Betsey Johnson x Torrid

Teamed up with my bestie, Greivy to share how we styled pieces from Torrid x Betsey Johnson's limited edition holiday collection that launches today on Torrid.com and in select Torrid stores. Not only does the designer’s iconic mashup of punk rock and girly-girl aesthetic fulfill our fashion dreams, but the fact that it comes in plus-sizes means we can actually fit into the pieces. 

We're also excited to share that we published an article on StyleCaster where you can read about all of our must-have picks from the collection. Check it out here.

The Torrid x Betsey Johnson collection is available in sizes 10-30 and includes 60+ pieces of clothing and accessories, and its inspo comes from the designer’s archives and sketches from the ‘80s, reinvented with a fresh twist and we are here for it. As teenagers, we both girl-crushed on everything Betsey Johnson (hello, prints, plaids, and florals!) and couldn’t resist once again outfitting ourselves in head-to-toe Betsey. 

We had the opportunity to receive pieces from the collection before it was available to the public and couldn't resist taking them out for a spin. Like, how can you not with this collection? The red plaid pieces totally gave off Clueless vibes and brought out our inner Cher and Dionne as we walked arm-in-arm in coordinating looks—the #greivyandmichelle way. As we shot, strangers down the street cheered us on, and some even honked and rolled their car windows down to get a closer look.

We loved the quality and comfort of every piece we tried (lots of stretch!), and how authentically Betsey the collection felt. Even more impressive was the pricing, which started at $15 and topped out at $228. Thanks to Torrid, plus-sized Betsey Babes are no longer left on the sidelines. For sizing reference, I'm wearing a size 0 (12) in both pieces and Greivy is wearing a size 1 (14/16). Even if you're not plus and you have a wide foot, now is the time to stock up on super cute Betsey footwear!

I went a little mad for plaid with three pieces from the collection in my look: a lightweight coat, corset-style dress, and kitten heel booties (that have a pop of leopard print to go with my hat!). What I love most about these separates is that they can be worn together or with other pieces from my closet. I'm also wearing mismatched hoop earrings from the collection (oops!) but somehow that still feels very Betsey.

I also added in my Lola fashion week hat, my 75% off Chanel bracelets and a $5 Target cropped tee. Ella actually has a whole stack of those tees in every color because they're so perfect for layering—and they come in sizes XS-4x! I borrowed Greivy's blue Joseph and Stacey bag so I could coordinate with her tights. And I glued on nails from Kiss to pop the yellow in the plaid. I typically swear by press-on nails but I have the say, as messy as the gluing process can be, they definitely hold on waaaay better.

Be sure to head over to Torrid to check out the collection before everything sells out! Which pieces are your favorites?

Who What Wear Target Collab Thoughts & H&M Online Sale Haul!

I rarely shop online, especially at H&M where you can't return instore, but the deals were just too good to resist. Last week they had an extra 40% off sale plus free shipping so I snapped up some cute pieces. Like I mentioned, I did hear a rumor that I could return online merchandise in Manhattan so I figured it was a no-brainer.

I purchased this dress in black in a size 4 for $25 at the beginning of the sale because I could not find a 6 anywhere. Size-wise it's fine because of the loose design but I wanted the 6 for a little extra length. This dress was just $14.99 after discounts!

I was a little worried about the sizing on this dress because the 8 was sold out but turns out it's not as fitted as I thought so the 6 is perfect. Also just $14.99!

The last pair of jeans I got at H&M was a fail because they were way too big. These are only one size too big so I'll make it work for $11.99 from $49.99.

This was the only piece that didn't work for me. Usually I can wear an 8 in their stretch jeans but these ran tiny. I thought about trying to return it next time I'm in the City but I may just keep them for $5.99. Maybe I'll keep them as my goal pants.

These (no longer available) distressed leggings were just $4.79. The small fits (very stretchy) but I'll have to stretch them out a little LOL.

My local Targets are closed on Sunday (Blue Laws) so I had to wait until Monday to check out the new Who What Wear collaboration. Overall it's pretty "Meh" for me - there was no one piece that I needed.

