5 Gifts Under $10

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and my depleted debit card is feeling not-so-cheery. I love giving gifts as much as Santa Claus, but without a job, the task can be daunting. Although I have decided to hand-make a majority of my presents this year, I realize that there won't be enough hours in the day to spread the personal holiday cheer to everyone on my list.

 So when I find myself in a bind on December 23, here's five practical gifts with a small price tag.

Gap Socks $6

O.P.I nail polish $8

Forever 21 headbands $4

H&M 10-pack rings $5

Target leopard gloves $10

Marni for H&M

Earlier this week Italian designer Marni announced a line for H&M that will hit over 250 of H&M's  international and online stores in March. The announcement follows the wake of Versace's launch at H&M two weeks ago. The Versace line was filled with bold prints and lots of studs. 
Rest assured Marni's collaboration will deliver colors and prints at a more subtle level. Marni designs are best known for tribal prints and playful patterns. 

“I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favorite pieces in signature fabrics and prints,” Marni designer Consuelo Castiglioni said in a statement. “As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colours, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphic adding sporty utilitarian elements.”


The spring line will feature clothes and accessories for women and men at prices a little higher than we are all used to shelling out at H&M, but we're talking Italian designers here. 
In a video released by H&M to to promote the collection, Castiglioni added, “I’m very proud of the result–everything has the same level of quality, craft and attention to detail that Marni is known for.” The video offers a peek at the collection: from the looks of things this line is going to fly off H&M's shelves. 

Oversized Obsession

It's November which means two things: lots of food and the start of the official shopping season. Holiday shopping is especially fun for me because it gives me an excuse to dress everyone in the family.


This year I will have to share the love of my obsession for this season. Oversized sweaters. Celebrities love them, and inspire us to wear them a number of ways.

So even if Kim can't keep a marriage together, she can still keep her style in tact. I love her neutral color choice. Neutrals are not only great for this time of year, but are great for layering. Big sweaters can be layered over other sweaters, keeping you extra toasty when the weather dips.

This outfit is from Gap, the best place on earth to purchase sweaters. The store has a number of different sweaters in a variety of color and material. Classic styled sweaters are always great for winter, but this year bigger is better. Oversized sweaters are the updated sweater dress, but as Gap shows, you can still have both! This look works best if the underneath sweater has some
different color, a different print, or a different material. The key is for some kind of contrast. These sweaters look great with skinny jeans, leggings, boots or sometimes heels.

No matte what look; comfy or dressy, big sweaters can cover all your bases.

The bonus of why I will be wearing big sweaters over the holidays? I can eat as much as I want and my sweater can cover it up!

Boot Camp

The weather has finally taken a turn for the worse, and the one and only good thing about winter is boots.

This season I have gone a little boot crazy, but one rule I make for myself is to stick to the basics. I have a couple pairs of brown, black and grey. These three colors cover all my bases for the winter months. The key is to mix up hues. There are a million shades of brown and grey.
Almost any store carries boots, and prices go anywhere from $30-$300. But I'm here to help you save money, not spend it! (Although you have my permission to splurge on a pair of Uggs, you warm toes will thank you if you find yourself trudging through a snow storm.) I personally am a fan of department stores. You can almost always find a good deal.
If you are looking for variety at a good price, H&M is the place. I bought a pair of lace up short boots last spring and absolutely love them.

H&M has any style you are looking for and the most expensive boot is $65.95.  My favorites—

 These show H&M's boot diversity, but they also have tall boots, fur lined boots, and heeled boots. Boots are a very versatile shoe, able to be worn with dresses, skirts, leggings, jeans; anything. They can also be accessorized.
Adding leg warmers under your boots adds contrast, as well as warmth. The look works best works with taller, calf-length boots.
If they weather has to get ugly, you might as well look cute.

Go Wild

I'm killing three very important points with this post.

1. Animal print is a must right now.

2. You can dress like a celebrity without going into debt.

3. Forever 21 is my heaven on earth. 

Animal prints like zebra, cheetah and snake have always made an appearance now and again in the accessory world. Occasionally they have been added to clothing in small doses. This season, however, animal print is only done right if it is all out.

Full printed tops, dresses and shoes have been making a statement and we are not to blame, we're only following in our favorite celebs foot steps. 

Of course Katy Perry can rock just about anything she dons, but her outfit here is easy to repeat for a quarter of the price. 

Before I show you how to copy Katy, there are two things to note. First, minimal accessorizing is required with animal print. Another cheaper way to have an incredible outfit for less!

Secondly, let the animal print have the most say in the outfit. Katy's makeup is light. A really nice contrast to the print. You want the clothes to have the animal affect, not your scary face!

