Top 5 Wallet-Friendly, Yet Trendy Stores

It takes just a few new items to re-work what you already have in your wardrobe to create new outfits. A pair of perfect fitting leggings, some great ballet flats, or an adorable yet basic blouse can revolutionize your simplest pieces. Take a look at your closet and dig out your favorite dress from 1999. Think about how a few key accessories or a few precisely placed layers could make it hot for 2009. While it’s great to use what we have, it’s crucial to have some go-to stores to find a bargain and refashion what we already have.

Here are Oligoville’s Top 5 Wallet-Friendly, Yet Trendy Store Picks:

5. Old Navy
After the anorack and fleece stage died down post high school, I went on an Old Navy freeze for a few years. I recently incorporated them back into my rotation and have been quite pleased with their selection. Just last night I wore a black dress I purchased this summer at Old Navy to a big fancy press dinner. I felt cute and nobody knew it cost $25. (If they did, they didn’t say it while I was within ear shot.) Either way, Old Navy is the perfect place to pick up classic essentials to build upon what you already have in your closet.

4. DSW and Shoesteal.com
Shoes are the perfect place to switch it up and recreate your favorite outfits. DSW is a hot spot for finding amazing deals on designer shoes. I purchased some orange Steve Madden slippers there last Spring and I still wear them on a weekly basis. Just yesterday I was introduced to the most amazing website ever for shoe deals, www.shoesteal.com. They have some of my favorite brands from L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, to my all-time love affair, Camper.

3. Vintage/Second-hand
The best place to find unique accessories to dress up what you already have is at vintage and second-hand stores. I also find that I treasure what I buy second-hand much more than what I buy brand new. I have a tougher time throwing it away than pieces I buy brand new. Second-hand pieces are timeless and worthy of the search it takes to find them. Imagine how fabulous a distinctive vintage sweater or eclectic old broach can make the simplest of outfits.

2. Forever 21/H & M
Though daunting, Forever 21 and H&M are the best places to find what’s trendy while being wallet-friendly. Scour their accessories section to find unique pieces that will keep you up with the Joneses. They always have the latest looks from a ruffled blouse to high-waisted jeans, it’s a one-stop fashion-friendly shop. My only advice is to avoid them on the weekends because if you’re like me and despise shopping in crowds, there’s one word only—hell.

1. Target
Target, oh my beloved Targé. Target is my favorite spot to find basics on a budget. At this very moment I’m wearing black leggings from Target. They are eons above Walmart and Kmart when it comes to affordable designer threads. From their monthly guest designer, to their trends that rival Zara, Target is the best spot to make a quick purchase without spending all your Benjamins.

Oligo Poll: Red Carpet Fashion

Its been the talk of the fashion town lately- Oscar Red Carpet Fashion. Since Sunday’s awards ceremony, it has been nothing but the Best and Worst Oscar Dressed, and yes, we are at it too! But this is Oligoville’s perspective. Not who has the most jewels or sequins, but we chose the best dresses of the evening based upon pure design, lines, and silhouette and we want to hear from YOU! What do you think of our top 5 celebs that made our list?

Angelina Jolie- After her Golden Globe frumpiness, she came back with a vengeance with a stunning black strapless gown by Elie Saab.  Yes, yes I know a few of you are upset with her choice of  “classic” black, but if you know me, I’m a sucker for any clothing items in black. The draping around the waist, give her a beautiful shape, while the deep heart shape bodice adds sex appeal. Angelina couldn’t have done it better with the amazing emerald “statement” jewelry. Love, love, love the bright green contrast against the black.

Evan Rachel Wood- Speaking of awesome draping,  the front of Evan Rachel Wood’s dress is spectacular, probably because it too is Elie Saab. You can see similarities with the deep cut in the bodice, and how elegantly the shape shows  her body lines. I only wish the color didn’t blend in so much with her skin, but the dress is still fabulous and elegant.

Virginia Madsen- The “Sideways” star floored us when she showed up on the Red Carpet in this eye-catching Kevin Hall gown. This is one of my

favorite dresses and definitely the best “red” dress of the evening. I love the clean modern lines and its simplicity. Instead of a standard strapless gown, the triangle minimalist design makes it intriguing. The color is bold, vibrant, and luminous making it a must-have evening dress.

