Golden Globes: Favorite Outfits

The Golden Globes may have been a week ago, but between getting the flu, starting school, and having to get stitches (more on that later), I never had time to post about them!

Like everyone else, I believe awards show season isn't just about who wins what...it's about who wears what. The day after the Globes aired, I scoured website after website to see what everyone thought about this year's crop of dresses. I was surprised that a lot of people don't agree with who I picked as "Best Dressed". 

For me this year, there was just too much skin showing. I mean, Jennifer Lopez...she looked good, but c'mon!) I'm not a prude or anything, but these are the Golden Globes. They're one step down from the Oscars, so they should be kept classy. But I guess that's just my opinion, and who knows what I would choose to wear if I was a super-talented celebrity and I had a rockin' bod to show off to the world?

That said, here are my top five "best dressed" nominees for the 2013 Golden Globes:

1. Taylor Swift
I really didn't want to like her dress, because I don't particularly like her. (How many celebrity hot guys has she dated at this point? And how many of them has she complained about in her songs?) This plum looks so great on her, and it's a good color to wear for the beginning of January. The dress is simple enough that nothing distracts from her, yet the back is tastefully done and adds a bit of interest to it.

2. Clare Danes

The woman just had a baby a month ago and look at her! If I just had a baby, you wouldn't see me on the red carpet for at least six months. The dress is simple, but appropriate for the Golden Globes. The color looks great on her and isn't your typical red. Also, she receives major bonus points for this right after popping out a baby!

3. Anne Hathaway

This dress seems to be hit and miss with a lot of people, but I liked it. A lot of people seemed to be wearing neutrals this year, but I thought most of them matched their skin tones too closely. This white doesn't blend in with Anne's skin at all, and definitely stands out. The dress  gives Anne Hathaway a really nice shape. Though the two-pieceness of it might seem like an odd choice, I think it fits really well with her haircut. Imagine her with her hair long--could you see her wearing this dress? How about short hair--could she pull off any of the other dresses people wore that night? I don't think so. She made a perfect choice with this.

4. Hayden Panettiere

This wins the award for the dress that I would probably want to wear to the Golden Globes. It just looks nice and sweet, and definitely age appropriate for someone in their late teens/early twenties. I don't know about the pink clutch, but it does incorporate the neon trend onto a red carpet filled with neutrals, blacks and reds. 

5. Lucy Liu

Some of you will question this choice for sure. I don't know why, but I really like this dress! It's so different, and that's what I love about it. She took a risk, and although I admit the pattern looks slightly like something you'd see on vintage wallpaper, it it goes really well with her skin tone and her hair. She took a risk, and people just aren't used to seeing a patterned dress like this at the Golden Globes.

What do you think about my choices? Who were your best dressed/worst dressed candidates for the Globes?

Prep for Less: J.Crew Style Guide, January 2013

Have you guys seen the new J.Crew catalog for January yet? It's hard for me to think of wearing spring clothes already, but apparently J.Crew thinks spring is right around the corner.

I LOVE some of the looks in this catalog! Usually I'll look at the outfits in the catalog and can't even think about wearing them in real life--the items they pair just don't look good together, at least to me. That wasn't the case for this issue.

(All the scans are from The J.Crew Archives. The blog is great and has scans from many of J.Crew's past catalogs--go check it out! The rest of the January catalog is also located there.)

Like always, the wheels were turning in my head when I saw these pictures. How could I recreate the looks for less? As much as I would love to buy everything from J.Crew, I'm a college student--I need to cut corners where I can! Here's how I recreated the looks above by putting together similar, less expensive items:

Prep for Less: J.Crew Jan. 2013 by preppypremed featuring moda spana shoes

Green Pants/Polka Dot Shirt Outfit:
Shirt: Forever 21, $14
Pants: Gap, $50 (roll up the pants at the ankles to make them look like in the picture!)

*For the shoes, I looked far and wide for similar flats. Since it's still early in the season, I couldn't find much. I would recommend continuously checking DSW.com for flats, and watching for J.Crew's ballet flats to go on sale: they always do!* (shoes aren't online yet)

Blazer/Leopard Shoes Outfit:
Blazer: H&M, $50
Pants: Gap, $37
Shoes: DSW, $60

These items are all closet essentials that can be found almost anywhere! Use a blazer hanging up your closet, add a plain white shirt and pants, and you're good to go. The shoes are what make the outfit stand out.

