dress not a Dress?

1) Black flower clip (in hair), $1, Claire's boutique
2) Amethyst and silver earrings, gift, local fair
3) Amethyst and silver necklace, gift, local heritage fair
4) Black shell, $17, Dillard's
5) White sundress (worn undershell), $10
6) black with white polka dots flats, $7, Walmart
 7) (Not shown) purple velvet blazer, $5, GAP via eBAY
One of the easiest ways to reuse a dress is to use it as a skirt or jumper.  Since the idea of a jumper still makes me itch, thanks to school uniforms in elementary school, mine tend to have alter egos as skirts.  I love this sundress, but the low cut bodice and spaghetti straps make it less than work friendly, so I repurpose it by layering a thicker fabric shirt over it (because the bodice has ruffles and smocking a thinner shirt would show.)

Cheapass Math

1) Feather earrings, $1, Claire's Boutique
2) Beaded chain necklace, $1.50, Kohl's
3) Blue swirly cardigan, $5, Target via Goodwill
4) White shell, $17, Dillard's
5) Navy and metal bead scarf used as belt, $4, Ann Taylor Loft
6)  Jeans, $8, Lucky Brand via eBay
7) Laser cut silver flats, $8, Walmart
This post is also participating in Shoeper Shoesday at Shoeperwoman
Yay, special tilty photo because I didn't hold my phone right...
That shell is proof that at one point I wasn't so picky about price point.  It's several years old (and should probably be replaced), and I thought $16 and change for a sleeveless sweater.  I still wear it, because I'm trying to get a fair amount of mileage out of an "expensive" piece.
I have only two rules when it comes to clothing cost:
1) How often would I wear it?
I generally refuse to buy a piece unless I can identify at least 3, preferably 5, outfits I can make with it using my existing closet.  There's no point in buying an article of clothing that needs another article of new clothing to make it work, because then you can ONLY wear it in that one outfit, which is not cost effective.
2)How expensive is it?
I want to get things as cheap as I can for the best quality I can get my grimy little paws on.  I'd much prefer getting something barely used for 5-10% of the original cost than cough up for the brand new item.  I'm also a firm believe in cost per wear, and generally want to get it down to $0.50 or less, which means I need to LOVE it and it better be cheap to start with.  I have exceptions, of course.  I'll pay more for a purse because, quite frankly, I'm usually too lazy to change them out on a daily basis, so it'll get a long run of being worn daily.  My current bag is a Brahmin that I got on sale at Dillard's for $180, and I've gotten it down to probably a $0.50- 0.75 cost per wear because I so rarely change it out it.  I'll pay for something I'll likely only wear once for something important (like a bridesmaid dress), but I'll bitch to myself about how it costs too damn much for what it is.

Your Texan's Showing

1) black and grey floral tank, $4, Walmart
2) grey cotton short sleeve sweater with waist tie, $9, Ann Taylor, eBay
3) Evil eye ward necklace, $1,  Claire's Boutique
4) Turquoise jacket, $10, Steinmart
5) Jeans, $15, Old Navy
6) Lace up granny cow boy boots, $60, local cowboy shop


I love these boots.  Yes, I paid way too much for them; but for full leather, hand cobbled boots, that price is closer to reasonable.  They're mid calf lace up boots, with room for my soccer player calves (as much a problem in boots as my soccer player thighs are in jeans).  I can use them for nearly any outfit (even formal, if I shine them up nice.  It IS West Texas.)

Channeling Audrey

1) Red and purple print tunic, $8, Steinmart clearance rack
2) Black cigarette pants, $10, Express via eBay
3) Amethyst and silver bracelet, gift
4) Purple ballet flats, $5, Charlotte Russe clearance rack

Although I haven't seen any of her movies, I love Audrey Hepburn's style. (Yes, I know not seeing Breakfast at Tiffany's is sacrilege.  I'll watch it eventually.)  While my frame does not quite suit some of her outfits, I can easily pull off the cigarette pants and flats.  Being short with lots of leg muscle has its advantages. To quote Will Smith in Men in Black, "I make this look GOOD."

This outfit also breaks one of my cardinal shopping rules: natural fibers only.  It's just too hot/ cold/ windy here for clothes that don't breathe.  In this case, I loved the top enough that I was willing to overlook the fabric and give it a forever home; and I couldn't find cigarette pants worth having that weren't pure polyester or cost prohibitive, so I settled.  I still want a pair of shantung silk cigarette pants.

Green Goddess, Minus the Dressing

1) white flower earrings- freebies with an eBay purchase
2) White cami with cream lacy neckline-  $3-4, Old Navy clearance rack
3) Green henley- $7, Old Navy sale
4) Dark Wash skinny jeans- $5, Charlotte Russe clearance rack
5) Pleather knee high motorcycle boots- $7, Payless?
I honestly had another outfit with the same shirt planned.  All light and summery and sandals... then the infamous Texas weather intervened and that idea got rained out.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  We need the rain and I would gladly trade out my summery clothes for rain-friendly clothes if it would end this drought.

Seeing Spots!

No, I'm not scowling at you.  This was the best photo of all the ones I took.
Today's study in cheapassery is red and dots.  From head to toe:
1)(Unshown) flower and feather hair clip, $1, Claire's Boutique.
2) Sterling silver hoop earrings, $7, Claire's Boutique.
2) White fringed scarf, $3, can't remember where I got it.
3) Red v-neck Ann Taylor t-shirt, $1.80, thrifted.
4) Black skirt with white polka dots and white roses embroidered on the hem, $3.49, thrifted.
5) Red slingback peep toes, $15.

Unfortunately, as you'll soon see, it's very difficult to keep shoes under $10.  With those, jeans, and winter coats I grudgingly pay more, if only so I can get decent quality.  Paying more than $20-25 for any of those is still very rare, on my end.


(Yes, those are Chicago Bears hats you see around the mirror.  No, you can't have them.)

Cheapass Chick Intro

Hiya!
Welcome to Cheapass Chick!  This is the blog for those who want to look like a million bucks and spend as little as possible doing it.  I'm your cheapass blogger, Jen.
Personally, I see no need to pay way too much money for clothes when you can get the same, if not better, things for much cheaper.  I comb all the cheapass sources and often refuse to pay more than $10 for anything clothing related.  There are always exceptions, but for the most part, that rule holds fast.  This is the place I'll be posting all those scores and hints on how to make your own Cheapass scores.
Wanna see pics of someone making cheapass outfits? You're in the right place.
Wanna know how to start adding cheapass pieces to your wardrobe?  Welcome home.
Wanna know how to start being a cheapass?  Congratulations, you found the starting point.  
Cheapasses unite!