Marisa Tomei- Last but not least, Marisa showed use an animated chic Verace gown. This pearly grey satin dress was a head-turner as the material was impeccably sculpted to fit her, while incorporating intricate details. The fanned detailing on the dress makes it incredibly complex and exciting.

So which dress is your favorite, or better yet, which dress would you want to wear ? Take our poll, we’d love to hear from you!

A Tale of Two Cities

The Spin: Cappadonna – Slang Prostitution
Released September 30, 2008.
2009 Chambermusik Records
[rate 2.5]

When you think about Cappadonna’s lyrics and put them in context, you’re tempted to sympathize with him, to excuse the fact that he’s never carved his way into the mainstream, despite obvious indications that it’s what he’d prefer. There’s a sense of the underdog and, at the same time, the diamond in the rough in Cappadonna’s witty lyricism and tough Yankee swagger (I’m getting tired of that word. I’m soon going to think of a more pleasing alternative to it). But when you listen to him deliver those lines that expose all his vulnerability, every ounce of his soul tells you not to feel anything for him, but to be captivated by his lyrics and moved by the music. He’s not pulling any punches and he doesn’t expect you to be there if he slips up. So when he titles his album, “Slang Prostitution,” make no mistake, his words may be for sale, but his pride and integrity aren’t going anywhere.

Historically, Cappadonna’s been in and out of The Wu-Tang Clan, and in and out of the New York hip-hop consciousness. He even took a few months on hiatus as a cabdriver before re-finding Jesus, as it were, and getting back into the scene. As an emcee that’s always commanded utmost respect from hip-hop heads within and outside of Gotham, he’s had a painstakingly difficult time trying to get beats that his constituency can move to, despite such a close relationship with one of the all-time great and most-respected beat makers. The trend isn’t over, unfortunately.

The lyrics throughout the album give you this pervasive sense that no matter what his circumstances, he always has a puncher’s chance. He comes with all the confidence in his delivery of a rapper that’s holding Billboard’s ownership at bay. The album starts with him declaring, “You can’t keep a good man down/I been through it all/ Slept on the ground/ Even my best friend turned they back/ And my label made brothers wasn’t cuttin’ me no slack.”

In “Walk With Me,” Cappadonna breaks his tough guy persona to reach out to a special female human person being. While there’s enough re-tread corniness here to make you yawn at the lyrics, the beat stands out on the track and overall, it’s the kind of catchy track that generally eludes Cap.

“Stories” is the type of minimalistic grimy track that sees Cappadonna at his most comfortable and the outcome is an authentic street jam that’s infectious. It seems that his lyricism does in fact infect, as JoJo Pellegrino’s and 3rd Diglah’s vocals here are superior to those of most of the features on the album. “What’s Really Up?” is a track with a similar feel and similar excellence, as Cappadonna recalls the type of adversity he’s faced in his New York Experience over an old soulful loop and heavy drums.

Staying with the dark, grimy mood that mostly pervades this album, “Somebody’s Gotta Go” addresses some of the more brutal realities of gangsterism. Again, Cappadonna’s lyrics deliver with cogency,poignancy, and wit, with Lounge Lo contributing solid vocals, as well.

There’s a soulfulness to many of the beats on this album, epitomized by “Fire.” Where Cappadonna, with the assistance of Masta Killa, describes what he brings to the table.

Overall, this album manages to excel and fail equally, to mass frustration. No one doubts Cappadonna’s deft lyricism, but musically, this album, like his albums of the past, is hit and miss, only that he’s gotten stuck in a style that feels fairly archaic, this side of The Big Apple. Anyone who’s followed Cappadonna or Wu-Tang at all, realizes that Cappadonna has excellent albums in him just waiting to be brought to light. Unfortunately, until someone else starts picking out beats for him or he has a revelation, we’re left to listen to excellent rhyming over beats that never did much for us, but do even little now. The album, sadly, gets two and a half stars.

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