The Season of Sequins!

Fergie wearing a sequined dress

While I was strolling down Georgetown last month, I walked into the Juicy Couture store and noticed the beautiful sequin sunburst dress, now don't get me wrong, I am absolutely in love with this dress, in love! The downside to this dress is it costs a whopping $348 and is now on sale at Zappos for $275. At the Juicy store, I also fell in love with a silver sequin top I found. Yet again, the price was just way to much for me. As I kept shopping, I noticed yet another sequin dress which comes in both silver and black. Again, I just simply did not want to pay the high prices of Juicy for a simple sequin top. After I left the Juicy store empty handed, I continued to walk down M Street until I finally went into the BCBG store. At the BCBG store I noticed a huge amount of different sequin tops. Surely sequins had returned back into style. Personally I love this trend. I own a few sequin tops, and some sequin scarves. I do have one sequin dress from Charlotte Russe which I bought a few years ago. As I went into BCBG I was astonished by how many different sequin outfits they had. I was also astonished by the prices of BCBG's sequin apparel. I mean, yes, I'm well aware that BCBG products are rather expensive, but as with the case of Juicy, I felt that the sequin outfits were overpriced and even more expensive than the regular apparel. I wondered why this was, I mean, it cant possibly cost the companies that much more to make sequin apparel comparied to their regular clothing. Whatever the case may be, sequin outfits from designers tend to cost much more than their other items. Take this BCBG Herve Leger Skirt for example, I mean sure its a beautiful skirt, but is it really worth $1150? And is BCBG's sequin-embellished long sleeve dress really worth $548? I mean, I love BCBG and I'm usually able to afford their clothing, but their sequined items are just so very ridiculously priced. For those of you looking for a wide range of prices of sequin dresses, I checked ASOS's collection, which has sequin tops and dresses ranging from $42.49 to $1352.98! I checked the GUESS by Marciano collection which offers a few sequin dresses such as the Kimberly Sequin 3/4 Sleeve Bandage Sweater Dress as well as the Kimberly Sequin Bandage Sweater Dress which retails for $178.99 and $142.99 respectively. Personally I love both dresses in the silver color, and the sleeveless one in purple looks great as well. Still, I'm not willing to pay that much for a dress I may only wear once.

Juicy Couture Sequin Top

As for those of you who love sequins but cannot pay the outrageous price of a designer sequin dress or top, no need to worry! Stores like Charlotte Russe are selling these items for as low as $9. Take their Stud & Sequin Dress for instance. This dress costs only $18.49 and reminds me a little bit of the Juicy sequin sunburst dress shown above. The Charlotte Russe Stud & Sequin Dress also comes in the form of a top called the Studded Sequin Top . Remember the Herve Ledger Skirt above which retailed for $1150? Well, Charlotte Russe offers a similar skirt but in black called the Mirrored Sequin Mini Dress that costs only $12.49! If your in need of a silver sequin top, check out Charlotte Russe's Sequined Mesh Tank for only $26.99! Charlotte Russe's Mirrored Knit Dress sort of reminds me of the Marciano dress shown earlier. Also be sure to check out the Sequin Striped Dress as well as the Ombre Sequin Tank!

Charlotte Russe Ombre Sequin Tank

Besides Charlotte Russe, stores like Forever 21 also offer a great variety of sequined outfits. Also be sure to check Macy's. Although the price range for the outfits in Macy's are a bit higher, alot of them are very cute. Check out the DKNYC Skirt which is now half off for $74.99. Also check out the ING Dress, Strapless Sequin Mini Dress, and the Theme Dress, Sequin Stripe Tank. Also check out the Rampage Tank Top, which looks almost exactly like the Charlotte Russe Studded Sequin Top shown above.

Rampage Tank Top

Lastly, I feel that I should warn you guys to be careful when shopping for sequin dresses. I personally would not wear a dress with full on sequins everywhere. There is a fine line between tacky and chic so make sure you ask yourself these questions before you buy a sequined outfit.

Scarves, Scarves, Scarves!

Juicy Couture Striped Scarf

One of the reasons I love winter so much is because of scarves. What can I say, I love scarves! Personally, I own very few winter clothes, and a huge amount of spring clothes. The reason is because winter clothes tend to be boring. For example, the other day I went to the mall with the intent of buying clothes for the winter, but by the time I left the mall, all I had bought were more unnecessary spring clothes. I love color, and from past experiences, I find winter clothes always lacking color. Winter clothes are typically darker, more neutral colors. The reason I love scarves so much is because they are usually always colorful, and they offer a great way to accessorize any boring winter sweater.

Animal Print Scarves found at Pier 1 Import

One of my favorite types of scarves are animal print scarves, but particularly the zebra ones. As I mentioned earlier, I have a black and white zebra scarf from dELiA's which I tend to wear with my magenta Guess? coat. Also, just two days or so ago, I bought a light purplish pink zebra scarf for my Juicy Couture Pink Wool Coat. I managed to snag this beautiful light purple soft and glittery scarf from Pier 1 Import for only $11! Along with my light purple zebra scarf, I also like to match up my pink wool Juicy coat with a matching Juicy scarf. I managed to get this scarf for around $55 during a 30% off sale that took place at the beginning of November.

