Pop Quiz: At 10 p.m. on a Friday evening in a sleepless city, you find yourself with nothing to do and nowhere to go. You…
(a) Mass-text your buds to orchestrate an evening of bar-hopping and boozing.
(b) Tweet inane things and catch up on DVR.
(c) Hightail it to The Sock Man for a blissful hour [...]

So. Trovata took Forever 21 to court a few months ago for ripping off its overpriced designs. I’m sure we’re all eagerly awaiting the pending verdict of this crucial case (yawn).
I’m as much a fan of designer copies as I am of getting the real thing for less; regardless of who comes out on top, [...]

I found this Sheer Striped Ruffle Tier Top earlier this summer at Forever 21. I tried it on in a Medium; it fit, but its length was more tunic than dress.
I’m not about to don a top that requires leggings when it’s 85 degrees and humid and risk getting all schvitzy if a bare-legged [...]

Think about it: If the same thing were In season after season, what excuse would we have to buy new crap? Nada, hence the expiration dates inherent in trends. Leggings are an anomaly, as they hit the scene back in 2006, and haven’t left since, so why’d they get to stick around? Did Fashion exempt [...]

Yesterday, I hit the Sunday Summer extravaganza that is the Jelly Pool Party. Yesterday’s show featured the most redonkulous dance music ever a.k.a. Girl Talk: I almost died in the mosh pit, and I loved every second of it. Anyhoo, en route to the show/scene, the following convo between me and the BF ensued:
Me: If [...]

I’ve been known to rag on American Apparel for their price points, so the following may or may not make me a serious hypocrite. Whatevs. Last week, I hit the store with the intent of purchasing a replacement Ruched Front Tube Bra, as my current one’s been worn to the point of elasticity loss. En [...]

One of the few downsides of many a New York Goodwills is the thrift’s occasional laziness in tagging its secondhand wares. This sometimes results in register shock – how the EFF can Goodwill charge $30 for beat-up nineties-era Sevens if Buff Ex and Beacons sell the latest styles of designer denim in much better condition [...]

Let’s talk about the power of buzz, specifically its ability to amp up subpar designer collabs as all kinds of awesome. Charlotte Ronson might very well be a cool chick, but a designer’s ability to surround herself with stylish celebutards doesn’t necessarily mean she knows jack about making clothes. To be fair, Ronson’s high-end stuff’s [...]

Sunner dresses usually retail for a cool $300.

This sample Sunner number hadn’t yet been marked up 9000%; its wholesale price was $99.
What did I pay?

A whopping thirty buckaroos. Thank you Housing Works Tribeca.
The stunner was a bit long for my shorty frame, but between the color, snap-front details and the silky material, I couldn’t say [...]

Apparently, my word isn’t enough to convince some that an old pair of jeans + the serrated blade of a wine key = destroyed denim identical to that of the $200 ilk. To ye of little faith who’ve demanded close-ups as proof: This one’s for you.

Just HOW similar are my homemade shredded jeans to their [...]

I was browsing Forever 21 yesterday when I experienced a glitch in the matrix and/or case of Deja vu.

Why do these Groovy Tulip Leggings ($11.80) look shockingly familiar?

Oh, that’s why. Of all things to copy from American Apparel, F21 jacks the Afrika High Waist Legging ($34). Oy.
Turns out the Groovy Tulip Leggings aren’t the only [...]

My first attempt at DIY destroyed denim resulted in two things: A damaged ottoman, and the gift of the damage-causing creation to my mother as penance. I fully intended on slicing up another pair for my own personal use with my Stanley Utility knife. I arrived back in New York after my weekend in [...]

Okay, so American Apparel claims the Nylon Tricot High-Waist Skirt can double as a tube top, but I’d never attempted such a thing. Yesterday, I tried it on over this preppy pleated tennis skirt (St. Luke’s Thrift Shop, $7), added a fan-freaking-tastic leather skinny belt (Housing Works Tribeca, $3), some highbrow pumps and BAM! Killer [...]

Dear Cheap JAP,
I just “splurgeepooed” on a pair of cowboy boots. These Ariat Legend Boots, to be exact.
Now, I know what you’re going to say- first I spent too much on them, and second that cowboy boots are out. But, Cheap JAP, I LOVE them. Like, they came in the mail today, [...]

Last week, I decided to finish up my homemade distressed jeans whilst vegging on my parents’ couch, and made the mistake of using Mom’s precious leather ottoman for leverage. Note to self: A Stanley Utility knife is sharp enough to cut through two layers of denim AND whatever’s on the other side. It probs goes [...]

I snagged this Marc by Marc Jacobs shopping tote yesterday at Buffalo Exchange in Austin, Texas for only $25. I knew if there was one person I could share this find with, it was you!

I often have awesome luck at Buffalo, putting in at least an hour each trip to search the racks. It is [...]

I initially intended on wearing this Triumphant Ten-Dollar Tunic (by Reiss – word) as a dress, as it was def long enough to masquerade as such. When I tried it on in outside of an ill-lit dressing room, I noticed a serious problemo: The thing was see-through. BALLS.
Well, not on top – the ruching [...]

Umm, that it’s time to start shopping for Fall? Eff no.
It means Cheap JAP’s been busting her tuchis bigtime as of late to make this juice worth the squeeze, and needs a little mini-vacay.
Anticipate a rejuvenated return to greatness and/or moderately amusing posts at week’s end. MWAH.
(I’m going to try not to tweet in [...]

Ahh, the Glam Rock trend. I’m on board with ponying up the dough for legit leather, but I’m not about to blow upwards of $200 on ripped, beat-up jeans. There’s gotta be another way.
While there’s no shortage of tips for DIY-ed distressed denim, I knew my stellar scissoring skills alone couldn’t achieve the badass [...]

An update, re: Don’t Let the Used Clothing Bite (a Cautionary Tale of the Risks of Shopping Thrift):

Cheap JAP’s bed bug scare ultimately proved a figment of her imagination. A lack of evidence during the de-bugification process affirmed the ordeal as a byproduct of thrift-induced hypochondria. Oy.