Style | Marshall's Tribeca Luxury Merchandise **Updated**

My computer broke and I have been without a computer for two weeks, which is why I have not been posting. Now I'm back and hope to get back on track! I work close to the Marshall's in Tribeca (see my original rundown of this Marshall's location in my post about their grand opening here). I popped on by today to find an inexpensive pair of sandals but of course I wanted to check out their luxury goods. As always, I'm the perpetual window shopper (browsing but never buying). Here is what I found if you are interested and in the area:

Gucci Medium Lady Bag - it's really cute and is also a great size! I believe this was $1500, which is a good price considering the original is $2410. If you are interested in this bag you can purchase it here as well.  

Balenciaga "Metallic Edge" City Bag - $1500, this appears to be a smaller version than the one I wrote about originally a few weeks back

 Fendi Men's Nylon Monster Backpack for $1500 although I think this is cool enough to be unisex (the front pouch opens up to be a red mouth)! This one is originally $1900, you can purchase a very similar looking on at Saks, minus the metal eyes here. 

MCM Men's "Viestos" Backpack for $600. Sorry for the ugly picture! Decent discount from the $790 that you would have to pay here at Nordstrom. I also saw a few Alexander McQueen Men's cameo print backpacks but didn't snag a picture.

Thanks for stopping by! Have you found anything good at Marshall's or T.J.Maxx lately? 

Style | Currently Coveting for Spring 2017

I'm going to be slowly introducing more and more fashion-related posts back into the blog. This will not take away from my 1x a week Saturday posting schedule for skincare / beauty reviews and will be included on top of my regularly scheduled content.

I hate winter in the city, it is so cold and not to mention icy! I think the worst part is the ice because I am constantly slipping and falling on my face. So I'm already looking forward to Spring, which is my favorite season because everyone comes out of fashion hibernation and the trees and flowers start to bloom! Read on below to see some of my picks for the upcoming Spring season.

1. Terrariums -  In the spirit of the new year, new me mantra, I've been turning to gain solace from nature - 2016 was a disappointing year as a lot of unfortunate things happened to me and I've been trying to find inner peace using nature as a coping mechanism.There is something so invigorating about breathing in fresh air and sitting apart from the distractions of the internet to the point that you can just exist in the present. I want to change my decor to include more natural elements and that starts with a few terrariums!

2. Delicate Rings - I'm not really a gold gal, I'm a silver gal. There's something about gold that I find to be too shiny and thus tacky in many cases. The rings pictured are from Sterling Forever - I purchased the roman numeral ring when they were having a sale on Hautelook and was pleasantly surprised with the quality. I'm typically pretty skeptical of brands that I haven't tried before, especially when it comes to jewelry, but I would definitely recommend checking them out and I will be looking for more rings if they have a sale.

3. Colorblock Wide Striped Sweaters - I usually stay away from stripes because I think it makes your body look wide, especially if you have a larger chest like me. However, I really am loving that look this season and would love to pair this type of sweater in the spring with white jeans. I am also loving warmer tones, which is a first for me, as I am a true cool-tone lover. The sweater pictured is from one of my all time favorite brands, Free People, so once again it is on the pricier side at $98, which means I'll try to watch it and see if it goes on sale. Yay for waiting for sales!

Style | Rebecca Minkoff Fall 2016 Sample Sale!

NYC ladies! Rebecca Minkoff is having a fall sample sale starting tomorrow, October 24th, and going until Saturday, Oct 29th at 260 5th Avenue! I'm going to check the sale out probably on Thursday or Friday (additional markdowns most likely!) and will update the post with information from the sale.

I'm looking for any of their chevron love cross-bodies...I'd love a real Chanel Boy bag, but that's probably not happening anytime soon, so I love that Rebecca Minkoff makes a more affordable "dupe" of the Boy!

Check out my recap of the Spring NYC sample sale here.

They will also have an online version of the sample sale starting Tuesday October 25th. I anticipate the online sample sale will carry many of the same items at the in-person sale simply because that was the case during the Spring 2016 sample sale.

Thanks for reading!

