There are also many different types of thrift stores. The type of thrift store you choose to shop in may depend on your personal interests. Major thrift store chains generally have fairly rapid turnover rates that are primarily based on season and trends. For example, the Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg generally features clothing that is more retro or modern, rather than vintage, presumably because the store buy a large portion of their items from locals who sell them for a commission. Despite this, it has a very decent collection of vintage shoes. These shoes are funky and vibrant or classic and elegant. A portion of them were probably handmade; they seem to be the best example of vintage inventory currently found at Beacon’s Closet.

Thrifting is a learned skill, but one you acquire it, you will be able to find one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories.

Here’s a few great picks:

This beautiful nautical dress from TopShop is red,white, and blue and yet cute and adorable. Pair it with a solid blue heel and your set to go!

This sweater top from Forever 21 will have you showing off your patriotism while being comfortable.

Anthropologie has these striped espadrilles that will be cute and comfy while you watch the fireworks.

Stick with the typical red, white and blue or if you want, pick two colors for the outfit and the third for accessories.

This beautiful bracelet from one Etsy seller is all the color you need to make a statement without over doing it.

Whatever it is you plan to do this 4th of July weekend, you’ll be really in the spirit with some of these great pieces.

Thrift shopping itself has become the fashionista’s new past time. Between the state of the economy and blogs popping up all over the internet show casing thrifting finds, it’s become much more widely accepted and a great way to score true vintage if you know what to look for.

Then there’s vintage shops, who have done the digging for you and let you just browse through racks of cute shift dresses, exquisite flares and tons of velvet. It’s always a little pricier to go this route, but the ease of shopping is wonderful. And don’t forget about online vintage stores, popping up particularly on entrepreneur sites like Etsy.

Of course if you don’t want to pay for clothes that someone else wore back in the day, there’s sites that carry vintage inspired clothing that is to DIE for. Modcloth has become immensely popular in the past couple of years. They carry brands that specifically make clothing inspired by the 1940s all the way to the 80s, with even a few 90s trends thrown in there for fun. ShopRuche and Lulus are also known for carrying these kinds of designs.

But they are popping up more and more in big department stores. Just recently I was perusing Macy’s dress section at the 34th street location in New York and saw a ton of 1960s shift dress designs with a little more modern flair to them. Still, they had the same basic shape and were adorable.

Just why is vintage appealing? Maybe because it has this naturally  feminine feel to it. Maybe because we want to show our moms we can wear it better.  Whatever the reason is, it is hot right now. So the next time you are thinking about that pin-up style dress, go for it! You’ll be right on trend.

Oh look, it's Sienna Miller, looking fabulous and comfortable in jeggings.

Jeggings (aka the bane of my existence) have been listed as a hot new fall trend. I’m not sure why, since I’ve been seeing them EVERYWHERE for at least the past year. Regardless, as nothing has caused me more grief lately than the advent of jeggings, the fact that they’re apparently not going anywhere is quite distressing.

Let’s start with the name. Jeggings. Jeggings, really? I love me a good pun, but this word makes me ashamed to speak English. Then there are the typical lack of front pockets. They do usually have back pockets, but considering how tight they are, putting anything in them just looks awkward. Leggings are, for the most part, designed without pockets for a reason.

But, perhaps, the thing I hate most about jeggings is that I simply cannot pull them off. I’m not a trend whore by any means (I’m usually at least a few months behind the latest trends, in fact), but it kills me to see girls — and the occasional waifish boy — running around in them, looking fabulous and comfortable.

First off, it’s helpful to shop with a specific occasion in mind. The same tie that you wore to your little sister’s graduation from kindergarten probably won’t fly on a first date. And if you’re going to a black tie gala, make sure you actually wear a black tie. On the other extreme, you can feel free to pick a tie that’s more comfortable and in line with your personality if the occasion is something more casual, like a friend’s party.

Second, you need to stay up to date on which tie styles are currently popular. Right now, long, skinny ties are back in vogue, but short, chunky ones are definitely out. Remember to bookmark fashion blogs like this one to read about trends as they evolve.

Now, tie colors and patterns are going to depend on what shirts and suits you hope to match them with. In most cases, dark-colored ties in shades of red, blue, and black are safe bets for almost any outfit.

Also, watch out for cartoonish, novelty ties. Those are no way to impress a boss, unless it’s Casual Friday, or he’s got an especially forgiving sense of humor.

First, I recommend taking a look at your skin tone and coloring. For example, I have blond hair and fair skin, so I tend to look fashionable and classy in darker colors such as black, green, brown, and blue. However, if you have darker skin or darker hair, you might want to consider lighter colors. Of course, what you wear is up to you, but if it fits right, looks good, and is the right coloring for your specific skin tone and hair – it’s going to look awesome!

After you’ve got your color palette, you need to think about which of the popular fabrics and materials you want to wear. One trendy choice of material is knitwear, such as wool, cashmere, and mohair. These garments can be very comfortable and stylish, but you also have to be careful not to choose anything too bulky – otherwise you might look bulky.

Similarly, you have to be careful with patterns, such as prints and stripes, making sure that they flatter your figure, rather than accentuating the negative. In general, try to avoid having a pattern dominate your outfit unless you’re sure you can own the look – a plaid shirt under a blazer is easier to pull off than a plaid dress.

Of course, the shoes we love range from all sorts of patterns, colors, styles, and accessories. Around this time of year you might get invited to a lot of different holiday parties for Christmas, New Years, and even Easter – so what shoes should you invest in? Well, your final choice depends on you, but here are a few elegant and fun choices for under $100.

