Online shopping is full of perks. We avoid the crowds of vicious sale shoppers and really really vicious teenage girls having tantrums at thier mom in the fitting room. We can do it pajama-clad from the comfort of our nice warm bed. And we don’t have to try anything on. This is my favorite perk, considering last week at Arizia, I was so lazy in trying on a pair of pants that I decided to leave my shoes on while doing so, thereby ripping the pants with the heel of my desert boot wedge. I bought them anyway. Citizens of Humanity bell-bottoms for $75– you would have bought them too. Luckily my friend is an expert sower and she’s going to stitch the tear when she hems them. I digress.

Lately more and more online clothing stores have been popping up.  They’re way cheaper than their mall chain-store counterparts and the clothes are among the trendiest available anywhere.  Check out some of my favorites!

Mod Cloth is the first of the online stores to grab my attention as a serious clothes-shopping destination.  They have a combination of one-of-a-kind vintage pieces and vintage-inspired new stuff. Their dresses range from cute and kicky daytime to sultry evening, with the vast majority of them in the $34-$80 price range. There are also some splurges on the site. Their outerwear section is also not to be missed, with coats in shapes and patterns you’ve been craving and searching for for seasons on end. Their Be the Buyer section is also awesome. Free ground shipping over $50!

Lulu’s has all of your hot going out clothes, your edgy pieces, and the trend of the moment. They stock hundreds of dresses, ranging from gorgeous to sexy all between $30 and $70 and then of course the obligatory reason to visit them is that they have the best selection of sequined shorts anywhere. (also $30-$70) And free shipping over $75!

This is simple. Do you love Anthropologie, but wish it were way cheaper? Here it is! That’s the aesthetic. That’s the inspiration. That’s where you need to shop. So much lace and big scarves and jewelry that looks like an heirloom. Countless dresses under $80, plus a truly inspiring collection of affordable blouses and purses. Go! Go now!

Of course if you’re on the market for shoes rather than clothes, Barefoot Tess is the place to go!

C. Wonder, 72 Spring Street, NYC

I walked past C. Wonder a bunch of times in the past month and thought, “I’m not going in there.  It’s going to be way too expensive.” But then the other day, I  was passing in the midst of a Starbucks run and the draw of the warm lights and bright colors was too much to pass up.

C. Wonder had me pleasantly surprised. Founded by Tori Burch’s ex-husband, it’s strikingly similar to her aesthetic, only so much cheaper. I kept looking at the prices and thinking, “No, that can’t be right. Oh, that’s right.” Bucket bags at $68, stacks of bangles $28, requisite striped sweaters at $78. Plus, I thought the idea that post-divorce, a husband would say, “Oh yeah? Well, I can make really popular preppy stuff too. Just watch me!” And then he did!

The best part about this store, though the jewelry gives J. Crew a run for its money and the dressing rooms are not to be missed, is the home section. The tableware is comparable to Anthropologie, but also way cheaper, with mugs at $8 and plates at $10. In terms of gift shopping, you could get it all done here– they have frames, throw pillows, free monogramming, a floral Vespa, and the list goes on.  It could have been my caffeine high, but I loved this place.

fab tableware

obsession-worthy accessories

Black Friday is almost upon us and we all know what that means! Lining up outside of Wal-Mart at 5am and trampling a defenseless greeter because we need a plasma TV, then heading to Sears for a lawn mower for dad, Bed, Bath, and Beyond for marked-down linens and pots, then straight to the mall to elbow fellow shoppers who are stealing the good cashmere for the rest of the day! No? Just me?

