It may be Winter right now, but we’re in Florida and as a native of this state, I know that titles are just meaningless words when it comes to actually identifying the weather associated with a particular temperature here. That’s why I’m giving you some of my best and favorite fashion tips and places to shop with this podcast I did called A Few of My Favorite Things.

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Regardless of the slumping economy there’s one thing that all Recessionistas know how to do, and that’s shop on a budget. We know how to look fabulous without breaking the bank or a nail.

So in lieu of Spring quickly approaching, I decided to give you tips on some of my favorite places to shop and get more for your buck, all from the comfort of your home.

Lets start with accessories.

Accessories are a key aspect for taking an outfit from drab to fab and you can do just that by checking out girlprops.com.

With an edgy flare ranging from bamboo earrings to Victorian inspired pendants this is an all-in-one got-to spot for the latest and greatest in accessories.

This Web site has affordable prices starting at just $2.

Now let’s move on to makeup. For makeup I recommend the Coastal Scents 88 Palette. Colors, colors and more colors! There two types of palette the shimmer palette and the matte palette.

The prices range from $16 to $20, and they’re great for beginners because you get several colors for your money.

Lastly, I would like to talk about shoes because if you’re a shopaholic like myself you should definitely visit www.FlyJane.net. This Web site is bananas when it comes to shoes.

They have everything ranging from gladiator sandals, gladiator boots and heels, booties, pumps and stilettos. And the prices start as low as $24. So if you want choice of varied colors and style, you have to visit this Web site.

Now you know some of my favorite places to go shopping from the comfort of my own home for accessories, makeup and shoes. I hope this helps you and that you have fun shopping. Good luck out there Recessionistas!

Clutch magazine posted the Top Ten Trends We Want to See Disappear. While I am all for fashion progression, there’s always room in this cyclic world of fierce looks and styles for breaking the rules of fashion. As oxymoronic as it sounds to say there are rules in fashion, there are people who live by a fashion code of ethics and they swear by the do’s and don’ts of what fashion magazines, blogs and every other source of fashionista insight.

Well, I think clutch hit the nail right on the head with their critiques, but I like to break the rules and go against the grain, so I’ve created a list of my favorite fashion don’ts that can totally be do’s. Ladies take heed because there’s about to be some fashion mayhem.

Top FiveTrends I Dont Want to See Disapper

1. Printed Stockings- They’re fun to wear and they bring a little extra umph to a look. Whether they’re bright blue with glitter accents or, decorated with your favorite flower, it’s all about the attitude behind the person wearing them. Check out this fun print.
2. Lace- If ever I wanted to take a stance against anything it’s banishing lace as a fashion YES. It’s a timeless material that can be edgy, sweet, or a sexy treat.  But I must take a stance against an influx of the fabric. If you walk out of the house looking like grandma’s curtains, you and your immediate and extended family all deserve to be fined by the fashion police. Here are a few cute lace getups.
3. Leather- Hello, my name is Margo and I’m a leatheraholic. Leather is  to fashion what water is to fish. It’s a necessity. Make sure that when you rock it, you go extra hard. Right now I’m loving this bebe moto jacket.
4. Booties- This foot-forward trend hit the pavement running with an excitingly fresh take on looking chic. I love them with skirts, dresses, jeans and shorts. Booties make the world go around. This is one of my favorite styles for booties.
5. Dunks- Some ladies swear off a fly pair of sneakers, but there are days when we wanna be sexy without the pain of wearing six-inch heels and these fly kicks have been holding us down all year long. Three snaps in the shape of a Z for Dunks.

At one of the games, I did the usual and wore one of my favorite Gator tees and a light-washed pair of denim shorts and my favorite Sperry shoes. On my way to the concessions stand, I ran into what appeared to be my Gator-fashion twin sister. We had on the exact same getup from head to toe.

Striking a pose with my Gator-twin from another mother!

This made the fashion wheels in my head spin out of control as I began to wonder “Where can I get one-of-a-kind Gator gear or at least get creative with what I have?”

Well, after a little research, I discovered a few fabulous answers to that question.

DRESS IT UP

Natalie Kim designs authentic dressed just for Gator lovers. Her dresses are sold on her Web site and in the Allure Boutique in Gainesville. Her styles are a plus because they are custom-made and custom-fit.

Brittany Yurkovitch makes dresses with her Rehashed line. You can find them in Persona Vintage Clothing & Costumes in downtown Gainesville. These Dresses and shirts say scream “Go Gators,” and “you go girl”.

DESIGN AN ORIGINAL T-SHIRT

If you have Gator T-shirts that you want to add flare to, here’s a quick tutorial on how to cut up a shirt like some of your favorite designers. With this type of creativity you save money by being resourceful and using what you already have.

SHOP AT LOCAL BOUTIQUES

The store Blink has original Gator Gear and game day dresses that will show your Gator spirit while showing off your fashion sense. I love their halter dresses. They are free-flowing and flattering to all body types.

Where do you all shop for you Gator fashions and how do you keep your look authentically original?

Sulcer highlights three main topics with various alternative looks:

1) Power Dressing
2) Cool Androgyny
3) Architectural & Sculptural

Sulcer said Power Dressing was all about bold shoulders and looks that somewhat pay homage to the 80s. I love this trend. Bold shoulders are perfect for all body types because it speaks sophistication with a hint of rock n’ roll. Whether you pair a blazer with a pair of tight jeans, leggings, or wear a figure-gripping short dress with bulky shoulder for a night on the town, this trend is sure to be a show-stopper. Here is a chic vest with an emphasized shoulder.