I did want to see the $39.99 sleeveless trench but it was pretty shapeless and boxy on. Plus I like my coats to have sleeves to help balance my chunkier upper arms. Maybe when it hits 70% off...

Everyone seems to be going gaga for this $39.99 caped blazer but I actually just picked up a similar piece at H&M last week for $7 so I'm good for now.

I'm a sucker for a tassel! I wish the belt bags weren't online only as I would have liked to see them too. Sadly all the accessories are once again plastic. Frankly I like more durable leather as plastic always falls apart. This pouch is priced at $19.99.

I'm including this $29.99 denim skirt in my picks only because it was exactly what we looked for in a jean skirt back in high school LOL.  Perfect color, to the knee and fitted. I did hear that it had some fit issues which wouldn't surprise me but I won't be trying it on till it hits the sale rack.

I'm linking a bunch of the pieces above for you to shop. For some reason it's only letting me use the plus-sized WWW pieces which actually cost a little more.

For Tuesday Shoesday on Instagram last week I shared my Ana et Carol Trevor heels that I layered with socks - here's a closer look. Right now they are on sale for $89.90 and they have three colors available. They're actually quite beautiful. BONUS: with promo code MICHELLE20 you can get an extra 20% off anything on their site right now :) 

I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who shared kinds words in response to my last blog post about body image. I'm still taking it all in - I like to take a while mulling stuff over, then I type it all out when I'm ready. Thank you for your support :)

I'm gonna try to have my next super designer blog sale on FRIDAY! Stay tuned for updates on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. It's probably not going to be my biggest but it will be chock full of goodies...

XOXO
Shoppinggal

LC Lauren Conrad Runway Collection at Kohls - what you need right now.

Lauren Conrad's latest collection at Kohls appealed to my girly side. It's hyper feminine with lots of lace, ombre and floral. It's also chock full of modest silhouettes which would make my super religious mom very happy. Hats off to Lauren because I really love the idea of affordable runway fashion. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch her NYFW runway show here. I popped into Kohls today to check it out and snapped a few pics for you.

The good news is that it's currently 25% off  - plus there are always online codes you can stack. If I haven't said it enough, go get a Kohls card just for all the amazing discounts. The bad news is that I wasn't tempted to try anything on. The price points were great but some of the fabrics didn't look as luxe as I would have wanted and many pieces were sold out instore already. Your best bet is to order online if something tempts you.

My number one pick is her leather saddle hobo which has a similar feel to this season's it bag, the Chloe Drew bag. I love that she made a leather bag instead of copping out with a faux leather like most designer collabs. Right now it's $134.25 online (was $179) and it comes in a hushed violet (looks like a blush pink to me) and steel (blue). It's a much better price point than the Chloe which retails for $1850.


LC's bag -

Chloe Drew -

Accessories seem to be online only (or just not in my store LOL) but I picked a few of my favorites and linked them for you below :) The sunnies are already sold out in the brown but are still available in pink and green. So to answer my own question of what you need from the LC Lauren Conrad Runway Collection, not much. Some of the delicate jewelry tempts me and her standout look was the floral maxi with coordinating lace trimmed blouse IMO.

Right now the best Kohls code is YES2FRIENDS for 20% off (and they have a in-store printable here!) You'll also get $10 Kohls cash for every $50 spent, now thru the 20th. If you can hold out until 9/24 you can use code TREAT30 - 30% off with Kohl's Charge 9/24 - 10/3.

I know a few people went gaga for her moto jacket but I just can't wear a faux suede - it automatically looks cheap to me. I think the idea of her collection is beautiful but it just didn't translate into any wearable pieces for me. Too bad. I really wanted to love it. Maybe next time.

Would love to hear what you picked up!

XOXO
Shoppinggal

What's online (and on my radar) right now :)

It's been a while since I did any online shopping posts so I figured it was time to share what I have my eye on right now.

I'm currently OBSESSED with BCBG's runway collection but it's all ridiculously out of budget. Pastels and 70s are 2 huge trends and perfectly combined in these looks. I need the Emina dress, which is #2 (second from the left). Unfortunately it's a whopping $798. I wonder if BCBG has sample sales...

