Can't Afford, Can Afford: Leopard Edition (Happy Birthday, Blog!)

 I love leopard print (fun fact, I always misspell 'leopard'). I don't love it in a Jerseylicious kind of way, but rather in a more subtle way. Ha.  Add a little animalistic flair to your outfits with these picks.

Scarves:  The Alexander McQueen leopard & skulls scarf rings in at a crazy $725! It is made from cashmere & silk, but no matter what material, it's still quite pricey for a scarf.  Zara offers theirs for under $20, here.

Clutches: The Jimmy Choo Leopard Print Calf-Hair clutch retails for over $1000 & while it's currently 50% off at The OutNet, its' $647.50 price tag takes it just outside of the realm of affordability. Sarcasm, noted, I'm sure.  Why not try Forever 21's embossed leopard clutch? It's not calf hair, but it is cut long, like the Choo and still gives you the same effect.
PS: Lauren Merkin makes a gorgeous black on black leopard clutch worth checking out.

Belts: W. Kleinberg Reversible Hair-Calf Belt - $175 vs. this leopard belt from Asos.

Smoking Loafers: How do you guys feel about smoking loafers? Do you like their androgynous feel? These Dolce Vita Nariko loafers have a lot of positive reviews, but are pricey for a trend - $165.  Steve Madden's version are $89, buy here.

Happy Birthday to my little Blog!
One year ago today, my creative project, The Fashionable ESQ was born!  I can honestly say that I'm very proud of it.  It has grown so much!  It has been a really fun time.  When I first started, I noticed that other blogs that began around the same time as TFE had so many more followers! I wondered what I was doing wrong...then one day, I let go of the numbers game, and the rest just came naturally.  I now try to improve the outfit I feature and the content with every post.

I wanted to thank everyone who has helped me - all of my followers (<3 ) and a special thank you to:
Alyson of Wardrobe Oxygen, Alicia of Cheetah is the New Black, Meli of Melificent, Teresa of Delightfully Darling, Lisa of Cocobella Ballerina, Katherine of Feather Factor, Tracy of Stella & Dot.

The BIGGEST thank you to my photographer - my boyfriend and TFE's VP!  He is responsible for most of the photos that appear on the site.  He painstakingly crouched his 6'4" frame down to get the perfect shot, all the while putting up with the constant badgering from...this girl.  Always with a smile on his face...and always telling me to "stop moving!!!" :) He encourages me and supports me in all things, no matter how fashionably frivolous they may be. Love.

Gripe: my entire post was deleted by Blogger, content & all...I had to recreate it -otherwise this would have been up this morning at 6:00 AM. :(