Vanessa Hudgens makes casual chic look so effortless, doesn’t she? She’s just adorable, and she consistently manages to look comfy—without looking sloppy (unlike those famous twins who have elevated bag lady chic to an art form). While Vanessa likely has access to myriad designer labels and pieces, in her everyday life, she tends to keep it real. So real, in fact, that almost anyone can steal this look, as all the pieces are standard ready-to-wear, at glorious ready-to-wear prices.

Our Rating:

Free People Bohemian Flutter Sleeve Top

Free People Bohemian Flutter Sleeve Top
($49.95, Free People)

JJ Winters Buckle Fringe Leather Bag

JJ Winters Buckle Fringe Leather Bag
($239, Black Label Boutique)

P.S.: Also available at Boutique To You and Singer22.

Nudie Jeans Tight Long John Skinny Jeans

Nudie Jeans Tight Long John Skinny Jeans in Denim Stretch
($179, Tobi)

Zodiac “Panda” Boots

Zodiac “Panda” Boots
($99, Endless)

P.S.: Also available in black and taupe at Shoes.com.

Good news, fellow readers! I’d like to welcome Celine to Team InTheirCloset as an addition to our editorial and writing team. Celine will be supporting the team with her frugal finds and make your daily fashion fix here on InTheirCloset.com even more enjoyable. We’re excited to have her on board, so please give our newest team member a warm welcome!

Celine, please tell our readers a few things about yourself. Where do you come from? What are you doing for a living? What’s your favorite food & color?

C: Where I’m from: I was born in Montreal, Canada but my mother is from France (and I speak French fluently!). My family moved to NYC when I was a month old and I lived there up until about a week ago when I moved to Pensacola, Florida to be with my boyfriend who is in the Navy.

C: My favorite food: Sadly my taste in food isn’t nearly as evolved as my taste in clothes. My parents like to tell people that when I was young I wouldn’t eat anything but white food. Today I could probably live on pasta, potatoes and cheese (white cheddar, please).

C: My favorite color is definitely gray. On paper. If you look in my closet, though, you’ll see that’s a big lie. I have a ton of black. I don’t know, it just goes with everything! I definitely like neutrals above all else. Gray, white, black, leopard print (hey, it’s a neutral in my book!).

How did you get involved with fashion?

C: I was a lucky teenager. My mom kept a lot of her 80’s clothes and I had a lot of fun putting them on and looking ridiculous in them. I grew up in NYC so fashion was everywhere. I’ve always been creative (former actress here) and dressing myself became a way to express that side of me. I was never any good at drawing or… pottery making… so dressing was it. I’ve also LOVED the sound of high-heels on pavement since as far back as I can remember.

What’s your personal style? Any favorite designers?

C: I would describe my personal style as retro meets punk. I find myself drawn to shoes that “normal” people thing are hideous. But then I also look at old pictures of Marilyn Monroe or Liz Taylor and wish I could dress like them everyday. I’m a bit schizophrenic when it comes to fashion (if that wasn’t already evident). I’ve never adhered to any one particular trend/style. I also rather like the idea of being sexy in an understated way. That’s probably why I wear a lot of jeans/pants with sexy shoes.

Celine’s Ultimate Spring 2010 Outfit

C: Favorite Designers: Comme des Garcons when they were doing those bustle dresses and coats (I love that Victorian-era look as is exemplified by my next choice in designer), All Saints (deconstruction, asymmetrical hemlines, bustles!!), Marni for shoes, because I adore that chunky 70’s meets futuristic look, Martin Margiela, Nanette Lepore (so romantic), Elizabeth and James (so wearable)

How long have you been following InTheirCloset.com already and how come you wanted to write for us?

C: I’ve been reading InTheirCloset weekly for the past 4-5 months. The first time I came across it (after googling a lower priced version of a shoe I was lusting after) I knew it was meant to be. Not only is the whole idea perfect for me (because I was a young fashion-obsessed woman living in NYC but with zero money), but the actual items that were being posted about were right up my alley. I loved that shoe and that shoe and that dress. I actually pride myself on being able to find lower priced versions of the things I “have” to have. InTheirCloset is a great fit for me because it exactly mirrors my approach to fashion.

