B.I.Y. Boot Chains

Boots are expensive. Earlier this season, I decided to dress up my loves of my life, still rocking like new after being worn every day last Fall/Winter, with some chains, so as to quench my desire for new boots.

The chains cost me $9.95 each or something from Forever 21 - they had a hideous cameo on them that will never see the light of day. Living in NYC, you would have thought I could find some nice chain at M&J Trimming or the other garment district places, but no such luck. Those chains felt like gold-painted plastic, so I headed over to F21 and rummaged around successfully.

Anyway, it took some time and some pliers, and I know most people don't care for that type of craftiness. But at the same time, do you have $300 for new chained-up boots that are just like your other expensive boots from last season only ... jangly? Thought not.

So I was so pleased to find The 2 Bandits and their boot chains and other pretty fixings, which enable you to B.I.Y. (buy it yourself), which is only one step further from the saintly frugality of DOING it.

I think the fabric bands would be amazing around the cuffs of a black blazer, too, or as armbands in the summer. The bottom line is: your accessories need to remember who they're working for, and work harder. It's a recession and they're lucky they have a closet.