Cheryl Shops

Website of the week
Last week I got the Alloy catalogue in the mail. From what I remembered, Alloy was for skater-girls--kind of like how Delia*s used to be before it went more mainstream. Anyway, Alloy has also changed its tune--it's definitely a lot more girly, which sucks for the punky teens out there, but is great for chicks like me who raid teen catalogues for cool, cheap accessories. Before I start listing the goods, a cautionary note: There are clothes, of course, at Alloy, but they are for junior sizes, meaning middle-school and high school girls. Unless you are built like a 14-year-old, I suggest staying away from the clothes; if you must, take a look at the size chart before buying. That said, I think the accessories are the best part of teen-oriented websites like this, because they're trendy, cheap, and supercute--and because they're so cheap, you won't feel bad if you wear them only a few times. You can shop by category, by style, or by brand; I'll be sticking to accessories, shoes, jewelry, and such, although the style "preppy rocker" is pretty amusing--Hilary Duff is clearly the inspiration for that. Anyway, onto cute accessories: I love the rich colors of this twill and satin clutch; this zipper clutch is pretty badass; at $24, the faux fur shrug is an unbelievable deal; the braided belt reminds me of Chloe by Stella McCartney, circa the horse collection; I have shoes that would match perfectly with this Cameron Diaz-esque metallic bow belt; and I must have this sequin stretch belt, another excellent deal at $12. Shoe-wise, for the Ugg lovers, they have a kaleidoscope of Emu boots; I like the casual-looking frontier boots; of course, I'm down with anything that has a butterfly on it; these satin beaded slides are a step up from the Chinese slippers you can buy on the street (and are more suitable for nighttime), and these Twinkle flats are totally adorable; the high-roller pumps are a bit kooky, but have this season's ubiquitous round toe; and, the best shoe find of all: a slightly lower-heeled version of my beloved Miu Miu mocasin pumps (oops, I just broke my vow never to mention them again). Jewelry-wise, I like this metallic flower pin; this flower cuff bracelet is very Sarah Jessica Parker; and prim Coco Chanel-y pearl necklace. Shipping for all this cool loot is free on orders over $75; and if you don't want to buy it all at once, you can save the items you like to your wish list. And, for your inner teen, you can read Alloy's online magazine to your heart's content. Oh my god! Lindsay Lohan is so cool!