Regardless of your Black Friday plans, holiday shopping is cut-throat and grueling and the least you can do is get yourself a good shopping outfit.  I don’t mean you have to dress really nicely to impress the sales people. Although, if you’re shopping in nice places, you don’t want to look like a slob I guess. I mean if you’re putting in long hours at the mall, you want to be dressed comfortably and appropriately. Also, you know you’re going to want to shop for yourself as well, so wear shoes and clothes that are easy to slip on and off. No shirts that stretch every time you put them over your head. No heels. No boots that you need a friend to pull off of you. No back zippers. And for god’s sake, leave your coat in the car lest they find you passed out from heat exhaustion in the food court with a half eaten Mrs. Fields cookie in one hand and a Macy’s coupon from your grandma in the other.

Here are some really shopping-friendly shoes from Barefoot Tess.

Click to shop!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nobody likes traveling in the rain.  It makes your socks wet and your hair gets positively ruined, not to mention your day.  Then you get inside and you’re cold because you’re all wet and you dread leaving because you know it’s going to be impossible to get a cab and you’re in too bad of a mood to take the subway because you’ll have to deal with all of those people in the same kind of mood as you. And it’s so gloomy out!  I feel dejected just thinking about it.

What we tend to forget though is that if you can beat the system and stay dry, you’re going to have a better day.  I’m personally in the habit of leaving my apartment without checking the weather and getting caught in the rain with suede ballet flats and a nice blowout.  Then I have to buy a tiny $5 umbrella on the street, but it’s always too late and the umbrella gets blown inside out two blocks later.  Had I checked the weather, I’d be happily wellie-clad with a nice umbrella to match. There’s a lesson to be learned here.  Here are some cute ways to stay dry.

Thanksgiving is over, and despite the fact that we all feel a little bloated and that once-a-year desire to go for a run, it’s the happiest time of the year.  Eggnog, hot mulled cider, and peppermint Schnapps hot chocolate are the only things we’ll be drinking for the next month. And that fruit cake in the red box that people give as gifts to avoid having to keep it in their house when they’ve received it as a gift is the only food we’ll be saying no to. It’s Holiday Party Season!

Winter is cold. Sucks, doesn’t it?  Getting dolled up all pretty in a sparkly frock is a highlight of holiday partying, but our poor little cold legs make it less enjoyable. Life’s not easy and pantie hose are not comfortable.  This is where boots and dresses come in.  Boots paired with a holiday dress are a glam look this season.  The contrast between the harsh and the feminine is both eye catching and intriguing, not to mention it’s a look that favors the tall girls, especially when the boots are flat and the dress is short. Plus you can wear think wool socks under your boots to keep warm…secretly.

Check it out!  All boots are available at Barefoot Tess.

It’s almost Thanksgiving! We all know what that means, most of us will throw our stuff in a duffel (or a rolly suitcase if you’re the neat type) and get on the most crowed Greyhound, train, or plane that doesn’t serve food and charges you to check a bag EVER. And it will be great because everyone is excited to get home and see their families.  Well, some people.  And the ones who aren’t will make the crowds and the delays and the Auntie Anne’s pretzel line miserable for the rest of us. I love the holidays!

One very easy way to make travel easier on the most widely traveled holiday of the year is to pack light.  You’ll be much less burdened and in a much better mood if your bag isn’t giving you Late Onset Scoliosis.  Also stay hydrated. I don’t mean you have to chose between carrying the New Yorker and Us Weekly, thereby picking the New Yorker to feel OK about yourself but lamenting the loss of US Weekly for the duration of the trip.  I just mean pack stuff that enables you to mix and match– not too many shoes, one coat, that sort of thing.

Here’s an example of what to pack. You’ll notice there’s a pair of pajamas in the mix. Note: pajama are to be worn in the house, not on the plane. But you know that.

Bon Voyage!

Shoes available at Barefoot Tess.

