Savage Style

Blazer - Zara, Dress - c/o Target, Shades - Fred Flare, Watch - c/o Timex, Belt - Goodwill, Shoes - Converse

Jessica Quirk should be seen as an inspiration for many fashion bloggers. The What I Wore site creator started her site in May 2007 and decided to take it to the next level, turning her passion into a career. And it would seem her pursuits have paid off, as Quirk has been featured in numerous publications and recently published a book chronicling her relatable 'girl-next-door' sense of style.

Tee - Plato’s Closet, Trench - c/o LOFT, Shorts - via swap with CaliVintage, Bag - Lancel, Shoes - c/o Pierre Hardy for GAP

Shades - Fred Flare, Necklaces - 1) Vintage; 2) c/o LOFT Spring ‘10, Dress - J.Crew, Jacket - c/o Mavi, Watch- c/o Timex, Shoes - Jessica Simpson via T.J. Maxx

Scarf - vintage, Tee - Breton, Pants - GAP c/o LOFT, Shoes - Marshall’s

Dress - c/o ModCloth, Necklace - Corvus Noir, Tights - We Love Colors, Booties - ModCloth, Bag - c/o Coach

Dress - ModCloth, Belt - Beacon’s Closet, Shoes - No. 407b, Bag - bought in alley in Hong Kong

Jessica had this inspirational message for anyone wanting to break into fashion:

"I get my fashion kicks out of this blog. I do and make things on the side that let my creativity really come out. I make my own life fashionable, instead of relying on [a] job to make that happen. If you want to be involved in fashion just get out there! Start a blog, cultivate your own personal style and surround yourself with inspiration. If you don’t have a design degree apply to be in the sales department or even the receptionist. Intern!! Its the best way to network and get your foot in the door! Start an online store! Be your own boss. Have fun and get into it. Make the path you want to take. Good Luck!"

Necklace - ShopMamie, Blouse - c/o ROXY, Jeans - c/o Mavi, Flats - Marshall’s, Bag - c/o Coach, Shades - Urban Outfitters

Jacket - ModCloth, Blouse - American Eagle, Leggings - Target, Shoes - Steve Madden, Bag - bought in alley in Hong Kong

Dress - Marshall’s, Coat - Marshall’s, Belt - UNIQLO, Tights - c/o ModCloth, Shoes - Payless

Button Down - c/o Tory Burch fall ‘10, Skirt - Thrifted; Beacon’s Closet, Belt - Vintage, Shoes - House of Harlow, Bag - Vintage; Goodwill, Necklace - Jess LC

Shades - Beacon’s Closet, Blouse - Penguin, Necklace - Jess LC, Belt - Urban Outfitters, Skirt - Anthropologie, Shoes - c/o LOFT

The message seems clear and fairly consistent across the board no matter who you ask about breaking into the fashion industry. Persistence, perseverance and patience pays off. It also doesn't hurt to have a unique quality about you. Some call it an "it" factor and in Jessica's case, its most definitely her "quirk" that's bolstered well for her.

Shades - Fred Flare, Necklace - Elma Blint, Top - Tulle c/o ModCloth, Skirt - Vintage, hemmed from Goodwill, Watch - Timex, Shoes - Jessica Simpson via TJMaxx

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Fail-Proof Fall Lacquer

It’s that time again ladies and gents (if this is your thing!); time to pull out your wallets and invest in some new nail polish! I use nail lacquer as a subtle way to communicate my personality and my emotions to the world (sometimes daily). The best part? It doesn't have to be expensive. So treat yourself to a little bit of magic in a bottle with one of these awesome on-trend fall colors.

Beige is a great fall color. It’s neutral and effortlessly chic. Whether you just feel like toning things down a bit or you normally prefer an understated manicure, this color says “I know I’m vicious, and I dare you to try to tell me otherwise.”

Featured: Topshop Nail Polish in Sandy Lane; Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure for Rachel Roy in Terracotta, available in October.

