24/Savvy Fashion

A full closet, but nothing to wear? Have no fear; free fashion apps are here!

Poshmark
Poshmark is an online clothing party where you can shop share and sell clothing and accessories. Upload photos for the threads you want to sell and others can contact you to sell or trade. The days of shopping in your friends closet just turned into a world-wide fiesta! Get started with your virtual "Naked Lady Party" at www.poshmark.com

All our spring strolling has made us less flabby, but our shoes?  Not so lucky.  We've got shoe flab and we've got it bad.  If your shoes get so flabby and worn that your heels are slipping out the backside, you can still eke out several more months of wear before you have to replace them. 

(Photo: Yosi Samra Flats which actually, aren't flabby at all.)

Whether you've got deep pockets or are living in shallow financial waters at present, you never want to blow good money on poorly made clothes.  To find out if a piece is well-constructed or not, the devil is in the details....just quickly check these four things to find out if you've got a "savvy" fashion find or a "silly" back-on-the-rack dud. High prices don't always mean high quality, dontcha know.

The good news about wardrobe staples that don't have an expiration date is...well, they don't have an expiration date.   The bad news is that since they don't have an expiration date, they usually get the mother lode of wear and tear which will show over time if it's not a quality piece.

Contrary to the all-popular belief in the superiority of basic black as our most flattering fashion friend, classic white can be an equally magnanimous hue to set off your curves in their loveliest light.  As long as you stick with cotton tees made with a supple fabric blend—such as cotton with a small percentage of spandex or jersey—and providing you polish up with an accessory or two, you can flaunt your figure with confidence in the simplest (and cheapest) of fashion finds.

While filming Gossip Girl in Paris recently (don't judge, we're fans!) La Gossip Girl herself was seen sporting this sweet, savvy ensemble around the rues of the City of Lights.  Little did she know how she perked our peepers and savv-o-meter by the way she (or her costumers, more likely) used a simple, chunky turquoise necklace to render completely average separates (we're talking unflattering, pleated peach pants, friends!) into a runway-worthy ensemble.  Everyone, yes, everyone has limp-hued, underused basic separates that could use a pick me up and everyone, yes, everyone has a yard sale/hippie mom/Navajo-souvenier chunky-styled necklace.  So put them to work, savvies! It's the cheapest, fastest and easiest way to breathe life into underused items.  

While we're on the subject of Paris (we are, you just didn't know it), we wanted to share this nifty little necktie necklace number we picked up at a Left Bank thrift shop a couple years ago.  We recently dissected it to find out how hard it might be to replicate, seeing as Mr. Savvy has about 50 ties and only wears 2.  Sporadically.  The verdict on project difficulty?  Not guilty.  Of being difficult, that is.  Now if we can just talk Mr. Savvy out of those spare ties.

We know some of you will take one look at this Bra Wallet and wrinkle your nose.  But then you'll start to remember all those times you were somewhere that you couldn't bring a purse or bag, or were worried about where to stash your purse or bag, or just didn't want to lug around a purse or bag and it'll start to make sense.  The next time you're headed to a wedding intent on doing a carefree chicken dance or are working all day at an event in Times Square with no place to stash your goods--invest in the bra wallet.  It's the best secret hideaway for your secret stash, hands down.

Trading clothes, accessories and shoes amongst friends is a creative way to save money and extend your collective wardrobes, but establishing rules and regs to make sure you all remain friends is another matter.  We sat down with 24/Savvy Founder, Valerie Donati, an arbiter of taste, style, and etiquette (Hi Val!), who happens to own one of the most desirable closets of clothes we've ever laid eyes on.

Always exquisitely attired, Valerie is not so much of a buyer, but rather a curator of clothes, supporting young designers and artisans by acquiring creative, one-of-a-kind pieces.  Which brings us back to lending.  Guess how often friends ask to borrow an item or two?  A lot.  Any time a friend needs to make a big impression—a wedding, interview, date, high school reunion, you name it...Valerie's phone rings.  After years of lending clothes to friends, she's developed a few hard and fast rules for keeping the lending and returning process neat, clean and easy.

Much like nail polish, stockings, leggings and tights are our favorite savvy secrets for sprinkling on some sass when our budget is tight, particularly at this time of year, when we have piles of invites but lack the  piles of cash to luxe up our look.  Hosiery is such an inexpensive way to upgrade your wardrobe making even the frugalest of sale-rack finds look chic and luxe, just like magic.  Even more magical: tights are illusory, slimming and shaping legs as needed.