Fashion & Finance

Thursday night was the first official Fashion & Finance event (held at Garden State Plaza's J.Crew), and I would say it was a smashing success!!!  The idea started over a glass(es) of wine with my friend, who specializes in wealth management (she's a genius!)...  It is simple really, get an intelligent group of women together for a night out... share some affordable ideas for updating your style as well as some great tips on financial planning.  Then, the best part... you get to shop with a discount!

We decided to use J.Crew as a venue, not only because we are big fans of the store, but more importantly there is something there for everyone.  Decorative tee's for those who would like to just jazz up their basics, sequined everything for the more adventurous or beautiful costume jewelry... who doesn't love buying a new bauble... sure to always brighten your day.  The beauty of J.Crew is the fact that the brand encourages mixing & matching, wearing things in unexpected ways as well as wearing the same piece in all facets of your life... therefore it is very affordable.  Think about it... you buy the sequined tank for a party, then you could wear it to work under a jacket and later, layer it with a sweater on the weekends!  This is why I love, love, love this store!

For me, I would say the hardest part of prepping for this event was trying to streamline what I wanted to talk about.  I have a bit of a crazy brain (ie. millions of thoughts racing around at any given minute) so I have a little difficulty focusing.  Therefore, any time I walk into J.Crew, I get really excited because there is sooo much to play with.  As you can imagine, my brain goes into overdrive and I just don't know where to begin... that is why I spent many hours in the store in the week prior to the event... just trying to focus!

Well, eventually I figured out... it is all about smart shopping... using what you already have and then adding a touch of sass and sparkle to freshen it up!  Okay then, if I am going to tell everyone else this, I guess that I have to practice what I preach, right?  Ugh!!!  I wanted to buy the entire store, especially because I have another presentation next week, but I refrained and used what I had... played around a bit with texture, casual/formal, found an old belt that seemed to fit my needs... voilà... it worked!  I can officially say that I am doing exactly what I am telling you to do in my presentation... but, I am not going to lie... I would still love to buy everything in the store!

However, I do need to let you know that there are two fabulous belts online that I am drooling over... perfect for spicing up something that you already own....  I am in love!

                             - Allison

*photos of belts, courtesy of jcrew.com