Taking advice is something you should reserve for experts, so we enlisted Lilliana Vazquez, founder of the Cheap Chica’s Guide To Style blog, to fill us in on how to keep our wallets happy without sacrificing a killer wardrobe. The former W mag employee and current television style correspondent for The Today Show and Katie Couric‘s Katie, Vazquez has acquired enough knowledge to fill the pages of a book with fashion tips, deals, and steals!
Where did you get the idea to start the Cheap Chica site?
I started blogging in 2008 because I was a huge fan of fashion, but I found myself with limited funds and big budget taste. When I worked at W magazine, the clothes I saw were so amazing and beautiful, but simply weren’t accessible to my friends and me. I really wanted to create a space where really style savvy and fashion conscious women like me can find stuff they actually like.
Then what happened?
The site grew online exponentially, and through that I secured a number opportunities, one of which was a book deal! The Cheap Chica’s Guide To Style comes out November 5th:it’s an in-depth conversation about how I find deals.
How is blogging different from writing a book?
Honestly, it’s more challenging for me to write a 250 word post than a 60,000 word book! I had so much to say on the topic. My favorite chapter is the last one, “The Devil Is In The Details”. I revealed the tips I use when styling for the Today Show or Katie Couric that make people go “Wow, I would have never thought to do that.”
Where are your favorite spots to seek out affordable styles?
Day to day, I tend to wear a lot of stuff from ASOS. For my fast fashion fix I always go to Zara, but for designer pieces, I’m obsessed with the Outnet.
Remember their $2 sale?
Yes, it was a pretty amazing moment in deal hunting history! Can we do an online petition to bring that back?!
Totally! Who is your favorite fashion industry insider you’ve interviewed?
Karl Lagerfeld. And by interview, I mean I asked him what made Blake Lively his muse and his answer was “What doesn’t make her my muse?”
Which fashion bigwig are you totally in awe of?
Suzy Menkes. To me she is just the “it” fashion person.
What would you ask her in an interview?
It’s a little morbid, but I’d ask her what she wants to be buried in. That’s what people remember about you!