Style | NYC Reiss 2016 Sample Sale Further Reductions Recap

I havn't wanted to go to a sample sale in quite some time so I have been on a sample sale hiatus. The designers that have been at the recent sales have all been "too rich for my blood".

Reiss is a popular British brand with very tailored and sharp looking items. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brand, it is definitely one of the more expensive retailers - a cotton shirt for example starts around $100 and goes up from there. Starting today there was an additional 20% off reduction on the sample sale price You all that I only shop things that have additional discounts aka never pay retail! See Sample Sally's post for detailed pricing coverage. Note this sale also features menswear - but is limited to approx 4 racks and a small table of accessories on the back wall.

For those who have gone to the sale last Spring, you will see many of the same pieces. The pieces are also not crazy discounted or anything. I didn't find anything, but my sister found a nice blue work dress and her friend a nice light jacket in olive.

Tomorrow is the last day of the sale. I went around 5:00 PM today and there was a sizable line to get in and to use the fitting room.They still have a good number of things left, lots of women were trying on shoes today. However women's accessories are slim pickings - bags are damaged and few and far between. There are a few scarves, some swimwear in a bin, as well as some belts with gold-details. 

Cant make the sale or not in NYC? TJMaxx.com (have I mentioned that TJMaxx is my favorite store?) has a few Reiss coats!  I actually saw the Terri coat (green below) at the sample sale, and was priced at $208. It was super soft! These coats are obviously not for everyone but I could see a fashion forward woman rocking them out with an all black outfit!

1. Terri Coat $179 | 2. Alba Coat $179   

Thanks for reading and until the next sale!

Deal Alert | Additional 40 % Off Sale for Urban Outfitters Rewards Members

Havn't done a fashion related post in a while and also haven't shopped at Urban Outfitters (UO) in a while...in approximately 2 years...but UO is doing an additional 40% off already reduced sale items if you sign up to be a UO rewards member. I couldn't resist the deep discounts! Also I have noticed that UO often offers some great quality brands in their sale section such as Keepsake the Label, which I love for their great prints and geometric design. 

Shopping tip(s): 

• I'm trying to dispel the myth that some people seem to have that you can't find anything good in the clearance sale section - totally not true! Hopefully my picks below will start to show you that there are always hidden gems in a clearance sale.
• If there is something you want but don't absolutely need but it's out of your price range, keep waiting for it to go on sale. If it doesn't then it wasn't meant to be. I know this may seem harsh but it is just a good way to force yourself to stick to a budget and to force yourself to only purchase things you can afford. 
• The items below are more "summer" type clothing items, but I like buying clothes for a future season especially if I know I have a need for that item in the future. More specifically, I had been eyeing up dress #2 for quite some time because I need a maxi-length dress to wear for my sister's wedding reception dinner this coming May. This sale enables me to get something that I need in advance of when I need it at a great price! I'm the type of person who likes to have an item of clothing ready way in advance for special occasions. 

1. Keepsake Irreplaceable Long-Sleeve Dress here (originally $290 now $60 with the discount) | 2. Kimchi Blue Waterfall Chiffon Maxi Dress here (originally $189 now $60 with the discount) | 3. Ecote Anya Embroidered Gauze Maxi Dress here (originally $198 now $60 with the discount) 

Hopefully #2 looks as good as the pictures. I'm a bit hesitant in believing it will because the color is "mint" whereas the pictures make the dress look more of a turquoise blue. Hopefully I'll luck out with a dress that is more on the the turquoise blue side since I feel mint clashes when you have skin with a yellow-y-pink undertone.

Will try posting 2x a week, but sometimes it is hard given my changing school schedule. Thanks for reading!

Deal Alert | Bloomingdale's Labor Day Sale Baublebar Jewelry Finds

One of my best shopping tricks is to wait until national holidays to make purchases. Stores will often offer good holiday promotions. Since Labor Day is right around the corner, a bunch of online stores have started offering sale promotions for this weekend.

In particular, Baublebar is offering a additional 20% off sale items in honor of Labor Day, but you can find better deals on several Baublebar items at Bloomingdale's Big Brown Bag Sale as Bloomie's is a Baublebar stockist! That's a tongue-twister...so many B words in that sentence... I think Baublebar is such a great jewelry company because their products are such a good intersection of quality and affordability.