I also think this $798 baby blue Arlyn dress is gorgeous - but again, that price tag isn't going to work for me.

I did dig out a silk Tibi dress with a similar feel that I thrifted last year for around $10 (I'll take pictures soon) but I decided to check out H&M to see if they were showing anything similar.

They had this long dress for $49.95 but it's not even in the same stratosphere. I was so disappointed that I didn't even try it on.

I really wanted to love this asymmetric dress for $19.95 but the cut was NOT flattering for a curvier girl. There was too much volume thru the hip (makes you look hipp-ier) and the bust was tight - it just made me look lumpy. I would not recommend it unless you are very narrow.

   

I really like the color/pattern of this $29.95 patterned dress too but I have not found it in store yet to try it on. I have a feeling it won't work for me but I'm stalking it for now.

This $59.95 patterned dress looked interesting but more Fall - not really what I'm looking for right now. I looked at it in store yesterday but decided to wait for a markdown before I even try it on.

I'm not sure what's up with H&M and all their Fall dresses but this one was also not for right now. This $59.95 dress with circle skirt had a heavier weight fabric but the cut was promising. I'm filing it away for later :)

Is it just me or is H&M right now a total bust?

In my hunt for the perfect Spring dress I took a peek over at Asos.com and didn't see anything I needed. Boo. Me thinks I'll be starting to thrift again because I'm just not finding what I want at retail.

Lilly Pulitzer has a 250 piece collaboration coming to Target next Sunday :) Price ranges from $2-150, with lots of cute beauty, home goods, little girls and womens (even plus size!) pieces all in their colorful pastel signature prints. As always, I'll try to wait until 70% off but I may cave this time...

I need this $20 starfish cuff. There are a few pieces of jewelry that tempt me but this is a must have for me.

And those clutches! How are they only $24 each??? At first I thought I needed that gold embroidered one until I saw the pink Nosie Posey pattern...now I may need both.

I typically skip the shoes from the Target collabs because they look cheap and are made of plastic but how can you go wrong with $24 espadrilles?

And these even have matching ones for my girls for $20!

The dresses and beach wear are all super cute but I have to admit that I typically thrift that stuff for under $10 a piece - so I'm be waiting for markdowns to scoop up some mommy and me cuteness.

I do know that my girls would flip for any of their adorable coordinating accessories.

$10

$10

$18

I also happen to think that the kids version of the tote is cuter than the adult version. I wonder what the difference in size is? I like the rope detail VS the cheap gold straps on most of the adult bags.
The kid's version is also $3 more but worth it IMO.

Kids, $18

Adult, $15

These days I'm doing pretty well in the shoe department but I still think of the ones that got away when I missed the first day of the Sophia Webster sample sale. The best I'm finding is a bunch for 50-58% off at theoutnet.com and you know that's just not going to work for me. Here's to hoping these $795 (now $349.80) Brandy studded leather sandals get a few more markdowns...

And last but not least - just found out the Rebecca Minkoff NYC sample sale is coming! Guess who's gonna be first in line :)

Hope your Spring shopping has been more successful than mine! What are you thinking about for this season?

XOXO,
Shoppinggal

Altuzarra for Target 50-70% off finds & extras!

Because I'm not the typical fashion blogger I'm reviewing the Altuzarra for Target collection now, weeks after everyone else. I do this because I wait for markdowns before I really look at a collection so I don't get too attached to something I'm not going to pay full price for.

When I was hunting down the horse bedding for my daughter last week at Target I noticed that some of the Altuzarra pieces hit 70% off. (I had already purchased a few pieces 50% off.) I noticed the pricing was all over the place and at every location different items were different percentages off. I have my eye on a few more pieces but I'm waiting to find them at 70% off at this point.

My 50% off pieces and thoughts:

This green and black trench was the only piece from the lookbook that I REALLY liked. I was lucky to find a rack full of them at 50% off ($45) but they didn't have any smalls (and the medium was too big) so I'm squeezing into the x-small. It closes and It's comfortable but I can really only do sleeveless (or fitted short sleeves) under it. I would love to try on a small to compare the fit. When I wore it last week a guy complemented me on it on the subway and he wasn't even hitting on me. Yes sir, it is a "cool jacket." :)

Check out the back!