If I was a fashion-item, I’d be…

C: The Martin Margiela Ovine Wedge. A beautiful and sleekly designed shoe, with a prominent but totally manageable heel. A shoe that can be worn with a skirt, a dress, a pair of pants. It fits in anywhere.

I would never wear…

C: Sorry, Martin Margiela, but those goat toe shoes? No.

I can’t leave the house without…

C: Ha…it’s actually makeup. *Hangs my fashion head in shame*. MAC lipstick. I have about 4… in my bag. I have about 30 in my apartment.

Best Spring 2010 collection?

C: Chanel. Hands-down. Beautifully romantic, as Spring should be, but also completely wearable. I also love, love, love those 4 inch clogs. Everyone should own a pair. Several of those party/cocktail dresses were quite simply breathtaking.

Chanel Spring 2010

Your mantra for 2010?

C: If you can stay positive you can make truly great things happen.

Thank you, Celine, for taking the time to answer these questions and WELCOME TO THE TEAM! If you’re interested in reading more of Celine, visit her personal blog The Fashionable Life of a Navy Wife.

And the winner is… Terri (Georgia Mist)! Her mantra for 2010 is: “Do or do not. There is no try.” – And we think this is a wonderful mantra – not just for 2010, but for life in general. Terri managed to win a beautiful black Givenchy inspired satchel with only 4 entries. What a lucky girl! You will soon receive a fabulous handbag from the nice folks at American Chic (thanks again for sponsoring the giveaway!). Congratulations, Terri!

We received over 500 comments from 124 people. Awesome! Thanks to everyone who entered. We really enjoyed reading all your mantras. They were inspiring, powerful, positive and sometimes a bit crazy. We hope & wish you will make them come true and live true to them. Good luck!

Today, I have exciting news for all of our loyal, fashion-hungry readers: A little over a year ago InTheirCloset.com started as a small project of mine. A hobby where I would write about all of my fashion finds. I still remember checking the blog’s stats religiously every 20 minutes hooraying whenever I saw a visitor that was not myself come to the blog. Time flew by and managing InTheirCloset has grown into a full-time job for me. Posting frequency declined while my stress levels went up, so I decided to do what had to be done: build a team to keep up with the demand for upscale fashion on a budget price.

Vahni is the first writer to join the team. Eloquent and armed with impeccable style I am sure she will be an excellent contributor to this blog. Vahni first contacted me a few weeks ago to do an interview about InTheirCloset on Examiner.com and I had a blast answering all of her questions. I then trialed her fashion and writing skills and she held her ground with flying colours.

Vahni, please tell our readers a few things about yourself. Where do you come from? What are you doing for a living? What’s your favorite food & color?

V: I am a first-generation Greek American currently living overseas, but the southern U.S. will always be home. I’m a little bit of every woman…the tomboy, the athlete, the domestic goddess, the executive, and the feminist. I’m a professional writer, but I should have been a professional shopper, because I am exceptionally good at it.

V: My favorite food. How to pick just one? Hmm. Probably a seared, rare filet mignon with butter from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Or salmon and avocado sushi. Does a drink count as food? Mine would. Because it’s a dirty Bombay Sapphire martini with three massive, bleu-cheese-stuffed Spanish olives. Yum.

V: My favorite—or default—color is black. Every year I say I’m not buying more and I do. I also love bright coral and fuchsia. But I’m having a grey moment.

How did you get involved with fashion?

V: Somewhere in my late teens I began to really pay attention to fashion. But I’m a creative. So fashion is just another expression of creativity, of individuality. And I get bored easily, so fashion is an entertainment. It changes constantly.

What’s your personal style? Any favorite designers?

V: My personal style is sophisticated and edgy. I’m not afraid to push the envelope, but I like to do it in a classy way. I’m all about the high-low mix. I also like to mix classics or conservative pieces with something unexpected…a little subversion. Like a simple black pencil skirt with a silk blouse cinched by a massive, bondage-like black patent belt. Or a sweet sweater and knee-length skirt with thigh-high boots that disappear under the skirt hem.

