Online Fashion Finds: ASOS.com

"I like my money right where I can see it - hanging in my closet."
-Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

There are not very many things that excite me as much as finding a great new online shopping site.

I love to shop and buy new clothes, and over the last five years I have been doing more and more of it online. It's such a great way to find unique and different things! I have also gotten very used to shopping on my laptop in my sweats.

For the last few weeks, I have been spending all my free time searching for cute dresses for the weddings I have coming up next month. I had a pretty good idea what I was looking for (something tailored and sophisticated, in a punchy summer colour, with a bit of edgy interest...) but just couldn't seem to find anything I could afford. Damn you Herve Leger and your thousand dollar price point!

Then last night I happened upon my very own e-tail heaven... ASOS.com. I am seriously head over heals for this site! They literally have thousands of dresses ranging in price from under $20, for their private label line, up to $700 for designer. They also carry a huge selection of clothes, shoes and accessories for women as well as maternity, mens, kids and beauty departments.

ASOS is based in the UK, but features an easy to use US dollar currency converter, US/UK size guide as well as reasonably priced international shipping in eight days (under $10) and four day international express. I also love that each product listing offers multiple images, in all offered colours, in addition to a runway video clip, so you really know what to expect before you order.

Here are a few ASOS.com pieces that caught my eye...



Frill Sleeve Body Con Dress



Premium Multi Ribbon Looped Bow Fascinator



Pleat Fold Detail Contour Dress



Shark Shoulder Longline Blazer



Ponti-Roma Tailored Pencil Dress



Cheetah Shoulder Top




I ordered two dresses today for express shipment... I'll let you know what they are like when they arrive. Fingers crossed!

I hope you like this site as much as I do!


Photo Credit:
Title - ASOS Magazine

Four Weddings and a Fashion Fix

"After all there is something about a wedding-gown prettier than in any other gown in the world." -Douglas William Jerrold

Now don't get me wrong, I love weddings! I love going to the mail box and finding the beautiful invitations. I love getting teary eyed while holding Chris' hand during the ceremonies. I especially love celebrating with friends and family over great food and too much wine. The only thing that ever stresses me out as the wedding day approaches, it trying to figure out what I'm going to wear.

It seems like over the past five years everyone has been getting married, and this year is no exception. We have four weddings to attend this summer alone! Normally, I like to use weddings as an excuse to by a fabulous new outfit. I can usually justify this to myself, and more importantly to my husband, with a combination of "everyone who will be there has already seen me in that" and "I've had that dress forever, and it doesn't fill anymore"... The problem this year, is that the weddings are super close together (4 weddings over 3 months), a lot of the same people will be at each of them and I'm on a budget. So you see, although I'd love to buy dresses for each wedding, I think I've found a pretty innovative alternative... the Convertible Dress!

These dresses are awesome. With anywhere from 15-20 different ways to wrap them (yes, the same dress!) you get multiple looks for one price. How sweet is that! A dress like this, will not only carry me through the wedding season in style, but will no doubt become one of my summer staples. Now I just have to decide on the colour and the brand...

A lot of companies are offering versions of this dress, but here are a few I really love:

Twobirds



These dresses are beautiful! They come in a short and long length and are available in 18 colours. They are a bit on the pricey side at around $300, but if you're going to wear it a lot, it's probably worth the investment. You can order on line from Twobirds.

Butter by Nadia



Butter by Nadia is a favorite with celebs and offers not only their signature wrap dress, which is available in short or long, jersey or satin and a ton of colours and patterns, but also convertible wrap pant suits, multiple dresses and tops. These are about the same price as the Twobirds dress, at around $300 and are available online at Butter by Nadia.

Victoria's Secret



Victoria's secret offers three variations on the convertible dress, but my favorite it their ruched convertible dress. This body hugging dress can be worn at least 10 different ways, is available in 12 colours and with a price of under $100, you can afford to buy two. Available online at Victoria's Secret.

American Apparel



If you're looking for a more casual dress, American Apparel offers two styles featured in at least 21 colors that can be worn 15 different ways. I am personally coveting the Le Sac Dress... I just love the braided details! These dresses are also the most frugal friendly at under $50. You can order them online at American Apparel.



I can think of endless occasions when a dress like this would be perfect... for a vacation somewhere warm, for a bridal party, for a trip with limited luggage space, for a busy wedding season or just for increasing your spring/summer wardrobe by 15 dresses with one purchase. This summer, the convertible dress can become the perfect outfit for every occasion, making it not only the most versatile, but the most economical piece of clothing you can buy.

Happy shopping!