Old Navy's Woman's Striped Gauze Scarf

Another type of scarf I absolutely adore are striped scarves, which are both very popular and very common. I love the scarves Juicy Couture offers because they are pretty affordable and also very comfortable. The Juicy Couture scarves are very wide, which means they cover up your whole neck. Lucky Brand offers a beautiful wide scarf similar to the length of the Juicy Scarves. This is extremely important especially when its very cold outside. The Juicy Couture scarves are also very long and soft. A few of my favorite are the Rainbow Stripe Tassel Scarf, the Striped Scarf, and the Striped Heidi Scarf, all of which are currently on sale! Overstock.com offers the Himalaya Trading Company Cashmere Varsity Stripe Scarf which comes in four different colors! If your looking for a cute striped scarf for half the price of the Juicy Scarves, try Macy's Charter Club Scarf, which comes in three different colors and retails for $25.99! Also, try American Eagles Downtown Cable Scarf, which costs $24.95 and which come in three other striped colors. For those of you wanting to spend less than $20, try the Old Navy Woman's Striped Gauze Scarf which only costs $14.50 and comes in four very cute colors!

For those of you on a budget, consider Old Navy. Their Cable Knit Scarf costs only $5.99 while their Fringed Popcorn-Knit scarves go for $4.99 and come in six different colors! Also for those of you who are willing to splurge on an expensive scarf, watch out for Anthropologie. At the beginning of winter, Anthropologie was selling beautiful scarves which I believed sold out. Maybe some are still available in stores, so be sure to check it out!

Cute Coats

Hot Pink Juicy Couture Coat

A wool coat is a must anywhere you live! These coats not only keep you warm, but are very cute and last a long time. Most wool coats are a bit expensive, but keep in mind that these coats will last you for years. I bought my first wool coat from Guess last year. My Guess coat is magenta and features black buttons and a cute bow in the back. I usually wear a white and black zebra scarf I bought from dELiA's with this coat, along with my black Steve Madden Bonanza boots! If you're looking for a great warm winter coat, I would suggest considering Guess. They have a wide assortment of cute jackets in very unique colors, along with typical colors such as black and white. I bought my jacket from Macy's, and during my last trip to the Macy's, I noticed a plethora of Guess jackets in the outerwear section. If your looking for a very colorful chic jacket, I suggest the Guess? Coat, Double Breasted Skirted Pea Coat. I've seen this coat in Macy's before. I think that this jacket is very cute and colorful, but also very appropriate for any occasion. This coat is also on sale at the moment, with the price reduced by $80. If the color is too much for you, this coat also comes in a black, which is a very classy color for a coat.

Juicy Couture Pink Wool Coat

This year I decided I was going to buy a white coat. I love how elegant white coats look. During my search for a white coat, I stumbled upon the Juicy Couture Pink Wool Coat and fell in love. Yes, I know, this is a pink coat, not a white one. I absolutely loved this coat, but the downside was that it retailed for $448! I've wanted a coat this color for a few years and was never able to find one. I finally bought this coat at Neiman Marcus for around $250, which yes I know is expensive, but alot better than the $448. When the coat came to my house, I absolutely adored it. I loved how this coat matched my Juicy gloves, scarf, and hat along with my pink and brown Juicy daydreamer! This coat is perfect! The only downside is that there are no pockets. Currently this coat is sold out online, but may still be available in stores. If your willing to splurge on a coat, I would very much suggest checking out Juicy Couture's coats. Although they sell coats online, for some reason, the Juicy store contains much more coats in the actual store than online. Last time I went to the Juicy store in Georgetown, I found a beautiful hot pink coat, along with a similar blue one. The Juicy store also had a sale of $50 off coats last time I went. Also, if your willing to spend the money, I would also suggest checking out J.Crew's selection of coats. As of now, I still have not found my white coat. I'm very picky, and since I already bought the pink Juicy coat, I can't spend much on a new white coat. As of now, I think I might just wait until next year to get a white coat since I want to show off my new Juicy one as much as possible!

For those of you not willing to spend a huge sum of money on the likes of Juicy Couture, Guess, and J.Crew, I would suggest checking out dELiA's assortment of coats. Most of these coats range from about $50-$80, and are very cute and colorful. All the outerwear on the site is currently on sale, so now it the time to buy a coat if you havent already. If your looking to spend even less on a coat, try Forever 21. One is located in the Pentagon City Mall, but looking online is also a good idea. Most of the Forever 21 coats range in price from $20- $45 dollars such as this cute white one. My friend actually managed to snag one for $15 during black friday!

Winter Boots!