Chambray/Floral Pants Outfit:
Shirt: J.Crew Factory, $60
Pants: Target, $23
Shoes: Target, $15

I'd get the Chambray shirt from J.Crew factory because, although it is a little cheaper, it still is of a high enough quality that you'd be able to wear it from March to October this year without having it get worn. Chambray shirts are a new summer staple. There are many different floral pants out there, but these ones from Target were the closest I could find to the ones in the catalog.

What do you think of the outfits? And J.Crew's January lineup?

Interview Outfit: Take 2

I originally wrote a post last spring about what I wore to a research position interview. Since that was a casual affair and I've had more interview experience since then, I decided I'd jazz things up a bit.

In the past few weeks I've had several interviews and occasions where the attire was "business casual", so the following has become my go-to outfit:

Interview Outfit by preppypremed featuring h&m

The Basics

• Black blazer
• White button-down or oxford
• Tan/khaki pants

The Extras

• Simple statement necklace
• Black flats or pumps
• Neutral nail polish

Does anyone have any interview outfit tips? 

And for those of you who were wondering: for the Magic Cards game, I find your number by adding together the first upper left-hand numbers of the cards you said your numbers appeared on. So if 21 is your number, it appears on cards A,D, and E. You would tell me that, and I would add up the numbers in the upper lefthand corners of those cards to get 21 (4+16+1). Make sense?

Tortoise-Shell Print Items

I think tortoise shell print look great when used to make accessories. I had no idea that the print is actually vintage--that makes me love it even better! Tortoise-print is great for  fall, so here are a few accessories I found with the look.

Tortoise-Shell Accessories by preppypremed featuring case-mate

Earbuds: Nixon's The Wire In-Ear Headphones

Wallet: GUCCI Patent Tortoise Wallet

Shoes: J. Crew Factory Tortoise Ballet Flats

Cell Phone Case: Tortoiseshell Case for iPhone 4, 4S

Glasses: College Tortoise Shell Full Frames

Bracelet: Lulu Frost for J.Crew Resin and Marcasite Bracelet

Necklace: Style & Co. Necklace

Do you know any tortoise shell accessories I should be aware about?

Giveaway: Fizz Candy Jewelry

And the giveaways continue! I love hosting these giveaways from independent, Etsy shop owners because then they are able to gain some exposure and more people learn about their products.

Take this week's giveaway, FizzCandy. I was amazed when I heard that the jewelry in the store is created by Payton, a middle school student. I think it's great that Payton already has started her own business. Even better, the jewelry she creates is outstanding!

All of my followers know how obsessed I am when it comes to jewelry. However, I struggle to find jewelry appropriate for a college student--some pieces seem too young for me, while some seem too old.

Payton has managed to create classic, elegant pieces that are appropriate for any age group. I haven't seen any Etsy jewelry store yet that appeals to all demographics--hers is a first! She has colorful pieces as well as ones that are more muted.

Payton says that her signature pieces are her stackable bracelets.  I can see adding a few of these to my stack! The bracelets pictured above are (starting from the top left and going down):
--Watermelon Tourmaline Slices bracelet
--Signature Multistrand Pearl bracelet
--Tin Cup Silver Chain and Freshwater Pearl Double Bracelet

The green bracelet in the middle is the Green Watermelon Tourmaline Slice bracelet and the other is the  Starfish Charm bracelet.

She also creates unique necklaces, like this Robin's Egg Blue Teardrop necklace. What I found so unique about this piece is that Payton mixed materials--Chrysoprase and pearls--to create something I've never seen before. The drop necklace would look great with any fall sweater or turtleneck.

Above are a few other necklaces that I love. They are, starting from the lower lefthand corner and going clockwise:
--Smoky Brown Quartz Pendant Necklace
--Freshwater Pondslime Baroque Pearl Necklace
--Orange Sardonyx Firestone Necklace
--Focal Angelskin Coral Necklace

Finally, Payton also sells earrings. For anyone wanting to venture from their worn-out pearl studs, Payton's earrings would be perfect for you! I love these Kasumi-style Pearl Earrings--they remind me of Japan for some reason, even though I've never been there! Maybe it's the gorgeous black and red beads attached to the pearls, which resemble the colors of the Japanese flag to me.

