I’m not a huge Trend Whore, but every so often something of the In ilk catches my eye, particularly if it’s something with which I’m already familiar. According to ELLE, Bondage Dressing, a.k.a. S&M-inspired Fashion, is the next big thing for Spring. I’m no dominatrix; I’m from South Jersey. This means toeing the slutty style [...]

So, to adjust to ye hard economic times, Coach has concocted a budget-friendly line of shoes, handbags and accessories called Poopy (oops, I mean Poppy). Coach’s idea of budget-friendly starts at $198 and caps at $598.
This is almost too easy, so I’m going to leave Coach alone for the time being: If the line had [...]

Subject: Carriage
Hey, CheapJAP!
I am a tiny bit obsessed with your blog, and love your take on things. I found myself wondering today if you have advice on posture. Have you ever noticed a girl can walk into a room like she’s loaded, even if you can’t exactly pinpoint what it is about her? But then [...]

Mmkay, here’s the XS Boyfriend Tee in Navy Blue, dressed up.
I tucked it into my American Apparel Jersey High-Waist Skirt, but Navy plus Navy-and-White Stripes was waaay matchy-matchy.
I added hot pink tights (Hue, methinks), a pink and black patterned scarf (Park Slope Flea, $3) and the only pair of non-leather heels I own (from Beacon’s, [...]

I usually experience Goldilocks syndrome while on the hunt for versatile basics like V-Neck Tees: They’re either expertly fitted and pricey or cheap and poorly made – never Just Right.
I own American Apparel’s Unisex Tri-Blend Short Sleeve Deep V-Neck like everyone else in Brooklyn, but remain annoyed at its $22 pricetag. I enjoy borrowing [...]

I’m no trend enthusiast, but I’m totally on board with this
Pajama Party thang. Wearing your PJs night and day sounds like a fiscally friendly move. Unless you’re Elle, in which case, it’s not.

Okay, so these shirts are kind of cool. They’ve got that maybe-I-slept-in-this-maybe-I-didn’t vibe going on and, like lingerie in the wisest [...]

On 2/20/09 at 3:55 PM re: And She Thought She Didn’t Like Shopping, Rosie wrote:
Hello Miss Cheap Jap! I’ve been hooked on your blog ever since last fall. I come to your page for inspiration and for your witty sense of humor. I notice that you went to school in or near Chicago. Can you [...]

On 2/17/09 at 7:59 PM re: Shopping Practice At Goodwill, gigwalsh wrote:
If you jumped into a time machine, and you were a mom hauling your kid around to school at 8 am, what would you wear?
What Would JAP do?
On 2/18/09 at 7:36 PM, Rebecca emailed:
I’ve been reading your blog for a while, I have to [...]

I like to check in with my ‘client’ via phone before playing Personal Shopper, as it gives me a chance to assess her relationship with clothes, shopping, et. al. It’s a highly technical process. Just kidding. I phoned my cousin Zoe, an NYU Undergrad so wise beyond her years that she’s only in class two [...]

Mmkay, here’s the REAL REASON I was so effing psyched about my trip to a ghetto Goodwill in South Jersey.
This little number was technically a suit, and came with a fugly bolero sailor jacket that I’m still utterly confounded by, but that’s not the point.
The dynamic duo only cost me $7.99, but that’s [...]

I haven’t yet had the occasion to introduce my bestie Sarah to the world of re-sale shopping; I’m making a pilgrimage to Philadelphia to show her how it’s done sometime soon, in part to save her from herself. See, Sarah has a big bad shoe addiction, one that will be a hell of a [...]

Shopping, like any skill, requires dedication and practice if one hopes to achieve mastery. You want to be a concert pianist, you toil at scales until your hands cramp. You want to be an Olympic swimmer, you accept chlorine as your natural scent (and/or take bong rips, muhaha).
You want to be a total [...]

If I had limitless funds with which to shop and zero qualms about paying upwards of $150 for sweatshirts, I’d buy the Stella McCartney for Adidas line in its entirety and make it my pounding-on-my-keyboard uniform. This wouldn’t be a massive departure from the glorified dancewear that currently serves as my blogging attire (American [...]

After reading and reviewing carefully the Rules for Newbie Cheap JAPs, you should be relatively well-prepared for your first foray into the world of re-sale shopping. Before you depart, arm yourself with the following:
No-Hands Bag
Something worn across the shoulder in the messenger style, an actual backpack, an ironic fanny pack, whatever. Just make sure you [...]

Hi!
I’m in a similar situation as you- recently cut off by my parents but still with a huge desire to keep my wardrobe up to date and even trying to continue to stock with with labels I’ve fallen in love with over the years. Having gotten myself into debt trying to keep up with my [...]

Cashmere makes people do stupid things. Like spend $250 at a notoriously overpriced boutique in Jersey on *a* sweater (see Wayne’s World). Three years ago, I allowed my mother to purchase this totally meh garment for me, thinking the fact that it was cashmere would eventually make it attractive. It didn’t. It first sat [...]

At a recent family gathering, my biggest fan (and human RSS Feed to my entire extended family) Aunt Debbie inquired after the shirt I was wearing.
Aunt Debbie: Is that a Uniqlo Heat-Tech Top?
Me: Yes. They’re the BEST.
Aunt Debbie: I know! I’m wearing one!
Sure enough, she was – a cream, turtleneck version under an [...]

A few months ago, I was lingering in American Apparel after having selected some leggings. This is never a good idea, as I always end up in the dancewear section on the brink of buying something stupid. That day, I came thisclose to purchasing the Pique Cross-Front Jumper (and/or Romper – the debate [...]

A week or so ago, I was riding the Fung Wah bus back from visiting a bestie in Boston and received an unsolicited compliment from an effusive man to my left.
Bus Guy: Excuse me. Are you a ballet dancer?
As someone with sub-par eye-hand coordination skills, I was both confused and amused by this question. I’d [...]

I’m sure everyone’s just dying to know what happened to the remainder of my moolah post-secondhand shoe purchase at Buffalo Exchange. The badass boots took a $22.95 chunk out of my $50 store credit, leaving me with approximately $27 with which to play. Lucky for me, in the land o’ re-sale, $27 goes a long [...]