SHOESTRING CHIC

Advice for fashionistas who want to save money.

Hess (Girl Secrets, 2010, etc.) asks, “Do you dream about Temperley but live in Target?” For readers on a tight budget, some of the author's ideas don't even come close to approaching the bargain bin. Ballerina flats from Sambag may be high quality, but as of this writing, they cost $175.00, plus another $40.00 in shipping costs. Hess does have her moments, though, with suggestions for online destinations for discounts, like price aggregator froogle.google.com. She recommends inexpensive beauty products like Palmer’s chocolate-scented body-care oil, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara and generic lip balm, which work just as well as their pricier counterparts. Some of the author’s other tips may strike the budget-conscious fashionista as common sense, such as thrift or vintage shopping, rummaging through closets to see if old outfits can be resurrected and refraining from shopping altogether. The label-conscious clotheshorse will delight in her advice for finding designer clothing at reduced prices; Hess suggests TheOutnet.com. No aspect of the luxe lifestyle is ignored. If Paris is on the agenda, the author provides recommendations to keep chic travelers in swanky yet reasonably priced accommodations. The author's sophisticated pen-and-ink drawings add a splash of color to this elegantly slim and tastefully formatted volume. Readers looking for serious savings, however, will be disappointed.  A resourceful guide but not nearly as frugal as the title suggests.