Clothing Favorites 101

So, I know when I do a lookbook, favorites, or 'Dress Like...' post, I tend to post from about the same places each time--especially when it comes to clothing!

And, I thought that maybe since I do that, I'd let you all in on where I do get my ideas for lookbooks and where I pull most of my material from! I think you can guess some of them, but I thought I'd break it down into what you can find there that's useful, and what to expect as far as prices and styles go.

Enjoy!

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FOREVER 21

Description: Trendy, mostly inexpensive clothing store with quirky items to add to your wardrobe each season.
Price range: $-$$
Styles: Trends, some basics
Sizing: Since it is relatively inexpensive, the sizing can be kind of all over the place. A safe bet (especially when ordering online) is to go up a size, unless it's something meant to be over-sized.
Anything else?: If you're looking for a long-lasting piece (in other words jeans, jackets, boots, etc.) that are not going out of style soon, I might by-pass F21. I love it, and I have gotten some really quality items here before, but as a general rule of thumb, if it's something I know I will use again and again and isn't just a fad or trend, I'll buy it elsewhere.
Website: xxx

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OLD NAVY

Description: Inexpensive, basic clothing that lasts pretty well.
Price range: $-$$
Styles: Basics with a few trendy pieces
Sizing: True to size (maybe a little big on some items)
Anything else?: The trick to Old Navy is wait until after the season is over to grab the items you want. Their prices aren't bad to begin with, but I've gotten three pairs of shoes from there, all under $10, just by waiting until the end of a season. On the same token, though, if it's a trendy item and there's a coupon, go ahead and get it before it's gone. Popular items do go really quickly.
Website: xxx

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TARGET

Description: Good place to search the sale wall.
Price range: $-$$ (can be $$$ if there's a third-party collection)
Styles: Mostly trends and basics
Sizing: Depends
Anything else?: Like I said above, I rarely buy anything at Target for the full price. It takes them longer to rotate clothing than, say, Forever 21, but they do put things on sale relatively often. If there's a store near you, I'd go maybe once a week and see what you can find. I've found some seriously great pieces for not a lot of money here!
Website: xxx

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H&M

Description: Relatively inexpensive clothing with a kind of hipster/LA feeling.
Price range: $$
Styles: Very trendy, a few basics
Sizing: Runs small (and in European sizes, so if you're a 2 in the US, your size might vary here)
Anything else?: You can get some awesome deals here. I got a really lovely trapeze dress last summer for I think $12? It wasn't even on sale yet, that was the base price. They're a good place to go if you're looking for trendy pieces but don't want to spend a fortune on them.
Website: xxx

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ZARA

Description: Classic looking clothing, and seems very NYC-chic.
Price range: $$-$$$
Styles: A good mix of basics, trendy and classic
Sizing: True to size
Anything else?: I wish I had a Zara store near me! I visited the one in New York City, and I fell in love. The clothes are very, very well-made, and I was surprised to find that most of the items in the store are not overly expensive for the quality. I'd say stay away from the trendy pieces in here and head to a less-expensive store such as Forever 21 or H&M.
Website: xxx

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GAP

Description: Classic, American-styled clothing that feels comfortable while looking chic.
Price range: $$-$$$
Styles: Classic, basics
Sizing: True to size/A little big
Anything else?: A great brand that keeps things interesting. Even though most of the collections look the same from season to season, they're consistent. You know that if you get a pair of jeans one year and want another pair the next, they'll most likely have them.
Website: xxx

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J. CREW

Description: High-end, classic looks. Think Ralph Lauren.
Price range: $$$-$$$$
Styles: Classic
Sizing: True to size
Anything else?: If you want something you know is very, very well-made, look no further. They've got some really classic pieces and not a lot of trendy items. I'd say this is one of those stores that you look in the sale section. It'll be easy on your wallet, and you'll still get a beautiful piece. Definitely one of my favorites, and the customer service is incredible.
Website: xxx

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MADEWELL

Description: Essentially J. Crew for teenage/young adult girls.
Price range: $$$-$$$$
Styles: Classic
Sizing: True to size
Anything else?: I don't get an opportunity to go into Madewell that often, but I peek my head in every once in a while and usually find something I love. Like J. Crew, all of their items are very well-made and last the user a long, long time. Definitely the place to go for staple items like coats, ballet flats, flannels, etc.
Website: xxx

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ANTHROPOLOGIE

Description: Quirky, eccentric home and clothing style.
Price range: $$$$
Styles: Unique, classic
Sizing: True to size
Anything else?: Anthro is usually a pipe dream for me. I do love going in there, and I own quite a few of their homewares (which are very well crafted and adorable). I just recently bought a skirt there, and like I've been saying for most of these stores, go when the season ends! Seriously, you can get some crazy deals on items that are often well over $100.
Website: xxx

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And, there's my list! I'll probably add more as I find more places I like shopping at. I hope you enjoyed, and let me know what stores you tend to lean towards!