Vahni’s Ultimate Spring 2010 Outfit

V: A few of my favorite designers are Tom Ford (Gucci and YSL were never better with him at the helm, though I really do like Frida Giannini), Christopher Bailey (Burberry Prorsum), Etro, Sass & Bide, Willow, and Alexander McQueen. Oh, and I was crazy for Olivier Theyskens’ fall 2005 collection for Rochas.

How long have you been following InTheirCloset.com already and how come you wanted to write for us?

V: I’ve been following InTheirCloset for about six months now, and continue to be impressed by the cleanliness of the site and the great information it provides. I wanted to write for ITC because it is a fantastic resource for those who love luxury labels but can’t really afford them. ITC does all the research when it comes to high-end clothing/accessories, or what celebrities wear—you get names, links, prices (and sometimes even coupon codes) for the exact item or something similar. It’s the budget fashionista’s little black book. I think it is one of the best examples of the value of blogging on the Internet today.

If I was a fashion-item, I’d be…

V: A pair of black Louboutin Pigalle 120 patent pumps.

I would never wear…

V: BIRKENSTOCKS! Or harem pants.

I can’t leave the house without…

V: My gigantic handbag and all its contents…my BlackBerry and iPod Touch, Juicy Couture sunnies, five-to-eight lip products, MAC powder, credit cards, a pen, a knife, and a nail file.

Best Spring 2010 collection?

V: Gucci. There wasn’t a single piece, including shoes and accessories, that I wouldn’t wear. In fact if I could only order from one house for the whole season, that would be it.

Gucci Spring 2010

Your mantra for 2010?

V: I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

Thank you, Vahni, for taking the time to answer these questions and WELCOME TO THE TEAM! If you’re interested in reading more of Vahni, visit her personal blog Grit and Glamour or read her articles as International Style Examiner.

It’s been a while since we last had a giveaway here on InTheirCloset.com. To start off 2010 in style and make it an even more fabulous year than the last we are proud to present you our first giveaway for this year kindly sponsored by American Chic. (Thanks again!)

One of you lucky gals will win a beautiful black satchel which heavily resembles Givenchy’s iconic “Nightingale” bag. As you can see below winning this roomy bag will put you in very good company. The Nightingale bag is one of the most popular bags among hardcore fashionistas all over the globe. It has been carried by several celebs including Ashley Olsen, Nicole Richie, Sienna Miller, Rihanna, Vanessa Hudgens and Heidi Klum just to name a few.

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How to Enter

In order to enter this giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment and tell us your mantra for 2010.

A Mantra is a religious or mystical syllable, phrase or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. Mantras are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that inculcate concentration in the devotee. Mantras are also integrated in religious rituals to remove obstacles, avoid danger, reduce foes, or accumulate wealth.

For example, my personal mantra for 2010 is: “Don’t stand still. Always move forward & push borders wherever you can“. It is basically a motto or a maxim that I’m trying to live by for the next 365 days.

Only US and Canadian entries allowed (sorry international readers). You can join the giveaway until next Sunday, 01/24 (11:59 PM EST time). Winners will be drawn shortly thereafter.

Please remember to leave your (first) name and a valid email address when writing the comment (just fill out the comment form correctly and you’ll be fine). A comment equals 1 entry. You can leave multiple comments here if you want to, but only your first one will be accounted.

Bonus Entries

If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can score more entries by doing one or all of the following things:

• Follow @intheircloset on Twitter (1 entry)
• Follow @celebritychic on Twitter (1 entry)
• Tweet about this giveaway. You can use this pre-written tweet if you like: @intheircloset and @celebritychic are doing a fabulous handbag #giveaway. Find out how to enter here: http://bit.ly/8O8GGI (max. 1 tweet/day = 1 entry/day)
• Subscribe to our newsletter. (2 entries)
• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and link back to this post. (3 entries)

IMPORTANT: If you are already subscribed to our newsletter, please say so in the comment. Don’t forget to mention or email us the email address with which you’ve signed up to it if it is different from the one you leave in the comment form. Also, if you sign up for our newsletter, please make sure you have clicked on the confirmation link to activate your subscription. Unverified subscriptions cannot be credited. Private/Protected tweets also can’t be credited.