I also like these orange coral teardrop earrings. The colors are gorgeous and perfect for fall. The shades of orange, brown and beige remind me of falling leaves.

Payton has been kind enough to offer one of my readers a signature bracelet of hers, this "Crazy Lampwork Bead Bracelet. I just love the variety of beads used in this bracelet. And look at the cute packaging the bracelet comes in! The fizzy candy adds a nice touch, and goes great with the theme of the shop.

Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway ends a week from today (September 14th) at 12:01 A.M. As always, I will contact the randomly-drawn winner, who has seven days to get back to me before I choose a different winner. The giveaway is also open to only US residents only (sorry!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Fizz Candy currently offers free shipping on everything. So what are you waiting for? Enter the giveaway contest and go to Fizz Candy right away to see all of the jewelry this inspiring entrepreneur (and artist!) has created!

Also, Fizz Candy is offering Preppy Premed readers 15% off for the month of September. Just enter the code "preppy" at checkout! 

Loafers

You've probably seen a thousand posts by now about how loafers are THE footwear for fall. Move over, riding boots! I feel like loafers have been a fall staple for a few seasons now. This season, however, they seen to be less traditional and more fun!

Loafers by preppypremed featuring small heels

Though tons of stores seem to be selling loafers, Gap has some of the most unique and affordable ones I've seen. If you're looking for a pair that will last a few seasons, J.Crew has tons including the heeled loafer pictured here. Finally, stores like J.C. Penny sell your basic penny loafers (shown here in brown) for good prices.

Traditional loafers look great with your old standby of skinny jeans, blazers and Oxford shirts, but I tried to step out of my comfort zone a bit and create outfits a little more fun. Here they are!

Loafers: Movie Night with Friends by preppypremed featuring genuine leather handbags

The idea with this outfit is that you use your favorite accessories with the pink loafers to make an otherwise boring outfit fun. Choose your big chunky purse, lucky necklace, favorite pair of jeans and parka for a late-night moving outing with friends, then add the pink loafers to spice things up a bit.

Loafers: Fall Day by preppypremed featuring a studded satchel

Gap has all the credit for this outfit--it's featured prominently on its webpage--but I just made a few substitutions, like adding in the brown satchel and J.Crew striped tee for an ultra schoolboy look.

Loafers: Colors and Polka Dots by preppypremed featuring sequin tops

Probably the most "out-there" outfit, but the most fun! The polka-dot loafers give you an excuse to wear color deep into fall, especially in the form of colored jeans. Even a plain white shirt would look great with the yellow pants and polka-dot loafers.

Are you buying any loafers this season?

Scarves: An Overview

Well, it's that time again, everyone, whether you like it or not. It's time for fall and winter. I don't know about where you live, but here in Chicago every single girl has a whole drawer of scarves to wear during the school year. Half of them can be worn before temperatures get too cold as a fashion statement, and the rest are merely there for survival! Clearly, a scarf is a Chicago staple, and here is a quick overview of some of my favorites.

Scarves by preppypremed featuring infinity scarves

The scarves at the top are more "fashionable" scarfs that you could wear with your outfit, and the bottom scarves are to wear on those cold days over your jacket.

Starting from upper left corner and going clockwise:

1. Lilly Pulitzer Murfee Scarf (specific color no longer available)
2. Modcloth "The Height of Style" scarf and H&M Satin Scarf
3. H&M Scarf in Coral
4. Forever 21 Fringe Cable Knit Scarf
5. Burberry Scarf (I buy knock-off, look-a-like ones at the mall for $10!)
6. H&M Tube Scarf

Do any of you have any cute scarves I should know about?

Stitched Tegan Jewelry

I've discovered another fun Etsy shop for you all: Stitched Tegan Jewelry. I'm obviously a jewelry fanatic, so I was so excited to find that the shop owner, Jeanna, sells classic pieces that would look fashionable when worn with anything.

What struck me first when I discovered Stitched Tegan Jewelry was the number of products available, especially when it comes to bracelets. I'm a fan of the "stacking bracelets" trend, and here are a few that would make great additions to your stack.

Starting from bottom lefthand corner and going clockwise:

• Chunky Gold-Plated Diamond Bracelet
• Gold and Black-Diamond Plated Chunky Bracelet
• Black Wrap Bracelet with Wishbone Charm
• Pearl Beaded Bracelets, set of 3

My favorite bracelet from Stitched Tegan would have to be this Sterling Silver Steampunk anchor bracelet. The nautical trend is huge right now, but this bracelet is unique--it's different than any nautical-inspired piece I've seen before. You'd certainly make a statement wearing it!