Bloomie's sale is also offering an additional 20% off their sale and clearance items across accessories, bags, clothes, etc. Remember to sign up as a loyalist to get free shipping and returns on any order and use ebates to get another 3% back via cashback. To be clear, signing up as a loyalist is not a sign-up for a credit card, I would more of liken it to a rewards program where you can earn points for each of your purchases online and in stores for every dollar spent. After you get to 5,000 points you get a $25 rewards card. The point conversion if obviously not that great, but hey at least it's something! Here are my Baublebar selections from the Big Brown Bag Sale all items listed below are less than $25!

1. Honolulu Drop Earrings - love the gold and blue mixture these are only $12 with the additional 20% off! | 2. Ivy Drop Earrings - I absolutely love jewelry that has a natural element to it, leaves, flowers, etc. and these ones are only $13 after the discount!  | 3. Dali Drop Earrings - love the color combo on these earrings. They are a true statement earring for sure. For comparison to Baublebar Labor Day weekend sale prices, you can also purchase these other Dali Drop earrings in coral for $16.

4. Baltic Collar Necklace 17" - only $20 with the additional discount - this is a great price for such a  heavily jeweled statement necklace | 5. Flora Collar Necklace 16.5" - only $25 with the additional discount - I really love the brown tones in this necklace and feel it would look so great during the fall with a chambray shirt | 6. Sky Layered Necklace 13" - I have been looking to expand my collection of delicate necklaces and for the price of $15 after the additional discount, I knew I had to pounce.

Items are going fast so if you see something you like, you should jump! The rest of the sale also has some decent items so be sure to check out other merchandise categories as well.

Style | Ann Taylor Loft Best Friends & Family Sale 40% Off Everything

Ann Taylor (AT) and Ann Taylor Loft (ATL) are quickly becoming my favorite shops. I used to shy away from AT and ATL because some of the clothing seems a little too mature for me, but for those 20-somethings and recent graduates who are trying to dress up and make their wardrobes more sophisticated, I really recommend taking a deeper look through their selection. I absolutely love their blouses and have recent started getting into their shoes. By taking advantage of their sales, they often have pieces at affordable prices that also happen to be great quality (aka SO SO much better than Forever 21...).

A few critiques however when shopping with them online: 

• Slow image and general website loading times during sales promotions. This happens constantly, which is tedious. 
• Website errors at check-out: I wasn't able to enter in my credit card number during the payment portion of the checkout. I was  basically asking to pay them but couldn't complete the transaction. I had to switch to another browser on another computer to finish it all up. 
• Shipping inconsistencies: they are very inconsistent with their shipping times. Sometimes an order will arrive in 3 days, other times it will stay processing for 7 days. Also the tags came cut for every item in one of my orders, forcing me to return my items by mail instead of to the store

If they can improve these things, they definitely will rise to the top of my go to shops. I do predict that e-commerce sales will in the future eclipse retail store sales so I think it is important for them to solve their current e-commerce issues.

Here are my selection of clothes from the ATL Best Friends and Family Sale. All these items are new items for their Fall range. This promotion is available in stores, use code BESTFRIENDS at checkout for on-line purchases. 

1. Mosaic Tunic Shell - love this color |  2. Sanded Sateen Chinos in Marissa Fit - in Antique White, these pants are highly rated for their comfort and I feel they would be so versatile | 3. Tie Neck Poet Blouse - love this billow-y style

4. Lace Mock Neck Top - think this would look so great with the Sanded Sateen Chinos in the |  5. Sanded Sateen Chinos in Marissa Fit - in Stellar Blue, wish they had these in black | 6. Textured Bell Sleeve Dress - I am so into the bell sleeves right now, they are so unique and I have nothing like that in my closet. This dress also looks like it would be a perfect work dress!

