I recently had an interaction that proved our gender is not nearly as bitchy as we’re conditioned to believe. Before I tell this warm and fuzzy story, let’s get the administrative shiznat outta the way.
ADMIN BIZNASS: I probs look like quite the hack right now, what with the lack of regular posts and all. [...]

I jacked this belt from an old Bogner Snow Suit of mi madre’s.

Attics are stellar resources for unconventional accessories.
(DSquared blazer, $16.00 @ Chelsea Goodwill.

My jaw hit the floor when I learned of Alexander McQueen’s passing earlier today. Sad stuff. I’ve ripped on the McQueen’s price points in the past, but I can’t knock his talent – he pushed the envelope, and it made him one of the greats.
McQueen’s runway collections were more fantasy than reality but he did [...]

Dearest readers,
I don’t trust stylists, fashion insiders, mag editors or PR peeps – I trust YOU, the consumers, which is why I’m asking for your opinions.
If you’re interested in participating in the research component of my current project, please copy/paste the below questions into an email, fill in your answers, and send it off to [...]

I was in the middle of snapping blog pics the other night, when my BFF rang.

BFF: What are you doing?
Me: Trying to figure out if my Members Only leggings give me camel toe.
BFF: Just wear them with a long top.
Me: I AM, but it’s see-through.
BFF: So wear them with a DIFFERENT long top.
Me: But I [...]

I’m trying to be more of a joiner these days, so I recently started a chicblog in support of the people’s fashion destination, a.k.a. Chictopia.
Big mistake. Huge.
Where style’s concerned, if-it-makes-you-feel-great-you’ll-look-great-in-it-and-fuck-what-everyone-else-thinks is my get out of jail free card, one that liberates us all from Do’s, Don’ts, Ins and Outs; one that makes an enemy out [...]

Featuring two outta three of yesterday’s Goodwill finds. WORD.

Splendid Tee ($6.99 @ Goodwill thankyouverymuch)
Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent Slip ($6.00 @ Monk. I know. Redonkulous.)
Ponyhair Belt ($3.00 @ NJ’s Alcove Thrift)
Thick-Rib Tights ($4.99 @ Duane Reade, yet more durable than a lot of my pricier hosiery. I AM OBSESSED. Weird.)
Melissa Plastic Dreams Wedges ($99.00 @ [...]

Vintage Vertigo Paris jeans; old school Radu workout tee; Melissa wedges.

Also: Many of you have asked after the origin of the stunning, buttery, over-the-knee boots pictured a few days ago.

The brand:Tashkent by Cheyenne
Retail value: $600.00+
What I paid: $145.00
For full deets on this epic score, see Why I’m Not Above Secondhand Shoes.

My eff-the-promotional-emails stance has a few exceptions. In a word: Tights – Sculptz in this case. The shapewear brand snagged my attention for the following reasons:
1. The line boasts camis, leggings, bras and shorts in addition to hosiery
2. The 25% off EVERYTHING sale starts today (exp. 2/1/10)
3. The name sounds kind of Yiddish – me [...]

This outfit represents the Triad of Post-Recession Shopping:

When you’re on a tight budget, extraneous purchases often come with a side helping of guilt. If shopping is to be fun, we must get the guilt OUT. Ranked in accordance with the level of guilt our purchases are apt to make us feel, the Triad looks like [...]

Dear Cheap JAP,
I’m going to be getting married in a few months. Everything about it is completely non-traditional – a justice of the peace sorta thing. I need your advice on good websites to find cute dresses. It doesn’t have to be white – I’m looking for an amazing dress under $300 that I wouldn’t [...]

I’m all about the risque, so I was initially psyched about Fall’s lingerie-inspired trends. (Note: Do you know WHY designers show their goods on the runway a long, ludicrous season ahead of the current season? Because Fashion’s stuck in a pre-sweatshop past where women HAD to order their clothes that far in advance. Obvs not [...]

Disclaimer: I wrote this piece for Huff Po a few weeks ago, hence the lack of naughty language and the slightly more formal tone. Huff Po responded by not publishing it. Pfft. I’m attributing this to the fact that I waxed poetic on practical impulse buys during Fashion Week which, in hindsight, was probs a [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

I’m an advocate of all sartorial risk-taking, so it follows that my wear-whatever-you-want modus operandi extends to celebrities. I don’t think someone’s fame alone gives me (or any fashion blogger, for that matter) the right to weigh in on their stylistic decisions. I suppose this means I don’t care about upping my blog traffic enough [...]

I’ve been a total shitshow about posting this week, what with the bed bugs and all. The temporary trauma resulted in a temporary loss of my thrifting mojo, fo sheez. But fear not, chickadees – I prevailed over my paranoia a few days ago via a $7 Theory top at Goodwill (which I plastic-bagged and [...]

I’ve been getting a shit ton of Cheap JAPtastic emails from you gals as of late, which is all kinds of awesome. Especially when I get two related queries and one ends up answering another. Tres convenient!
Ankle Boot Angst (Did I really just write that? You know you’ve read too many issues of Lucky when…)
i [...]

Mmkay, now for the full deets on the exciting slip + transparent Theory dress equation that ultimately solved my Sheer Conundrum. A black underwire bra didn’t cut it for coverage up top: Enter the American Apparel Ruched Tube Bandeau.

The chiffon of the dress sagged a bit at the armpits; this was remedied by tying the [...]

So, my lovely mother picked me up a tunic tank that I adore, but with a 5ft tall petite frame, it fits like a mini dress! I’ve tried it with skinny jeans and it makes me look disproportionate, I would love to wear it with a pair of suede Steve Madden Boots (bought at Dillards [...]