StitchedTegan Jewelry also sells an array of necklaces and earrings. 

These bronze owl post earrings are adorable! I would wear them to class almost everyday. I love the crystal and black gems that Jeanna added to it.

Long necklaces are great when worn with solid colors. I'd wear this Floral Essence Long Necklace with an Oxford shirt or a plain sweater, to give my outfit a little oomph.

If you love what you see, you can check out Jeanna's blog and her Twitter to keep up with all her new products.

Twitter: twitter.com/barnyardchic

Blog: barnyardchic.blogspot.com

Also, Jeanna is offering the coupon code BLOGSPECIAL for 40% off of your entire purchase! If you're even hesitant of buying a piece from StitchedTegan Jewelry, now would be the time to purchase it!

What's your favorite piece from Stitched Tegan Jewelry?

Kate Middleton's (Affordable) Olympic Style

During the Olympics, I saw this slideshow on Yahoo! that showed what Kate Middleton wore to all of the events. The outfits are all very simple and chic, making me wonder how easily you could mimic her style. Here are of her Olympic outfits and my take on them:

Kate Middleton Goes to the Olympics: Torch Relay by preppypremed featuring short sleeve shirts

Notes:

• Blue pants can be found anywhere, but I found the best-priced pair at H&M
• I've found $15 Ralph Lauren Polos at TJ Maxx and Marshalls...you've just got to look for them!
• These DSW wedges, though not exactly like Kate's pair, are very close and would be a good investment

Kate Middleton @ The Olympics by preppypremed featuring leather bags

Notes:

• The skinny jeans, navy blazer and striped tee are all probably part of your wardrobe already
• Totes.com sells old-fashioned umbrellas like Kate's in a variety of colors
• This Michael Kors wallet can be found on Ebay for a great price
• The closest shoes to Kate's that I could find were these Lauren by Ralph Lauren wedges, which could be worn into fall and beyond

Kate Middleton @ The Olympics: Visit to Team GB by preppypremed featuring h&m jackets

Notes

• The colorful red blazer can be found at many places, such as H&M and J.Crew. Red is a big color this season
• Try darker skinny or straight jeans with this outfit to let the red pop out
• The dot t-shirt can be found at Old Navy for $20
• Though we can't see what shoes Kate is wearing, I picture gold flats would go great, along with a black clutch wallet.

How do you all like Kate Middleton's style?

Back to School Shopping List

Since summer is wrapping up, I decided to make a "back to school" list featuring items that I've talked about in the past few weeks. Even if you're not going back to school, fall is a great time to buy a few new items.

Back to School Shopping Essentials by preppypremed featuring statement necklaces

Links go to previous posts where the products are talked about in-depth

1. Oxford Shirts

2. New stud earrings (featured: Kate Spade "Putting on the Ritz" Stud Earrings)

3. Ballet flats

4. Statement necklaces

5. Long-sleeve tees and chunky sweaters

6. Trench coat

7. Planner (featured: Lilly Pulitzer Large Agenda "Give Me Some Leg")

8. Blazer

9. Wristlet (featured: Vera Bradley All-In-One Wristlet)

10. Skinny Jeans

Are you all stocking up for the new season?

Fall 2012 Outfits, Pt. 2

I promised a second part to this series, and here it is! Using some of the staples I talked about in this previous post, I created some fall outfits for the earlier days of the season, such as September and early October.

Fall 2012 Outfits, pt. 2 by preppypremed featuring forever 21 jewelry

Information about the shirts and jewelry can be found here, whereas the shoes, pants, and jackets can all be found in this post.

A few quick words:

• I think Oxford shirts are perfect for the beginning of fall. When it gets a little chilly, just put on a blazer or trench coat for a polished look.

• I like these lighter colors for the beginning of fall, where I'm still mourning the loss of summer (sorry, didn't mean that to be as dramatic as it sounds!). Use a white, summery shirt (such as the lace tee pictured here) and turn it into a fall look with jeans, flats, and a cardigan or blazer.

• You can also wear your floral necklaces well into the season. Just pair them with some fall essentials and you're good to go!

