Showing posts with label Bangin' Bargains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangin' Bargains. Show all posts
Welcome the newest member of my closet - the Saint Laurent patchwork blouse! Here's a quick recap on how it came to be in my possession: I bought a pair of boots in Net-a-Porter's End of Season sale but they didn't fit and I had to return them. After returning them I got a notification from eBay that an item I've wanted for months was relisted! It was listed for $599.99 but I got the seller to go down to $350! I had $25 in my PayPal account, $80 from a dress I returned at Christmas AND some Christmas money from my Grandma that I used to cover the rest. According to Lyst, it retailed for $2390 at Saks, and that is possibly a sale price! So I think I got a pretty good deal!
I promised you the "full story" on this Saint Laurent blouse in my wardrobe update, so here we go! I first came upon this top while searching street style blogs and seeing this photo of Barbara Martelo from April 2015. A dress version was on the Summer 2015 Men's collection runway and is equally beautiful but a little too flowy for me. The shirt version is the perfect way to inject some 1970's to your wardrobe without going full on hippie.
You may be thinking to yourself, that is an insanely printed shirt for someone who likes basic pieces. And you would be correct. But, the thing is, I've found that I love quirky basics. One of my favorite tops is very similar; a "basic" button up by Equipment, but it's bright pink and in a crazy print. Those of you who know me will be aware of the fact that I really don't like pink. But for some reason I love it. Sometimes you just can't explain attraction. Since this blouse is also sheer, and in a crazy print, I think we have a bright future ahead!
(Equipment blouse seen here, here, here, here and many more)
I promised you the "full story" on this Saint Laurent blouse in my wardrobe update, so here we go! I first came upon this top while searching street style blogs and seeing this photo of Barbara Martelo from April 2015. A dress version was on the Summer 2015 Men's collection runway and is equally beautiful but a little too flowy for me. The shirt version is the perfect way to inject some 1970's to your wardrobe without going full on hippie.
You may be thinking to yourself, that is an insanely printed shirt for someone who likes basic pieces. And you would be correct. But, the thing is, I've found that I love quirky basics. One of my favorite tops is very similar; a "basic" button up by Equipment, but it's bright pink and in a crazy print. Those of you who know me will be aware of the fact that I really don't like pink. But for some reason I love it. Sometimes you just can't explain attraction. Since this blouse is also sheer, and in a crazy print, I think we have a bright future ahead!
(Equipment blouse seen here, here, here, here and many more)
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In stark contrast to yesterday's post, I love this outfit! I have been wanting to wear these Tabitha Simmons boots since I bought them in July and was waiting for the perfect occasion. It seemed like that would never happen, so I made the occasion and just wore them on a plain old regular day!
They retailed for $1900 and I paid $74 after being very patient! I had seen them at Roundabout a few times before I actually bought them. Sadly, even though they were discounted, they were still expensive. When they had a 60% off sale, I scooped them up (along with a Burberry dress and cashmere sweater)! I featured them back in 2011 when Net-a-Porter debuted their "Runway to Green" collection where a portion of the sales went to leading environmental organizations. It's always funny when I end up buying something I shared on my blog years before.
Sweater: Inis Crafts (Marshalls), Jeans: J Brand c/o Marshalls, Boots: Tabitha Simmons (Roundabout Resale), Ring c/o Kendra Scott, Necklace: House of Harlow (South Moon Under)
They retailed for $1900 and I paid $74 after being very patient! I had seen them at Roundabout a few times before I actually bought them. Sadly, even though they were discounted, they were still expensive. When they had a 60% off sale, I scooped them up (along with a Burberry dress and cashmere sweater)! I featured them back in 2011 when Net-a-Porter debuted their "Runway to Green" collection where a portion of the sales went to leading environmental organizations. It's always funny when I end up buying something I shared on my blog years before.
Sweater: Inis Crafts (Marshalls), Jeans: J Brand c/o Marshalls, Boots: Tabitha Simmons (Roundabout Resale), Ring c/o Kendra Scott, Necklace: House of Harlow (South Moon Under)
This past weekend I went on a blogging date with Lydia, Amber, Christine and Tiffany! We went to lunch at my favorite restaurant, The Chowder Pot, then took some outfit photos (which you'll see soon,) and finally did a bit of thrifting!
