Shopping: Top 10 Budget Fashion Blogs

When it comes to finding the best looks for less this fall, Shoestring's staffers have our own favorite blogs and websites we follow, and that we wanted to share with you.

Here are Shoestring's Top 10 Favorite Frugal Fashion Bloggers, in no particular order, plus their Twitter handles for those who need an up-to-the-minute fix:

1. Frugal Fashionista [1]
The original, visual "Look for Less" blog, the Frugal Fashionistas have been serving up daily celebrity style on a shoestring since 2006. Looks are searchable by celebrity — a huge help when trying to track down an item from your favorite tabloid or red carpet look — plus categories for 10 Under $10 [2], Screen Style [3], Budget Beauty [4], and Trendspotting [5]. Another perk (or pitfall, depending on your viewpoint): all of the pieces featured on the site are easy to locate for efficient online shopping. (Twitter @thefrugalista)

2. The Budget Fashionista [6]
Kathryn Finney, aka The Budget Fashionista, has been preaching the gospel of beautiful and budget fashion for years, and published a must-buy book, How to Be a Budget Fashionista: The Ultimate Guide to Looking Fabulous for Less [7], three years ago — long before anyone ever spoke of "frugalistas" and "recessionistas." Finney recently posted her Budget Fashionista Fall Fashion Guide for 2009, which has some clutch — and totally affordable — finds. Plus, she also keeps an updated list of sample sales going on in select cities nationwide and online, available exclusively for her subscribers.
(Twitter @kathrynfinney)

3. SheFinds [8]
SheFinds.com, brainchild and baby of former AOL editorial director Michelle Madhok, is always on top of the week's latest sales — especially online deals & discounts. Keep yourself up-to-date on those bargains by subscribing to the SheFinds free daily newsletter. Madhok's site allows for an easy search based on which particular item of clothing you're currently seeking — a huge time saver on top of the savings. For parents: also check out SheFinds' sister site, MomFinds [9].
(Twitter @shefinds)

4. The Zoe Report [10]
When one thinks of stylist to the stars Rachel Zoe, bargains are probably far from the first thing that pops to mind. Zoe's new daily trendspotting blog and free email newsletter, The Zoe Report, however, always features two items: one couture designer and one "Parallel Universe" look for less. Signing up is a must for any true Fashion Week follower in search of a more frugal fix. (Twitter @rzrachelzoe)

5. Refinery 29 [11]
One of "R29's" many fabulous blogs, The Pipeline quickly became a staff favorite for its breaking industry news (read: which couture designers were doing "diffusion" lines for H&M, Target, Payless, and others, including exactly when we could expect them in stores) plus daily sales, deals, and secret scores on eBay. With teams on the East Coast and West Coast, in Paris and London and all over the Twittersphere, Refinery 29 literally seems to have its finger on the pulse of fashion before anyone else — they even quite frequently scoop Women's Wear Daily. (Twitter @refinery29)

6. Lucky Toes [12]
One look at Shoestring's logo will make it pretty obvious that we're obsessed with footwear, and Lucky Toes, a new social network and blog from CitySearch, is absolute shoe lover's heaven. Lots of photos and little words, but the words there count: where you can find the shoes.
(Twitter @toptoe)

7. Broke & Beautiful [13]
We love "Miss Elle"'s sensible take on fashion, with posts that cover the spectrum and foster a "fashion community where quality rules, and price points are always negotiable." Along with her value-over-cost consciousness, we applaud her for promoting feelings of beauty for women of all shapes and sizes, not just all budgets, with style guides and shopping tips to match. Hallelujah. (Twitter @MissElle)

8. What I Wore [14]
Jessica Schroeder became a Flickr sensation with her daily "What I Wore" photo posts simply containing — you guessed it — her outfit du jour. The classically trained fashion designer turned fashion blog diva features a high-low mix in each of her outfits, enviably pairing vintage gems with gorgeous handsewn and affordable ready-to-wear pieces. Jessica has previously been nominated as a ModCloth 'Blogger of the Moment' and currently modeled for ads featured in the September issue of popular 'magalog' Lucky. When you subscribe to What I Wore, you'll completely understand all the (much deserved) hype. (Twitter @whatiwore)

9. Bargain Babe [15]
Former LA Daily News business & retail reporter Julia Scott left traditional media because she had "blog envy," and boy are we glad she did. Julia has two frugality sites, Bargain Babe and Bargain Babe LA, and recently sponsored a Frugal Fe$tival in Tinseltown. (HELL yeah.) While she mainly blogs with general and insightful tips for living well on less overall, we will always be indebted to her for introducing us to TheThriftShopper.com [16], a national database of almost 10K charity shops searchable by ZIP code, buying her a place on this top frugal fashion list. (Twitter @bargainbabe and @bargainbabeLA)

10. The Recessionista [17]
How could we create a list of top fashion bloggers during this economy without mentioning Mary Hall, the woman who coined the phrase encapsulating this new era of chic fashion frugality? The Recessionista brings luxury fashion, travel, and dining to the table — for a fraction of the price. We love her style and "the good life" she brings to her readers, even if we're completely over the term itself. (Twitter @recessionista)

We want to hear from YOU! What are your favorite frugal fashion blogs and websites? Share them with us by posting a comment below!

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