• Though I pictured the same pair of jeans here, straight jeans would go well with the loafers and a darker pair could be substituted for many of these outfits to give them a more formal look.

What are all of your fall essentials? Are you ready for fall yet? (Because I am!)

My Family of Four-Eyes

This year marked a milestone in my family's life: 2012 is the first year where all four of us have to wear glasses!

My mom's been wearing glasses since she was around 7. She's changed frames throughout the years, but I love the ones she's wearing now.

Here's me wearing my glasses. Usually I wear contacts, but I love wearing my glasses on lazy days. My eyes have been "bad" since I was in 6th grade, when I first noticed that I couldn't see what the teachers were writing on the blackboard. Isn't that how everyone realizes they need glasses?

My dad was a little upset when he learned that he has to wear eyeglasses last winter. As a pilot, it's important that he keep up with his eyesight...just so, you know, the plane doesn't crash or anything...

And we come to my sister! (and my dad...being strange.) She just got her first eyeglasses prescription in July and will use them for her large lecture classes when she starts college in the fall.

So...what I am I getting at with this post? With all four of us wearing glasses, we need to find a better (and more inexpensive) place to buy our frames from--specifically, a place to buy glasses online.

GlassesUSA.com is a website that sells men's and women's glasses for guaranteed lowest prices. The website is so easy to use. You can search glasses based on their style: aviator style, wayfarer style, round frames, oval frames, and so on. Their section of vintage/retro frames is incredible! Already I've found a few frames to lust over.




The coolest part of this company! They have this Virtual Mirror app where you can take a photo of yourself with your webcam, then try on a bunch of glasses to see how they'll look on you. I don't know about you, but I hate trying on glasses at the optometrist...the worker there is always making suggestions and hovering over you. So I'm definitely loving this virtual mirror!

(forgive the messy hair and lack-of-makeup...it's one of those days!)

GlassesUSA is offering 10% off any order of prescription glasses for my readers with the code Blog10! Also, they are having a storewide offer where you can take 15% off your entire order + get free shipping on orders over $50.

Any of you wear glasses? Use the Virtual Mirror yourself and share pictures in the comments...I'd love to see what you all look like in glasses!

--Becky

*Post sponsored by GlassesUSA; all opinions are my own

Fall 2012 Outfits, Pt. 1

Since I previously posted about some cute fall tops I want to buy, I thought that I needed to incorporate those shirts into full outfits. Like I said before, I like to buy a few staple items (like a trench coast, for example) and use them for multiple outfits. Here we go!

Fall 2012 Outfits, pt 1 by preppypremed featuring a cable knit sweater

For information about the tops and necklaces, check out this previous post.

These are some outfits more suitable for the later days of fall, such as the middle of October to Thanksgiving.

Jackets


--H&M trench coat from 2 years ago:they come out with a new trench coat every year, and I find that they're usually inexpensive and are of a good quality

--Blazer: I'm eyeing this one from H&M. I like how it's fitted but still has that "boyfriend blazer" look about it

Shoes


--Ballet flats: as I've mentioned in a previous post, I'm heading to Gap for their cute ballet flats this year. I already own two pairs of black flats, which I bought either at DSW or Payless.

--Loafers: these are a pair of shoes I bought a long time ago but never wore! Now that they're back in style, I'd recommend Bass footwear if you want a high-quality pair.


--Boots: brown boots are perfect for early fall, but once we get into November and December black boots are all the rage. Since I'm on a college budget, I'm buying all my boots from DSW. They have some great deals.

Jeans


--Skinny jeans: Since high school I've been buying all my jeans from Levi's at Kohls. It seems like Kohls almost gives away the money with all the coupons they keep handing out! With the loafers, perhaps a pair of straight-legged jeans would be more suitable.

--Colored denim: Though I bought the blue pants (leftmost outfit) at H&M last spring, Gap has some colored jeans that are the same color but a little bit more structured. You can check them out here.

Part 2, featuring outfits for the beginning of fall (yes, I know, I didn't do this in order...) is coming soon!

Promod: a European Alternative to H+M

Have any of you heard of the store Promod? Probably not a lot of you...apparently it doesn't exist in the U.S. (yet!) I was so excited to discover this shop when I was over in Italy this past summer.

To me, the shop reminds me the most of H&M's style aesthetics, with perhaps a more girly approach. There were a lot of dresses and skirts, each featuring lace accents or pastel colors. Apparently it's French-inspired.