I love animal prints. This is the blouse you wear when you want to look like a lady. It's a little sheer but not as bad as the other sheer tops because of the print. I took the small and the fit is perfect. I wore it last weekend with my brown faux fur Neiman Marcus vest (I got it almost 20 years ago) with a tan Lola fedora (sample sale), vintage black leather skirt (recent thrift find) and my black 'bad girls' from Tamara Mellon (sample sale). That's the problem with Saturdays - I dress up but never take pics LOL.

ETA- I was able to find one for 70% off so I returned the 50% off one :)

I think this was around $17 at 50% off

This black ponte flouce skirt is a cute basic skirt and for $17 I can always use another one of those.

These are the 70% off pieces I'm keeping:

This black dress ($16.48) is OK but like a few of my 70% off pieces, I suspect I'm keeping it because of the price. I wanted to love the red dress in the same cut but the black was more flattering on me. The sequins on the arms cheapen it IMO but with a wide black belt I think I can make it work. I took the size 6 but honestly I didn't try it on in a 4.

ETA - I found a 4 and returned the 6. I'm still not sold on this dress though...

And you know me and black dresses...this one was only $11ish and I took the 6 because all I found was the 2 and the 6. The lace looks funny - it's almost too delicate for such a heavy fabric. No matter - it's cute and cheap :)

For some reason I really wanted to like this one but as you can see even the model looks unflattering in it. I'm keeping the medium b/c the small was too snug on my bum. It was $11.98 so why not?

Another animal print :) This dress reminds me of either Roberto Cavalli or a cheap knockoff at Forever 21. I can fit the 4 but it pulls at the bust so I'm keeping the 6. It was only $13.48.

And here are my extras for sale :) ETA - ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE RETURNED OR MOVED TO EBAY

I'm selling everything for way less than eBay pricing. It's all NWT unless noted. US shipping only and all sales final. Prices are cheaper for local pickup. If you're buying more than one item I can reduce your total by combining shipping. You can also combine shipping with the items I have for sale on my Instagram selling account, shoppinggalscloset. Feel free to ask any questions as needed. Contact me here or on my Facebook page :)

"The" peplum blazer in size medium (I would need the small). Sold out online. Asking just $40 US shipped.

I really wanted to love this dress but the fit is not the best for anyone who has curves. The slit is indecent on me and I would need to have it sewn down. I still may buy a larger size and have it tailored. Selling this size 4 for $31 US shipped.

Shown styled with belt - not included.

Sheer black sleeveless blouse with bow. Very sheer (needs to be layered with a cami) but cute. I have the XS and S - $18 US shipped each.

The faux leather belt in brown - I have both the S/M and the L/XL. Sold out. Asking $30 US shipped each.

Another one I wanted to like but the pleats in front show off my belly (and not in a good way). Selling a size 6 (NWT) and 8 (NWOT) - $30 US shipped each.

Pretty color but sheer and too bohemian for me. I have the small and X-small - $26 US shipped each.

I think I like the idea of this dress (I kept grabbing it in every store LOL) but it didn't work on me. $33 US shipped each - I have this in size 4 (x3) and 6 (x2).

Pretty satin blouse but not my style. $21 US shipped each. I have size small (x2) and an XS.

 

I almost took this to the tailor to take in but I decided I wouldn't die without it. $30 US shipped.

Shown belted - belt not included.

Size small sleeveless shirtdress, $23 US shipped.

I have the size 4 (NWOT) and the 8 NWT. $29 US shipped each.

Size 2 (x2) black ponte dress - $26 US shipped each. Holding one for my nieces. T&M LMK if you want one...don't worry you guys pay cost :)

I'm not sure why I got this - I'm really not a scarf person. $18 US shipped.

Size 6 black dress - $33 US shipped.

What did you guys think of the collection? What were your must-haves? LMK if you are still ISO any pieces and I can keep my eyes open :)

Happy shopping!
Shoppinggal