University Eats Q & A!

Hey everyone! I'm back with another installment of my University help!

This installment is focusing on what there is to eat on campus, and what you can do to avoid eating the same thing every night or falling into an unhealthy rut!

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Q: What about meals? Surely dorms don’t have mini fridges, so I’m assuming you mostly had to eat out or something.

A: I actually had a micro-fridge! It was a microwave sitting on top of a fridge. I had to rent it from the school, but it was a good investment. But, if you can't do that, I still had a lot of food in a bin under my bed--things like chips, pretzels, peanut butter, etc... In my apartment, it's a lot easier to eat, since I've got a working kitchen. But, eating somewhere on campus is always an option--I mean, it is for me. I have a certain number of 'meal swipes' for the week, but I mostly only use them for dinner (I have 10 a week, starting fresh every Monday). Plus, we paid for a number of 'food dollars' as well (I think between $200-300?) that we could use on-campus at places like Subway or Dunkin' Donuts, or even the little marketplaces on campus. But, keeping small food items in your room is alright. I did that and I was fine!

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Q: I hope I can get something like the micro-fridge you rented. It would make life much easier for me as I can survive just fine with a mini fridge and a microwave. Let’s just not mention how tasty or how healthy most of my meals would be, haha! I guess that’s uni life for undergrads, especially freshers like meself.

A: A micro-fridge will save your life. It's not big (obviously), but it did what it needed to. I even shared it with someone & there was enough space! It definitely makes things easier--you can freeze/heat & refreeze/reheat things as often as you please! Oh, I'm convinced that living healthy on campus is totally possible! I'm trying (with my roommates) to get into a better routine & eating healthier this semester. We'll see how it goes, but I've already found some good smoothie recipes (I don't know if you'll be able to have a blender, but I'm allowed to!), & I've found some alternatives to the junk food I already eat. If you need any ideas there, I can try & help there, too!

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Q: Can I also ask if you guys cook now that you’re sharing an apartment with roommates? Because I’m not a cook at all, but I can cook to survive. So like, do you guys actually use your kitchen on a daily basis or not really? Because with classes I’m guessing you’d have little time left (and disposition) to be making your own food every single day.

A: You can ask anything you want, love! And, yes, occasionally we do. We don't have a lot of cooking supplies (yet) so we just kind of make whatever we can with an oven/stove and a pizza pan! We've made pizza, cookies, and a few other things I can't think of. I'm getting a frying pan when I go home next, so I'll be able to make eggs & grilled cheese and stuff. But, we have a microwave, too, so popcorn is always an option, as is mac & cheese. If you can operate a microwave, you should be totally fine! Most grocery stores sell anything you'd ever want in microwavable form--whether it's good or not is a totally different story. I don't personally make food every day, but I know my roommates usually make lunch in the microwave (I usually make PB&J sandwiches, which are easier)!

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Q: That’s nice that you guys have baked some things already! Homemade pizza is a tricky one, isn’t it? I’m too scared to even attempt making it by myself, you guys have some really good cooking skills there!

A: Yeah, we've baked a few things--not much, mind you, but enough that we're comfortable with the stove/oven settings. And, yeah, that's about how it goes! If we make cookies... They're gone in a day. And, actually, ours isn't really homemade--it's a frozen pizza! But, I've made handmade pizza before and it's not too terribly difficult! I probably could walk you through that, too!

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Q: On the sandwiches note, I bet all the money I don’t have that I’ll end up making myself a sandwich for lunch and dinner everyday just for the practicality of it. 

A: Sandwiches will become your best friends. I promise.

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Q: You know what, if I get a microfridge thing I’ll endeavour to keep up healthy eating - I actually LOVE SALADS AND GREENS. I suppose I can keep the leaves on the fridge and make myself a salad with veggies fairly quickly :) Which means salad sandwiches will very likely become my everyday lunch!

A: You can totally eat healthy at school. You just have to work a little harder at it than eating terribly. But, good! If you like salads, you should be just fine! From my experience, most universities offer salad options at at least one of the on-campus dining places. There's nothing wrong with salad sandwiches!

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I hope this was of some help to some of you new college students or rising college students!