Cool Androgyny, she said, is a play on masculinity and femininity. This entails tailored pants, blazers and coats. The video puts an emphasis on nudes and neutrals, but I don’t see anything wrong with a pop of color. Here’s a fun blazer that’s definitely androgynous, but won’t break the bank.

Architectural & Sculptural is about a contrast of texture, stitching cuts and varied angles. It’s the personification of fall fashion, right now. Sulcer said it’s where art inspires texture and volume. I say, lets pump up the volume and play with textures! This rocker-chic look plays with texture and volume as leather and bejeweled accents come together to create a flirty ensemble.

Now, you have a taste of what’s hot and sure to have you at the top of the trends list for fall. What are some of your fall go-to pieces?

How do you describe your personal style?

Artsy and innovative. I like wearing a lot of things that you haven’t seen before.I like a lot of old-fashioned stuff. I like to bring stuff back like the 80s. Rain boots! That was a big thing that I did and people were like “Oh Abbey are you expecting rain?” because I wore rain boots every day for a year.

Your style is very complex. Where do you shop?

I really like thrift stores, Forever 21, and I like making a lot of clothes. I like the Goodwill on Archer Road and Plato’s Closet. I also go to a lot of yard sales.

How would you describe street style in Gainesville?

I think it’s hard to come by. If I see a lot of people that look exactly the same, and they’re all really trendy, it’s not as exciting.

Lets talk about what you are wearing. Why did you choose this outfit?

It was hot today, so I decided to wear a skirt, a tube top, which was buy 1 get 1 free, and the boots. I always wear them with skirts. I added the rainbow shoe strings myself because the original ones were boring.

What trend needs to be taken to the cleaners?

I don’t really like leggings. I don’t like when people wear leggings with T-shirts that are too short. It looks weird. I’m also not a huge fan of furry things.

What’s one of your favorite trends?

I like the shirts with the lace backs that are in now. I just bought one from Forever 21. It’s black and you can see the whole back where the lace is.

Has your quirky style always been accepted by others?

When I was growing up in my small town, everyone thought I was really weird because I used to wear pants and skirts together all the time. That was my signature thing growing up. It didn’t really get accepted. My parents used to say my closet threw up on me because I’d wear all these outfits at the same time. I guess it all kind of came together, and now all this stuff is pretty popular. Maybe, it was just the small-town life. I guess they weren’t ready.

Do you think it’s important for people to have a signature style?

I think it’s important that they personally think they have a signature. If it’s not recognized, I think it’s about if you like what you’re wearing, and not if you’re just giving off the vibe that you think it looks cool. I really don’t like when people do that. I like people that genuinely like their own clothes. I think that’s signature enough.

Do you have to spend tons of cash to look fly?

No, I really really don’t. This vest was free, and I think this skirt was a quarter. Honestly, you have to be really consistent in looking (at thrift stores and yard sales). You have to not be afraid to look through all the boxes and dump things on the floor. You also shouldn’t mind, wearing other people’s old clothes.

Fresh out of a job interview, this 22-year-old imaginatively eclectic Gainesville native explains the importance of creating your own signature style and the trend he thinks should retire from the fashion world.

How did you decide what to wear today?

Today, I knew I was going to a job interview, so I knew I had to wear something that I could alter quickly. I just changed my shoes to black, originally I was wearing brown shoes. I knew I couldn’t wear my hat, but I could put it on later and I added the backpack.

How would you describe your personal style?

I like to try different things different days. I don’t like slacks, that’s for sure.

Flavor’s very important. It’s very important to have a signature that defines you like a catchphrase. It’s important to be very theatrical. Kind of like Batman because Batman has his own getup. He goes out dressed as a giant bat, hence his name. And everybody thinks Batman is the shit, but really he looks like a lunatic. Because he has his own signature, that makes him cool.

What’s your signature?

I always say toodles and I like cute, colorful monsters and triceratops.

Who is your favorite designer?

Alexander McQueen is my favorite, but I also like a lot of street fashion myself.

What’s a trend needs to be sent to the cleaners?
I don’t like plaid at all.

Photo by Zak Bennett

If  there’s anything that the 26-year-old, Gainesville-based fashion designer Bobby K wanted to get across with his Fall 2009 fashion line it was futuristic rebellion.

The line, titled “I’m in love with a robot” rocked the runway during the final night of Gainesville Fashion Week with 43 designs boasting exposed zippers, fringe and figure -hugging asymmetric silhouettes.

Some of my favorite looks were his spandex mini-dresses and skirts. Colors from purple, pink and black and white cinched dresses had me gushing with lust to find out where I could get one immediately after the show.

Another pleasing piece from his collection was a pair of hot pink harem pants, a definite must-have for fall.

Choppy fuchsia hair, faux hawks and teased curls were just a taste of the style behind this bold theme. To tie everything together he used a uniform sultry, smokey eye on each model.

Take a look at some his fabulous designs.

Street style is an authentic display of one’s personality. It’s an innate statement-making form of expression, yet nothing’s arbitrary when it comes to picking out what to wear. Every trend has a story behind it, and as they are mixed and used to create, complement or distort a look, the stories of the people underneath the fabric become more complex.

What better place to spot fashion than a college town like Gainesville, Fla.? In the Gator Nation, street style makes a statement of its own in more colors than the coveted orange and blue.

It’s time to hit the pavement running and give a voice to the trendsetters.