Listen up, folks! You know how much I love my wonderful & talented writers Vahni, Celine & Vanessa. In fact, I think they’re totally the best and I’m so happy to have all of them on board. So, of course, I have to help them as much as they help InTheirCloset grow to be the greatest fashion blog under the sun (which basically it is, let us be honest, no? )

This time it’s Vahni who needs our help. She managed to be a featured entrant in BeautifulStranger.tv’s blogger contest “Are You the Next Beautiful Stranger?” with her personal blog Grit & Glamour which is an awesome accomplishment on its own, but now that she’s come so far, let’s make Vahni’s effort worth the time and sweat she always puts into her sweet little blog, shall we?

Do me a favor and head over to Vahni’s feature on the blog, then rate (I’m not implying you should give her 5 stars, but well, you totally should) & while you’re at it, please take your time to leave a comment, would you? Show Vahni your appreciation because if it wouldn’t be for her, you’d miss a lot of awesomeness here on InTheirCloset.

Now I know I have the best readers of the whole wide world who are totally selfless and like to help us just because they’re nice, but let me give you an incentive here. If we should manage to get 25 ratings + 25 comments on Vahni’s “Beautiful Stranger” feature, I’ll be giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate randomly to one of the wonderful people who decide to comment over there.

If you want to participate, leave a comment here on this blog and tell me which comment you left on the BeautifulStranger blog post. Easy! The contest ends very soon (June 15th, 2010 – comment must be written before this date to be eligible), so click yourself through, rate, comment and you might be a happy gift certificate owner veeeery soon.

Thank you for your support, dolls!

P.S.: Good luck, Vahni! You totally deserve to win!

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

Our jewelry giveaway, sponsored by Fantasy Jewelry Box, has ended a few days ago and we finally have a winner: Congratulations, Kelly (comment #5), you won! Kelly wrote about her most favorite jewelry:

My favorite piece of jewelry is the antique blue sapphire and diamonds set in sculpted silver ring which I got for my high school graduation from my parents. I love the antique 1920s setting and the blue oval sapphire sits perfectly center with diamonds sculpted into the sterling silver setting. I cherish every time I wear it.

Announcing a giveaway winner is both rewarding and saddening because we’d love to be able to let ALL of our wonderful readers win something. Anyway, this sure wasn’t the last giveaway here on InTheirCloset, so keep reading this blog & you’ll soon have a new chance to win a new fabulous prize.

Thanks to everyone who entered. We honestly loved reading your comments about your most cherished jewelry items!

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

Our last giveaway was way back in January, so we figured it was about time to treat our readers once again and hold yet another giveaway for you here on InTheirCloset. Because we all know cheap is good, but free is so much better, isn’t it?

This giveaway is kindly sponsored by Fantasy Jewelry Box (Thank you!) and the winner will be allowed to pick out a $35 or under item from the site which will be then sent to her or him. If you’ve fallen in love with one of the many pieces pictured above, you’re lucky because all of these are under $25 which means if you win, you could pick your favorite item AND still have at least $10 bucks to spend on something else. Awesome, right?

How to Enter

In order to enter this giveaway all you have to do is to leave a comment and tell us what your favorite piece from your jewelry box is. That’s it. Couldn’t be easier, huh?

The giveaway is open internationally, so readers from all over the globe, feel free to enter. You can join the giveaway until next Wednesday, 05/05/2010 (11:59 PM EST time). The winner 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)
• Tweet about this giveaway. You can use this pre-written tweet if you like: @intheircloset and Fantasy Jewelry Box are doing a great giveaway. Find out how to enter here: http://bit.ly/b54der (max. 1 tweet/giveaway = 1 entry)
• Join our Facebook community & become a fan (1 entry)
• Subscribe to our newsletter. (2 entries)
• Subscribe to the Fantasy Jewelry Box newsletter. (1 entry)
• 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 or already follow us on Twitter, 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. Also, please mention your twitter username and include the link to your tweet about the giveaway as well as your Facebook name or link to your profile (or simply reply with your comment name to the giveaway status message on our Facebook page).

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

My favorite jewelry item is an antique diamond ring which I inherited from my grandmother. I subscribed to your newsletter, follow you on Twitter and tweeted about the giveaway.

This example would sum up to 5 entries (1 favorite jewelry comment = 1 entry, subscription to newsletter = 2 entries, twitter follower = 1 entry, 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!

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

When I was asked if I’d like to do a scarf review for Affordable Scarves, I jumped at the chance. You see, I love scarves. I’ve been wearing silk, wool, velvet, linen, cotton, and fur scarves for many years. Scarves are my friends. Forever.

Affordable Scarves is exactly what it touts itself to be: an online scarf retailer with an extensive collection of scarves at affordable prices. The majority of the site’s inventory falls between $10 and $20 (and there’s a 15% OFF spring special running at the moment, so they are super cheap). With prices that inexpensive, you should know that these are not Hermés-quality scarves, but they are functional and fun, and for under 20 bucks, I’d say that’s exactly the point. The site is very user-friendly and you can search for scarves by color, material, season, shape, size and trend. They also offer free shipping on orders over $30. So I made my choice, and in no time, this Leopard Print Wrap arrived at my door…

Affordable Scarves Leopard Print Wrap
($16.11, Affordable Scarves)

Vahni & Her Leopard Print Wrap

I have to admit, I couldn’t wait for this scarf to arrive, for two reasons: I have no other leopard print scarves and this print has been showing up on scarves everywhere over the last year. I opened the package and unfurled the wrap, and honey, it kept going and going and going! I guess I didn’t pay much attention to the dimensions (76″ L x 52″ W) when I ordered it… it is indeed the size of a wrap, and a big one. But more about that in a minute.