7. Lace Up Heels - these black shoes are what I am really excited about this sale. I love ghillie heels and anything shoe with strappy laces. I saw these shoes on the ATL models during the Summer collection and was so upset they weren't for purchase. Now they are! Can't wait to get my hands on these and think they would look great with the textured bell sleeve dress in item #6. | 8. Cutout Block Heel  - Loft is killing it at their shoe game, love the color on these! I have been so into neutrals, taupes and olives lately.

Stay tuned for looks with some of these items! Thanks for reading!

Style | Deal Alert! Gucci Mini Dionysus GG Supreme Bag

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm obsessed with TJMaxx.com. I actually browse their new arrivals obsessively and was doing so when I stumbled upon the Gucci Mini Dionysus GG Supreme in the canvas style on sale for $1199 as opposed to the MSRP of $1550 at Gucci.com.

Purchase here at TJMaxx.com

Style | Acquazzura Christy Ghillie Flat Dupes

My parents taught me the value of a dollar and how important it was to search for value when making purchases. For that reason, it is no surprise that I absolutely love TJMaxx and other discount stores. I actually was so in love with discount merchandising that I worked as an intern at Ross Stores (a peer discount retailer to TJMaxx) in the middle of NYC's Garment District and I LOVED it! It was SO fun to learn about merchandising, inventory and demand planning, store placement, etc. And I loved the managers that I worked with. :)

I never thought I would see the day that a "discount" retailer would sell products online, because the business model of a discount retailer is not really well suited for this type of sales channel. More specifically a discount retailer moves a high volume of cheaper products quickly with a lower profit margin. But by adding a web-based business with a product fulfillment and shipping component, this adds to the retailers costs, making it more difficult for a discount retailer to make a profit. But the day came when TJMaxx launched their online store and I was ecstatic. I think TJMaxx is able to make it work because they seem to carry products at a slightly higher price point on the website than in stores.

I was even more excited when I found these amazing dupes for the black version of the Acquazzura Christy Ghillie Flat by an Italian brand Napoleoni for way less than the $675 designer retail price. Purchase them from TJMaxx here for $99. These dupe's look so close especially since they both have a metallic heel and extend up the ankle.

 

Acquazzura "Christy" Flats

$675

vs.

Napleoni Flats at TJMaxx.com

$99

Style | NYC Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2016 Sample Sale Recap

I'm quite the Minkette (lover of Rebecca Minkoff bags as I already own several of her bags) so it is only natural that I love the Rebecca Minkoff NYC sample sale. I was trying to make myself wait until Saturday aka the last day for additional markdowns on top of sale prices as I outlined in my Parker sample sale post, but today was the only day I could go. The sale is taking place from 5/9 - 5/14 at 260 Fifth Avenue between 28th and 28th street. Remaining hours are Friday 10 AM - 8 PM, Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM.

At the sale there was half a wall full of clothes and jeans with limited selection in terms of sizes. I noticed several samples of dresses and jackets left, but of course the sizes were small and there were damages. If you are interested in the clothing, be sure to check for rips and stains - my sister was about to purchase a pretty powder blue blazer but there were major, I mean major pit stains inside the jacket so she had to pass. Also there is a sizable amount of active wear in the clothing racks.

Pricing: This is not comprehensive and is more focused on pricing changes and additional markdowns. SampleSally has an original pricing list. 

• Samples were marked down from $75 to $50. Originally they had a limit of 5 samples per person, but when I was at the sale you could purchase unlimited samples.Samples were limited of course, but lots of bags that look like the Triple Zip purse when I left.
• Sandals, sneakers, and flats were marked down from $50 to $25 with boots marked down from $100 to $50
• Small leather goods were marked down to $15
• Ben/Uri Minkoff merchandise (for men) was marked down by I believe $25, but don't quote me on that!
• Purses has not been marked down further and followed a pricing structure based on MSRP aka the more expensive the MSRP on the purse the more expensive the price. I do however anticipate they will be marked down on Saturday. 

See below for some photos I took of the merchandise and some commentary on what else you might find at the sale. I also noticed that you can buy SO SO many of these same items on the Rebecca Minkoff online sample sale site, so for those ladies who don't live in NYC, SF, or LA don't feel too bummed! I've also provided links in case you are interested. From my recollection, the pricing on the online sample sale is pretty close to the pricing at the physical NYC sale. Also this sale is different from the one last year in that there were definitely a lot less MAC bags. 