My stomach full of Sunday brunch and my head a little foggy from three Bloody Mary’s, I peruse many a New York City flea market fur stall for a classic mink coat or vest or stole or that thing with the head and the paws that you wear as a scarf.  Beaver and rabbit also appeal to me and I would not say no to fox or chinchilla.  Call me Cruella DeVille, I like fur.  Often people have told me I’m too young to pull off the coat and I say, “Yeah, probably,” but it’s just my way of making myself feel better that I haven’t found the perfect one yet.  And when I do and they say I can’t pull it off, I will know they’re just very jealous.  Sorry friends. If you’re nice, I might leave it to you in the will. Though chances are, I’ll  leave it to the loyal house keeper who nursed me on my Park Avenue penthouse death bed. Look what a fabulous life I’m going to lead some day!

Back to fur, I also like it on boots.

The Barefoot Tess ‘Tahoe’

Usually slippers are the type of footwear that you only allow your family and closest friends see you in. Not these! These slipper boots are so cute and versatile that you can even wear them out of the house, like to the supermarket or on a first date (somewhere casual.)

The Manitobah ‘Muluk’

America’s original winter boot, these Mukluks will keep you warm and look cute whether you’re traipsing over the Great Plains or through the mall.

The Tess by Barefoot Tess ‘Amelia’

Channel your inner Anastasia in these Russian Royalty inspired faux fur boots. They’re flawless and feminine when paired with everyday-wear and while fleeing from a revolution.

Of course you can find all of these fab boots at Barefoot Tess. And make no mistake girls, you too can pull off a fur coat maybe.

So you’ve been invited to someone’s country cottage for the weekend.  You’re probably picturing yourself with a pitchfork and overalls, but don’t be fooled–that’s not what they mean by country cottage.  They mean a beautifully decorated rustic-style house outside of the city with all of the amenities the city has to offer besides the ability to order in Chinese food at 11pm.  Cottage doesn’t mean small.  It’s just what you call a house when you want it to feel quaint.  The same type of people you pass during your commute in midtown will pass you on your walks through what they’ll refer to as “the town centre” or “the village.”  Together you’ll smell nature and browse boutiques and antique shops.  There will also be  highly-acclaimed and expensive restaurants, many of them in what will look like a rustic-style house, so there really is no need for the 11PM Chinese food anyway.  All the while you’ll be eating local and commenting on how nice it is to get away.  You might even hear some buzz about what it was like when Chelsea Clinton got married last month.

On what to pack: The style is laid back, but your still amongst city folk, so don’t go thinking you can schlep around all weekend in rags.  Hippie-chic is an appropriate look.

You know when you’ve assembled an outfit and it’s not like you just threw on jeans an a t-shit, this is an outfit outfit?  Sometimes it’s a look you really want to stand behind and you think it looks awesome, but you’re a little nervous that you might have crossed the line between edgy and “what was she thinking?”

You know when you dig an old vintage piece out of your mom’s closet and it smells a little weird, but you want desperately to wear it despite the fact that you’re not quite sure how? With bangles? Unbuttoned? As a dress?

You know when you have a simple black dress and for the love of god, you have to accessorize the hell out of it or you know you’ll just end up looking like a legal assistant? But which accessories and does your scarf clash with that wide belt?

And finally, you know when you have this great look put together but you’re trying to decide between two different pairs of Barefoot Tess shoes? Both look cute, but there’s got to be a winner in this equation.

Sometimes you just need help.  Fashism is a website that allows you to ask an entire website of followers their opinion before you leave the house.  You upload your picture and the feedback just flies in.  Because sometimes you don’t want your sister to know you took the tags off of her new short, or your roommate is napping, or your mom will tell you that sweater is garish–you just don’t get it, mom.

It’s not enough anymore to be told, “we’re going to the beach,” and know what you’re going to wear, because every beach has it’s own distinct feel.  Show up on the glamorous French Riviera in your preppy Cape Cod suit and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb, mostly because you’re not topless, but also because you’ve got the wrong style all together.  Of course if you’re going to your grandparents dorky lake beach for old people you have the right to wear a bikini as opposed to a full support one-piece, but in general, the beach dictates the beachwear. (In a fun way!)

And of course no matter which beach you choose, Barefoot Tess has the sandals!