Huge Style on a Tiny Budget  

Get Your Club on without Breaking the Bank
By Nicole Steina

As a club promoter, I have seen and worn just about every club trend known to man/womankind. I am constantly looking through the magazines and checking out what the celebs are wearing ~ but no matter what, I always try to make any trend or style my own when it comes to hitting the clubs. I was definitely guilty of spending way too much at the overpriced designer stores over the years before figuring out that there are so many hot and inexpensive stores right in Worcester that offer a million different hot club looks without sending me to bankruptcy court. I like to pull outfits together that won’t break me and will give me a few more bucks for the drinks later…although with these hot numbers, you won’t be expecting to pay for any of your own drinks, Baby!

Ladies

There are so many hot trends out there that it has to be up to you to decide what looks work best for you! By no means do I like to be a follower, and I know that there are certain looks that I might absolutely love but that just don’t look right on me. Don’t force fashion…EVER! You will look your best and feel your best when you find a look “template” you like and add your own little flare to personalize it. Do not try to rock a look that just ain’t you…

One look I really love and rock myself is the skull and crossbones sexy punk look. I found a ton of stuff for this look at Wet Seal, then I ran over to Hot Topic and grabbed a pair of extreme long costume eyelashes and arm warmers to make it that much sexier. Grab a black army hat at Walmart or Target and tilt it to the side…throw on a big pair of hoop earrings and rock it out!

I am a big fan of legwarmers and lately have been throwing them on with a short black skirt and a pair of 4 inch stilettos, pulling the legwarmers over the back of the shoe to create the illusion of boots…sooo sexy and so easy to pull together! Then take a trip to CVS and grab some black nail polish for the toes and nails and some hot bright-colored eyeshadows to make the gothy look pop a little ~ and to make this look fun and flirty, not mean and dirty!

Another look that is hot in the clubs and ultra lounges right now is the slip dress. I have a million of them and they’re all easy to dress up or down. I just picked up an ultra sexy black kimono dress (available at Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe), paired it with a little satin mock Chinese food box purse, and threw my hair into an updo. This little number is perfect for a night out and is sooo sooo sexy! The little black dress is a look that never goes out of style ~ and with any of the slip dresses you can do a lot or a little to make it an outfit to remember! Long necklaces from Charlotte Russe and a few big bead bangle bracelets will make this look stand out from the crowd, too! Take a peek at the shoes in Journeys or Payless and find something with a nice thin heel. For you shorter ladies, it will help accentuate the leg and make you appear taller. And I’m 5’10” and still rock the stiletto ~ there’s nothing hotter than a long set of stems…am I right, guys?

I found a few new stores in the Auburn, Solomon Pond and Greendale Malls that were previously something else that I’ve just got to turn you on to, Ladies. Lola, in the Greendale Mall, has replaced what used to be Rave ~ and it’s SO much better! No more cheap, wear-once outfits ~ This place is slightly Euro, with a little touch of London but still very affordable ~ Tshirts are around $15 and skirts and dresses are around $20. Another find is Urban Behavior, which took the place of kind-of-stodgy Weathervane ~ This new store if very young, very sexy, and very wallet-friendly!

For the daring and in shape among us, here is one of the looks I love the best:
Take a pair of hot pants shorts and throw on a pair of fishnets from Victoria’s Secret. Then take a tank top and make a couple of strategically placed cuts in it, or grab a corset from Charlotte Russe to really make it even hotter…finally, a black satin choker or a piece of black satin ribbon wrapped around the neck works it all out too. One of my trade secrets (shhhhh!) is throwing on a cute trucker hat (head to Hot Topic) before I hit the clubs ~ for some reason, guys just love this look on a hot girl so it’s a real attention-getter! Accent this look again with some eyelashes from CVS ~ I love to create the smoky eye look with black eyeshadow and eyeliner ~ After all, when you’re in a dark club you don’t wanna fade into the background, you wanna be in the spotlight!

Men

Now don’t think I forgot about you…Looking good when you’re heading out to rule the clubs is just as important for you guys and I have a few suggestions for looks that will have you beating the ladies away with a sexy stick!

First, believe me that Less is More when it comes to a night out! Don’t go overboard with wristbands and baseball hats, those are two looks that I do not want to catch you wearing when you run into me!

A hot dress shirt with the top button undone and a plain ribbed tanktop underneath works wonders. You can find a lot of brand names like DKNY and Guess at Filene’s ~ and they’re way cheaper than if you went to the brandname’s specialty stores. You need a nice pair of loose (now remember, there’s a difference between “loose” and “baggy!” fit jeans which you can find at Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Express for Men. Grab a pair of black or brown dress shoes with an oh-so-trendy square toe from Aldo or Journeys and you have me hooked! Roll the sleeves a little and leave the shirt (make sure it’s a nice-fitting shirt, not something that looks like it came from an XXL pajama set) untucked. Classy but approachable, laid-back but definitely showing that you took some time to look nice.

Here’s one look that can go either way, good or bad, so listen closely…
A lot of guys nowadays are into the Armani Exchange look but think that it’s only possible for the uber-rich. Wrong…anyone with $28 can have an Armani Exchange Tshirt! Surprised? Don’t be. The closest Armani Exchange is in Copley Place in Boston but the prices are really reasonable and it’s well worth the drive if you want to look expensive but can’t afford the big bucks (and who can, these days, right?). Just make sure to keep it classy..there is nothing worse than seeing someone with a Tshirt splashed shamelessly with the Armani logo a zillion times! It might as well say look at me, I’m totally insecure and have nothing to offer but an expensive label. Think subtle.

OK, here’s my favorite look for a guy for a night out, so listen up!
Start with a sexy pair of nice- fitting jeans (remember the whole loose v. baggy thing) from Abercrombie & Fitch, throw on a form-fitting solid or tastefully printed Tshirt from Express for Men and grab a nice, causal sports coat. Believe it or not, there are some nice one at, of all places, Target (or, as those of us fashionistas pronounce it, “Tar-jhey”). There’s also some great stuff at TJ Maxx at the Greendale Mall. Make sure the sports coat fits properly in the sleeves and body ~ you do not want to look like a football player or like you’re wearing someone’s hand-me-downs.

Last but not least, I have found a couple of hot and inexpensive colognes that make my heart race: Jake by Hollister and Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch are both under $25, a small price to pay for all the numbers you will be collecting at the end of the night!

Take my advice and stick to what looks good and feels right on YOU…we ladies are drawn to guys who look confident, comfortable, and like they care about how they look but aren’t obsessed with it ~ we’d prefer they concentrate on admiring us, not themselves!