If you decide to do one of the things in the list above, please mention them in your comment here on this page. You can add as many comments as you want if you should decide to do things one by one. Just remember to always use the same email address when writing a comment, so the additional entries can be credited to you.

This is an example of how your comment could look like:

My mantra for 2010 is: “Argue less. Laugh more”. I subscribed to your newsletter, follow you on Twitter and tweeted about the giveaway.

This example would sum up to 5 entries (1 mantra comment = 1 entry, subscribed to newsletter = 2 entries, 1 twitter follower = 1 entry, 1 tweet = 1 entry). That fictional reader would have increased her/his chances of winning by 400%.

If you have questions regarding this giveaway, don’t hesitate to ask. Good luck to everyone!

InTheirCloset.com is growing more quickly than we could have possibly imagined, reaching more than 30.000 people per month and producing more than 55.000 monthly page views. We are looking for a couple of fashion-loving, dedicated writers to join the InTheirCloset team! You don’t have to be a professional writer, but you must enjoy writing about fashion and be capable of expressing yourself in a clear and engaging way.

We are in search of someone who can commit to blogging at least a few times per week, but we’re extremely flexible about the schedule. To apply, we need:

• 2-3 sample posts (preferably about celebrity fashion, budget fashion or a Real vs. Steal type of post) and your level of experience in writing/blogging
• A few words about yourself and why you’re interested in fashion or writing about fashion
• Your contact info and scheduling, including a ballpark number of posts per week

Send your application to team@intheircloset.com. This is an unpaid position. However, if you agree to do product reviews, you will be allowed to keep the product samples as a compensation.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

The team of InTheirCloset.com wishes you and your family a very merry christmas. Be happy & healthy and enjoy the holidays. We’ll be back full force after the holiday craze.

Your team of InTheirCloset.com

When I saw Stephanie Pratt dazzling in her black sequined LBD at the Ninja Assassin premiere back in November I remember thinking that her dress would make a great New Year’s Eve dress. I was quite surprised to find out this dress was by Topshop and hence reasonably priced.

Our Rating:

Who?	Stephanie Pratt
Where?	“Ninja Assassin” Premiere, Los Angeles
When?	November 19, 2009
What?	Topshop Zip Back Sequin Bodycon Dress, Camilla Skovgaard A9001 Over-the-knee Wedge Boots

Oasis All Over Sequin Dress

Of course the Topshop dress sold out before I could even think of purchasing it. But imagine my delight when I stumbled upon an almost identical version for almost the same budget price. Oasis‘ version looks just as great and the only difference is that it doesn’t have the exposed zipper in the back which I kind of prefer actually.

Oasis All Over Sequin Dress
($152.97, ASOS)

P.S.: Also available at Oasis for £80.

A few months ago Eva Longoria sparkled on the red carpet of the 2009 ALMA Awards in a silver pailette-covered strapless column dress by Oscar De la Renta. The tiny actress completed her stunning look with beautiful matching jewelry, flawless make-up and nude satin heels.

Our Rating:

eDressMe Strapless Sequin Cocktail Dress

eDressMe Strapless Sequin Cocktail Dress
($198, eDressMe)

Diane Kruger is one of my absolute red carpet favorites. She’s always so flawless and on-point when attending public events. You’ll never catch her wearing some boring black dress or follow a trend blindly. She has impeccable taste and this reflects in her red carpet outings. Case in point: Diane wearing a black velvet jumpsuit (in fact, it’s a combination of matching blouse + pants, but it looks like a one-piece to me). Isn’t it just gorgeous on her? It’s not easy to pull off a velvet jumpsuit, but Diane masters it perfectly.

Our Rating:

ASOS BLACK One Shoulder Velvet Jumpsuit

If you’re still looking for a holiday outfit and don’t want to wear what everyone else is going to wear, why don’t you opt for Diane’s look instead? I like that ASOS’ version is more snug and doesn’t have the exaggerated hips which can be quite hard to carry off if you’re not a runway model. Add a studded belt, statement shoes or a bright clutch to make your outfit pop and prevent it from looking dull. Also available in teal.

ASOS BLACK One Shoulder Velvet Jumpsuit
($84.99, ASOS)