Real Vs. Deal

Can you tell the difference between the $279.90 MICHAEL by Michael Kors ruffle front goatskin suede jacket and the $26.98 NY&C Red Label faux suede jacket?

VS.

(Top: NY&C, $26.98, available here; Bottom: MICHAEL by Michael Kors, $279.90, available here)

Real Vs. Deal

Can you tell the difference between the $1,050 Ziggy suede biker jacket and the $180 Boutique fringe biker jacket?

VS.

(Top: Boutique, $180, available here; Bottom: Ziggy, $1,050, available here)

New Year's Eve Fashionspiration!

Sorry for the hiatus, moving out of school + holidays = distractions galore.

With the help of Polyvore, I've created some New Year's Eve fashionspiration. The pieces featured in these sets aren't necessarily affordable, but these are just to help get your style juices flowing. Enjoy!

Real Vs. Deal

Can you tell the difference between the $396 Veda Jones Jacket and the $168 Reformed Dylan Jacket?

VS.

(Top: Reformed, $168, available here; Bottom: Veda, $396, available here)

-Annie Wazer

The Look for Less: Joanna Hillman's Style for $200

I've been obsessing over this Joanna Hillman ensemble for months now. She balances menswear with femininity and classic with trendy in this flawless look. Here's the poor couture alternative, enjoy!

Top: $58, Urban Outfitters, available here.

Belt: $26, Shotwell, available here.

Sunglasses: $15.50, American Eagle, available here.

Pants: $24.80, Forever 21, available here.

Bag: $44.90, The Limited, available here.

Lipstick: $14.50, MAC, available here.

Shoes: $24.50, Wet Seal, available here.

Total: $208.20

-Annie Wazer

Osborn Shoes: Where Fashion Meets Philanthropy

Over Thanksgiving, I was introduced to a company that I hadn't heard of before: Osborn Shoes. After finding out more about the company, and spending a little too much time perusing through the products on their website, I thought that I'd dedicate a post to them so that more people can find out about their inspiring work and impressive (and stylish!) commodities. Osborn Shoes is a company that has vertically integrated manufacturing-- which means, among many other things, that they don't use sweat-shops. It was established in 2009, and offers handmade footwear: oxfords, booties, and even one-of-a-kind pieces. Here's their story:


"Co-founder Aaron Osborn, whose family runs one of the largest orphanages in Guatemala, stumbled upon the idea for Osborn in 2007 when he met an out-of-work cobbler while doing charitable work in the country. He and co-founder, Carla Venticinque, were searching for a way to combine their artistic backgrounds with their desire to uplift their adopted homeland. This search led to Osborn Shoes. That first cobbler still works with them full time, as do a small driven team of 20 other gifted artisans. Nestled in the volcanic mountains outside Guatemala City, these artisans craft shoes in a time honored old-world manufacturing environment dedicated to integrity and quality."


It's encouraging to see that, despite the presence of immense competition in the marketplace, there is still a company out there who's trying to make a difference-- not just money. As wonderful as all that is, it  gets even better: the shoes are fashion-forward, unique, and effortlessly trendy. At Osborn Shoes, your money will go further than just buying you a new pair of shoes. Look good and feel good, that's a double whammy!


Be sure to check out their teaser video for their lookbook and music video here, and if you like what you see, stay tuned, because they're about to add heels to their Spring collection!


Here's a selection of their shoes for any style:


If you're eclectic...

Travel, $70, available here.

If you're trendy...

Green Buffalo, $98, available here.

If you're edgy...

Rio Bootie, $165, available here.

If you're classic...

Black Seersucker Oxford, $154, available here.
*My personal favorite!

AND

Sunday Burlap Oxford, $158, available here.

If you're boho-chic...

Perfect Fall Bootie, $165, available here.

If you're girly...

Velvet Jazzies, $90, available here.

If you're preppy...

Dust to Dust Oxford, $154, available here.

If you're quirky...

Fraise Creme Booties, $130, available here.

www.osborndesign.com

-Annie Wazer

The Look for Less: Olivia Palermo's Style for $250

Olivia Palermo makes style look easy with her prefect balance of classic and trendy pieces. Here's a  Poor Couture alternative that will make your wallet smile, enjoy!

Top: $50, Ando Store, available here.

Skirt: $44.99, BCBGeneration, available here.

Bag: $45, ALDO, available here.

Heels: $15, Wet Seal, available here.

Necklace: $30, Lori's Shoes, available here.

Bracelets: $12.80, Afaze, available here.

Watch: $23.10, Breda, available here.

Gold Hammered Ring: $11.60, Dorothy Perkins, available here.

Marbled Rhinestone Ring: $3.80, Forever 21, available here.

Belt: $10.34, ASOS, available here.

Sunglasses: $5.80, Forever 21, available here.

Total: $252.43

-Annie Wazer

Real Vs. Deal

Can you tell the difference between the $3,595 Burberry military doeskin aviator jacket and the $96 Jane Norman multi stitch aviator jacket?

VS.

(Top: Burberry, $3,595, available here; Bottom: Jane Norman, $96, available here.)

-Annie Wazer

The Feather Trend: Adore or Ignore?

Don't get me wrong, I love the faux-fur and animal-print trend, but I'm a little torn about the addition of feathers into the mix. Faux-fur is great because of it's absurdity: it's totally over-the-top, but because it's fake, it's not too pretentious. Feathers, even when they're fake (some are fake, right? I really hope so...), are still a little too realistic for my liking.

Here are some affordable feather-tastic items. What do you think of the feather trend-- adore or ignore?

Urban Outfitters, $19.99, available here.

Urban Outfitters, $48, available here.

Kelly Bensimon, $75, available here.

Forever 21, $28, available here.

Magid, $56, available here.

Juicy Couture, $75, available here.

-Annie Wazer

Request: A Light-Colored Handbag

My lovely suitemate, Stephanie, has been (somewhat aggressively) asking for an affordable, light-colored handbag for a while now. She has asked for something that she can bring out to parties to match with light-colored clothing, but also something that she can dress up for formals if need be.

Here's the problem. I hate bags. Weird, I know. But something about them is just inherently awkward. They're always either too big or too small, and they're almost too practical to be fashionable. I'm more of a wallet girl (the only bag that I use is my backpack), so this request was a challenge for me.

But I sucked it up. Here are some options for Steph, enjoy!

Lulu's, $23, available here.

Rampage, $42.99, available here.

Forever 21, $24.80, available here.

Forever 21, $19.80, available here.

J.J. Winters, $85, available here.

Forever 21, $19.80, available here.

J.J. Winters, $85, available here.

Ferre, $98, available here.

La Regale, $24, available here.

Prezzo, $23.20, available here.

Forever 21, $19.80, available here.

TopShop, $55, available here.

Express, $29.92, available here.

Street Level, $41.99, available here.
*My personal favorite

Forever 21, $14.80, available here.

Big Buddha, $23.99, available here.

Forever 21, $20.80, available here.

If you have a request, send an email to thepoorcouture@gmail.com with what you're looking for, why you're looking for it, and your price range and I will come up with some budget-friendly options for you!

-Annie Wazer