So where are you to find a dress so trendy and wild? Only my favorite store on the planet! While browsing Forever 21's website to find you the best printed dresses they had to offer (its tough research, but someones got to do it) I found countless animal printed dresses (literally I stopped counting after about 10). But these made my top couple.

This sleeved cheetah print sells for $22.80. I love Forever 21 because you can get stylish pieces like this one for a reasonable price.

I also like her bracelets balancing out the bare arm.

Below, her dress is a snake print, which hasn't become quite as popular as leopard or cheetah, but still shouldn't be ignored. Snake has had huge success in the purse, bag and shoe department, and I hope it receives as much love in outfit form.

Thank you Forever 21, this dress is a mere $12.80.

So there you have it. A way to get the wild look for less.

A Trip to Kohl's

My sister has an addiction, well she has a few addictions, but one that I always seem to get lured into with her is shopping at Kohl's. Maybe its the guarantee of coupons, or her absolute favorite, Kohl's cash, but I would bet she frequents the store once a week.

I have to admit, I never put up a fight when she says were taking the trip, but we both love Kohl's for two different reasons.

She loves the store because she can save hundreds of dollars (literally, its prints at the bottom of the receipt your total savings). But I love Kohl's because they have lines that are affordable, yet fashionable.

My obsession this past summer was LC by Lauren Conrad. Although the line has been at Kohl's for almost two years, this past summer was the first time I indulged, maybe over indulged, in its greatness. Still a little pricy for what you would expect at Kohl's, the pieces are, in my opinion, fashionable enough for the price.


Lauren's line includes clothes, accessories and shoes.

Her clothes are laid-back and practical, even the dresses are amazingly comfortable.

Earlier this month a celeb with a totally different style debuted a line for Kohl's. Jennifer Lopez's Fall 2011 collection is her first to hit stores. Most of the pieces hit the floor on Sept. 7, but more are projected to be added next month.

JLo's collection includes clothing, shoes, accessories and home. The look is very much inspired by JLo's personal style and makes hip-hop and glam meet.

Like LC's line, the prices are a tad bit higher than "normal" Kohl's brands, but you are paying for the designer, and ultimately the name.

So whether you have a sister addicted to Kohl's or you've never been inside the store, when looking for fashionable pieces easy on your checkbook, Kohl's is a one-stop-shop.

Missoni Madness

The day before I started this blog, Missoni for Target launched. The designer clothes were swept off the floor of Targets across the country in a matter of hours. The popularity of the new line crashed Target's website the day of its debut. Now, according to USA Today, more than 25000 Missoni for Target products have appeared on eBay for twice the price.

I was excited for the Missoni line, but re-selling of the products simply for people to make money off of others'  hard work goes against the idea of designers making their products more affordable. If this continued as more designers branch out to department stores, it could also leave retailers frustrated with the process and unwilling to sell the great clothes at great prices.

The collection is more than clothes and includes, baby and kids bedding, baby girls' clothes and accessories, bedding and bath, bikes and luggage, home, kitchen and dining, men's clothing and accessories, and of course women's clothes, accessories and shoes.

While the result of the re-selling of the collection is disappointing, it doesn't change fact that the home decor, clothes and accessories are adorable.

The signature tribal-feel zigzags on all of the products makes Missoni easily recognizable.

My favorite product is the V-Neck Knit Cardigan, $49.99. A majority of the line mixes bold prints, a trend for this season.

Check out Target for some of the Missoni products, a select few are still in stock.

What I Love

Sidewalk Style is a fashion blog for the style conscious on a college-student sized budget.

Today it is easier than ever to dress well without breaking the bank. With more and more designers creating lines for department stores we can all afford, this blog is designed to search out those items to keep you runway inspired, yet purchasing practically.

Although most of the topics will be on saving, it is always acceptable to splurge every now and then on something important, timeless, or sometimes just makes us feel incredibly confident.

Late last spring I had the privilege of meeting Elle magazine's editor-in-chief Robbie Myers. Her expert opinion was to start blogging about what I love, fashion.

With a life-long dream of breaking into the industry of fashion magazines, I'm taking Robbie's advice to heart and starting this blog as a bigger part of the fashion writing I started on my personal "how I'm feeling today" page.

Fashion is fun for me because it is always changing.  There are few feelings I love more than wearing a well put together outfit. I love sharing this passion with others and hope my blog becomes a helpful tool for fashion lovers like myself who don't find it necessary to drop a months paycheck (or in my case invisible paycheck) on a pair of overpriced jeans.

Style can be intimidating, let this map be your guide to a worry free wardrobe.
 
                                                                                 xo—Corrie