Sears Trendsetter - Splurge vs Steal

Every holiday season, I remind myself to stay away from the malls, especially during the week before Christmas to avoid the crowds. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I always forget what I say and I find myself perusing the racks at the local stores.  This year, I was done with Christmas shopping before Black Friday even started, but the deal seeker in me really wanted to see what other sales are available. Thus, I set out on a "splurge vs. steal" shopping mission to find myself a new wardrobe for work.  Without further ado, here are my finds from Sears:

My close friends and family all know I am a very casual person.  On most days, I would throw on a T-shirt, some jeans, and a pair of canvas.  I absolutely love heels and dresses so I really wanted to find a more feminine wardrobe without putting a dent on my wallet. Luckily, I found this simple dress from Apostrophe on sale for $24.99USD.

I like the dress' soft fabric and its versatility. It can be paired with a long sleeve cardigan or a skinny belt.  To make it look a little bit more dressy, I paired it with my "steal", a faux pearl necklace for $9.60USD!

I love the simple yet unique details on this necklace.

 Here is the necklace worn with the dress and a simple pair of heels.  I like this look for a date or a family gathering at a nice restaurant. It's also appropriate for work if worn with a cream or gray cardigan.  This entire outfit costs under $35USD so it's definitely a steal!

For my splurge item, I found a cozy long sleeve black sweater from UK Style by French Connection for $35.99. In case you're wondering, yes, it is from the same company that makes FCUK.  I love their cheeky name!

This has a twist to the classic sweater cardigan style with a belt looped in the front.  I really like the open collar and and how soft it feels against my skin. I can easily wear this with a ruffled top or a long sleeve v-neck shirt. Without the belt, I can also wear it with a dress or the pearl necklace for a more sophisticated look.

Overall, I am happy to find 3 really nice items to add to my closet without breaking the bank.  These pieces are simple, which fits my personal style, but they are also sophisticated enough for both work and the weekends.  Since I'm not much of a dress and high heels type of gal, I would love to get some suggestions from all of you on other ways to wear these items. What else should I pair them with? What are some other great deals - splurge or steals for this holiday?  Thanks for letting me share my shopping excursions with you. It's definitely a much tougher post compared to makeup swatches!

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was provided by Sears or Glam Media for this post. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sears.