I haven’t stopped flipping through the pages of the April 2011 Free People catalog since it landed on our doorstep earlier this week. If I could trade my closet for the contents of this catalog, I wouldn’t need another piece of clothing. It doesn’t hurt that Sasha Pivovarova is one of my favorite models — her look is especially on point for the boho/music festival/romantic/un-done Free People aesthetic.
The only problem is that Free People tends toward the obscenely pricey and I always find myself thinking “I’m sure I could thrift something similar” or “I know there’s an Etsy seller with that same shaped top”. Since I’m so obsessed with these particular looks, I figured I’d challenge myself on Etsy to see if I could 1) come close to the original and 2) see how much $$ I could knock off the FP price.
LOOK ONE
lace top, jeans, necklace, bangle
Saved: $170. Pretty good, no?
LOOK TWO
shirt, skirt, necklace, bangle
Savings: $34. Not great. I couldn’t find a skirt on Etsy that I really liked so I just went with this one, even though with a little patience you could totally find a floaty light colored maxi skirt for about $10 at a thrift store.
LOOK THREE
shirt, shorts, necklace, bangle, cuff
Saved: $259.50! Hot damn — and you could do it for even cheaper if you just hack off the length of a pair of jeans you don’t wear anymore.
LOOK FOUR
romper, belt, necklace, bangle, cuff
Saved: $645.50……yes, that FP outfit is over $800 and that doesn’t include shoes or the fact that she’s wearing more than one $300 bracelet. Eep.
LOOK FIVE
dress, necklace, bangle, cuff
Saved: $473.50. This is my favorite look – both the FP version and the Etsy version I came up with. I love the blue color of the caftan and all the metallic accessories strikes the perfect balance of earthy and polished.
TOTAL FP PRICE: $2,364
TOTAL ETSY PRICE: $782.50
TOTAL SAVINGS: $1,581.50
*unfortunately, I cannot help you achieve Sasha’s luxurious locks for any price. some things are better left to the professionals.
Free People images from Fashion Gone Rouge
I’ve been scribbling down spring outfit ideas in my notebook for the past few weeks, willing the weather warmer so I can put my sartorial plans into action. One trend I’ve noticed (and have already embraced, scoring a pair for $5 at H&M a few months back) is the printed pants – yes, I am well aware what it means when something has been marked down to 5 bucks. Poor, crazy orphan pants needed a home.
It’s a hard look to pull off and I’ve still got a ways to go before I feel comfortable taking mine beyond movie night at a friend’s house or a dinner in. To get some ideas, I’ve pulled some images from the internet — lots of options and directions to take.
(left to right) While these pants could have veered wildly into 1970′s hippie chick territory, the Glamourai kept her floral wide legs polished with a structured blazer and bowtie blouse//How can you go wrong with Daria Werbowy in Isabel Marant? The brown slouchy boots and skinny scarf give her pink stripes a Southwestern vibe.//If you’re not feeling the crop top, just switch it up with a loose fitting white t-shirt to get the same casual effect.//Probably my favorite, this lady accessorized the crap out of her zebra-y pants with strappy heels, a gorgeous fringed bag, substantial belt and a bandana-tied scarf that subs in for a necklace.
Love the polka dots and heeled booties. A totally fashion-y look without feeling like she tried too hard.//To rock the mixed prints trend, keep your color palettes simple and your patterns in the same size range.//These high waisted leopard trousers look tough with a pair of super platforms and leather jacket//Another casual look, the printed pants look comfortable and chic with a plain white tank and tan wedges.
So, now, I put it to you — would you wear printed pants or are you still not convinced?? Let me know in the comments!
photo sources: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
Getting dressed today, I knew I wanted to wear my fringed Minnetonka moccasin boots my parents gifted me for Christmas – they’ve got a definite 70′s vibe, so I played up the festival style with ripped denim shorts, a vintage band t-shirt, a faux fur vest and a Southwestern style tapestry bag.
A word about this shirt. When Tom and I visited his parents for Christmas this year, his momma pulled out a bag full of vintage clothes for me to dig through (and take whatever I wanted!) – I scored some seriously cute dresses from her, as well as a few of Tom’s old things – one of them being this Police t-shirt.
He wore the crap out of this bad boy when he was a teenager (his obsession with the Police, Stones and Doors still remains to this day) so I feel particularly nostalgic and happy now that I can wear it today!
Look at those faces!! Why so serious guys!?!?
Do you have any vintage with a particularly sentimental value?