Blue is back from its introduction this summer, bolder and a nice break from the more traditional fall colors. Go dark with a navy or bright with a cobalt, but whatever the shade, have fun with it!

Featured: Sephora by OPI Nail Colour in My Personal Serpent; Dior Vernis in Blue Denim.

Browns are chocolately, modern and beyond chic. Choose the shade that gives off the impression that you are feeling serious, sultry or both.

Featured: Dolce & Gabbana Intense Nail Colour in Chocolate; RGB Nail Polish in Seal.

Green polishes made an appearance in the spring and are back now for fall in richer, earthy tones. Perfect for pairing with your fall wardrobe.

Featured: Butter London 3 Free Nail Polish in Wallis; Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro in Rags to Riches.

Fall brings us a wide variety of purples, ranging from playful to sexy to serious business. Where do you fall? Let your nails tell the tale!

Featured: Sephora by OPI Nail Colour in Eve-y on the Eyes; MAC Nail Lacquer in Rain of Flowers, available September 15.

Red is replacing this summer’s coral for fall. Sexy and vibrant, red is perfect for the girl who wants to have a good time, or at least appears like she's up for one. Choose from brick and wine-inspired options.

Featured: OPI Nail Polish in A Color To Diner For; Lancôme Le Vernis in Bang Bang Red.

These slate-colors are another sweet option for a neutral-colored nail. These shades always give a polished, sleek look to the person wearing them. Choose a shade anywhere between concrete to metallic.

Featured: Essie Nail Polish in Power Clutch; Orly Nail Color in Sea Gurl.

And remember, you can always refer back to this post on "how to give yourself a perfect manicure"!

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Hurricane Irene impacts U.S. East Coast and Retailers

This past weekend, the U.S. East Coast braced itself for Hurricane Irene, a massive tropical storm that so far has caused an estimated $13 billion in damage, over 20 deaths and left millions without running water or electricity.

Clothing retailers were greatly affected by the storms reach as well, many stores and malls closing for days to batten down for the impending life-threatening weather. Millions of dollars of revenue were lost as a result, as many "back-to-school" shopping trips were put on hold as the storm approached land.

Consumer reports are hoping that Labor Day sales will help close the gap of profit loss. But with that particular weekend being very promotion/sales heavy, those numbers may have a somewhat negative affect on the bottomline for some companies, especially those that are primarily found on the Northeast coast.

But not all retailers suffered. "Hardline retailers" such as Home Depot, Lowe's and even Walmart are expected to report a considerable spike in sales since many consumers stocked up on batteries, sand bags, tarps, plywood and other miscellaneous hardware supplies and essentials to protect themselves and their homes from the storm. Leading up to Irene's arrival, many locations extended their hours or converted to staying open 24-hours to meet the supply-and-demand needs of some areas.

During times like these, Russ Householder, Home Depot's company's emergency-response captain, likens the company's Command Center to that of NASA's Mission Control during a shuttle launch.

"We've got all the key news agencies on the big screens up front," he says. "We're also monitoring our store sales so we can better be in tune to what's happening in our stores, and we're also connected live one-on-one with district managers in the impacted areas."

Householder says supplies are flowing to stores because of a process that began months ago, at the beginning of hurricane season. "We take storm product, both pre- and post-strike product, we stage those in containers and we have them in our distribution centers, really ready for a driver to pull up and pick up and take them to our stores," he says.

As Householder mentioned, in addition to supplies purchased prior to the storms arrival, these stores also profit from post storm cleanup. Others stores to believed to not be negatively impacted by the storm are office supply retailers like Office Max, Staples and Office Depot, since they too are considered "core supplies" for consumers.

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Dear Shopping Savage...

Dear Shopping Savage,

I really need to get back in the gym but I don't have any good sneakers for exercise. Can you recommend a good pair?