First up we went to Coco's on the Green where there are tons of great designer pieces! They were having a 20% off everything sale so I was hoping to find something. I made my way around the store and found a bunch of great pieces, though none were in my size. Then I saw a hint of burgundy velvet peeking out at me and picked it out because those are two of my favorite things! It just so happens that it was the matching blazer for my Elie Tahari velvet pants from last year!! It was my size and was only $38, but was marked down to $30 because of the sale. Later, I found out it was called the Alena and retailed for $478, so quite the score if I do say so myself!
Next we went to Sarah's, a thrift store with everything from plates and old video games to clothes and accessories! In there I found an adorable Santa wall hanging for $2 and a huge men's sweater that was $6, but on sale for $1. Needless to say I snatched both of them up!
A pretty successful trip. Below are some photos of the items! (I'm planning on wearing the blazer this week, so expect at least one photo, if not a full outfit post)
First up we went to Coco's on the Green where there are tons of great designer pieces! They were having a 20% off everything sale so I was hoping to find something. I made my way around the store and found a bunch of great pieces, though none were in my size. Then I saw a hint of burgundy velvet peeking out at me and picked it out because those are two of my favorite things! It just so happens that it was the matching blazer for my Elie Tahari velvet pants from last year!! It was my size and was only $38, but was marked down to $30 because of the sale. Later, I found out it was called the Alena and retailed for $478, so quite the score if I do say so myself!
Next we went to Sarah's, a thrift store with everything from plates and old video games to clothes and accessories! In there I found an adorable Santa wall hanging for $2 and a huge men's sweater that was $6, but on sale for $1. Needless to say I snatched both of them up!
A pretty successful trip. Below are some photos of the items! (I'm planning on wearing the blazer this week, so expect at least one photo, if not a full outfit post)
Yesterday I went to Westport for an appointment and stopped by Roundabout's Westport location on the Post Road because an ex-coworker had told me about it. They carry so many designers, from Chanel to Hermes, Lanvin, Phillip Lim and so much more! It was like walking into a candy store! They had a gorgeous Chanel jacket for $500, but sadly it was a size 14... There was also a sale going on: 65% off clothes, 75% off shoes and 505 off bags & accessories. (except Chanel, Hermes, Valentino and something else)
I was looking at all the shoes and none caught my eye until I saw these gorgeous turquoise Lanvin pumps! They were a 37.5 and I'm usually a 38 or 38.5 but I tried them anyway and they fit! WAHOO! They were originally $960, the store was selling them for $329 and after the discount that was $82.85! How could I resist? These babies are adding a nice pop of color to my shoe closet.
Next up is a cute Valentino tank! They were selling it for $129, but it was 65% off so I paid $45 (still a lot, but it was cute and I needed to blow some money to make myself feel better, ha ha)
I was looking at all the shoes and none caught my eye until I saw these gorgeous turquoise Lanvin pumps! They were a 37.5 and I'm usually a 38 or 38.5 but I tried them anyway and they fit! WAHOO! They were originally $960, the store was selling them for $329 and after the discount that was $82.85! How could I resist? These babies are adding a nice pop of color to my shoe closet.
Next up is a cute Valentino tank! They were selling it for $129, but it was 65% off so I paid $45 (still a lot, but it was cute and I needed to blow some money to make myself feel better, ha ha)
As I posted in the beginning of the week I got an AMAZING deal when I went to Nordstrom Rack with Courtney, Lydia and Christine! I am delighted to share with you my newest item: a Theyskens' Theory leather jacket!!! I did some research and I believe it is the Juno which retailed for $1150, I paid $172....that's 85% off! My strategy is to comb the clearance racks and go through my favorite sections, no extraneous shopping.
For example, this time I tried on a ton of T by Alexander Wang and some Free People pieces that weren't on clearance and then when I was looking at clearance they had some leather jackets (which I have had on my wishlist for a while). This one stood out to me and I looked at the label and literally squealed because of the designer and the price. It was the only one there and in my size! (Well, I actually should have been a small, but since I'll be layering it over sweaters it should be perfect) How lucky is that?!
I keep finding myself in my closet room trying it on, even though we are in the middle of Summer. I think this is love :)
And here are some professional shots of the jacket from The Outnet:
For example, this time I tried on a ton of T by Alexander Wang and some Free People pieces that weren't on clearance and then when I was looking at clearance they had some leather jackets (which I have had on my wishlist for a while). This one stood out to me and I looked at the label and literally squealed because of the designer and the price. It was the only one there and in my size! (Well, I actually should have been a small, but since I'll be layering it over sweaters it should be perfect) How lucky is that?!
