Fashion week is a time to celebrate the top avant-garde trends to hit the runway, but not all of it is untouchable. Recently at the Housing Works Thrift Store on 17th Street, Carson Kressley, the host of Lifetime’s How to Look Good Naked, and model/actress Roshumba Williams helped celebrate The Budget Fashionista’s 5th Anniversary, showing men and women how to look good on a dime. Kathryn Finney, the author of the book How to be a Budget Fashionist: The Ultimate Guide to look Fabulous for Less (Random House) which has now evolved into the #1 independent fashion blog, was the center of this celebration.
In the past five years, Finney has been preaching her budgeting advice in her book, on her blog and through television appearances on TODAY, Good Morning America and CNN. Living what she preaches, when CGG asked Finney about the outfit she chose for the night’s party she proclaimed, “Everything is on a budget!” Every piece of her outfit from the jacket to her shoes was put together on a budget. Except her hat which she said, “was the most expensive thing I bought while I was in London.”

The guests present practiced what they preached that the best style comes through personal style, not through thousand dollar designer price tags. Carson Kressley, a self-proclaimed budget fashionista, emphasized that mixing and matching “is what gives you your own personal style and that [this] is what’s most important.” Everyone embraced this through their clothes as well, Kressley’s jacket was purchased from Century 21 (the famous NYC discount store), and Jess Ziano, Style Network’s Modern Girls Guide to Life, was raving about her $3.00 earrings from Forever 21.

The vibrant pink and blue themed party offered free manicures and massages for guests, courtesy of Dashing Diva. But our favorite part of the night? All sales made that night of clothing and tote bags benefitted Housing Works, an organization that helps homeless people who are living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, IT Girl Essentials, a contest that awards young girls who are positively active in their communities, had their August and September “IT Girls” present at the party. Nicoletta Bumbac, their first winner, confessed her favorite way to keep her fashion on a budget is by wearing vintage hand-me-downs from her mom.

As the food was served and the guests chatted with their best budget fashion outfits on, it was a clear indicator that blogger Kathryn Finney has helped women and men look fashionable sinking into debt. She has tapped a market of consumers that need a positive voice to help them embrace the mixing and matching of high fashion and budget fashion to find their own style.

What are your top tips for fashion on a budget? Let us know after the jump!

By Contributing CGG Reporter Alexandra Gonzalez