Recreation: Liv Tyler at Givenchy's Paris Fashion Week Show

Dressing like a star is expensive. Or not. With a little luck and some dumpster diving (sometimes literally), it can be done pretty cheaply. I had to say, seeing Liv Tyler's outfits at the Paris Fashion Week was quite a jaw dropping moment. I've never really found a certain "star" whose style I really love, and sometimes I like Liv's clothes, and sometimes I don't, so it was somewhat surprising to look through the photos on www.lovelylivtyler.com and find that I really liked pretty much everything I saw.

Breaking down those styles and recreating them, on there other hand, can be a bear. Let me start out by saying this: whenever I look to recreate something, I try to recreate the style, not the specific look. I don't want to look like a carbon copy of someone else, and I don't want to make other people into carbon copies of something, either. Instead, my goal is to recreate the feel that a certain outfit has for more general use--something that can be dressed up or down depending on the wearer's choice. My second goal is to be cost-effective. I don't have a millionaire's budget, and I doubt you do, either. So if I have to go dumpster diving, I will. (Haven't had to yet, though. ;) 

Liv's dress is pretty simple: It is a black sweater dress with a snarling big cat on it. Coupled with this is black stockings, black peep-toed heels, and a small black clutch that we find from other pictures appears to be either a leather or a simulated leather. For most of the evening, Liv appears to have borrowed some nice guy's tuxedo jacket.

Since I personally believe that peep-toed shoes in the basic colors (black and brown) should be a part of everyone's shoe collection, and I also believe that everyone should have a decent collection of clutches and stockings, and I also think every girl should have a nice guy to lend them a jacket, I won't be looking to replicate those. Instead, I'm going to give you the basics, and then my suggestions as to how to accentuate it for a pool- or beach-party feel. I think you're all smart enough to come up with your own designs after that. ;)

When walking into a JCPenny the other day, I realized I had just found the dress that could make this set. Being ever-armed in case of emergency, I pulled my iPhone out and took a picture. Once I got home, I pulled up Safari and started researching. The dress is by Bisou Bisou®, and comes with the belts (which I would, personally, suggest removing). It is a t-shirt dress, so not quite the sweatery, long-sleeved feel that Liv's winter dress has, but it does seem a little bit better suited to summer life. This dress prices in at a little under $40. For the beach/pool party feel, there are a variety of directions your could go for shoes, but my favorite choice is Montego Bay's Maeve Beaded Toe Loop Sandal. For a dressier look, I would go with Fioni's Lockleer Flower T-Strap Sandal, in either the blush or the brown. The handbag I fell in love with is pretty simple, and also from Payless (who doesn't love Payless??), and is Minicci's hobo-ish Floral Karesa Shopper.

And the final tally?

Dress:    $39.99
Sandals: $24.99
handbag:$19.99

Total: $84.97, plus tax.

I'd be willing to bet that cost less than Liv's original dress.