Splurge vs. Save: Striped Pencil Skirt

Wearing:
Sincerely Jules "I say Yes To Love" tee
Forever 21 striped pencil skirt
Panama hat (purchased at the county fair)
vintage quilted leather purse
Dollhouse pumps
Mac "Party Parrot" lipstick

Whenever I'm on the hunt for something I really want, I always make sure to do a little research first.   And by doing "a little research" I mean browsing online and visiting stores to search for the item or one like it.  I always strive to buy the best quality garments at the best price.  I'm not gonna lie, I do love to splurge on certain quality items.  But if I can find something similar for a better price, I'll take it!   That's why I was super excited when Credit Card Insider contacted me to participate in their Splurge vs. Save Campaign.

For the past several months I had a striped pencil skirt on my mind.  I found this one by Theory, but I couldn't justify buying a simple black and white skirt that wasn't very versatile (the length makes it less wearable IMO).  

Theory Skirt via Bloomingdales ($235.00)

Then I found this one and I fell in love.  Unfortunately, the price tag scared me off.

J. Mendel High Waisted Pencil Skirt via Shopbop ($1090.00)

My search for the perfect striped pencil skirt led me to several more affordable variations.  So below I've listed 4 skirts I have found similar to the higher end skirts mentioned above.  And the best part of it?  They're all under $100.00.  Sure beats the other two with the hefty price tag, huh?  ;)

River Island Black and White Stripe Bandage Midi Skirt ($70.00)

Sanctuary Clothing striped pencil skirt via Dillards ($69.00)

The one I ended up buying was purchased at Forever 21 for $8.80.  I couldn't find the exact one online, but here are a few other alternatives:

Forever 21 striped Knee-Lenth Skirt ($10.80)

Forever 21 Standout Stripes Mini Skirt ($8.80)

Hope you enjoyed reading this post!  :)

xo  Azu

Outfit pictures taken by Amber.

What Dreams Are Made Of

Wearing:
ASOS prom dress in fluro jacquard
Vintage satchel
Manolo Blahnik pink patent leather BB pumps
Prada cat eye sunglasses
MAC "Flatout Fabulous" lipstick

There's a good reason this is a picture-heavy post.  I'm completely head over heels for this gorgeous floral dress.  Since last year, I had been trying to get my hands on it.  For months I stalked the ASOS website daily in hopes that it would be restocked.  My obsessive internet dress stalking paid off...because in February I was able to snatch it at a discounted price.  And I waited until a very special dinner to wear this dress. But trust me, it was hard waiting all those months to wear my dream dress :)

Thanks for reading and commenting!  I love reading your comments :)  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

xo  Azu

Orange Lips, Orange Blossoms

Wearing:
ASOS 90s crop top
Persaman floral embroidered skirt
Sam Edelman "Trina" sandal (or here, and here in silver)
Barney's wicker bag
Prada sunglasses
Mac "Morange" lipstick

You can't tell by looking at these pictures, but it was very breezy.  This skirt flares out quite a bit (as you can see in some pictures), but that darned cool breeze would kind of compress the skirt.

Anyway, I love a good orange colored lipstick.  I own another coral colored lipstick and it's equally as fun to wear as Morange.  Have any of you worn a bright orange lip before?  It makes me wish I had more orange in my closet.  I prefer to match my orange lips with something on my outfit.  I feel it makes more sense since it's kind of a rare color for lipstick.

It's almost the weekend!  I'm glad it is, because it's been a long week.  I'll "see" you guys in my next post.  Thanks for reading :)

xo  Azu