I keep finding myself in my closet room trying it on, even though we are in the middle of Summer. I think this is love :)
And here are some professional shots of the jacket from The Outnet:
Let's talk about consigning. Don't know what it is? Well Tiffany of Lady G's Closet (short for Lady Gryffindor, which makes me a fan right away) is here to explain the process! Lady G's Closet is an online consignment shop run out of New York City. Consigning is a great way to recycle clothes you no longer want or need, someone else gets to enjoy it and you get space in your closet for more fashionable clothes (maybe even something from Lady G's!) Make sure to check them out at www.ladygscloset.com!
For those who have never done it, how does consigning work? Consignment is loosely defined as a consigner (a person looking to sell an item), signing a contract with a consignee (a person or business), to put the item up for sale for a fee. Traditionally, this was done in brick and mortar stores. The items would have exposure limited to the people that walked into the store or business. However, many of these traditional consignment shops have started increasing their reach online. What makes Lady G's Closet different is that we are completely online. There isn't a storefront that we work out of. Our reach is unlimited because we only exist online. Our items are purchased by shoppers worldwide. When someone is interested in consigning with us, we give them 2 options. If they are in the NYC area, we offer to come and pick the items up from you. However, if this is not an option, we can arrange virtual ways of doing the initial analysis and then send shipping labels to you so that the items can be on their way to us. Within 7-10 days your items can be listed and available for you to view and track. After the items get sold, a check will be in the mail on it's way to you and that's it!
What do you look for in the items you consign? When looking at potential items for consignment, I look for those that bring instant excitement and a feeling of joy. I have to see that the item was well respected in return for the joy it gave its previous owner. I love coming across a rare, wonderful, piece that can easily grab the attention of potential buyers. But don't get me wrong, this does not necessarily mean that the item must be very expensive. I try to appeal to shoppers like myself that love mixing both high-end items with great lower price fashionable items. In short, I look for great high quality fashionable items that for the everyday diva.
Today I thought I would show you how you can use items from her store and make a totally fashionable outfit! You can see all the items available by going to their website. I chose a Badgley Mischka dress and Uniqlo cardigan!
Dress: Badgley Mischka via Lady G's Closet $325
Cardigan: Uniqlo via Lady G's Closet $19.99
Heels: ASOS $39.99
Watch: ASOS $39.99
Necklace: Orelia $21.81
Finally, I also asked why she started her business and she says, "I have always loved shopping. It was always less of a planned event and more of an everyday search. However, with limited closet space (and a limited budget), I would have to periodically give my items away or sell a couple online in preparation for the new items of the season. After some not-so-great life events, I realized that I might have to get rid of a lot more than I could have imagined for financial reasons. (Without the sob story, this included a brand new designer wedding dress among other things.) When my friends started hearing about my venture, they asked me to help them get rid of some clothing and shoes for them too. They usually would either give things away or hold onto them with the intention of selling them but never got around to it. It was then that a light bulb went off in my head and I decided right then that I would start my own business...the rest is history as they say."
For those who have never done it, how does consigning work? Consignment is loosely defined as a consigner (a person looking to sell an item), signing a contract with a consignee (a person or business), to put the item up for sale for a fee. Traditionally, this was done in brick and mortar stores. The items would have exposure limited to the people that walked into the store or business. However, many of these traditional consignment shops have started increasing their reach online. What makes Lady G's Closet different is that we are completely online. There isn't a storefront that we work out of. Our reach is unlimited because we only exist online. Our items are purchased by shoppers worldwide. When someone is interested in consigning with us, we give them 2 options. If they are in the NYC area, we offer to come and pick the items up from you. However, if this is not an option, we can arrange virtual ways of doing the initial analysis and then send shipping labels to you so that the items can be on their way to us. Within 7-10 days your items can be listed and available for you to view and track. After the items get sold, a check will be in the mail on it's way to you and that's it!
What do you look for in the items you consign? When looking at potential items for consignment, I look for those that bring instant excitement and a feeling of joy. I have to see that the item was well respected in return for the joy it gave its previous owner. I love coming across a rare, wonderful, piece that can easily grab the attention of potential buyers. But don't get me wrong, this does not necessarily mean that the item must be very expensive. I try to appeal to shoppers like myself that love mixing both high-end items with great lower price fashionable items. In short, I look for great high quality fashionable items that for the everyday diva.
