"At least you don't buy clothes from H-E-B."

If there's one personality trait I don't like in people, it's snobbery. Whether it's about cars, fashion, music, or other etc. whatnot, I have no time for snobbish behavior. Growing up, though my grandparents did take me and my sister birthday shopping, most of my clothes were from the local thrift store or my older brother's girlfriends. Seriously.

I wasn't "into" brand names, like some of the girls in class. You know, the girls who made claims that they only wore Polo Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger. I once overheard that I dressed like a "nerd", along with that I wasn't "that pretty" (as in, "Chelsea's nice, but she's not that pretty, and she dresses like a nerd"; 10-year-old girls can be bitches).

I could understand the "nerd" thing: I was, and am, way into books and learning. But that's not the point. The point is, I didn't (and still don't) understand the name-calling zoning in on my personal appearance. I thought I looked nice in my "nerd" clothes!

That's when I began learning the names, along with the difference in quality and style, of the off-brands. Many of these off-brands were actually private labels, available at the Herberger's and JC Penney in Kalispell, MT, a 30-minute drive north from Bigfork: Amy Byer, Arizona Jean Co., Mudd Jeans, ByerWear Too, just to name a few...Even when I started buying my clothing with self-made money, my prom dress was from the JC Penney and $15, while some girls took the 4-hour drive to Spokane, WA, to find their gowns inside a two-story mall.

Side note: After googling the mall for old time's sake, I found out that Kalispell Center Mall is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Weird!

In high-school, I started to shop at Buckle. I put their layaway-payment plan into good use for several years, in order to afford my favorite brand jean, Lucky. While the brands at Buckle are exceptional, the prices aren't, and this has led to a personal decline of shopping there. Since moving back to Austin in 2008, in order to save money while still transcending my closet from a teenager's to that of an adult's, I have generally shopped: where I am working, mostly due to fringe benefits; at thrift stores; at consignment stores, e.g. Buffalo Exchange and Plato's Closet; at the outlet malls.

A product of an environment built on saving money while dressing sharp, I have a secret to share: this 100% Rayon dress is from H-E-B, which is a supermarket chain in Texas and Mexico.

I hadn't gone into my local grocery store looking for a dress. But when I saw the brightly-dyed, sheer rayon fabric, I knew I had to have it. The colors remind me of sherbet. Even though H-E-B has reasonable prices, I was shocked to see it was only $9.99. Paired with a belt I wore in a previous post, it's a sundress made for the weather Austin has experienced this summer.

Ballet Flats: Maurices.

Tote Bag: Gifted; Free People (instead of plastic bags, the stores gives out totes).
Shift Dress: Shoreline, by way of H.E.B.
Belt: Gifted; BKE by Buckle.
Sunglasses: Dots.

Speaking of weather in Austin, the beautiful capitol city has been surrounded by devastating wildfires. I am donating whatever I can to the American Red Cross, as nearly 800 homes have been burned in the nearby town of Bastrop, TX. That fire is still only 30% contained, while other parts of Central Texas have their own fires to deal with.

If you reside in the greater Austin area, I encourage you to donate whatever you can--someone out there just lost everything. The Austin Chronicle is keeping an up-to-date list of places to donate. To those who are not in Texas, if and when a natural disaster strikes in your area, I hope you can lend a helping hand to your local relief efforts. You never know when you may be the person in need.

The Season For Loving.

I'm going to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my parents, who were divorced before I can even remember, were married on the holiday. Or maybe it's because this year's Valentine's Day marks what would have been the half-year anniversary of my last committed relationship (it's pathetic that I know this, but that's what happens when you write everything down in a journal).

Regardless of my singlehood, it doesn't mean I haven't been gushing over clothing recently and wondering what would look great if I had a Valentine.

The Scarlet Harlot Dress (aka Boudoir Babe from Forever 21):

Remember that scene from Gone With The Wind where Rhett Butler persuades Madam Belle Watling to lie for the raid party? Maybe not. Either way, although Belle's costumes in the film were mostly white or cream with a touch of pink, this dress reminds me of her and her, ahem, profession. I like the corset-look of it and the bow in the front. I'd match it with a pair of heels, the pair of Naughty Monkey's shown. If I were to wear this dress, I would do a full-effect with the makeup: smoky eyes and a red lipstick, such as Y.S.L's No. 16 Red Temptation. Add a couple gold-chained necklaces along with a black clutch, and I would be set! This dress could easily be overwhelming with the va-va-voom of it all, but that's why I like it: it has some spunk and attitude with a little sex thrown in. I would blow-out my hair for a bedroom look. What occasion would I wear this to? Alamo Drafthouse's Gone With the Wind Valentine's Day Feast, of course.

The Gorgeous Magenta Dress (aka Evening Chelsea Dress from Betsey Johnson):

Yes, this dress has my name in it. No, I would not pick a dress to wear that I didn't like. I adore bubble dresses and the color. Black is always slimming, while layered-bubble effect with the magenta is a little different. Like the previous dress, this one from Betsey Johnson has lace, and the sweetheart neckline is more accentuated, especially because the dress is strapless. I'd wear L.A.M.B.'s black open-toed Zelia Heel stilettos and little-to-no makeup (I'm a fresh-faced girl at heart, and pink always adds a little natural rosiness to my cheeks). I would wear my hair up in a messy bun. As for a purse, I'd go with the Bowtie Affair I found on Bag Haus. And where exactly would I wear this number? The Driskill Grill.

The Honey, I'd Rather Go to a Show Outfit:


Of course, all these outfits are for imaginary dates, but I can probably bet you that my next boyfriend will be a musician in one form or another, as my last two were. With that said, I like to go to concerts more than anything. I remember one boy telling me that I was absolutely crazy for wearing boots to one gig I went to at Antone's (sadly, it was canceled and the Kooks haven't been back to ATX since), but honestly, there is nothing better than a pair of boots for a show.

Why? The boots add height while still protecting my toesies. In fact, I can't think of a concert this past year that I didn't wear boots: even at Austin City Limits when it didn't rain, I wore boots! That's why I love these pointed-toe boots from Guess that I found on Zappos: not only would they would look great with the Dark Gothic Glam Skinny from Miss Me, they would give me the extra height I crave. Matched with the Daytrip Sublimated Floral Babydoll blouse from Buckle and the Heart, Lock, and Key Charm Necklace from RockLove Jewelry, I would probably wear black eye liner, a red lipgloss, and call it good. A little rocker, a little girly...definitely fits my style.

So...now that we all know I'm single for Valentine's Day, let's hope I'll be working! Does anyone have plans for the holiday yet? Decided what you're going to wear? Tell me all the fashion details!