Kathryn Finney, aka,
The Budget Fashionista, took her love for fashion and lack of cash and parlayed it into a one-woman mini-media empire with her uber-successful blog, book, regular segments on the TODAY show, newsletters and new podcast series,
Shoptalk.
Brought up in Minnesota, Kathryn's advice on how to be cheap and chic is delightfully straightforward and fun, with fresh, honest tips that every woman can use in her quest to feel fabulous without breaking the bank. She took time out of her whirlwind Winter to answer the essentials with Miss Meghan.
What are you favorite pair of shoes and why do you love them so much?A pair of black and red Vaneli cowboy boots. I love them more than chocolate. Every time I wear them, I get a bazillion compliments. This fall, I was traveling a lot and was wearing them in the airport in Houston, and a woman told me that the boots were "darrrrrrrrrling" (southern drawl emphasized)-- and I feel like I can kick some A** when I wear them.
Where did you get them?
I bought them at DSW in Woodbridge, New Jersey for $45 (using my DSW Rewards of course). I believe god wanted me to have these shoes. At least that's what I told my husband.
What do you like to wear with them?
I like to wear them with everything-jeans, skirts, shorts, you name it. They're just so damn comfortable.
What type of shoes do you like to see on the opposite sex?
Shoes that cover their toes. 90% of men should never let their toes see the light of day.
Best shoe purchase? Worst?
Best? The before-mentioned Vaneli boots. Worst, those awful mesh Chinese slippers.
If you could walk in anyone's shoes for a day, whose shoes would it be and why?
There's just so many shoes to pick from-- ,Queen Elizabeth because they would be very sturdy and sensible and I would probably have great posture afterwards. Oprah, well, because she's Oprah and who wouldn't want to walk in her shoes. Condolezza Rice because it takes a special woman to rock a pair of four-inch knee-high pointy-toed stiletto boots to an economic summit.
What pair of shoes changed your life?
A pair of creme colored flat Kate Spade sandals I purchased for $13.98 on the clearance rack at DSW in like 1998. It was the first time I realized that it is possible to get designer shoes for cheap -- and in a size 11!
If you could buy a pair of shoes for someone, who would you buy for and why?
Britney Spears. She just looks like she needs a little help right now. I would also buy her a package of Hanes Her Way underwear.
What shoes would you wear if no one was looking?
I would wear a pair of big red clown shoes with a bright green bow--just kidding! Probably a pair of very sensible Rockport shoes with a pair of fat neon laces from back in the day. I would laugh at all the women teetering around Manhattan in their Manolo stilettos.
Most difficult thing you ever walked through?
Detroit.
Pointy or round toe?
Round toe.
Stiletto or flat?
Neither.
On men you prefer: wingtip or cool sneaker?
Cool sneaker.
Your favorite charity or good cause and why?
Bottomless Closet NYC. It's an organization that empowers women making the transition from economic dependence to economic self-sufficiency by helping them develop career and life skills and by providing them with a business wardrobe. It's one of my favorite organizations because it focuses on empowering women to be their own agents for personal change.
