Fashion. Culture. Community.
Pin Up on a College Budget
I'm a full time college student with a part time job. My tuition is paid mostly by scholarships and one or two loans (yay, debt....). Occasionally, I get a refund check - meaning that the amount of money paid by the scholarships and loans combined was too much!
So I use that refund money to buy from the PUG clothing site. In the meantime, I have to pinch my pennies and go thrifting (which I've had to do my whole life - my family has never been well off) or go straight to the sales rack at the mall. (I once found a really high quality dress for $8 that I used for a homecoming dance.)
I get paid every other Wednesday. Yesterday, I went to the mall and found my way to the Hot Topic clearance area. I bought a pair of capris, since I'm not too comfortable in shorts and I can't really afford the ones on the PUG site. (They're too long - I'm 5'2" and they reach my ankles, like cig. pants or skinny jeans.)
Sometimes I go on eBay to see if I can find any PUG dresses (usually still too expensive). I found a lovely green Audrey Hepburn-style dress for around $30 on eBay, though.
But really, it's amazing what you can find if you just look around a thrift store! Last time I went thrifting, I found an incredible pencil skirt, some definitely vintage shoes (made in the USA, older, wooden base), a few super cute button down shirts that can be paired with either a pencil skirt or high waisted jeans, and a lovely blue bolero/shrug.
Much of my wardrobe is from various thrift shops or consignment stores. And a lot of it is either vintage inspired or reproduction clothing. So when I can't afford to buy that one dress or that one top from PUG, I can still look like a kick ass PUG. I only have three items from the PUG store. The Dee Dee, the L'Amour, and the Heidi. I have to wait and save for the next item. (They're all worth it, though.)
As for makeup, I rarely splurge. Most cosmetics are ridiculously expensive, so I stick to ELF, Maybelline, Revlon, and Covergirl. It works, even if it's not the best out there.
But it's not really difficult to have a pinup wardrobe if you don't have the funds for PUG. You just need to know where and how to look!
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Comment by Shy Anne on April 12, 2013 at 1:29pm
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I'll second that one! I'll admit that I've only bought one of my 6 pug things new! and it's gone now so bad luck :) The dress looks great on you! good find :), I'm curious about your shoes :)
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Comment by Ellie Mae Berry on April 12, 2013 at 1:48pm
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I really don't know when the shoes were made, but they look to be from the 80s or earlier. They're in pretty good shape over all - whoever had them before took very good care of them!
Here's the bottom of the shoe - it's actually wood, not a laminate look-a-like.
And here are the shoes themselves.
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I think one or two brands of the pricey makeup are better than drug store brands, but not all of them. It's all a matter of how much effort goes into making a good product, you know?
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oh I love those shoes! And on makeup I really agree, The only thing I don't like to purchase 'cheap' is lipstick because then it smears. But :) pretty much everything else if you shop around and find the best quality for the money you're saving more money for pug!
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I stick with CoverGirl for lipstick. I don't really have much of a problem with smearing.
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Covergirl isn't really 'cheap' here, it's like $15 for lipstick. (I'm in Europe) they have the most amazing cream based concealer in my exact skin tone though :)
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Oh, wow! That's ridiculous. I can get it for maybe $5...
I use their liquid foundation with a Maybelline BB Cream under it.
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Comment by Tahitia Belle Fille on April 13, 2013 at 7:36pm
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I love your Audrey Hepburn dress Ellie Mae and I really love your post! Every tip for getting the most bang out of your pinup buck couldn't be more important :)
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Comment by Aoife 24K on April 14, 2013 at 11:35am
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These are great tips. And you don't have to be in college and on a budget to take advantage of them. You can find amazing things at thrift stores and less exclusive antique and vintage stores. I used to buy all of my makeup using coupons from Sunday papers and waiting til they were on sale. Yesterday I bought some primer for buy one, get one half off and then I had a dollar off coupon. Oh and yesterday I found one of those stretchy belts for only a dollar at a thrift store. Another recent score was a green vintage dress from the Fifties that I found at an antique store for only twelve bucks. I have posted a pic of that in my recent blog. Keep being thrifty. Good things happen to those who wait. And I have no doubt that you will be one of the most beautiful women at campus!
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Thank you, Tahitia!
I love that dress on you, Aoife! I think that I might start collecting coupons to save more money when I go shopping next!
And thank you!
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