Our first option is a pair of edgy metallic booties. These booties may look a little odd at first, but they are helping a lot of women dazzle the night away! Booties are like boots, except they have a lot less material covering up the shoe. They are also often high heeled and very glitzy. On the other hand, if you want to go for something a little less dressy, you could consider a pair of glammed-up sneakers. These come from Converse (of course!) and have a silvery glitter to them.

Great with jeans, mini skirts, or anything else you want to wear, our second shoe is the epitome of comfortable, a shoe that everyone has been wearing these days – the ballet flat. Ballet flats are simple, super-comfortable shoes that are also very much in style! You can choose from all sorts of materials, colors, and extra accessories, such as a Mary Jane-style flat with an added strap.

I’m a big jean wearer and, frankly, I believe you can wear just about any jean type that you want. However, there are some jean styles that are “in” and some that are “out” – way out – and yet people keep wearing them. I suppose it really depends on who you are and if you really care about fashion or what other people think.

Boot cut jeans, for example, are in and probably always will be in. These are my favorite types to wear because they are so comfortable and work with practically any shoe. Skinny jeans have just gotten popular over the last few years, sporting a straight leg shape great for sandals and open toe shoes.

People said bell bottoms were back in, but honestly, I haven’t seen too many people reviving this trend! However, long flared jeans with a sort of toned-down bell bottom look are becoming more popular. Celebs such as Katie Holmes and Ali Larter have been seen wearing these with high, open toed sandals.

Capri jeans are yet another hot trend. Capris are not only fashionable in jeans, but also a lot of other materials as well – great for those summer days when you want to wear something other than pants. I know a lot of older women prefer these as well because it allows them to wear something shorter than jeans without showing a lot of leg.

It doesn’t matter if you are skinny and tall, short, or if you are a plus sized woman – you can look incredibly beautiful and really turn some heads, if you simply had a few tools and tips to work with! Celebs like Delta Burke have clearly shown us that even plus sized women can be beautiful and stylish. The trick is in knowing what clothes to wear, what colors to chose from, and what accessories to wear. When choosing your wardrobe, the whole cliche about “black covering up fat” isn’t necessarily true.

If you look good in dark colors, awesome. Don’t listen to me! However, choosing the same colors for jackets and pants that are the same hue is also a really good idea as well because you aren’t sectioning off areas. It’s all ONE area which makes you look sinner. You can also wear blouses in a contrasting color as well if you needed to add a flair of drama to the outfit. When choosing colors and pattern think vertical not horizontal. Bold buttons down the jacket or shirt, a long necklace, vertical stripes — these are all ways to think vertical and they can help tremendously! It’s also important to wear colors that you feel good in.

Don’t like red? Don’t wear it! Love blue? Slap it on or add accents such as a shirt, or a necklace or a scarf. You can always tie in colors, you don’t necessarily have to have “loud” colors on in order to look better. In fact, I prefer not to wear loud colors. I stay away from pink, oranges and yellows at all cost! There is one thing that a lot of plus sized women do – they don’t wear the right sizes. If you are an eighteen don’t try fitting into a sixteen! All this ends up doing is accentuating those areas where you don’t want it to accentuate!

For example, if you don’t like your butt, and you buy a really tight pair of jeans, chances are your butt is going to look larger, so if this is something you want to avoid, then don’t wear tight jeans! Same goes with shirts or dresses as well! If you are out shopping someplace and you aren’t sure about a specific size or outfit or piece of clothing – ask the sales girl. These girls are more than likely willing to give their advice about any fashion tips you need. Been there done that myself! You could also take a friend along with you as well if you are too embarrassed to ask a sales person to give you advice.

Most friends will be brutally honest about how you look, some are not. If you have a variety of friends pick the honest one! Also, if you like wearing jewelry, try to follow the “wear the right size” cliche above. Don’t wear tiny little earrings or necklaces. Try wearing things like chunky bracelets like bangles, or long flowing necklaces! So you see just because you are a plus sized woman doesn’t mean you have to feel embarrassed or “out of place”. I believe that all women are equally attractive in their own ways.

And a lot of people are going to look past the outside, and see the inside. This is what I try to remind myself when I’m having a bad hair day or something of the likes. If they don’t look inside and all they care about is your looks? It’s not a person you would want to have in your life anyway. YOU are beautiful just the way you are and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Hey, some men actually prefer to look their best when dressing up! If you don’t, well, boo on you. But if you do, then these few tips could save you from major embarrassment! First off, when it comes to work, it’s important to not wear sneakers or sandles. The only time you should do this is if it’s Casual Friday or something along the lines of that. I suppose in some careers it’s alright to wear sneakers. However, if you work at a place such as a corporate office, sneakers are a major NO! Second off, ties ARE hot.

I love a tie on a guy, especially a really classy one like a black Armani or a pinstriped Gucci. Bow ties? Are out. Will be out. And have been out for a long time. Don’t do this! When you have an important meeting at work make sure you wear “power suits” or”power ties” these ties and suits can make the right impression when it comes to meeting up with clients! Power colors include; red, black, green and blue. It’s also important you keep the season in mind before choosing a suit jacket as well.

If its chilly, you might want to consider a scarf or overcoat. If it’s warm, you can even do without the jacket, just make sure you wear a nice tie and a nice shirt (no stains Mister!). This isn’t really a fashion rule – but cologne is a GREAT addition. Smelling nice is always a good thing as well! As for shoes, you should look for something Italian, patent leather, and something over $50! It’s also important that they fit good as well.