I thought this bag was really cute, the only one left in a seafoam color.  Purchase a navy one on the online sale here. 

Style | Parker NY Sample Sale Recap

Although this is not as helpful as Sample Sally's blog, which follows NYC sample sales on before / on the first day of sales, I do like to go to sample sales on the last day to check out if there are additional markdowns (just to save a few more $$$ and I since I love a good deal).

For those that have never been to a sample sale, a sample sale only runs a few days (2-5 approximately). From what I've experienced, the sale is initially advertised with a certain % off. Around mid-way point of the sale, sometimes additional markdowns are made. On the last day, markdowns are typically made, and sometimes, if you are lucky, during the last few hours of the sale there will be even more markdowns on top of the other rounds of markdowns. I didn't know this was a thing until I stayed until closing at the Joie and  Equipment sample sale last year and basically got an entire spring wardrobe of tops for ~$150 at everything ~80% off.

The Parker sale took place last week from 4/20-4/21. I own one Parker bustier top, one of their classic styles made out of silk, so I wanted to go check the sale. For those of you unfamiliar with the brand, they have some very girly pieces - a very Taylor Swift sort of look. The sale had a broad collection of sequined pieces (tops, dresses, skirts), some although the selection was not extensive of non sequin dresses, a few bustier tops left in bright red and pink. Many of the items would have been good for spring time dressing. They also had an interesting assortment of shoes that I think had been worn during fashion shoots, but I didn't think it was worth it to browse through them.

See below for some photos I took of the merchandise:

I really liked the orange and blue sequin combination!

Style | DIY Valentino Rockstuds

I am absolutely in love with the Valentino Rockstud heels and flats. They are the perfect combination of edgy, classy, and lux! The pyramid studs look like jewelry for your feet! However, I can't really imagine spending around four digits on a pair of shoes...unless someone buys them for me as a gift *wink*. 

Photo Credit: Neiman Marcus

I bought some BCBGeneration shoes about 2.5 years ago from TjMaxx for $40. When I bought them I was completely in love - I thought they were really classy and comfortable. But they've sat in the back of my closet because I've had not had an occasion to wear this sandal pump hybrid....especially since all I do is work / study and because it is frickin cold in NYC for a large part of the year. Side note: BCBGeneration actually makes a Rockstud dupe called the "Darron" pump, which are a decent dupe (see below, retail $70). You can purchase them at DSW. However, my mom sent me a picture of them and I may be a bit biased, but I think my fauxstuds are better! That is because the studs on the Darron pumps look a bit plastic-y and I'm really picky on show shiny patent is.

Photo Credit: DSW

One day it struck me that the color combination of my heels was similar to the Valentino Rockstuds, so I bought these hotfix studs from an etsy shop, Prisms of Light, for $11 for 100 studs. 

Dang! These angled selfies are harder to take than you think!

Style | Wardrobe Refresh Denim Inspiration

Join me in my wardrobe refresh! That is my more conscious and refined attempt at building my wardrobe. This came about because my style this year has really changed (it has gotten simpler and more refined) and I have found myself no longer wanting to wear many items in my closet. My goal is be in love with absolutely every piece of clothing in my closet and to wear things over and over again for years to come. I want to more carefully consider fast fashion (what I call the one wear then done) and essentially say goodbye to Forever 21. Plus moving is hard when you have piles and piles of crap that you don't wear or use, so I also want to prune my wardrobe.

First up in my style refresh are jeans. I really am very picky about the washes and whiskering of my jeans, which is probably why I do not wear jeans often. Below are a few picks that I am especially loving for their beautiful coloring:

BlankNYC
I love the Skinny Classique style and here are my top picks across a wide range of colors:

Smoke and Mirrors $88 | Brotox $88 | No Time For Dat $88

For those ladies who live in NYC - According to Refinery 29 there is a BlankNYC sample sale coming up mid December 2015 - from Wednesday, December 16th through Friday, December 18th. Daily 11am—7pm. Clothingline, 261 W 36th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, 2nd floor.