Steve Madden Bonanza Boots

As many of you know, it gets very cold here in the district. A good pair of winter boots are a must in DC. I've never really owned a pair of boots because I just started living in DC a few months ago, and it was extremely hard for me to find a good pair. I've been looking for a pair of nice warm boots that match most of my wardrobe, and I also needed ones without heels so that my feet wouldnt die by the end of the day. After searching online, I finally found a great pair, the Steve Madden Bonanza! These shoes come in five different colors: black, brown, grey, natural, and purple. I've also seen a green Steve Madden Bonanza at Amazon.com. At first, I was debating which color to get. I mean, I absolutely love the purple, but it would be very inconvenient when it comes to matching my clothes. I adored the grey, but when I went to the actual Steve Madden store, I found the grey looked almost like a light brown. In the end I got them in black. The shoes retail for $99.95, but when I bought them off the Steve Madden store, I think they were on sale for $79.99, plus I used the coupon WELOVEMADDEN30 which gave me 30% off plus free shipping. For those of you that don't want to pay $99.95, I found these shoes in Finish Line. Finish Line only offers three colors: brown, black, and grey. Each color is a different price but they greys are only $23.99! These are great prices for the Bonanza boots, and I dont know if you can find them cheaper anywhere else. After I received my black bonanza boots in the mail, I feel in love. The boots are suede and very warm and fall right under my knee. I ordered a brown pair from Finish Line which are to come in this week. I also found a pair very similar to the Steve Madden Bonanza, but this pair was made by EMU. Overstock.com is also selling a pair of similar boots by Bamboo for $34.99. Personally, I think that the Finish Line prices are great, especially since they are selling Steve Maddens for that price! But for those of you that want to spend less than $20 on your pair of boots, GoJane.com offers a similar pair for only $16.80!

Best Shopping Spots In DC

Georgetown

By far, my favorite place to shop in DC is Georgetown, particularly M Street. Georgetown offers a wide variety of shops, but most are more high end. Although there are more affordable stores such as H&M and a variety of others. My favorite part of Georgetown is that it has a Juicy Couture store. For all of you Juicy lovers, the Juicy Couture in Georgetown is the only one in DC. I love the outdoor shopping atmosphere of Georgetown. For those of you that take the metro, the easiest way is to get to the Foggy Bottom-GWU stop which is on the orange and blue line.

Pentagon City Mall

Although the Pentagon City Mall is technically in Arlington, Va, it's so close to DC that I feel it's worth mentioning. The Pentagon City Mall is a huge four story mall featuring a huge list of shops. The shops are all indoor which is great for winter shopping. If your planning on a mega shopping trip, the PCM is the perfect place to visit. Although it may take a few days to actually go through the whole mall, especially during your first visit! If your going by metro, take the Pentagon City stop on the yellow and blue line.

Friendship Heights

There are many different places to shop in Friendship Heights. Friendship Heights is found on the red line of the metro. One of the malls found in Friendship Heights is the Mazza Gallerie. There is also a Loehmann's found in Friendship Heights, along with a great assortment of stores on Wisconson Avenue. Right across for the Mazza Gallerie is the Chevy Chase Pavillion. Also found in Friendship Heights is The Collection at Chevy Chase which is very upscale and contains stores such as Gucci and Jimmy Choo.

Tysons Corner/Galleria

Again, both Tysons Corner and Tysons Galleria are technically located in VA, but they are both close enough to DC that I will add them to this list. Both Tysons Corner and Tysons Galleria are located minutes from each other. Tysons Corner offers a wide variety of stores while Tysons Galleria offers more high end stores. Both are located in McLean, VA and currently there are no metro stops near McLean but I hear that one will be built by 2011.

Union Station

Although Union Station is small and doesn't offer much shopping, it is still a nice place to go. Union station only offers a small amount of stores but it's a good place to visit if you want to get some quick shopping done, or just look around. Union Station also offers a movie theater in the lower level, which you could always visit after shopping. The nice thing about Union Station is the fact that there is a nice food court down stairs, and that its easy to get to via metro, just take the red line to union station and walk up the escaladers.

Westfield Shoppingtown Montgomery Mall

The Wesfield Mall is technically in MD, but is very close to DC. The store offers a great variety of shops from high ends stores such as the Armani Exchange to department stores such as Macy's and Nordstrom The Westfield Mall is located in Bethesda Maryland. The stores in this mall are pretty similar to the stores in the Pentagon City Mall with a few exceptions. In order to get to this mall via metro, take the red line to Grosvenor and then take the bus to 96 or 47.

Metro Center/ Dupont Circle/ Chinatown

Both Metro Center and Dupont Circle are on the Red line of the metro and are about two stops away from each other. Both stores offer a few good shops along their streets. For example, Metro Center offers a large Macys which I believe is 4-5 stories high, as well as an H&M, while Dupont Circle has a Ann Taylor LOFT as well as some other stores. Chinatown, which is also found on the red line has an Ann Taylor LOFT as well but also an Urban outfitters along with a few other stores.

Introduction

Before I start posting links of different fashion trends, I feel like I should start with an introduction. I currently live in DC and I love fashion and clothes. I am very much a shopaholic. I've only been in DC for a while, but I think I'm going to start off by describing some of the best shopping sites in DC and then from there describe some of the most popular trends I've noticed here. I'm going to try to post items for all different price ranges because everyone has a different budget to work with. Hmmm, I think that's all for now.