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Frugal Fashionista: Holiday Party Chic for $50

Welcome to Washingtonian.com’s newest style feature, the Frugal Fashionista. Much like its sister series, the Frugal Foodie, it aims to minimize the money coming out of your pockets and maximize the return.

By McLean Robbins Published Monday, December 15, 2008

Every other week, we’ll ask a local stylista to complete a task—some seasonal and some just for fun—on a budget. Think of it as a Washington-focused “The Look for Less,” the Style Network TV show that creates a particular look on a budget.

For our inaugural issue, we’ve asked resident DC blogger Makeda Saggau-Sackey of the Glamazon Diaries to come up with a holiday party outfit for under $50.

We gave her an easy go of it for this round, saying she could wear any simple black dress she had in her closet.

Saggau-Sackey, who counts Max Azria, Karl Lagerfeld, and Oscar de la Renta among her favorite designers, says that the simple strapless A-line dress from J.Crew ($98) should be a staple in any Washingtonian woman’s closet.

You can pair it with heels or pumps, hose or bare legs, and wear it just about anywhere, provided you bring along a wrap or sweater for more formal occasions, she says.

Instead of hitting her usual online retailer Gilt Groupe (which also offers bargains), department-mecca Nordstrom, or local Georgetown boutique We One You Two, Saggau-Sackey headed to cheap-chic retailers like Forever21 and Target, which offer impressive selections of trend pieces.

Target and H&M are her favorites, particularly when the stores showcases collaborations with notable designers like Commes de Garcon or Botkier.

The look she put together shows off her signature style, a mix of high fashion and polished preppy, for a price that nearly everyone can afford. Even better, the accessories can be worn individually or paired with a more casual outfit for a night on the town.

Here’s what she chose:

Polished Petal Ring - $3.80

Magnifique Rope Necklace - $11.80

Mossimo Heidi Satin Bow Heels – Black–$15.99

Forever 21 Croc Clutch - $15.80

Total: $47.39

Why we love it: It’s the perfect blend of classy and stylish, and the gold accents add a nice holiday sheen. The necklace and ring tie the look together—and she actually found a purse and shoes on the budget!

Think you’re a budget-balancing babe (or boy)? Send a note to McLean.Robbins@gmail.com if you’d like to be featured in an upcoming segment.

Next up, Chandler Ramelli of the blog A Not So Capitol Idea tackles a head-to-toe New Year’s Eve outfit for under $100.

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Comments

Where was this when I needed an elegant outfit like this for an art gallery date? I love the finds. Great job

Posted by: Darlene, Dec 23, 2008 07:58:36 AM

@Valerie - try red lipstick. ;-)

Posted by: Shirlington, Dec 21, 2008 09:36:35 PM

The necklace looks like a million bucks. I wish we had a little pop of color in the outfit

Posted by: Valerie , Dec 19, 2008 03:09:09 PM

Cute column! The finds are great. Love that ring...

Posted by: ms. spinach, Dec 19, 2008 09:44:46 AM

TO NOTSOFRUGAL: I am still a bit puzzled that you cannot grasp the fact that she had the dress already in her closet, meaning it was not part of the deal. The task was not for her to find a dress and accessories. I think you are making this dress this too big of an issue. Some people can afford to buy $100 or $150 dress. The point of this exercise was to find accessories to go with a black dress not to find a black dress and accessories.

Posted by: Paola, Dec 18, 2008 05:50:20 AM

You’re right that most women have that black dress in their closet. I got mine online from underthecanopy.com for less than $50 I believe. But I know that you guys at the Washingtonian know how to find a cheaper dress, be it at Target or H&M. I’ve seen you do it before! It’s disappointing that chose not to utilize this skill here. Other than the dress everything is a great frugal pick.

Posted by: NotSoFrugal, Dec 16, 2008 07:53:03 AM

Now that’s how you shop! Great finds for the budget at stores most people don’t associate with style. Style is in the eye of the shopper!

Fabulous job Makeda. And I signed up for Gilt Group from your blog yesterday. Thanks.

Posted by: Nakeva, Dec 15, 2008 09:30:11 PM

Great job Mak! Fashionista style for less

Posted by: Jeremy, Dec 15, 2008 08:09:30 PM

for those asking about Gilt Group memberships, please visit this link for an invitation: http://www.gilt.com/invite/makedas

Thanks for all the feedback. When I submitted the article last week, the shoes were $15.99 at Target. I think $19.99 is still a great deal.