Via

I had to go shopping for some dresses in order to enter some of the churches we were required to go to for our class. All the churches have a rule that you can't wear anything that goes above the knees. Because I brought a ton of shorts with me, I needed a longer dress that would let me in the churches but keep me from dying of the heat!

LYD: Little Yellow Dress by preppypremed featuring sheer tops

I love this yellow dress and got so many compliments on it! It did seem to run a little big size-wise, but the neon yellow belt helped it retain some shape. In Rome, I paired it up with a small white sweater and  sandals to make it fancy enough for all of the churches. Here in the U.S., though, I've been pairing it with my jean jacket, simple sneakers or TOMS and a tote to make it a little less formal.

I also bought this dress and paired it with similar accessories (hey, I was in Rome...did't bring many shoes and jewelry with me!)

Lace Mini Skirt by preppypremed featuring short mini skirts

This was by far my favorite purchase of the trip! I LOVE this lace skirt (and somehow made it into the churches while wearing it, even though it doesn't quite make it to the knees!) The store recommended you wearing it with the red satin shirt pictured, but instead I wore it with layered pink and white Gap tanks. I also wore it with my trusty white sandals, a pearl barrette and a St. Cecilia necklace I bought at the Vatican.

If you love the French design aesthetic and are going to Europe anytime soon, definitely check Promod out! I highly recommend it.

8 Tops Perfect for Fall

I know, I know...it feels like summer just started, and yet I'm about a month away from starting the fall semester. There is something to look forward to about fall, though: in my opinion, fall clothes are the best! Being able to go to class wearing my blazer or trench coat, switching up my ballet flats day after day, still being able to wear lighter colors...yep, fall is definitely my favorite season, clothing-wise.

I've checked out some fall tops that are starting to roll in. In this post I introduce my favorite tops and necklaces to you. Check out the full outfits in a future post!

I'm all about reusing the pieces I buy for multiple outfits, so here I show you how I would wear statement necklaces in different ways.

Fall Tops 2012 by preppypremed featuring j. crew jewelry

Starting from the upper left and going clockwise:

1. J.Crew Painter Boatneck Tee in "Romance Pink" with a J.Crew Bubble Necklace in "Navy" (similar necklaces can be found on Etsy for a great price)

2. H&M Cable-Knit Sweater  in "Coral" with a Forever 21 Shine Long Cluster Necklace

3. H&M Sweater in "Cerise" with a J.Crew Bubble Necklace in "Navy"

4. H&M Sweater in "Mustard Yellow" with a Forever 21 Elephant Pendant Necklace

5. J.Crew Painter Boatneck Tee in "White" with a Forever 21 Painted Flower Necklace

6. H&M Top in "Natural White" with a Forever 21 Rhinestone Flower Necklace (sold out)

7. H&M Shirt in "Light Blue" with a Forever 21 Shine Long Cluster Necklace

8. H&M Shirt in "Pink/Checkered" with a Forever 21 Rhinestone Flower Necklace (sold out)

Have you all started planning your fall wardrobes yet?

Prep for Less: Red Ballet Flats

Flats are always a fall essential, at least for me. This year, I think ballet flats specifically will be big. They're casual, comfortable, feminine and are perfect to wear with skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans.

Via

That said, I'm obsessed with Tory Burch's new ballet flats for summer, the Chelsea ballet flat. It comes in a jade, black, mustard yellow and, my favorite, scarlet red. What I love most about these shoes is the little charm that comes attached to the laces. Still, are they worth the $178? Here are some similar ballet flats that I found:

Tory Burch: Chelsea Ballet Flats in Scarlet Red


J.Crew: Classic Leather Ballet Flats in Poppy


Gap: Leather Ballet Flats in Tomato


Old Navy: Women's Bow-Tie Ballet Flats in Red

I think the Gap version has to be my favorite. But what do I do about that charm that I loved so much on theTory Burch Chelsea flats?

Via

Many shops on Etsy sell personalized gold disks to go on charm bracelets, such as Stellar Light Jewelry, pictured here. I would buy a small gold disk with my initial on it, tie it onto the shoelaces, and viola! You've got yourself some blinged-out pair of ballet flats.

If I end up trying this, I'll let you all know. What's your favorite footwear for fall?