Today I thought I would show you how you can use items from her store and make a totally fashionable outfit! You can see all the items available by going to their website. I chose a Badgley Mischka dress and Uniqlo cardigan!
Cardigan: Uniqlo via Lady G's Closet $19.99
Heels: ASOS $39.99
Watch: ASOS $39.99
Necklace: Orelia $21.81
Finally, I also asked why she started her business and she says, "I have always loved shopping. It was always less of a planned event and more of an everyday search. However, with limited closet space (and a limited budget), I would have to periodically give my items away or sell a couple online in preparation for the new items of the season. After some not-so-great life events, I realized that I might have to get rid of a lot more than I could have imagined for financial reasons. (Without the sob story, this included a brand new designer wedding dress among other things.) When my friends started hearing about my venture, they asked me to help them get rid of some clothing and shoes for them too. They usually would either give things away or hold onto them with the intention of selling them but never got around to it. It was then that a light bulb went off in my head and I decided right then that I would start my own business...the rest is history as they say."
Hello ladies! Since everyone is always so surprised to find I get a lot of my designer items really cheap on eBay I decided to post some recent finds. When I get bored I like to scope out ebay for pretty things I won't need. Then I proceed to "watch" them and never bid (unless I really love it, of course). So instead of saving all my finds for myself and not even taking advantage of them I figured I would share them with you guys! Let me know if you're going to go for something! :) Some of them end today, some end tomorrow...BUT before you bid make sure to check out the post I did on eBay tips! Click the images to go to the listings.
This is only a small selection of stuff, but on occasion I do post listings on my Twitter when they're almost done if I think they're good enough, so make sure to follow me!
(all of these are under $50, most are a lot less, at least at the time of this post...except the Chloe jacket is 100)
Marc Jacobs | Burberry | Moschino | Marc Jacobs | Chloe
This is only a small selection of stuff, but on occasion I do post listings on my Twitter when they're almost done if I think they're good enough, so make sure to follow me!
(all of these are under $50, most are a lot less, at least at the time of this post...except the Chloe jacket is 100)
Marc Jacobs | Burberry | Moschino | Marc Jacobs | Chloe
So...as you all know The OUTNET's $2 birthday sale was yesterday and I was one of the lucky few who got a ticket! SCORE! Anyway, I was at work so I had to warn my boss that between 11 and 12 I may have to stop working for a few minutes to get a designer item for $2, luckily he was totally fine with that, ha ha. So starting at around 10:50 am I began to panic in preparation. At around 11:15 I got my email from The OUTNET saying the sale had started so I SHOT straight to the site. My plan was to narrow down the results by size so for shoes I did 8 and 8.5 and then for clothes I did a range of size 2-8 (because I am so randomly sized). THEN I viewed it all on one page and scrolled down, as I saw items I liked I opened them in new tabs...I did this pretty quickly so I am sure I probably missed some other amazing pieces.
After I got to the bottom of the page I had a few items that i was choosing between, a Matthew Williamson dress, a Valentino jacket and a few other things I'm forgetting. In the end I decided on the Valentino jacket because I need another blazer. So I quickly added it to my cart and checked out like lightening! Good thing I already had my credit card information in there or I may have lost out on it. I just hope it fits because my shoulders make sizing weird, they make me need a larger size and everything else is smaller...annoying. So yea, if it doesn't fit I may have to sell it *tears*
This whole process from beginning to end took about 5 minutes, so it really is the sale of a lifetime. My heart was pounding SO fast during the whole process and it probably took me about 20 minutes to get back to breathing normally...my boss was probably laughing at me.
So in the end I got a $6,000 jacket for $2!!! AMAZING! And about an hour and a half after I made my order I got an email from them saying it was ready to be shipped...how awesome is that for customer service. So yea, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Outnet, they are amazing ;)
And here it is:
After I got to the bottom of the page I had a few items that i was choosing between, a Matthew Williamson dress, a Valentino jacket and a few other things I'm forgetting. In the end I decided on the Valentino jacket because I need another blazer. So I quickly added it to my cart and checked out like lightening! Good thing I already had my credit card information in there or I may have lost out on it. I just hope it fits because my shoulders make sizing weird, they make me need a larger size and everything else is smaller...annoying. So yea, if it doesn't fit I may have to sell it *tears*
This whole process from beginning to end took about 5 minutes, so it really is the sale of a lifetime. My heart was pounding SO fast during the whole process and it probably took me about 20 minutes to get back to breathing normally...my boss was probably laughing at me.