So I knew the scarf is polyester, and while polyester is a wonder fabric, part of me wished it was linen or cotton, just so it felt a little softer. But I have to admit that the fabric lends itself well with this wrap—the print is crisp and vibrant; despite the size, it’s not bulky; and it launders like a champ. In the photos above, the photo on the left was taken after the scarf was washed in a lingerie bag on a normal cycle and air-dried. The photos on the right were taken before it was washed. No difference…and notice how it ties up into a knot that fits in your hand. That means it would be a fantastic piece for traveling.

In terms of wearability, the Affordable Scarves Leopard Print Wrap is unbelievably versatile. You can do a traditional scarf look, wear it as a wrap, or as a sarong or bathing suit cover-up. It stays put, which is nice, and the one thing about silkier scarves I don’t like—they tend to slide. I wore it as a scarf, and I draped it around the back of my neck and belted it over a tank top and it looked great.

Bottom Line

Overall, I really love this wrap and would recommend it to anyone who is comfortable wearing a large wrap/scarf. It is chic, inexpensive, and statement-making—meets all my requirements!

PROS:

• Gorgeous print—black and grey is a fresh take on leopard
• Versatile—wear it as a scarf, wrap, or sarong
• Great price—a low-cost way to work the animal print trend into your wardrobe

CONS:

• Wished it was a natural fabric or blend with linen or cotton
• Might be too large for a petite woman
• Synthetic fabric might make it uncomfortable if worn as a summer scarf

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

I know you’re probably a little startled right now. Redesigns always irritate at first. But after 2 years I decided it was finally time for a little visual upgrade to reflect how much InTheirCloset.com has grown over the years. It’s a clean and sophisticated new design with new and improved functionalities and we really hope you’ll like our new look.

I’ve been working on this new design for the past few weeks and think it turned out quite nice. Gone is the endless scrolling and slow page loading. To increase the loading speed we changed the layout of the posts. From now on if you want to see a post in its entireness (e.g. to see the “Steal” alternatives), you will have to click on the “Continue reading“-link. That means more clicking, but the overall loading speed will be highly increased this way and the whole blog will look less cluttered. And that’s a good thing, right?

Some areas might still look a little wonky and unfinished, sorry for that, we’ll be fixing these issues as soon as possible. If the blog looks really weird on your browser or produces errors, let us know by commenting to this post describing your problem with the new layout (don’t forget to mention what browser you’re using).

We know it takes time getting used to changes. In the end we will adjust. After all, it’s still the same content, only with a better design which hopefully results in an overall better user experience. Let us know what you think of our facelift. We appreciate your feedback.

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

Once again the InTheirCloset family is growing bigger! With Vahni and Celine, 2 already wonderful contributors under our belt, we are thrilled to welcome yet another addition to Team ITC: Vanessa!

Vanessa’s expertise lies in celebrity fashion, so be prepared to see more celebrity style coverage here on InTheirCloset very soon. And now don’t be shy and say hello to our newest team member.

Vanessa, 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: My parents are native New Yorkers and I was born there, but at the age of 8 they moved us to Marlboro, New Jersey (50 minutes outside of NYC) for a suburban life that would give my sister and I more room to play outside and of course, my first introduction to shopping malls. Fast-forward 15 years; I started NessaLeeStyle.com. It was one of the first e-commerce sites designed so women could shop for items worn by their favorite celebrities. I’m currently still running NessaLee Style and this year adding new stores to the NessaLee family. My favorite food is sushi. I LOVE color. Purple, red, navy, yellow and more! I don’t steer clear of any in my wardrobe – except forest green. I don’t really like forest green

How did you get involved with fashion?

V: Totally by accident. After college I was dabbling in event planning when I started a full-fledged business on eBay selling Uggs. Yes, you read that right. I was like the Ugg Genie during a time when no one could locate a pair. From there, I started personal shopping for some very fancy ladies and it quickly blossomed into my own e-commerce store.

What’s your personal style? Any favorite designers?

V: Trendy pieces infused with classic style with a strong affection for accessories. That’s me. My closet is a collaboration of all different price points. My favorite designers are changing and evolving every season. Right now, I love Brian Reyes, Lorick and Alice + Olivia, but basics like American Apparel ribbed tanks and deep v-neck tees are always an important part of my wardrobe.

Vanessa’s Ultimate Spring 2010 Outfit

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

V: I’ve been following InTheirCloset.com since around when it first launched in 2008. Previously, I was a contributing editor for InStyle doing the exact same thing, so I knew that contributing to InTheirCloset.com would be a perfect match for me.

If I was a fashion-item, I’d be…

V: A classic Chanel bag. Is that boring? Timeless, adored and always in style.

I would never wear…

V: Never say never because you just don’t know, but I don’t think I’d be caught dead in anything Amy Winehouse has worn. Let’s just say it would clash with my personal style.

I can’t leave the house without…

V: My phone. Addicted. I get jitters without it.

Best Spring 2010 collection?

V: Givenchy. The blazers and goddess-like dresses stole my fashion heart. I love the juxtaposition of the two styles.

Givenchy Spring 2010

Your mantra for 2010?

V: This is MY year! (you’re supposed to say that every year for motivation)

Thank you, Vanessa, for taking the time to answer these questions and WELCOME TO THE TEAM! If you’re interested in reading more of Vanessa, visit her personal blog World According to Ness.

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

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: 3 out of 5 stars

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.

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

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.

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

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!

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.

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.

© 2008-2010 InTheirCloset.com loves you! Come and visit our blog.