About

Broke & Beautiful is a proud member of The Demoiselles‘ family.

Broke & Beautiful was started in 2006 by Lindsay Ginn in Seattle, WA. In 2008, the operation moved to Chicago, IL where B&B continued to grow and receive recognition for its focus on affordable, high-quality brands and styles. March of 2009 brought on the creation of The Demoiselles, an organization devoted to discussing with the fashion loving public the influence of media on women, with business partner, Jennifer Nicole. In 2010, TD decided to streamline all of its endeavors (including Jennifer Nicole’s site, Awakened Aesthetic) and for the first time in the website’s history, Broke & Beautiful took on a new author.

Hello, I’m Lindsay.

After jobs as a newspaper editor, fashion photographer, stylist and marketing coordinator – I decided to leave the corporate life and go into business for myself as a professional apparel addict.

Years of frustration with common publications spawned the desire to make this blog bigger than just a web log. Picking up a magazine and seeing the first 40 pages full of high-end luxury ads, followed by editorials suggesting you just run to the nearest Neiman Marcus and pick up the latest Alexander Wang plain t-shirt dress simply infuriated me. While designers are obviously to be respected, I refuse to pay $90 for a white tee, or $150 for a pencil skirt, and so on.

That said, there’s no reason to pay exorbitant amounts simple for a name tag. I have designers I adore – truly unique, inventive, and authentic designs are few and far between – but paying retail is completely out of my reality. My philosophy? There’s never a reason to pay full retail. As an internet junkie, finding the best deals on high-quality, designer-level clothing has become my passion.

Truly unique designer items will absolutely show their faces on B&B – provided they’re worth the money that’s being asked for them.

Follow me on Twitter for general rambling, and the occasional discount code or giveaway!

Hi, I’m Jen.

I run Awakened Aesthetic – combining my passion for beautiful clothes with my fervor for socially-conscious consumerism – but ethically sound fashion can come with a hefty price tag.  Becoming a writer for B&B is both freeing and challenging: I can branch out from my stricter eco-restrictions, but I also have to find fashion I respect socially at a price that doesn’t make you cringe.

That’s not all you’ll see from me, though; I’m a fashion fiend, and sometimes that means traversing outside of the realm of eco-friendly fashion. I’ll bring reviews, indie designers, and that delicious B&B smarm that you all love.

While Lindsay has a lifestyle that allows for fashion experimentation, my own wardrobe is a bit more subtle.  I’m locked into the corporate world for 40 hours per week, and I can’t exactly come in to the office with an avant garde getup – no matter how much I love it.  But I still love experimental fashion, so I’m always on the hunt for pieces that translate from work to happy hour (oh god, I love a good happy hour) without making my bosses’ heads spin.

Follow my Twitter for beautiful clothes, interesting conversation, and the occasional haiku about coffee.