So in the end I got a $6,000 jacket for $2!!! AMAZING! And about an hour and a half after I made my order I got an email from them saying it was ready to be shipped...how awesome is that for customer service. So yea, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Outnet, they are amazing ;)
And here it is:
Vanilla silk-faille jacket with gold designer-embossed double-breasted button embellishment. Valentino jacket has a narrow flap collar at high neck, long sleeves with four decorative buttons at cuffs, a fabric buckle-fastening belt, flap pockets at hips, flap pocket detail at the chest, concealed press-studs through the front to fasten and is fully lined. 100% silk; lining: 100% polyester. Dry clean.Did you get a coveted ticket to the sale? If so what did you get!!?
Since last weekend was the last one in January I decided to be bad & blow the rest of my budget instead of being a good girl. Saturday I went to DSW and Marshalls with my Mom and sister. I must have had Tahari on the brain [you'll see why]. On Sunday I was supposed to go shopping with my friend, but that didn't happen so I did something else... You can click all the photos to see everything larger :D
Saturday: We stopped at Marhsalls first & I found this awesome leopard print Tahari sweater for only $20, normally $178! It's a little big since its a large & I'm usually a S/M, but I figure I'll mostly wear it unbuttoned or belted. AND I can wear it as a dress too, a short dress...but a dress ;)
They happened to have 2 so I picked up both & am selling the other on eBay, so if one of you lovely ladies would like it you can bid/buy it now HERE! :D Here's the deal: if there are no bids & you want to make an offer (at least $20 + $5 for US shipping/$15 international), I'll take it off eBay so you don't have to worry about bidding...the perks of being a follower ;) To make an offer email me at aclosetfashionista-blog[at]yahoo[dot]com.
*It starts at $29.99 so I at least make the $20 I spent after all the stupid fees, the buy it now price is $59.99 so I'll make $40 so its like getting the one I bought for myself free ;)
Then we went to DSW and there were lots of cute shoes on sale. I found these Tahari 'Travis' Oxfords for $79.94 & they were 70% off so I paid $24. I'm guessing they are normally around $110 since that's what DSW says... I'm not sure if I want to keep them though...what do you all think?!
On Sunday I did some more damage. I was supposed to go shopping with a friend, but as usual the plans fell through. I get very annoyed when people don't plan things properly. She texted me on Sunday morning to let me know that she couldn't go anymore... *rolls eyes* but that's better than on Sunday afternoon like I thought she would. So I decided to treat myself to a Chanel nail polish...I got the Limited Edition Riva shade, it was $2 more than the normal ones at $27 but whatever...I also got free shipping and 2 free samples [Chanel N°5 Eau Premiere and Inimitable Mascara (Noir Obscur)], yay!!! This was a big splurge for me, it took me like 5 hours to press the checkout button...I'm so crazy.
So all in all i spent $71 this weekend. (I'm not counting the $20 on the second Tahari sweater since I should break even selling it or I'll return it, haha)
*It starts at $29.99 so I at least make the $20 I spent after all the stupid fees, the buy it now price is $59.99 so I'll make $40 so its like getting the one I bought for myself free ;)
Then we went to DSW and there were lots of cute shoes on sale. I found these Tahari 'Travis' Oxfords for $79.94 & they were 70% off so I paid $24. I'm guessing they are normally around $110 since that's what DSW says... I'm not sure if I want to keep them though...what do you all think?!
On Sunday I did some more damage. I was supposed to go shopping with a friend, but as usual the plans fell through. I get very annoyed when people don't plan things properly. She texted me on Sunday morning to let me know that she couldn't go anymore... *rolls eyes* but that's better than on Sunday afternoon like I thought she would. So I decided to treat myself to a Chanel nail polish...I got the Limited Edition Riva shade, it was $2 more than the normal ones at $27 but whatever...I also got free shipping and 2 free samples [Chanel N°5 Eau Premiere and Inimitable Mascara (Noir Obscur)], yay!!! This was a big splurge for me, it took me like 5 hours to press the checkout button...I'm so crazy.
So all in all i spent $71 this weekend. (I'm not counting the $20 on the second Tahari sweater since I should break even selling it or I'll return it, haha)