I also believe that every woman should have a black dress that makes them look like a million dollars in their closet. It is a versitile piece of clothing that should last. True some women cannot afford $100 dress but you can go to department stores and get something similar to this dress. J.Crew makes beautiful dresses that fit me perfectly so that is one of my go to brands.

Posted by: Makeda, Dec 15, 2008 01:16:22 PM

NOTE: There are two versions of the dress. There is a taffeta one for $149, and a cotton one for $98. Yes, the colored versions at times go on sale for $49.99 or $79.99.

TO NOTSOFRUGAL: I’m in agreement that a $150 outfit isn’t necessarily frugal, but I would say that most women own a black dress that they love. The great part about this outfit is that the stylish accessories Makeda chose go with most any black dress, as well as with other holiday or going-out outfits. I was a particular fan of this set of finds because she chose pieces that look like they could cost much more than her allotted budget. Of course, we can all find things at Target and H&M, and the beauty is that our friends can purchase the amazing earrings we found. A vintage piece is great, but won’t give our readers (you!) a tangible goal to work towards - one of a kind means that we’d have the only one!

Also, if anyone wants a Gilt Groupe, Haute Look, RueLaLa or other online sample sale membership, just email the author, McLean.Robbins@gmail.com. I’ll send the invite right away!

Posted by: McLean (author), Dec 15, 2008 01:08:50 PM

I love this outfit! Mak, can you dress me for the Innuguration?

Posted by: Lilly, Dec 15, 2008 12:59:49 PM

Her find is absolutely stunning. The poster below clearly didn’t read the entire post because the writer specifically noted that the dress is already owned. I am sure most women have a black dress in their closets and if they don’t, they are idiots. I doubt those critizing the girl for her finds could have put this look together. The entire collection looks more like it could be worth over $500 including the dress.

Thanks for the tip and I look forward to more from this column. I didn’t know of the Glamazon Diaries but from the looks of her site, she is pretty knowledgable.

Posted by: Paola, Dec 15, 2008 12:59:48 PM

I think the look is perfect for the holiday season! Both classy and trendy. Yes, we do all know about Target and H&M for cheap accessories, but we can all use good intel on where to find new, cute treasures!

Posted by: erica, Dec 15, 2008 12:40:36 PM

Whoops, I just posted about the Gilt membership but typed Megan’s name instead of my own. Whoops! Off to fetch coffee now.

Posted by: Rachel, Dec 15, 2008 12:04:13 PM

Megan,
I’m also a member of Gilt Groupe (and love it). I could invite you, but I doubt that you’d get a "no way" if you simply email membership@gilt.com asking for an invite.

Posted by: Megan, Dec 15, 2008 12:02:52 PM

Um, a $100 dress is not "frugal." This isn’t butter or salt like in Frugal Foodie, something everyone truly does have in their fridge. Just because someone says it’s a "must have" for any woman doesn’t mean it’s actually something a normal person owns. So this outfit, advertised as $50, is actually $150. Big whoop. I can come up with a holiday outfit for $150 too. Come on Washingtonian, this would be equivalent to a Frugal Food article where someone is making a Thanksgiving dinner and says "well, everyone has turkey for Thanksgiving, so that doesn’t count towards the cost."

Posted by: NotSoFrugal, Dec 15, 2008 11:49:10 AM

How do we get invited to Gilt Groupe? I just checked out the website and it said you have to be invited by an existing member....Does Makeda Saggau-Sackey care to share?

Posted by: Megan, Dec 15, 2008 11:23:27 AM

I’m a J.Crew fanatic. That dress never drops below $150-- only the pink and green (or other phased-out colors) go on sale for $49 or $79. Also, if Bethesda’s comment is correct, you went over $50, which really makes the entire exercise pointless. Look, we all know about H+M or Target for cheap accessories, so it’s not the most useful blog post, but I appreciate the concept and hope it’s better-executed next time.

Posted by: Anna, Dec 15, 2008 11:22:19 AM

I love the Holiday Party Chic collection that Makeda Saggau-Sackey put together. I didn’t know it was possible to look so fabwith such a frugile budget. Thanks for the great recommendations!

Posted by: Charmaine, Dec 15, 2008 10:55:06 AM

Oh no! At the time this was sent in for editing, the price was correct, but it must have gone up over the weekend. Darn!

Posted by: Catherine, Dec 15, 2008 10:40:44 AM

The shoes are $19.99. Oops!

Posted by: Bethesda, Dec 15, 2008 10:07:14 AM

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Frugal Fashionista: Holiday Party Chic for $50

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