Catalog Inspiration

I occasionally purchase a J. Crew [sale] piece to add an accent to my wardrobe, but lately, their catalogs appear to be more and more out of my price range. For example, this spread below on the left from the October '10 catalog: $110 for a lace tee shirt. It's surprisingly easy to do a similar look that fits within a grad student's budget, shown on the right.

On the left: Lace tee, Leelee pant, bling blossom bracelet, and love-me-knot satin platform heels from J. Crew.
On the right: Lace tee, beige t-shirt, and skinny cords from Old Navy; although, Forever XXI has a better assortment of lace tops, and J. Crew has some toothpick ankle cords on sale. Also shown, pearl necklace from Pearl Paradise.com, random shoes from DSW, and chiffon & tulle flower brooch from a BYOV tutorial.

I was considering making my own lace t-shirt from some stretch lace, but at $13-20, buying at the store is really a more efficient approach. Making things yourself is not always the wisest decision.
I applied this advice to APC's fall line with choice Lands' End pieces, as well.