Signed,

Stilettos Over Sneakers

------------

Dear S.O.S.,

Any athletic shoe store employee should be able to help you find a shoe that will work for your workout. But there are also companies like this one that will have you walk and run on a treadmill barefoot to find the best shoe for you based on your movements.

Make sure tell the sales associate what exercises you plan to do while wearing the shoes. Its important for them to know this so they can outfit you with the best style. For example, you may want a cross-trainer if you're looking to use stationary cardio equipment and/or participate in a few exercises classes, or you may want to look for a solid running shoe if your plan is to take your workout to the streets and pound the pavement.

Also plan to replace your workout shoes every 3-4 months, or have more than one pair to rotate through. Wearing the pair that best suits your workout that day will not only increase your comfort but save you unnecessary pain in the long run. Another tip to increase comfort is to buy your exercise shoes one size up so your feet will have room to breath and expand during your workout.

Once you've found a pair or two that you like, look at shoe outlet stores to see if you can score a better deal on the same shoes, or ones comparable to them.

Now that you have the basic information you need, there's nothing holding you back from getting fit with happy feet!

Have a fashion question? Need sartorial advice? Email me: Dwaun@shoppingsavage.com

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This Trend Just In: Sweat with Style

For most celebrities, being caught wearing sweats would get you to the top of the "worst dressed" list faster than many other sartorial crimes, but in this instance, sweats are being touted as the new "go-to" items in your closet. But like any trend, there are good examples...and flat out bad ones. Lets look at how the celebrities featured below shape-up in their athletic wear.

The right way

Rihanna was spotted arriving at LAX ready to take flight in a coordinated casual look, topping it off with a covetable Prada denim bag.

Paris Hilton was one of the pioneers of the "juicy couture velour suit" trend and now the heiress mixes and matches a casual t-shirt and pant that just happen to match her convertible Bentley. Coincidence? Think not.

Lupe Fiasco wore this Comme des Garcons t-shirt from the Spring/Summer '11 line with ankle skimming pants and slip on shoes. He further accessorized the look with designer shades, necklace and a Gucci signature-banded watch for a casual-meets-costly laid back look.

Giselle Bunchen looks model-esque even coming from the gym!

Nicole Kidman was caught wearing this casual ensemble that she pulled together with layered tee's and stylish sunglasses that coordinate with her bag.

Looks like Lauren Conrad's got her hands full, but it doesn't seem to be slowing her down as she powers through her morning in an outfit that says, "I just finished working out but I can still run a few errands wearing this before heading home to, where else? 'The Hills'".

Days before her wedding, Kim Kardashian stepped up her workout game but she didn't let the paparazzi see her sweat - or drop her sense of style. Hermes Birkin as a gym bag? That's haute.

Katy Perry recently flew to Sydney, Australia in this beige Chanel track suit that she paired with Marc Jacobs flats and a classic Chanel 2.55 bag. Who knew Chanel made lounge wear?

The wrong way

Sienna Miller is an A-List beauty, but this disheveled look gets a "T" for "Terrible".

There's no excuse for Katie Holmes to step out dressed like this. Even if her house was on fire.

Ashley Tisdale's laid-back look isn't so bad, but the oversized shorts and baggy tank top do little for her toned frame. Love the Alexander Wang 'Coco' Duffel bag though.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is no stranger to bad candid photos and this beyond casual pairing of Wildfox's wildly popular t-shirt and Free City baggy sweats doesn't help her case. You need more than just coffee Love. Lots more.

Renee Zellweger seems to have no casual clothing. She's either supper glam for the red carpet or extremely dressed-down when running errands. Find that middle road Renee and run with it!

Miley Cyrus's laid-back look isn't as bad as some of the outfits she's worn, but it screams, "I just woke up and I'm meeting Jennifer Love Hewitt for coffee."

Mischa Barton chose to wear these unflattering cut-off sweats (that at first glance appear to have stains on them, but under further inspection are they discovered to be rabbit silhouettes) while out picking up what can only be another calorie-laden lunch. At least her hair looks good!

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